Episode 155: Mark Tate, Part 3

Legendary hydroplane racer Mark Tate takes us behind the scenes of one of racing's most thrilling eras in this final installment of our three-part interview series. With candid reflections and genuine emotion, Mark shares stories that showcase the deep personal connections formed in this high-octane sport.
Through Mark's stories, we experience the golden age of unlimited hydroplane racing through the eyes of someone who lived it, raced it, and helped define it. Listen now to complete this fascinating journey through hydroplane history with one of the sport's true gentlemen racers.

*Photo by Digital Roostertails

Episode 153

Episode 154

Chapters

• 0:25 Introduction to Episode 155
• 1:41 Steve Woomer: Beyond the Racing
• 4:47 Jim Harvey: Technical Teamwork
• 8:06 Racing Against Budweiser
• 10:29 Racing's Golden Era Memories
• 13:49 Andrew Tate's Racing Journey
• 20:57 Father-Son Racing Dynamic
• 26:44 Closing Thoughts and Seafair Preview

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:25

Ruchetel Talk, the podcast dedicated to everything about the sport that we all love, Hydroplane Racing. I am your host, david Newton, and it's time once again, so sit back, relax, welcome back to the podcast. Today is July 29th 2025, and this is episode 155. Today's episode is part three of my interview with Mark Tate, and if you didn't hear parts one or two, please go back and listen to those before today's episode. I'll have a link below for episodes 153 and 154 so you can catch up. Last week, we left off with me asking Mark to share some personal stories of some of the other drivers and racers that he fought against during his time in the sport, and I'm going to continue to ask him to share some more personal stories about some other individuals in today's episode, and then he'll go on to talk more about his family's legacy and his family's racing as they continue to carry the torch with his two sons. Now let's get back into my interview with Andrew's dad, I mean with Mark Tate. How about Steve Woomer?

Speaker 2: 1:53

Steve was a great guy. You know, when I first hired in there, you know Steve had been through the incident with Reynolds and he was very honest with me. He just said I know you got a family, a young family, and I know you're family-oriented. Your family goes to all the races. You race for your family all your life but he goes. I can't get close to you, I can't get close to your family. And I totally understood where he was coming from and I said that's fine, I'll relate everything to my family.

Speaker 2: 2:23

Over the years, as me and Steve became closer and friends, he, he my boys. He loved them. He'd bring them in the coach he had. He'd bring in different candies for them and then when he found out what candies they liked, what ones were gone out of the dish. Then he only had two dishes dish and andrew's dish of. You know he knew exactly what they liked and you know, and steve wanted to take up golf.

Speaker 2: 2:51

So me and him went to the golf store one time. We bought everything for him. I'd go golfing with him and, you know, teach him things and what he's doing wrong. He never got good at it but he sure enjoyed. We enjoyed the time together and telling jokes and talking and we became great, great friends and I and um I was so thankful to be able to drive for steve again. Steve had a different side to him that the general public might not have seen or the racing community might not have seen, but what a tremendous, genuine person he truly was. And then I was glad that I drove my home nine years with him. You know that that, that I had that opportunity and he would call me because back home I had a manufacturer's rep business at the time and I was selling and when he would hear a good joke he'd call me up and tell me the joke, because he knew every salesman needed a good joke you know, and we talked a lot about finances and investments and, uh, you know and and those types of things.

Speaker 2: 3:58

So our relationship went way beyond just boat racing, which was phenomenal.

Speaker 2: 4:07

All right last name Jim Harvey, jim Harvey, I again. When Jim brought me on board I was, you know, just totally enthused and excited. And Jim found out that I used to make my own race propellers for seven liter and five liters and stuff and he asked me if I could make some props for the Unlimited. So he gave me one of the Budweiser castings because everybody ran castings back in there and then they were just getting into doing forgings about that era. But we were still running casting. So I made a mold off of it and I think we poured I don't know if it was three or five propellers and then, um, thick brinkman, we, uh, fair lane tool did the boring on them. And uh, thick brinkman in um grass lake, michigan, who I have a relationship with today in the outboards, he had a propeller business and he did the finish work on them and we ran those propellers for the first. You know that that year that I was with harvey and they ran. They ran really well and everything was good.

Speaker 2: 5:19

But jim was unbelievably a hard worker.

Speaker 2: 5:23

You, he didn't have the sponsorship dollars, he couldn't afford a lot of technical people, but Jim worked for a lot of people.

Speaker 2: 5:31

So in his own rights he was very technical and he knew things and he worked so hard on his own personal programs trying to get everything right and make it the best piece of equipment that he could.

