Roostertail Talk
A show dedicated for preserving the history, breaking down the racing and looking to the future of the incredible sport of Unlimited Hydroplane racing. My name is David Newton, and I will be bringing you a weekly show in which we will discuss the boats, drivers, owners, crew members, legends, fans and anything that is involved with the sport that I love; hydroplane racing.
Fans you can now sign up for a subscription service for the podcast! As you can imagine, running a podcast can be pricey (from hosting fees, website fees, travel, equipment, etc.). You can 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! TOMORROW, there will be an announcement for the first prize for subscribing to Roostertail Talk+.
You can subscribe with the following link! https://www.buzzsprout.com/434851/supporters/new
Roostertail Talk
Episode 160: Brandon Kennedy, Part 1
Brandon Kennedy's life has been intertwined with hydroplane racing from birth. Kennedy embodies the rare fourth-generation racer whose path to the highest levels of the sport seemed almost predetermined.
In this revealing conversation, Kennedy takes us through his remarkable journey from those early days watching his father, grandfather, grandmother, and other family members compete to becoming the 25th driver of the iconic Miss Madison Racing team. His transition from dominating the Grand Prix class to qualifying as an H1 Unlimited rookie represents not just personal achievement, but the continuation of a storied family legacy in hydroplane racing. This is just part one of our conversation with Brandon Kennedy – tune in next week for the conclusion where we'll explore his future plans, racing philosophy, and more unexpected stories from his lifetime in the sport!
*Photo from Brandon Kennedy Collection
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
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 and welcome ro to the podcast. Today is September 2nd, 2025, and this is episode 160. It is a notable day today as it's actually my birthday, september 2nd, but whenever my birthday comes around, it's the school year is back and I'm back in the classroom. So I've spent most of August trying to get a catalog of interviews and race audio and various episodes uploaded to the catalog, so hopefully I don't have any gaps going into the off season this year, trying to do much better about having a weekly show for you, the listener, and not have as many gaps in production, and I'm excited for this episode to come out.
Speaker 1:Today. I'm talking with Brandon Kennedy, who's made a big name for himself in HRL series in many different classes, notably he's in many different classes, notably racing the GP class. He's won multiple titles racing the GP35 TM Special and, like I said, he's made a big name for himself out east and this year he was the latest rookie to qualify for the H1 Unlimited Racing Series, driving for the Miss Madison Racing Organization in Madison, indiana, actually becoming the 25th driver for that racing organization in Madison, indiana. Actually becoming the 25th driver for that racing organization A big undertaking. He's got a podcast and, yeah, we're going to talk about all of that in the episode today, and this is actually going to be part one of two parts, so you can look forward to hearing the rest of the interview next Tuesday. So, with all that being said, let's just jump in and get to know Brandon Kennedy a little bit more as we listen to part one of my interview with Brandon Kennedy.
Speaker 1:Well, I'm sitting down on Zoom talking like almost coast to coast with Brandon Kennedy. Brandon, how are you doing today? I'm doing pretty good, excited to be here. Yeah, thanks for coming on. Rooster Tail Talk Appreciate having you on. I know you have your own weekly duties at Chasing Tails podcast, but I'm glad you found the time and we're talking today.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's a lot of fun. I mean, you guys kind of set the bar for us at Chasing Tails. You've been doing this a lot longer than we have and, um, you got a different perspective on everything. Um, being outside of racing we're we're deep into it. So a lot of times our opinions get a little heated on there, so this would be more relaxed.
Speaker 1:Yeah exactly, yeah, it's. It's definitely a relaxed feel on here. There's not, uh, people trying to take your time or, yeah, any of that stuff, but one thing with your podcast. So I it's a different region as well. You're mainly East Coast up in Canada, mainly HRL, but you're still have a lot of H1 as well, and I'm over here in the Seattle area, kind of the H1 headquarters, I guess, for some time. So a lot of different perspectives, a lot of different stories and everything else that we cover right.
