JIMMY SHANE WILL REPLACE VILLWOCK
Jimmy Shane will replace Dave Villwock with BWR Racing in 2026. H1 photo
KENNEWICK, WA (Nov. 4, 2025) - BWR Racing owner Bruce Ratchford is pleased to announce the signing of veteran unlimited hydroplane driver Jimmy Shane to the team’s racing stable for the 2026 season.
Shane replaces the retiring Dave Vilwock.
Shane, who had amassed 25 victories - including five Gold Cups - and seven national championships, retired from the sport at the end of the 2022 season to focus on his family.
“I’m very excited for the opportunity, and I felt like it was a good time for me,” Shane said. “I had accomplished most of the goals I wanted to on my little break. I feel like I can have a good balance returning to racing and supporting those goals going forward.”
Suitably, those goals, as he put it, are another generation in his footsteps. Shane, whose 9- and 12-year old sons are also racing, said that the family environment at BWR and in the hydroplane racing fraternity as a whole made the decision easier.
“My oldest son has been racing for three years now, and this was my youngest son’s rookie season in Junior Hydro and Junior Runabout,” Shane said. “He won the 2025 championship in J-hydro in only his third race. I’m really thrilled about that.”
“I can tell that Bruce truly has in his heart what is best for the sport and for the team,” he continued. “That was one of the things that really got me over the hump to come back.”
Ratchford, who is on the heels of a national championship-winning and Gold Cup-winning debut season in H1 Unlimited, is excited to add Shane to the team, as he feels that their philosophies will align perfectly going into the teams’ sophomore effort.
“I’m thrilled,” he said. “This guy, he’s got a big picture mind and he knows how it all works. I just love his thought process.”
Shane spent the majority of his career - and enjoyed his greatest success - in the cockpit of the Miss Madison racing team, which campaigned under sponsorship from Oberto Meats and HomeStreet Bank during his tenure.
During that time, he worked hand in hand with U-91 Goodman Real Estate crew chief Mike Hanson, and drove both of BWR’s primary racing hulls to race victories and national championships.
“I think it’s wonderful,” Hanson said. “He was a great driver for the Miss Madison team. We won a lot of races with him and a lot of national championships. He’s got a good square head on his shoulders, and he will be a good asset for BWR and for the sport.”
Ratchford is similarly enthusiastic about the partnership.
“He’s got it all. And it’s really important to have that kind of relationship,” Ratchford said of Shane’s connection with the BWR crews. “We’re thrilled to have him back in the boat. It’s definitely a statement not just about winning races but about the entire sport.”
Shane is also excited by the potential reunion, as the BWR teams include many former team members that he worked side by side with previously.
“I’m pretty stoked to get back with many of the same faces that I knew before,” he said. “There’s instant comfort and trust. I can drive like I did in the past, knowing that they understand me and I understand them. I’m very fortunate for the opportunity to come back and show I still have what it takes.”
Which hull Shane will drive will be announced at a later date. The BWR team is busy preparing all three racing hulls for the 2026 campaign.
UNLIMITED HYDRO’S WINNINGEST DRIVER, DAVE VILLWOCK, ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT From H1 & NW Motorsports News Services
Dave Villwock has announced his retirement as a driver in unlimited hydroplane racing. He does so at age 71 and had the most wins in the history of the sport. H1 photo
Kennewick, Wash. (Nov. 10, 2025) — After more than three decades of rewriting the record books and setting the gold standard in hydroplane racing, Dave Villwock, the most successful driver in H1 Unlimited history, has officially announced his retirement from competition.
With an unprecedented 68 career victories, 11 Gold Cup titles, and 10 National High Point Championships, Villwock’s name is synonymous with excellence. His technical precision, fierce competitiveness, and leadership on and off the water have made him one of the sport’s most respected figures.
Villwock’s final season came with BWR Racing, where he guided the team to its first-ever APBA Gold Cup victory in 2025, a fitting finale for one of racing’s most accomplished drivers.
“I was privileged and excited to help get the new team BWR started last year and was blessed with another Gold Cup win, which would be the first for this fantastic new team,” Villwock said.
Villwock, 71, went on to explain, “After over 30 years of driving these awesome boats it’s time to step away and enjoy some other passions like family, home, and model airplanes.”
“I wish Jimmy Shane and all the BWR team members the very best and will be there to help anytime Bruce or the BWR team needs it,” Villwock said.
Villwock’s journey began in the 1980s, working in race shops before moving into the driver’s seat, a transition that would change the course of the sport.
Behind the wheel of legendary boats such as Miss Budweiser, Miss E-Lam Plus, and Spirit of Qatar, he became a dominant force known for his unmatched preparation, precision, and relentless drive to win.
He helped modernize hydroplane racing through innovation and professionalism, setting performance standards that still define success in the sport today.
Even after a career-threatening injury in 1997, Villwock’s comeback became part of his legend, proof of the resilience and determination that made him one of motorsports’ toughest competitors.
Villwock’s impact on racing excellence continues to be celebrated. He will be formally inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in March 2026, an honor recognizing his unmatched achievements and lifelong contribution to the sport of hydroplane racing.
Bruce Ratchford, owner of BWR Racing and president of Apollo Mechanical, expressed his appreciation for Villwock’s role in the team’s first year:
“Dave’s experience, focus, and attention to detail were instrumental in helping BWR Racing take shape and succeed right out of the gate,” Ratchford said. “His knowledge of the boats, his calm confidence under pressure, and his commitment to excellence set the tone for our entire program.”
“Dave Villwock’s record speaks for itself,” said H1 Unlimited Chairman Mike Denslow. “He changed how people race these boats and how teams operate. His name will forever be a benchmark in our sport.”
While Villwock leaves the cockpit, he remains involved in the sport he helped build.
“He remains a trusted voice within BWR Racing and continues to inspire both current and future generations of hydroplane competitors,” Denslow added.