Speaker 2: 5:45

And a guy like that you you have to admire and you have to support, and I was grateful that he gave me the opportunity to drive. And then when he, you know, there at the end, when he decided to step, you know, move away from Steve David and he called me, it put a big smile on my face that he would call me back up to help him, come in and, you know, be part of his program again and, um, so we've always had a great relationship and, um, and even this last weekend he, you know, he, uh, sue Weber was there in Madison and uh, uh, two of them, you know, were together and I asked how Jim was doing. And you know you lose daily contact with people and I haven't seen Jim in a long time but I still inquire and ask about him, of how he's doing. Uh, great respect for the gentleman.

Speaker 1: 6:41

Well it's. It's fun to hear you go into that nostalgia lane about all those names and revisit those names. It's fun to hear your admiration for those people.

Speaker 2: 6:53

You know, in our sport I've came in contact with a tremendous amount of people through sponsorship fans, the racing community and I don't know of one bad person in the sport really a bad person. Everybody is genuine and they're very you know. They're in boat racing because they love it and they have a passion for it. And I still see that today, even though I only go to maybe one race a year with my son. But that one race a year you can still see that love, that passion, the emotion that it brings for people and it's just super cool.

Speaker 1: 7:36

Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1: 7:38

Well, everyone I talk to about the sport always say family, it's just, it feels like an extended family, right, all the people care for each other and take care of each other yeah well, the majority of your career well, I guess all of your career you're racing against the budweiser, but I always felt like you were the big name, trying to duke it out with them for those years in the 90s. Do you have a favorite story or memory racing against the budweiser? Is there one time you got their number and it just stands out above the rest?

Speaker 2: 8:11

you know, when we beat them, we usually beat them really good tri-cities. One year we won every, every heat. We were the fastest qualifier. You know it was super. One year that you know sticks out when we almost won the championship we had. We were fast in Hawaii and we were hoping to draw him, hoping to draw him, and we only got to draw him on one elimination heat and in the final we beat him both times and um, and the one heat me and Chip were having a super race. He was on the inside and I was on the outside and he got away from me going into three and four one time and then I creeped back up on him and then, going back into one and two, he lost it going in and I actually moved right. I saw the response come up and I moved right and when he came down we almost hit and that's down enough. That gave me enough edge to get them and and beat them by maybe three boat lengths or so at the finish. And you know, I think we lost the championship that year by I don't remember if it was 30 or 40 points or something like that.

Speaker 2: 9:16

Really really tight racing and um, um. You know, even though we didn't win the championship, that year was a fun year. It was almost like we won the championship internally because we were always the underdog to them. They had the biggest budget, they had the name Bernie, always had all the great drivers. I loved my position. I thrived on trying to beat them and I loved my position. I thrived on trying to beat them and our team. When we did beat them, it was very gratifying. It was very rewarding to all of us.

Speaker 2: 10:01

No-transcript. I won a bunch of races, like other people. They'll walk and ship and stuff, yeah, sometimes. But no, I'm pretty. I'm really content with what I did within the sport. I think I was a good ambassador. I drove hard, I respected my fellow racers, I had a tremendous amount of fun and I think I came through the best eras of unlimited racing. I raced against Cropfield, the Eath, hanauer, phil Walk, the Evans brothers. You know, steve, david. I mean the fields back then were. You know they were stacked, they were good drivers and you know fairly good equipment.

Speaker 2: 10:41

Mike, hanson, mike doesn't get as much credit as a driver back then but, Mike built the boat, worked on the boat crew, chiefed the boat, drove the boat and and now Mike gets more recognition as being a team manager than anything but he's he was a good driver. You know. I had great races with him at times and um, just the people back in the sport. You know, I feel that that was the heyday of unlimited racing. I would ever love to see it get back there again someday.

Speaker 1: 11:14

Well, as a fan and someone from a different perspective I would totally agree. I was a kid growing up in the nineties and I just remember, uh, all the boats that would show up to the events, how many events there were, all the merchandising trucks that were lighting the beaches. It was a really fun era to watch.

Speaker 2: 11:33

as a fan, I told Wilmer one time, when you talk about the souvenirs and all the trucks, well, back then when we were smoking, joe and Winston, we had the 53-footer that races. Okay, we had two trucks, two boats, boats, we had two concession vehicles. And one time at an event or somewhere, I said to woomer I made the comment not to steve, but publicly. I said well, we're like the circus. We come in with our six, seven rigs just us, circus. We come in with our six, seven rigs, just us. We set up our tents and and and put on our show, we pack it up and go off to the next city. And steve boomer said don't ever refer to my race program as a goddamn circus. He goes, he goes, he. He kind of ripped me on that one a little bit and I looked at him. I said yeah, you're right, I'm sorry about that, steve.

Speaker 1: 12:34

But when?

Speaker 2: 12:34

you think about it. You know all racing events are like that, you know, but we don't come in like car racing to a track. You know we're coming into a city, we're coming into a, a an event, that they have to make changes for us to come in and and be able to put a race on. So a lot of great memories.