Speaker 2:Oh for sure. Yeah, it's a. It's kind of just getting different unique stories from all these people I've I've watched a few years or listened to a few years and you get all these stories of different crew chiefs and this, that and other. It's really exciting. I mean it just brings the sport more to a light than we've ever had before and a lot of these guys have stories that could go on for hours and hours and you'd have like 10 parts to a podcast. But it's really cool. It's been a lot of fun for us just to kind of learn more. Obviously, we've been in it my dad's been in it for over 50 years or I'm fourth generation, so we know a lot about the sport. But we've kind of learned a lot the past year of having the podcast yeah, it's.
Speaker 1:I mean one thing I was talking with my dad years ago when we were crewing for boats and working on stuff. You ask 10 different people about what to do for this and you get 11 opinions right. So people are never short on opinions and how it varies. You know, being from East coast and different perspective on boat racing in general, I always like to know where it started. For for yourself and being out here living in Seattle area, hydroplanes was on it's unlimited hydroplanes. That was the big ticket and that's what I followed growing up, and that's what my father followed growing up, and that's what we worked on and raced RC boats based off of that. But you have a totally different perspective. When did this start for you?
Speaker 2:From a day old my parents. My mom was actually overdue and decided to go to Valleyfield and she was supposed to have me but my dad's boat wasn't running. We had Tommy Thompson driving it that weekend and it wasn't running. So they decided Saturday night they were going to drive up to Valleyfield, quebec, and had to car seat everything. Just in case I was born in Canada I wasn't born. My dad jumped in the boat, got it running. He won the that year was the triple crown in Valleyfield, so the US Nationals, canadian Nationals and the UIM Worlds. So it was a really big deal. And then a couple of days later I came out and my mom was like, hey, we got to go, he's got to go to Red Bank, new Jersey. So it's pretty interesting that that probably would not happen nowadays. I know it didn't happen with my kids. So to be there at a day old, I mean it's just been one of them deals.
Speaker 2:I've watched my family race all the years. My dad, my nanny and poppy raced a skiff together when I was old enough to kind of know what was going on. Before that it was my pop-up. He raced Harold. My Aunt Patty raced before I was born too, bobby's mom and then obviously, watching Bobby. I feel like I got a little bit closer to the sport once he started driving. I was kind of helping my poppy a lot on his boat and we'd go. If it got busted up, we'd go up to burr henderson shop. I was probably 12 years old and watching him repair the boat and just just kind of got hooked.
Speaker 2:Um, I couldn't say I've ever. I was just talking to my wife about that a little bit before the start the show here that I don't know if I ever said as a kid six, seven, eight years old I, I want to drive, I want to be a driver. I just felt like I was just a part of it. I was cheering on my dad enjoying that. But once I turned 13, we put a T-boat motor in my cousin's two and a half stock and I went out there and it was the slowest racing ever we were testing but I kept spinning out because the boat, I was going too slow. Finally my dad pulled me aside in the little John boat and he's like keep your foot in it. You won't spin if you keep your foot in it. And that's all it took. And then after that I was begging for a boat and my parents got me my first T boat and away we went.
Speaker 1:What year was that? You said you were 13. What year would that be?
Speaker 2:2005 is when I when I tested first, and then in 2006 is when we had our our brand new boat and we had to wait a little bit before I drove it, so my dad drove it first first weekend out of the box, was on the record and blew it over. So I fired him and hired bobby well, it's just natural for you.
Speaker 1:It wasn't even really a second thought. You just were born into it and it's. It was in your blood.
Speaker 2:Yeah, pretty much. I mean, as I did dirt bikes growing up. Um raced enduros, those kind of things, but it was always boat racing going. I had all my friends at the boat races. My family got to see. My aunts, uncles, all my cousins went to races all all the time. So it's like family reunion all the time. Yeah, um, that's. That's the part I enjoy the most. I've. Since then I've went on the race cars with my grandfather um down in florida. We've done indy road america, all those cool tracks, and it was an awesome experience, but not the same family and friendship experience that we have in hydroplaning racing I mean everyone I talk to, about, whatever class it is.
