JIMMIE JOHNSON COMPLETES “BLUE BLASTER” HYDROPLANE IN TRIBUTE TO BILL MUNCEY
SEATTLE — Close to 46 years after a four-year old Jimmie Johnson - donning a yellow trucker hat - was lifted onto the side of the infamous Atlas Van Lines Blue Blaster hydroplane in the San Diego Bay, the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion took to the waters of Lake Washington on Friday, Aug. 1. Johnson, at age 49 made an electrifying tribute to one of the greatest racers in the world – Bill Muncey. Piloting the boat which was highly successful in the 1970’s and 80’s by the hydroplane legend, Johnson notched speeds near 100 miles per hour, thrilling fans during a special exhibition as part of Seattle’s annual Seafair weekend.
“Climbing into the Blue Blaster was such a full circle moment,” said Johnson post-event. “The power, the history, the speed - it’s was pure adrenaline. It was such an honor to pay tribute to a hero of mine, a legend of the sport and to the Muncey family - this event was 46 years in the making. The speed in the water was so much greater than it is on land. In a car the faster you go the (downforce) just plants the car to the pavement, in the boat, the faster I went the more I thought it was going to fly away. It was absolutely wild."
Johnson was grateful to all those who made this happen and the support he received from the Muncey family, namely Bill Muncey's wife Fran and his son Edward.
"I’m so thankful to the Muncey family and Carvana for their support," Johnson continued. "Even my Dad (Gary Johnson) made the trip to Seattle to see this thing go full circle. Chip Hanauer, David Williams and the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum here in Washington, the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (Daytona Beach, Fla.), Seafair, were all so great to work with, so I'm just thankful to all who made this dream a reality for me.”
Muncey lost his life in the Blue Blaster in 1981. On Friday, the meticulously restored vintage hydroplane, weighing 5,600 pounds and boasting a 2,500-horsepower Merlin engine famously powered British Spitfire fighter planes in World War II, helped Johnson roar across the water with the same raw spirit that defined Muncey’s racing dominance in the 1970s and early '80s. The boat was restored after 30 years and the Muncey family was on hand to witness Johnson driving it.
Spectators in the pits and in the Carvana grandstand at Seafair cheered on as Johnson handled the boat as if he had ‘done it his whole career’. Fans lined the shorelines as Johnson ripped through the course, drawing cheers with every pass and reinvigorating the spirt of Muncey and the Blue Blaster of years past. Johnson even remained on course and extra lap, drawing a 'black flag' from officials, which was reminiscent of Richard Petty's black flag in a throwback car as he paced the field at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway as he decided to run an 'extra' lap in 2017.
Johnson’s ‘crew chief’ was (Chip) Hanauer, one of the most successful Unlimited Hydroplane racers in history. Hanauer won the APBA Gold Cup a record 11 times and was the driver of one of the most famous boats in APBA history, the Miss Budweiser – the boat that paced Johnson - in the early to mid-1990s. Hanauer also raced the Blue Blaster after Muncey’s passing.
A behind-the-scenes video documenting the day can be seen on Johnson’s YouTube page in the upcoming days. The exhibition run can be seen here from H1 Unlimited's YouTube stream starting at 2:59:26 minutes into the feed.