Speaker 1: 12:59

Oh, definitely, definitely. Well, I would have to ask more about Andrew. Come full circle Now. You're the father, you're seeing his racing career and before we did this interview I was thinking back. I thought about getting into outboard racing 20-something years ago and I remember going to Moses Lake with my father, roger, and you were there. Andrew was racing outboard some class there at the event and you made the comment that watch out for this kid. In a couple of years he's going to make a name for himself, and you were right. He's a great racer. What has this meant to you to watch Andrew have such success over the years?

Speaker 2: 13:49

You know it's gratifying, it's rewarding to me and his mom and even his brother. You know Andrew got an opportunity through the English family from stock outboard racing. He did very well. I think someday he still wants to win that sea hydro title. We had five seconds in sea hydro um when we were, when he was racing outboards, um. But uh, he got the inboard deal with Englishes and kind of proved himself, went into the Grand Prix and got opportunities there and and um.

Speaker 2: 14:28

And then mike and laurie jones I've known mike and laurie a long long time and they showed up at mojus lake. We were there for the nationals and I think andrew won three events there, maybe four um events at that a year, but anyhow, um, um. But anyhow, joneses and Jeff Campbell asked to talk to Andrew and they asked me the question and I said well, you're asking the wrong guy. I said he's the one you want to talk to. I said you don't need my permission to talk to him and I out of respect Mike Jones, you know, tremendous Thank you, you know, for that respect. But they talked to Andrew there, found out what his interest would be and they said maybe next year we can get you in the boat and get you qualified and do this and do that. And then all of a sudden, liddy coat, uh, decided not to race and they hired andrew and um and uh, what a great way to come into the sport.

Speaker 2: 15:26

A very good piece of equipment, the Campbell brothers with a tremendous amount of knowledge and Mike and Lori you know no pressure situations and he came in, he adapted, he did extremely well and couldn't be prouder of him and I think the same thing. I think he got in there and he listened, he learned and I think he still even today. He's learned a lot from Mike Hanson and you know he's accepted all this stuff very graciously. He's got the right mindset, he treats people tremendously. We couldn't be prouder of him and it's very rewarding, you know, down there in Madison you know super rewarding sitting there watching your son win an event and pretty cool, and you always want to see your child succeed and do better in life than you. And I think that that's a goal of every parent to pass on your knowledge to your children so that they don't make the same mistakes or fall in the wrong pit holes of life and that they succeed and become better than you. And Andrew's accomplished that in life, and so was Brent. You know, brent, brent, they're two different people.

Speaker 1: 17:57

And um, but I'm proud of both of them and and in many ways, yeah, it's just so fun to see or watch Andrew's career take off. Uh, and he's. He's always been so nice to my son when he sees him at the races and says hello and takes time, uh, which is just great. But one stat that I think is pretty cool and I went back to the record books and I checked you're the only father and son combo to have won the apva gold cup and you talk about winning all these titles and stuff, but I just think that's got to be such a great accomplishment to share with your son you know it is.

Speaker 2: 18:29

But I I don't look at things like that. You know that's an accomplishment that I won the gold cup. He won the gold cup. Yeah, we're the only father son to do that. We're the only father son to run over 170. Those are good marketing tools for the sport maybe, but personally it's it's it's something I would never bring up or talk about. You know it's it's uh, uh. You know I'd rather bring up things about Andrew. You know, this weekend, you know he, he banged two great starts and had a fuel control issue in another one and and him banging starts like that, that that that's really rewarding to see that him and Jimmy are starting to develop their starting program and becoming better at it, those are the rewarding things that make me smile. And and seeing him still growing, still progressing, still learning and you know it's it's he's I feel he's very deserving of everything, of where he's at in life and any any shows that appreciation you know it's he's doesn't step out of that window and very proud.

Speaker 1: 19:45

Yeah Well, just thinking about my son watching him do things, I get kind of fearful sometimes. My son watched him do things. I get kind of fearful sometimes, and Andrew does such a great job of floating the boat and getting the most out of his equipment. I have to ask you this question Is it scarier to watch him race or was it scarier for you to be?

Speaker 2: 20:08

in the seat and be doing that yourself. I think there's nerves each way. When I was racing you know now watching him race I guess at first, when he first started driving Unlimiteds, I was more nervous than I am today. Today I have the self-confidence in him, the personal confidence in him, that when he's driving the boat he's always in control.

Speaker 2: 20:39

Um, when he first started and was flying the boat a little bit, I I was a little nervous about it. But you know, when you watch that one 70 run down there in uh Guntersville, he'd come off the pit turn and he kept the wing down and as he was coming to the start finish line, the sponsor raised and it hung there for a while but then all of a sudden it started to take off again. He got to the start finish line and he backed off and dropped her down. I told him I said another 25 yards, you'd have probably wore that thing. I said it was good that the starting line was where it was and he goes. No, he goes, I'm bringing it down. And I said okay, okay, good, it's things like that as a father, having that, you know, the knowledge and the feel for the boats and driving them, that we can have that little bit of conversation and when he comes back and gives you that type of answer, that's a confident builder that you don't have to be nervous for him.