Speaker 1:It's always family and friends that are in the pits working together. So love to hear that. But again I'm curious was Unlimited really on your forefront mind when you were a kid following racing, or was it mainly your family is racing different classes and inboard racing? Was that more of an interest to you or did you really follow the Unlimiteds growing up?
Speaker 2:Probably it was Grand Prix. Honestly, there's a funny story because now that I'm a part of H1, dave Villwock's been a pretty good friend and mentor to me and calls me and helps me out through the journey. But back when I was younger younger we were at Detroit with our Grand Prix and I went up to him to say hi, I think I was six, seven, eight, somewhere around that age and he kind of snubbed me. So at that point in time I was like I don't like it, I don't like unlimited, I don't like these drivers. They're not nice.
Speaker 2:I'm sure he was just having a bad day or in a moment, but it's weird how it stuck with me for all those years. And my dad raced Grand Prix from 95 to 2001 when the class kind of fell apart and that was my dream and if it ever came back, I wanted to get to Grand Prix and with HRL, bringing the class back and seeing all the competition, then my dad got one. It was like okay, this might actually happen. So I was chomping at the bit and I was in one at 17 is when I started driving Grand Prix Sorry, 20. I got my times mixed up. The limit was 21, I think, and they allowed me at 20.
Speaker 1:Yeah Well, at some point all this just kind of blends together, right? I mean, you're racing boats, that's all that matters.
Speaker 2:Well did you have a favorite driver or team for Grand Prix. I guess a funny story about that one would be Jimmy King was my favorite for some reason, even though he raced my dad, he was always my favorite driver. Later in life, obviously, I've realized that my dad was always my biggest hero growing up and the driver I liked watching the most and that I've learned the most from Um. But yeah, jimmy, jimmy King was the one we had uh posters from Detroit and I had the Jimmy King poster and dad had his in the shop. And now it's all coming full circle, cause I've had moments where my kids either like Andrew Tate or Bobby King better especially Bobby King there they were cheering for him when he was racing me once. I'm like this isn't? I feel bad for my dad now.
Speaker 1:He got you some uh some sympathy there for for days gone by. Oh fun. Well, you said you were. You were when you were born. Your family went up there to Valley field and watched it, but I mean going back there now as a racer. If you were born in Canada, do you think they would treat you any differently up there than you're treated now?
Speaker 2:Maybe I know they like their Quebec drivers for sure, but I feel like we've had very good success there. Ever since I was in the T-boat and all I've been fortunate enough to win there 10 times, so we've kind of made a mark. I just love doing things for the fans up there. Actually, first time I won I was going to the checkerboard dock there that not every race has, so it's a huge opportunity to be in front of the whole fans. And I went to get out of the boat and I accidentally hit the steering wheel so I turned left and missed the dock. I couldn't let that play out the way it was, so I turned left and missed the dock. I couldn't let that play out the way it was, so I jumped on it and got on the gas and just did donuts. So the fans loved me from then and I've done it in every boat but the Grand Prix, because my motor boaters would kill me.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. I think you're the second person I've ever known in a hydroplane to do donut. I saw Terry Troxell do it once in Tri-Cities. I'm sure the T-boat was pretty impressive though. That's pretty cool. Well, I mean, like you said, you've won 10 times in Valleyfield and you've had some great success in HRL. But I think a lot of my fans, or a lot of listeners here, know H1 more so than the HRL series, and it's been impressive to see. I feel like hrl is kind of building up what they're doing, their program, and I'm very impressed. But what can you tell the fans on the west coast here that might not know your background as much about your racing before you got into the unlimiteds?
Speaker 2:um pretty much started as a t-boat. My family and sponsors put me in a great boat um back then it was. It was really cool to start at 14 and race jimmy shane and the brownings and all these people. That were very successful and obviously jimmy went on to be a very successful unlimited driver and it just kind of taught me everything I need to know about blueberries and in that small class only doing 90 to 100 mile an hour um. But we did very good in that boat won nationals, set records um.
