Museum Takes Possession of
1968 Miss Budweiser
Contributed by Wayne J. Hill and Roger Newton

Thanks to the generosity of Mr. Bernie Little, the Anheuser Bush Company, and the Indianapolis Raceway Museum, the 1968 Miss Budweiser is now located at the Hydroplane & and Raceboat Museum in Seattle, WA.

This historically significant boat was Bernie Little's first National Champion, and his first Gold Cup winner. The 1968 Miss Budweiser was National Champion in 1969, 1970, and 1971.

Several years of research, discussion and negotiation by Wayne Hill, Dave Williams and others culminated in the arrival of the1968 Miss Budweiser at the Hydroplane & Raceboat Museum on Tuesday October 22, 2002. The boat's caretaker for the last 25 years has been The Indianapolis Raceway Museum, who stored the boat in a climate-controlled building. It is clear they took loving care of the boat, as she is in very good shape and will be ready to run and display by the spring of 2003.

The Trip to Indianapolis

Monday afternoon, October 14th, Wayne Hill and Roger Newton left Seattle with an empty boat trailer in tow, heading for Indianapolis, Indiana. Our goal was to pick up the '68 Miss Budweiser and bring her back to Seattle where she could become one of the "stars" of The Hydroplane & Raceboat Museum's collection.

The trip across the country was pretty uneventful (the highlight was stopping at Wall Drug in Wall South Dakota). We arrived in Indianapolis late Thursday afternoon and were anxious to get a look at the boat! After a short meeting with Ellen Birely and Bill Spoerle of the Indianapolis Raceway Museum we went out to the warehouse where the boat had been stored for the last 25 years. We not only wanted to get a look at the boat but we also needed to survey the situation and see what equipment and materials we would need to get the boat settled on the trailer.

The trailer we were using had previously been used to transport the Hydroplane & Raceboat Museum's "Miss Madison", so we were sure that there would be a few modifications necessary. After taking some time to appreciate the beauty and wonderful condition of the '68 Bud, we took a few quick measurements and headed to the local hardware store to pick up more than a few items.

Friday morning at 7:30 we met some of the crew from the Indianapolis Raceway. Bill Spoerle (Restoration Manager of the Raceway Foundation) had assembled a crew to help get the boat out of the warehouse and loaded onto the trailer. We were also going to be picking up a spare Rolls Merlin engine that will be used to produce an operational power plant for the '68 Miss Budweiser.

We cannot say enough about the people from the Indianapolis Raceway. They were extremely helpful and professional in everything they did to assist us. They had the equipment necessary to lift the boat onto the trailer, as well as the expertise to do it flawlessly. We can't thank them enough for all their help.

Loading an Unlimited Hydroplane onto a trailer that was designed for another boat isn't always the easiest job, but it was done with a minimum of starts and stops. After a couple of hours the '68 Budweiser was loaded on its new traveling partner and we tackled the job of loading the spare Rolls Merlin engine.

The storage crate on which the Rolls Merlin was resting had to be modified slightly and then the engine was lifted and gently set into the bed of the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum's truck. We had one more modification to make so the trailer could be tilted to the proper angle. The crew from the Indianapolis Raceway helped us make the modification and in a very short time we were ready to roll.

We had one more stop to make before we could head back to Seattle; we made a quick trip to Madison, Indiana to pick up some parts for the 1971 Miss Madison owned by Dr. Ken Muscatel.

Once we hit the road it was evident that we were hauling a very heavy and valuable load and would not be able to travel as fast. It was also evident that we would not be bypassing many gas stations. When we did stop for gas or for something to eat, the boat would immediately draw a group of spectators. People along the way asked many questions, most commonly " what is that thing"? The second most often asked question was, "are you boys going to race that boat"? We also got a number of questions from people who knew something about Hydroplane racing and even a few that remembered the '68 Miss Budweiser.

As we were leaving South Dakota and entering Wyoming and then Montana we were being chased by the area's first snowstorm of the year. Fortunately, we were about 12 hours ahead of the storm. One of our last stops (other than for gas) was in Coeur d'Alene Idaho. We stopped for breakfast in downtown Coeur d'Alene and parked the boat on the street for all to see. In just a few minutes we had a large group of people standing, starring and pointing at the '68 Miss Budweiser. It was apparent from the interest and the questions asked, that the people in Coeur d'Alene are still very interested in Hydroplane racing and Hydroplane history.

After breakfast and several more stops for fuel, we were close to reaching our destination. Crossing the Lake Washington Floating Bridge, both of us felt like the '68 Budweiser was a little lighter and may have been trying to jump into Lake Washington to resume its racing career. That will have to wait until the spring of 2003 when we re-christen her and put her on display to the public.

Arriving back in Seattle at the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum late Tuesday afternoon, the boat caused quite a stir. We timed our arrival so all the volunteers that work on Tuesdays would be able to see the newest member of the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum.

Thanks again to all of those who helped us in the transport of this historical piece of boat racing history.