Roostertail Talk

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You can learn a lot about hydroplane racing from results sheets, but you learn the soul of the sport from the people who kept the boats alive between heats. We went back into the Rooster Tail Talk archives and found a short, candid Bayfair interview from 2019 with Carl Joslin, a Budweiser hydroplane crewman who was there in the earliest days of Miss Budweiser and stayed connected to the team across decades. The audio is rougher than what we run today, but the stories are the kind you don’t get a second chance to capture.

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Help the podcast by subscribing to our new service, Roostertail Talk+. The podcast is still free to all on our website and through all major podcast platforms (such as Apple Podcast, Spotify, Castbox, etc) but with Roostertail Talk+ there is more you can enjoy ! With this service you will get early links to new episodes, enjoy access to extra content, raffle prizes and more.  This is a new service that we will be adding to as we move along. As always your support to make this show grow is very appreciated!   https://www.buzzsprout.com/434851/supporters/new 

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We wrap up our conversation with Kevin Eacret by getting honest about what it takes to run two Grand Prix hydroplanes with an all-volunteer crew. We talk team roles, race-weekend mindset and what the GP class needs to grow without losing its close-knit culture.

If you haven't heard episodes 194 and 195, I would highly recommend you go back and listen to those before listening to part three. 

Support the show

Help the podcast by subscribing to our new service, Roostertail Talk+. The podcast is still free to all on our website and through all major podcast platforms (such as Apple Podcast, Spotify, Castbox, etc) but with Roostertail Talk+ there is more you can enjoy ! With this service you will get early links to new episodes, enjoy access to extra content, raffle prizes and more.  This is a new service that we will be adding to as we move along. As always your support to make this show grow is very appreciated!   https://www.buzzsprout.com/434851/supporters/new 

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We pick up our conversation with Kevin Eacret as he explains how a blown gas GP program became a legit threat and how one violent crash changed what could have been a title year. We also dig into Richards Racing’s two-boat approach, the rules that shape engine budgets and why Valleyfield demands a completely different kind of driving. 

This is part 2 to my interview with Kevin Eacret.  If you have not listened to part 1, I highly encourage you to listen to Episode 194: Kevin Eacret, Part 1 before listening to this episode.

Part 3 will be streaming starting next week on Tuesday, September 1st. 

Support the show

Help the podcast by subscribing to our new service, Roostertail Talk+. The podcast is still free to all on our website and through all major podcast platforms (such as Apple Podcast, Spotify, Castbox, etc) but with Roostertail Talk+ there is more you can enjoy ! With this service you will get early links to new episodes, enjoy access to extra content, raffle prizes and more.  This is a new service that we will be adding to as we move along. As always your support to make this show grow is very appreciated!   https://www.buzzsprout.com/434851/supporters/new 

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We sit down at Richards Racing headquarters with Kevin Eacret and trace how a Seafair volunteer kid turns into a driver across multiple hydroplane classes, including Unlimited. Kevin shares the behind-the-scenes reality of travel, sponsorship, team building and a Detroit blowover that taught him to stay alert even when he is not flat footed. 

This is part 1 of my interview with Kevin Eacret.  Look for parts 2 and 3 to be in Episodes 195 and 196 coming out in the following weeks. 

Support the show

Help the podcast by subscribing to our new service, Roostertail Talk+. The podcast is still free to all on our website and through all major podcast platforms (such as Apple Podcast, Spotify, Castbox, etc) but with Roostertail Talk+ there is more you can enjoy ! With this service you will get early links to new episodes, enjoy access to extra content, raffle prizes and more.  This is a new service that we will be adding to as we move along. As always your support to make this show grow is very appreciated!   https://www.buzzsprout.com/434851/supporters/new 

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We look back at a short, intense hydroplane racing season where speed is close across the field but the winners are separating themselves fast. I recap H1 Unlimited and Grand Prix America results, dig into the points math and lane trends, then make a Bayfair prediction while unpacking the donut celebration controversy and the reversal that followed. 

