Episode 174: Kool Kat Motorsports, Part 1

We sit down with Ed Thompson, John Shaw, and Brett Hall to hear how Kool Kat Motorsports grows from a fan favorite into a serious two-boat Grand Prix operation. We dig into East Coast vs West Coast racing, the family roots behind the program, and the craft and marketing choices that make their team stand out. This is part 1 of a 3 part interview.  Don't miss part 2 airing Tuesday, March 30th.  Enjoy!

Koolkat Motorsports Gp135 Facebook

John Shaw Racing Facebook

Brent Hall Racing Facebook

Transcript

East Coast Vs West Coast Racing

SPEAKER_00 0:51

Hello, race fans, and welcome back to the podcast. Today is March 24th, 2026, and this is episode 174. Now, for today's episode, I had the opportunity to interview not one, not two, but three people all associated with the CoolCats Motorsports Racing Team. I talked with Ed Thompson, John Shaw, and Brett Hall. Now, for those who don't know, Ed Thompson is one of the owners of the Cool Katz Motorsports Racing Team. Him, along with his wife Andrea, are both owners for their organization and have made a huge impact on the sport this past year. If you were at the races, you knew about the Cool Katz because they were the talk of the pits. Almost all the families were hanging out around their pits, uh making instant fans of people from ages four to 90. I swear every time I was around the pits, they were talking to fans and they were really and they're really embracing fandom for hydrofine racing. Unfortunately, for this interview, Andrea wasn't present. But just know that she is a big forest behind the racing team, along with owner Ed Thompson. Now last year John Shaw was their main driver, and this year they're doubling down on everything they're doing. They bought out the Bat Influence racing team, the racing organization. They bought everything from the hull, the motors, to the nuts and bolts that Bat Influence had. I don't think they left anything there in their shop. So they have a two-boat racing team, and of course, John Shaw is coming back as their main driver. But with a second boat, they need a second driver. And they reached out and they secured Brett Hall to be their second driver for the year. But with two drivers behind the wheels, we have John Shaw and Brett Hall racing for the Cool Cat Motorsports team this year. Now the team is based out at Maryland on the East Coast. So we're gonna spend a lot of time for this episode getting to know more about the Cool Cat Motorsports racing team, their background, their history, really focusing more with Ed and John Shaw on their backgrounds. Brent Hall is there and he's gonna talk more about his background as well, but he'll get it more into it in parts two and three. And we really want to know more about that background for the Cool Cat Racing Team. So let's just jump in and listen to part one of my interview with Ed Thompson, John Shaw, and Brent Hall. Well, joining me on Zoom, I'm talking with John Shaw, Ed Thompson, Brent Hall, the Cool Cat gang or members, I don't know, coalition, what I don't know what you want to call yourselves. But uh gentlemen, how are we doing today?

SPEAKER_02 3:29

Doing good. You can call us the crew if you want. Shoot. Doing fine. Thank you for having us.

SPEAKER_00 3:36

Doing wonderful this morning. Yeah. Well, I'm glad to have you all on and really excited to talk about some things with your your racing program because I think you turned a lot of heads with fans this past year. I know you got a lot of fans on the west side here, but really excited to talk to you about Cool Cat Racing. But before we get into anything else, uh Brent, now that you're a member of Cool Cat Racing, does that mean I have to call you Cool Cat? Because I think your son won't won't uh agree with me.

SPEAKER_02 4:07

Well, you know what? Don't worry about him. Yeah, I'm a cool cat. And whether my son says it or not, I don't care. But I'm really proud and um I'd also say fortunate. You know, it's interesting just how we came together and we're gonna talk about that. But it's amazing the the story, and just we just are cut from the same cloth. And um, I love what they do with the fans and then they race hard. What an amazing team! So excited for um even more people to learn about cool cap motorsports.

SPEAKER_00 4:37

Yeah, definitely. I mean, I think I think that people on the west coast are are learning more about the team because uh it's an east east coast operation that the team comes from the east coast. And I just want to give a chance for Ed and John to kind of give a little bit more background on on yourselves. Because it's a little different, I think, racing on the East Coast to West Coast. And uh, I want to talk about your history, I want to talk about your program. But this last year you you guys raced on the West Coast. Can you talk a little bit about what's racing like? Is it different on the East Coast than it is on the West Coast?

SPEAKER_04 5:12

Don, you want to take that?

