Chip Hanauer

Unlimited Hyrdoplane Driver Lee Edward “Chip” Hanauer is considered to be the best ever in this Sport. His 61 carrier wins ranks 2nd to his idol William “Bill” Muncey. It a record that he should of broken, but didn’t want to out of respect. His 40% winning percentage ranks as the highest among many forms of Motorsports. Born in 1954 during the being of the Golden Era of Hydros, he started racing 10 years later, then 8 years later he won his 1st national championship, the 4 years after that made his debut in Unlimited as old as he was @ this time (22). In sport as deadly as Hydroplane racing was/is, he got his 1st completive ride, when Driver Jerry Bangs was killed, in a boat named The Squire Shop in 1977. It also was during a time that Bill Muncey was dominating the sport in what in the Atlas Van Lines also know as the Blue Blaster. Hanauer along with Bernie Little’s Budweiser were the only boats to be competitive with the Atlas, fact not unnoticed by either Muncey or Little. It was during 1981 season that Little finally found a way to beat Hanauer & Muncey, finding supply of Rolls Griffon engines that much larger in size than the standard Rolls Merlin engines that most teams were running. This along with the new Miss Budweiser let them dominate that season. A frustrated Muncey went into last race in Mexico,with point to prove. Jumped into the lead & going into final turn while leading both the Budweiser & Squire Shop the boat went airborne throwing Muncey into the water braking his neck & fatally injurying him. Muncey’s Fran, widow dicided to stay in the sport & she called Hanauer asked him to be his replacement.
From 1982 untill 1990 when they lost a sponsor, they would dominate the sport (33 wins in 80 starts) Hanauer left the sport to try automobile racing. But in 1992 a call from legendry owner Bernie Little would convince him to comeback in to the sport as driver of the Miss Budweiser, were he would again dominate the sport (22 wins in 35 starts) It wasn’t all smooth sailing, as the series of boats he was given were very fast, but ill handling, given to go airborne with no notice. Hanauer survived 4 very serious crashes that left with very serious injuries including a broken back. Then final straw my of been, was after crash, he was sent to the hospital checked out & waited for someone from the team to pick him up, but no one did. He left team replaced by his former Crew Chief; to go to the unfunded American Dream were win the final races of career then retire for good.