Speaker 2:I was inducted into the apba hall of champions twice um in 2008 and 2010, and then from there I went up through two and a half stocks, drove five liters, then 350s for a while, national mod um and then spent most of my last 10 15 years in grand prairie. Um just been a. Just been a fun journey. Uh, the coolest thing I think we've done so far in grand prairie is the boat I'm driving now. We actually built that one. It's all a henderson kit, but we took it and assembled it all ourselves. Um did a lot of changes so I learned a lot while building that and build it to when I'm stuck after. So that's been really cool and then now obviously having the opportunity and the unlimited is really cool.
Speaker 2:I'm really thankful to have it with the Madison team. Obviously, kyle Bipes, our sponsor with river city printing on the Grand Prix, kind of helped drive that ship that direction. But it's really cool to do it with the team and how we had to bring it back sponsor with river city printing on the grand prix, kind of helped drive that ship that direction. But it's really cool to do it with the team and how we had to bring it back. I mean I was there on the ground floor when the boats got sold, probably the that day when that happened, sometimes some kyle's therapist, and so it was really cool how we everyone just came together and brought it back. It was a really cool moment.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so we'll talk about that for a second. You have become what? The 25th driver of Madison Racing. Is that correct? Yes, so you've got a lot of big names there in front of you, so it's got to be an honor to be a representative of Madison, indiana not only the boat, but the town. But how did that play out? How were, how did your name get thrown in the ring to be the driver and and work with this team.
Speaker 2:Now, mainly it was our sponsor, like I said, kyle Bipes, being. He's been around us with GP since 2021 when we went to Madison for the first time, and I think he's seen what we can do as a team and as a driver, what I could do. And we were kind of in that point of there was really no team left, there was no boat left and resources were going to be limited. So I think my name got helped there, knowing that we can assemble boats, we can make parts. My dad owns a machine shop. We make most of the hardware for the east coast boats here um, so all that kind of helped.
Speaker 2:Um, there was definitely a lot of discussion. There was one moment I knew I had the ride. The next moment they're like oh, we need a qualified driver because we're only doing two races and a lot of back and forth. Um, but thankfully I I met with the board, mayor bob courtney and, uh, the rest of the guys on the board and they I just tried to explain like, this is not about going out there and winning. This is about rewriting the history books for madison racing and this is starting a new chapter. We need to bring the fans in the city of madison back involved, um, watching it over the years from the outside when it was the home street boat and then went out there to live out west Like it wasn't. They lost that personal touch to it and I feel like that community really needed that and it's proven. I mean that the shop always has visitors. You have a fully local team there in Madison with Trey Holt and down the rest of the team. I mean it's really cool to see it back to the roots.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's got to be big because it's been a number of years now that when Home Street purchased a shop out here, that was Hydrofence Inc and they pretty much took everything out west. So I'm sure there was a void there. That community loves having back. And you're right, like you can't win right off the bat, especially with a new team getting a new boat out there. You can't win right away. So I'm glad you're trying to set the foundation and build up the program yeah, that's it, and I mean now.
Speaker 2:Now, with a little bit under our belts. Actually, the boat went faster than I think any of us expected. I felt like driving was fine. There's a lot of things you could change to make it better and even in the short, I feel like we have a good working base going into the winter, as long as all the dominoes fall in the right spot.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, before you went down to Guntersville, what other goals did you have for the team, for the? I know you only had two races you're doing the East Coast Swing but what other goals did you have and did you make those goals?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think most of the team and myself had the goal of just getting qualified and then making our heats. Obviously, guntersville didn't go as planned, but I think what it did was made a lot of learning experience for the young team, a lot of younger faces on the team that have been around it forever but never been in the roles they were in, and I think they they learned a ton and it will advance them next year more than if that race went perfect. Um, you don't really learn when things go perfect. It's when you have to face adversity. When you you learn a lot of things of what not to do, what to do, those kind of things. And then, obviously, getting the to Madison. It was like the picture-perfect weekend Getting down there late Friday and putting us in the water and the fans cheering when the boat went on the crane.
