The HomeStreet Bank hydroplane that snagged a few wins at Hydrofest is run under a crew chief by the name of Michael “Mike” Hansen, who’s got quite an extensive and notable history with racing.
Fellow crew member Jimmy Gilbert of Houston started racing in 1991. In his time with the team, he had nothing but praise for Hansen, saying “Mike is truly the best! Not only can he build the boat, but he knows how to operate it just as well.” He’s also known among the team as “The Boat Doctor.”
Hansen earned these titles most likely from the several years he has been involved in boat racing. He has practically spent his entire life within the sport, beginning his passion for it at 7 years old. “Actually, one of my first memories is watching boat racing with my father in Washington,” Hansen said.
At 17 years old, he bought his own small limited hydroplane to work on and drive, but the dream dwindled early on. “I realized that while I was old enough to drive the boats, I didn’t have the money working part-time at 17 years old to keep up with the boat. Instead, I began working with Ron Jones building boats and went to an Ivy Tech school to earn more money and get better at building. I even went so far as to work somewhere at 17 where I could drive other people’s boats because I really missed driving my own.”
Fast forward to the present and it’s clear to see that Hansen has built quite the legacy. “You’ve got to have a passion for this sport to be in it as long as I’ve been… And I definitely do have it,” Hansen said. He is now 61 years old and still extremely passionate about his work with hydroplanes. He won the Gold Cup in 2001 in Detroit driving the Miss Tubby’s Submarine Ship, and he created the roots of a family legacy in the sport. “My family is involved with other teams at Hydrofest that grew up in the sport just as I did. It’s a big family thing for me now too instead of just a sport I love.”
Hansen only wishes that he could express his respect to the pit crew members. “Hats off to the pits,” Hansen said, “It takes a lot of hard work to pull off what they’re doing all day.”
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