SPEAKER_01 5:13

I think the the racing itself is the same. Um, you know, there's some super hard competitors on the West Coast, there's some really good competitors on the East Coast, especially with with on the GP side, with HRLGP, they're kind of their own little clique. The race courses are super tiny, you know, super tight corners, uh typically really, really, really rough. Um, as were the West Coast races, the you know, you set for the corner in San Diego, and uh, you know, it's the what 1400 foot, 1500 foot diameters, they're they're huge compared to what we typically have on the East Coast.

SPEAKER_00 5:48

But is is there any anything else, like any subtleties on the pits or how the race is set up that might be different? That you know that they really stood out to you?

SPEAKER_04 5:58

Yeah, for what I mean it's being tagged along with H1 is a big plus race a lot west for GP. Um the fan base is just incredible, and being interacting with the fans is just remarkable because it's kind of our whole base and mixing with uh sports. Um it just makes it it makes it great to have the uh people involved and fans involved. Um little bit more race of instructions that we're used to on the East Coast, but all in all, I mean I'd race out west anytime versus an East Coast race.

SPEAKER_02 6:32

Yeah, I think for me, I being part of the H1 Telecast, part of my assignment was to spend time and really get to know the the Grand Prix teams. So I didn't know a lot about Pool Cap Motorsports when I started, but I sure know a lot now. And uh, you know, I think those stories we're really trying to pull out. And um you know, there's just like with H1 Unlimited in uh Grand Prix West or Grand Prix America, you've got some amazing stories and some characters. And so I think those are the things that we wanted to pull out this year, and hopefully the fans got to see that.

SPEAKER_00 7:08

Well, let's talk more about the history of the Cool Cat crew and the and the Cool Cat racing team. Can you enlighten some of the the listeners I have? Because I've I think I have a good following on the West Coast of the series with GP Racing and HRL. I think a lot of the fans aren't as in tune and don't have a history of the the racing series. So can you can you enlighten Ed and John? Talk more about your racing organization and just let listeners know kind of your history and where you came from.

John Shaw’s Racing Roots

SPEAKER_01 7:37

Yeah, I mean, uh I grew up in a racing family. Um my dad started racing in the early 70s, was a fierce competitor as when Ed was racing. My whole family's involved. My sister's on the board of directors for APBA. My you know, my dad's uh in board commissioner. We've been heavily involved in the the local regions um in multiple facets um involved putting races on. Like, you know, my it's racing is something my family still does together. Um, I don't know very many of my friends that aren't involved in racing that are super excited to go like you know hop in an RV and spend all weekend with your parents trapped in you know a fairly small confined space. Um, but with racing, that's just it's it's something that brings my family together. And to me, that's what I love the most about it. Um, you know, as far as you know, uh growing up, I raced uh started racing a T-boat, so a little 1.5 stock, and when I turned 16, I started racing a two and a half and um just driving for you know some absolutely incredible teams. Um, I've been very fortunate for that for you know my racing career. I through high school and college, I worked building race engines with Al Grabinski um for quite a few years. You know, I I always joked that I spent more time at the you know the George and Brandon Kennedy's house than I did at my own. And all that I was just learning skills all along the way. Um six or seven years ago, I started working for Larry Lauderback, building boats, um, restoring boats. And I think at this point I've raced everything from uh a T-boat to GP, skiffs, some flat bottoms. I think the only thing I haven't driven is a cracker box and a K-boat.

SPEAKER_00 9:20

That's quite an impressive resume there that you've you've built up over the years. Um I I gotta be very fortunate. Yeah. Before before Ed has a chance to talk about, I just I just have to ask, what was it like learning from Larry Laurerbach? Because that's like just an expert level craftsman. Um I'm just curious.

SPEAKER_01 10:44

Larry is the the best craftsman I've I've ever met. Like he can just look at something and and uh figure out how he's gonna fix it, especially like dismantling some of the the older vintage boats. Um, you know, last uh summer we finished up restoring the uh GP444 or the GP Valley field. Um and when that thing showed up, it didn't look that bad. And then once we started ripping it apart, every single frame of the boat was broke. So Larry was like, uh, you know, the the goal was to keep the boat as as uh original as we could, uh but still replace everything that was broken and needed to be fixed. And you know, Larry taught me uh so many skills, and and probably the thing that sticks with me most is uh it it doesn't matter how much time it takes to do something, as long as it's done uh the right way. Like there's no point in cutting corners just to cut a corner. If you have the time, take the time and do it the right way. Yeah, that's a big message right there. Because I'm like I'm I you know, my my parents joke around me that I do everything like 200 mile, you know, 200 mile an hour with my hair on fire. I'll like, you know, Ed Ed's like Ed's like John comes to the shop and every tool's out, everything's everywhere, because I just go from one job to the next to the next to the next to the next, and uh, you know, by the time it's said and done, there isn't a single tool in the toolbox, every box is open, like it's literally you know, John the tornado rolled through, and it's you know, category five.