Speaker 2: 21:35

And yeah, he flies the boat. I think he drives the same way I do. He drives hard but he gets the most out of the boat and he's not overflying the boat. I think that you can overfly the boats and the boats will run slower because you're pushing air. You're not pushing forward at that point and we've gone over that and talked about those things a lot of you know. Yeah, you want to keep the boat off the water, but yeah, you want to keep it on the water because the propeller's hooked up at that point. Pushing it, it's not trying to push it upward, you're not pushing air.

Speaker 1: 22:12

Right, right. Well, what? What's been the biggest advice or tip you've given Andrew, either when he started or over the years, like, is there one thing that you think stood out of the rest? No, or does he even listen to your advice?

Speaker 2: 22:27

You know, I think he listens but I'm not one to take advice to him.

Speaker 2: 22:34

It's it's if he's got a question or wants to ask something, you know he'll call me. You know, if I'm not at the race, he'll call me and he knows I'm watching and I can see certain things on the tv and I give him my opinion. And then it's his focus, his direction of of how to utilize that information or not utilize that information, focus, his direction of of how to utilize that information or not utilize that information. Um, I'm not one out there. It's like this weekend.

Speaker 2: 23:04

I I saw Mike Hanson early in the week and said hi and nice. And Sunday I walked up to him and congratulate him before I left and Mike apologized hey, we never got together, we don't talk and this and that. And I said, mike, if you want to talk, we can talk on the phone. I said you're here doing a job, andrew's here doing a job. I stay away. This is not my place. It's my place to support it, my place to watch it, my place to give out the congratulations when in time being. And I said, mike, we'll always be friends and we're always there for each other. And I said I don't need to bug you at the races, I don't need to bug Andrew.

Speaker 2: 23:38

And Mike says man, he goes, mark, he goes, you've always got it, he goes, you've always gotten it and he goes. And I appreciate that very, very much and I walked away. Then I went and congratulated Andrew and then from there I went up to our motor home and packed it up and we left town. So Well fun. Yeah, he knows we're very proud of him and he knows that I would be there for support in any way, whatever he might need. But it's far and few between you know he's at the level now where he really diagnosed things well and can communicate with his team and I think they do a good job, you know, of setting up the boat and communicating and he drives it to the, I think, to the best of what they have to offer that given day or given race.

Speaker 1: 24:35

Well, he's definitely made a big impact on the sport. It's been fun to watch and I had a lot of fun watching you in the 90s because you made a huge impact as well. Thank you, but really appreciate your time, mark. It's been fun walking down a nostalgic lane with you and talking through your career and hopefully we'll see you at a race sometime soon.

Speaker 2: 24:58

Probably be next year.

Speaker 1: 25:00

All right.

Speaker 2: 25:00

Back out West next year. Things. Andrew continues on and races, but I can't make Tri-Citizens in Seattle this year. It's a stock outboard nationals that weekend between them too, and I'll be there with Brent supporting him a hundred percent. But I'll be uh, I'll be looking at the live streams and following Andrew and and seeing how the team is progressing and how they're doing.

Speaker 1: 25:25

Excellent, excellent. Well, love to hear that you're there supporting Brent in his racing career as well. And again, thank you for your time.

Speaker 2: 25:31

Appreciate it, thank you for having me.

Speaker 1: 25:35

Well, once again, that's all the time we have for this week, knuckleheads. I really appreciate all the time that Mark spent talking with me about his career and his family's legacy of racing. It really shows how proud of a father he is of both Brent and Andrew, and just what a great family for racing. Well, we just finished another Columbia Cup and Gold Cup. I had a great time over in Tri-Cities, as always, and really looking forward to a great race at Seattle.

Speaker 1: 26:05

We've got Unlimiteds back on the water in Lake Washington. We've got GPs back here at Seafair for the first time in a number of years. The Vintage Boats Jimmy Johnson's going to make an appearance. Should be a fun weekend. Hopefully I'll see you down there and if you do see me, please say hi and spend a minute to talk about hydros. But until then, don't forget to check us out online at our website, rucheteltalkcom. We're also on social media Facebook and Instagram and if you're not a member of Ruchetel Talk Plus, you can still become a member today and you're eligible to get the 10 card trading card set that I made for this year's racing, as well as many other features on our website that are only for Richard Tell Talk Plus subscribers and many other features, including a monthly raffle, drawing for a prize and early access to all new episodes. That's all I have for this week. I'm looking forward to having another great interview out for you next week and until then, I hope to see you at the races.