Speaker 2:That's when it finally sunk in that, wow, this is more than just driving a race boat. This is a community. All these people just love their boat and they all kind of embrace the new era of it and that was really cool. And obviously getting qualified on that respect for me it was. I never knew how cool that would be and how much it would mean to me Because, like I said I wasn't, I don't feel like it was ever a hundred percent a dream. Obviously anyone wants to get there. Said I wasn't, I don't feel like it was ever a hundred percent of dream. Obviously anyone wants to get there. But once I I crossed for the 15, like it was the emotions just hit like for four generations of my family. With my dad was probably one of the best drivers out there. My cousin Bobby is just as good, or if not better than me. So it was just like we did it.
Speaker 1:I finally did it for the family and it was definitely a wall of emotions yeah, yeah, it's a big accomplishment just to get a ride in an unlimited, because it's just a handful of boats, not many seats out there, and there's I'm sure you probably count 20 guys that have earned their rights to to try it right, and that's just in your area alone. There's. There's a lot of people that should have had a ride over the years and couldn't, but I'm glad to hear that Madison pretty well accepted you as their new driver, because that's a big deal over there.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, yeah, I think we kind of did our part on social media prior to and just doing all the things behind the scenes, and that's what we're going to gear up and do more of this winter is showing people. I mean, it was a big joke that we didn't have the cowling on and we just kind of created that with it. But then you notice, a lot of people were like, wow, I didn't know, that's what the motor looked like. And it's like, yeah, the sport's been happening for a long time we've been turbine since the 90s and a lot of people don't know what they look like because everything's such a secret. So we're trying to keep that, keep that more fan involved, fan friendly and just enjoy it.
Speaker 1:I mean, it's racing at the highest level, but you also got to have some type of enjoyment in it oh, definitely, and I love to hear that you're trying to have more fan involvement because, we'll be honest, some of the teams are pretty secretive behind their doors and don't really pump it up throughout the offseason, which it's a long offseason.
Speaker 1:And fans just cry for content and glad to see what you've done before the racing even started and hopefully keep that continuing. Well, when you were down in Guntersville I mean you already were behind the eight ball or whatever you want to say because you didn't get a chance to go out and test before the season started. I'm sure it was just a scramble to get the boat to Guntersville period. Specifically, what challenges did you have down there? Because I know you weren't really able to qualify and get much time on the water at all. What challenges did you have down in Guntersville?
Speaker 2:So started off the weekend. Everything was prepared. I mean, the crew did a great job to take that boat from what it was to being race ready in the two months we had um with definitely limited funds and resources. But then once we got down there and we tried, the trailer fire the first time and we were having issues. Um found out some of the batteries we were using weren't quite up to snuff so we had to switch those. And then we found out igniters weren't working on the turbine so it wasn't going to fire no matter what we had um. And then we just had to switch motors and finally got it up to running.
Speaker 2:And we went out for that um test session on saturday morning and something there was like a vibration, but obviously because I've never driven one, I wasn't sure it was right or wrong Felt it on the trailer and everybody seemed to think it was fine. And then something let loose, some part in the turbine fell apart and destroyed it unfortunately. So it kind of was a crazy learning experience. And then going up to Madison and feeling what it's supposed to feel like. It's like okay, that's in the memory bank, something's wrong if you feel that, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah Well, I mean, you had a really short time before gunnersville, even right when. Do you remember the date things started to roll for the team? I don't think we got the boot till the end of april, if I remember correctly yeah, so you just had like a month and a half or so to get it ready, and that and that's kind of why we went up.