SPEAKER_00 12:13

Isn't that called ADHD? Ah it's probably undiagnosed. I'm joking, I'm joking. Yeah, that you know, poster child probably. Well, Ed, do you want to jump in and talk more about our history?

SPEAKER_04 12:30

Uh yeah, I mean, uh we're again, we are a family-raced uh-based family. It's been a boat racing since 1946. Um, my dad raced the C, B, and E-racing runabouts uh throughout the uh late 50s. Uh he's a member of the golf racing hall of fame. He has 10 world records to his name. Uh racing old uh Optolator um C Racing Runabout, which is flashbacks with a uh White 75 Flag is too bigger. And uh I still have that Facebook today, but in my Facebook today, I should say, uh restored by the five of the run.

SPEAKER_00 13:12

Oh well.

SPEAKER_04 13:22

We found that and uh Larry built the board by board. Remember that took money from the original and the boat is the cool, and we went to keep something original to make sure it's storing uh OTM special. Um was also the first flagraft boat from what I got talking to me about before. Uh 4015 uh was Evergrass, and they put Evergrass over the wood back on State. Uh for myself, I got an erased 74 the year after my brother started, 73. Uh new 72 cubic inch craft that around 14 year olds can drive. And of course, mom said, Oh no way. Uh me and dad walked over and looked at Suey's uh double eagle sitting there. And before we left that weekend, we owned a double eagle. And uh we just say 74 we started racing uh 724, ran all the way up to 80, which arrived roads boats also. Uh then we uh I got out of racing in 81, got married, and uh I totally uh married a woman that wasn't in racing, which is don't have to ride, long story, but I returned after 2013 when I got it to work. I went to my first boat race that weekend, I didn't think um uh I heard the one later fire up, and within four weeks I earned two late and left because uh met and became uh first competitors at State New Cad and uh same two pads back in the uh 70. Um how it all came together. Uh Ronnie's been racing five leaders all through the this time. I got to uh be lucky enough to drive his uh five-meter once uh to take it out and run it in uh Pilgridge Melon and a cannon mountain. I can drive it a couple weekends. Um and uh so that was my kind of I like boats. I mean it's got a 125 boat somewhere under there. That's a lot of fun. Um talk, talking about Apple enjoying the boat racing time. Um Apple Consuming the Grand Prix racing. Uh I got a phone call on a Friday night from Ronnie. Uh said, look, we got the new boat, but uh, I need to get the full boat sold. Uh I need you to put it together for me and run it. You know, run the key, do it your way, do what you want to do, and uh sold for it. So I started working on it. It was a stripped out mode at that point because I took everything quick and we put it together. Uh, and that's the cool cap the game we're running the break when we drive it. And uh so we try and I started putting it together a little bit. Um, I got bit by that damn bug and uh said, Hey, uh, let's go Grand Prix race. So uh talked to the wife and said, you know, if I'm gonna do all this work and spend all this time on it for the Grand Prix uh 24 a day, you know, 12 hours, 24, 70 dollars. And um I'm gonna I want to earn it. And uh he of course agreed and we already talked a lot and put it all together. And uh that's how I started for years ago. Which I knew no way in the world he was calling about a challenge. And uh what he was worried about was becoming a grandfather driver in my boat, and folks that got a challenge. Uh we went together in one class. Um, we built folks with track uh and we dominate both after a long time. I mean, it was we were too big to do that. And uh actually we put together built to the last family, basically all family crew members. Uh and uh I can't ask for more than what they do every weekend when they come down, drive them a couple hours each and spend the whole weekend there. They have their own racing so I'm uh uh to where they threatened. So uh we would got to bed for the kids. So I mean it's it's just how we do things. And uh we love sport. I mean uh it's not how we got into it. So I'd say grand free racing was my brother's fault. He's the one that taught me in this.

The Family Culture Fans Feel

SPEAKER_00 17:58

Thank you, Ronnie. We'll blame your brother.