Support the show

Help the podcast by subscribing to our new service, Roostertail Talk+. The podcast is still free to all on our website and through all major podcast platforms (such as Apple Podcast, Spotify, Castbox, etc) but with Roostertail Talk+ there is more you can enjoy ! With this service you will get early links to new episodes, enjoy access to extra content, raffle prizes and more.  This is a new service that we will be adding to as we move along. As always your support to make this show grow is very appreciated!   https://www.buzzsprout.com/434851/supporters/new 

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We roll tape on a vintage radio broadcast of the 1987 Seafair Budweiser Emerald Cup and relive the day Miss Budweiser turned a tight two mile course into a showcase. With the radio broadcast of the race, it includes interviews with the late Jim Kropfeld, Bernie Little and Mel Larson. A big thank you to Laurie Marlow for sharing the audio of the race broadcast with the podcast!

Support the show

Help the podcast by subscribing to our new service, Roostertail Talk+. The podcast is still free to all on our website and through all major podcast platforms (such as Apple Podcast, Spotify, Castbox, etc) but with Roostertail Talk+ there is more you can enjoy ! With this service you will get early links to new episodes, enjoy access to extra content, raffle prizes and more.  This is a new service that we will be adding to as we move along. As always your support to make this show grow is very appreciated!   https://www.buzzsprout.com/434851/supporters/new 

Send us Fan Mail

We catch up with Brandon Kennedy as he races both the GP35 in the Grand Prix American Series and the U-6 Royer Presents Miss Madison in H1 Unlimited. He shares what changed over the offseason, what went right and wrong at Madison and Valleyfield, and how he defines success heading into Tri-Cities and Seattle. 

Support the show

Help the podcast by subscribing to our new service, Roostertail Talk+. The podcast is still free to all on our website and through all major podcast platforms (such as Apple Podcast, Spotify, Castbox, etc) but with Roostertail Talk+ there is more you can enjoy ! With this service you will get early links to new episodes, enjoy access to extra content, raffle prizes and more.  This is a new service that we will be adding to as we move along. As always your support to make this show grow is very appreciated!   https://www.buzzsprout.com/434851/supporters/new 

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We wrap up our conversation with Bryce Todd as he steps into the GP class with the brand-new Armadillo Breeders Association team and races the clock toward Columbia Cup. We dig into how the deal comes together, what it takes to rebuild a weathered boat the right way, and why GP racing can be the loud, fast fix many fans have been missing.

Support the show

Help the podcast by subscribing to our new service, Roostertail Talk+. The podcast is still free to all on our website and through all major podcast platforms (such as Apple Podcast, Spotify, Castbox, etc) but with Roostertail Talk+ there is more you can enjoy ! With this service you will get early links to new episodes, enjoy access to extra content, raffle prizes and more.  This is a new service that we will be adding to as we move along. As always your support to make this show grow is very appreciated!   https://www.buzzsprout.com/434851/supporters/new 

Send us Fan Mail

We sit down with the GP-14 Armadillo Breeder's Association's new driver Bryce Todd and trace the path from Lake Chelan spectator to E350 racer who wins rookie national high points through consistency and grit. We also dig into what it really costs to keep Region 10 hydroplane racing alive and why Bryce now chases speed, setups, and records more than points. Remember, this is part 1 of a 2 part episode.  Look for part 2 to drop July 21st! Enjoy!

Support the show

Help the podcast by subscribing to our new service, Roostertail Talk+. The podcast is still free to all on our website and through all major podcast platforms (such as Apple Podcast, Spotify, Castbox, etc) but with Roostertail Talk+ there is more you can enjoy ! With this service you will get early links to new episodes, enjoy access to extra content, raffle prizes and more.  This is a new service that we will be adding to as we move along. As always your support to make this show grow is very appreciated!   https://www.buzzsprout.com/434851/supporters/new 

Send us Fan Mail

We catch up with 2026 APBA Gold Cup champion Jimmy Shane right after his Madison win to hear how he returned to H1 Unlimited and why this victory feels uniquely special. Jimmy walks us through the mental pressure, the technical unknowns of a new hull and crew, and the moments in the final heat that nearly got away from him. 

Support the show

Help the podcast by subscribing to our new service, Roostertail Talk+. The podcast is still free to all on our website and through all major podcast platforms (such as Apple Podcast, Spotify, Castbox, etc) but with Roostertail Talk+ there is more you can enjoy ! With this service you will get early links to new episodes, enjoy access to extra content, raffle prizes and more.  This is a new service that we will be adding to as we move along. As always your support to make this show grow is very appreciated!   https://www.buzzsprout.com/434851/supporters/new