Speaker 2:Um, my dad actually went up with the guys and checked out the boots and yeah, we were between the seven and that boat that we got and it just the time we started like, all right, you got it If they go at seven. You got to finish bodywork, you got to paint it, get it wrapped, then assemble it all. Where this one had, a lot of the hardware was already tested. A lot of stuff we got retested, um, because we did have the time, but we didn't have to paint it, wrap it. Well, we did wrap it, but things like that, just that time frame, and I think that's where it helped us knowing what, what needed done, what kind of parts needed made, and then trey having his decision in it. Yeah, I think we made the right call, um, I do believe if we come back out this year, which we should, um, hopefully something's announced shortly for the fans of madison, but we'll probably stick with this boat. We were excited with it, so now just go through it front to back.
Speaker 2:We have plenty of time now.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. Time's on your side now. I just remember when the announcement came out I said well, that's not a lot of time to get ready.
Speaker 2:We were told many times, by many people, it would never happen, and that just lit a fire under us.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm one of those people. If you tell me you can't do it, that I'm gonna make it happen. Yep, that's fun, was our teaser there. Are you coming to san diego? Then is that what the? And this isn't gonna air until september.
Speaker 2:No, no, no all right, all right.
Speaker 1:Well, that would be fun. Hopefully next year you can make a full circuit with it yeah, that's the.
Speaker 2:The goal, I think, is to do most of the races um.
Speaker 1:We'll see what happens so yeah, yeah, I know it's all sponsorship related, unfortunately. But well, in madison you had a better time, like you said, you got qualified, your official driver, you got a heat in, finished a heat, got 225 points, third place, finish. Unfortunately, the next heat, the steering cable broke, if I'm not mistaken, and you know a little wild ride. Talk me through that. What was that like, that experience?
Speaker 2:uh, it was actually very unfortunate because I felt like that heat. I was the most comfortable in the boat. We made some changes right before we went out to let me be able to get more air under the boat and fly it a little more, um, and that felt real good. And then going down the back stretch, just everything was normal and I just barely started to turn into the corner and my steering just went away. You could turn the wheel whichever way you wanted to and there was nothing. So I've had that happen in other boats before.
Speaker 2:So I knew steering broke and at that point I was along for the ride and in any other boat you just hit a switch and it shuts off. Well, the unlimited you have to, you have to pull a lever and then push your foot and it takes a little time to de-spool. So my nerves that were at the highest they've ever been in a boat, especially staring at that bridge. So when it took off to the right I was was actually excited. But then, like I hope this thing don't land on the shore. But luckily it was a nonviolent spin. We took on some water because the rudder boot pulled off and water was pouring in the boat but no damage to the boat, so just unscathed and lucky for sure.
Speaker 1:That's good. That's good Structurally. It's fine in one piece. For sure, that's good. That's good structurally, it's fine in one piece. About 20 years ago, ken muscatel I don't know if you ever saw a video of that, but he lost steering, exiting the right turn on the back stretch of madison and actually went up on the beach and landed in kentucky. So yeah, thankfully that was not your, your. Your fate always scary and a wild ride with that. Yeah, you said that was the scariest time in a boat to date.
Speaker 2:Uh, I mean it was, yeah, it was nerve wracking. I don't know if I'd say scariest, but I feel like, cause it happened so slow, at least to my eyes, it was the most like anticipation of what's going to come next. Um, blow overs, spin outs, crashes, like that. It happens in an instant. So that one definitely got me, got me nervous for a little longer than I wanted to be.