SPEAKER_02 18:02

Hey David, uh I had a quick question, you know, not just because I'm a new to Cool Cap Motorsports. Uh there's a family environment that people just won't understand until you're a part of it. Maybe Ed, John, talk talk a little bit about that. And then also, Ed, there's a sign over your head, and I'll I want you to explain that too. There must be something funny behind that.

SPEAKER_00 18:24

What does that sign say? I can't read that.

SPEAKER_02 18:27

Somebody licking the spoon. I need to know we lick the spoon.

SPEAKER_04 18:34

Yeah. Well, my my wife from your TA, uh, she's an old Pennsylvania style cooking and with the batteries and the spins and bacon and all that stuff. You know, you lick well, we lick the spoon.

SPEAKER_03 18:44

There you go. There you go.

SPEAKER_04 18:46

We're farm type people. We're not uh, yeah, we had an automotive business in our background, but uh I I it's just I'm I'm quite from different calls. I was so character and boost ball. I followed dad everywhere. Dad was my mentor, he taught me everything I know about a motor, he taught me everything about balance in a boat, what to do, how to do it. And I mean, I started driving real QW 60 years old, car. Uh and uh it's just ever since. I mean, he kind of I I I chose to say he raised me as a boat racing. I was bringing you know one of the races. And uh, I learned so much from I grew up to stop when everybody else was selling and driving. I wanted to bring boat smoke. I drink goat buff, I went to that, I was working on cars to stop when that was me, what I wanted to be.

SPEAKER_01 19:41

I'd say for for me with it being, you know, it's it's like I said, racing is something that my family does together. We're racing, I think we've got 22 weekends on the schedule between all the series and all the boats. It's um and then you know, all the weekends we're we're either up here working on the GP or you know, working on my T-boat or my brother's T-boat or you know, whatever else we got, you know, going on in the shop. It's uh it we're just always doing stuff together and it always tends to be centralized around boat racing. So something that definitely you know brings my family together.

SPEAKER_00 20:18

Yeah. Well, it I mean uh you I hear the term family, you know, turn around the series of H1 in JP racing as well. And but it's it is evident, like Brent said, in your racing team, uh, because I don't know how many fans and families I've talked to that once they come around your your your area and they have time, you know, the downtime, they get to sit in the boat, take pictures, interact with you guys, uh they almost feel immediately connected with your team. So I think that's something very special that Cool Cat brings to to racing.

SPEAKER_04 20:53

Yeah, 100%. I mean that's uh that's what we strive for is right. You know, we got to find what the first famous uh past year was a snow for us, and uh it's just it's just what we're still out there to do. I mean uh family-based, I mean the one thing I didn't miss was uh TBR, which is Thompson Brothers Racing, which was actually born back in 1946 with my dad and a couple guys. And uh me and Ronnie today still carry that name, even though he races for TKO and how to full category sports. You always find a legend on a bank at TBR and Thompson Brothers racing. I mean, because Professor I couldn't have done this, and uh I still felt good.

SPEAKER_00 21:38

That's great that you still honor him with that. That's that's amazing. Earlier, Ed, I just wanted to clarify this. Did you say that you actually raced against John's dad back in the 70s?

SPEAKER_04 21:48

Oh, absolutely. It was we actually set a bunch of records, uh, so far, because I'd go out one weekend and set the record and pay like they wouldn't come back the next weekend and do some same darn thing. I'm discussing us so darn thing.

SPEAKER_01 22:05

And I mean, Ed and I were kind of the same way with the T-boats. When he got in the T-boat, it was uh, you know, if it was whoever got the inside lane. If you know his boat got the inside lane, they won the heat. If I got the inside lane, I won the heat, because it the two boats were just super competitive. Um but there was always that you know that mutual respect for each other. Um, we didn't hate each other like some competitors do. We were I mean, heck, there was a time where my boat didn't start, and Ed was the first one there to get it running, just so I would make the heat. Like it was always it was super fierce competition, but at the same time, there was no utmost level of respect, which I don't think happens in every class. No, no.

SPEAKER_04 22:46

I was gonna say my dad always sends my pingle in the water, not on a trailer. Right.

SPEAKER_02 22:50

100%.

SPEAKER_00 22:51

Yeah. Well, John, I want to talk more about your racing a little bit more here in your history. Uh, I'm just a nostalgic guy, I love the history. Of the sports. And you have an impressive resume. You've uh, like you said, you've raced everything from one and a half liters to GPs, except for the K-boat series, right? And you've won a lot of highlights in your career. You've a lot of championships, race victories. But what if you could sum it up in one highlight of your career, like what stands out the most for you, John?