Speaker 1:Yeah well with that happening. I mean it's, it's a big mental challenge. I don't know what I won't say. It's a challenge to get back in the boat after having a malfunction like that. Not shortly after that, you had your escape hatch blow off on your, your grand prix, another mechanical failure. I mean, how do you get back in the boat and not be fearful of what's going to happen next?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think you're always going to have that in the back of your mind. That happened, madison. Was hard, because I got on the rescue boat to get brought back in and we only had one heat of GPs and then I had to go back out in the GP myself and that was probably one of the hardest. Like I've blown over and got right back in a boat, I knew what happened. I was either my fault or I went up a tail. Whatever you got back in a boat, you're fine. Fine to go, but this one, being a mechanical failure, definitely took some time. I had to listen to music and just get back in the right headset to get back in the GP and you just got to trust your equipment and trust the people around you. Failures happen in racing all the time. You do your best as a crew to make sure things like that don't happen, but you always know in the back of your mind that there's an element of surprise and things happen.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, I think the key word there is trust and trust in your crew, and you have to get back out there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I've had people wonder like, oh, when you get back in Unlimited, are you going to be nervous? And I don't feel I will. It's not like you can predict it. It's not like a skid film that's wobbling around and you're like, oh my gosh, is it gonna do that again? It's you just gotta trust that the equipment's right, everything's been gone through and um, the good thing is, when we look through the boat and had multiple people look through the unlimited, that there really wasn't anything odd like something missed or anything like that. It was just a legit cable failure. They do get pool tested every year, so I don't know if maybe it got pool tested and that was its last pool test or what happened. But we'll have new cables in next year and everything will be good to go yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean you can do everything you can to make sure it's top of the notch equipment, but eventually something's going to break down. So just it's always curious for me as an outsider's perspective, like you said, just how you can get past that mental block and continue to race and perform at a higher level. But one thing I've heard people talk about the differences of jumping up classes. What were your thoughts, because you had a lot of time in Grand Prixs and very successful in that class Moving up to Unlimiteds. What's your impression there?
Speaker 2:I knew I haven't got there yet to what I know is going to be the hardest thing to get used to and that's flying the boat. I said in a lot of interviews, like Jay Michael's really good at it, he can flip the boat. That said in a lot of interviews, like jay michael's really good at it, you can flip the boat. That takes just seat time and learning where the limits are, sometimes maybe going too far, but other than that, the driving it was easier than I expected. Um, the gps take a lot of load, load in the corner and you're bouncing around a lot. A lot of times we're running on one mile courses, so everything's happening fast.
Speaker 2:You really don't have a chance to catch your breath where the unlimited. I felt like that long straight away you don't feel the speed at all. Um, and that could come from everything I've driven before and a big boat like you don't feel that speed. And then in the corners I thought there would be a lot more muscle strain on your arms in the corner, but it felt pretty good. The G-forces on the head, I think, is where the big difference is. So this winter I'll definitely add that in the workout regimen it's just trying to stiffen up the neck because it really pulls your head over your mass kind of moves around a lot. So that's the different part. But I've compared it. It's silly to do, but I've compared it to a giant T-boat. Everything I learned when I first started with the momentum and having to fly a boat it's almost identical. You're just going 190 instead of 100.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. Well, I mean it's interesting to say as well, it's so much bigger, right, so it's a bigger course, so things are happening slower in real time, I guess for reactions.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that is one thing. I mean it could be me, my grandfather, when I was racing the car. I was racing at Daytona and I radioed in and I was like Grandpa, we're down 500 RPMs and he used to race as well. He's like there's a gauge in that thing, I don't look around. He's always been like I'm amazed that, like everything in your world happens slow when you're going in a race vehicle.
Speaker 1:Oh man, that's funny. All right, knuckleheads. That's all the time we have for this week. Make sure you come back next Tuesday, as we'll have part two of my interview with Brandon Kennedy, and he's going to go into more about his career, about his experience this year with H1 Unlimited, as well as plans for next year. I threw some other wacky questions at him, but you'll have to wait until next week to hear his responses.
Speaker 1:In the meantime, don't forget, we're on social media Instagram, facebook online as well, with our website, roostertaltalkcom and if you haven't checked out Roostertail Talk Plus, give that a check on our website as well. With RT Plus, you can sign up for a monthly subscription fee where you get entered into a monthly raffle prize drawing, as well as entry into a password protected of a website that has pictures and articles from hydroplane history gone by. Also, you get early access to all new episodes, as well as you get a collectible card set for our 2025 trading card set. I got nothing else for you today. Make sure you come back next week, but until then, I hope to see you at the races.