SPEAKER_01 23:26

I think um probably being named the driver of the year for HRL. Um, you know, super, super tight-knit series, uh, you know, um a lot of competition. Uh you know, we won Valley Field twice, we've won the the 2500 championship twice with HRL, uh won, I don't know, 12 or 13 high point championships with APBA. Uh probably I don't know, uh 30-ish, you know, national championships, divisional championships, uh the set five world records. Uh you know, we've been uh fairly successful in in most of the classes we've run, or actually all the classes we run. Um but it all goes back to the the the team. It's all about the like I'm just a lucky one that gets to push on the pedals. Uh the team is the one that's doing the work uh, you know, uh Monday through Friday, so we could go fast on Saturday and Sunday. Um and uh, you know, we've we've been fortunate in in that to put a good team that's willing to put in the time, put in the work, fix all the stuff I break. And um, you know, we've been fairly successful with it.

SPEAKER_00 24:39

Well what about what about you, Ed? What would the same question for yourself? What what's been the highlight of your career up to this date?

SPEAKER_04 24:48

Uh the highlight now would be Grand Prix Racing, um being into it right now with uh two GPs coming into 2026. You'd ask me this two and a half years ago, I don't have that. I'd have never thought I'd be here today. Uh doing this uh Rhine as possible, starting with the one boat and then everything else just fell into place. Um and it's I've always strived myself and I'll think so I can back it up as far as making sure you go through pools. Like if one goes no high and win. Yeah, I mean there is an eye and win, but if a team doesn't, and uh it takes everything. And uh that's what we try to strive to do. Um yeah, uh for that, it would be a license, my dad. I just thought of uh me and my dad were close. We spent a lot of years doing it together, uh, won a lot together, and uh not having a measure, even when I think that's the link for my movie. So I'd have to go home to bring something we've got. You want to get a house and how'd you do it? What? Yeah, that was your first question. What could you have done better? What could you miss? That's a little channel. What? Yeah, and you can go back to that question again. Yeah, and uh it was I missed that. So the highlight is being able to associate and talk with that and do that stuff.

RC Boats And 3D Printing

SPEAKER_00 26:28

Yeah, yeah, it's I I totally agree with you on that. Like my father, he passed away in 2008. We raced a different series than you did. It was radio controlled hydroplanes, but um but it was still fun. And I I I every day I'm having conversations with my dad about what we could have changed, what what tweaks we could have done, or uh anything racing. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:52

Hey David, we should we should pause there just for a second and talk about radio control because I know Poolcat knows something about radio control as well. So uh I've already seen some stuff. Guys, talk talk about it. It's also you've been dabbling a little bit in radio control.

SPEAKER_04 27:07

Oh god, I I raced with in the number stories back in the kind of when I got out of boat racing. Um I just always toy with them. My problem is I had a large back built by uh Racer Racer, and he came back so darn gorgeous. I ended up taking it over to the lauder back and having an autograph and it's it's adorned over my fireplace. So it never made it to the water.

SPEAKER_02 27:33

Yeah, he still sometimes isn't too pretty, right? Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 27:36

And uh, but yeah, we we used to run them a lot. I have them around. I just uh I never you know I did it for a couple years for nothing real competitive. Yeah. John and playing and building them and uh challenge been playing.

SPEAKER_01 27:57

Yeah. Um I've always had a you know, I'd I'd uh I had a little RC boat growing up, uh a little model of the T plus. And um, you know, my my uh unlimited idol growing up was is always been going to always be Steve David. Um Steve was at one of the East Coast races driving the six liter and uh you know I had just finished painting my model and Steve signed it, and that thing still's you know, it's still on my dresser and in uh the office at my house now. Um and then you know, this winter I uh a couple years ago I had I had made little like matchbox sized cars of boats that I've driven that um I put around like my train board during the the winter and I didn't have one of the GP. So um I reached out to a couple people, got a fairly good um file of it, and um from there started you know making some tweaks to because it's like well that looks that looks good, but then I started I had the boat to actually measure, so it was like I can change this and make it really good, and that kind of turned into having uh essentially a scale model of uh scale model of the GP that then I 3D printed and it's glued two halves together and put it together, and it's either gonna do like 45 or 50 mile an hour or blow apart into a couple hundred pieces, but we won't find out until uh April.

SPEAKER_00 29:19

Oh man. Well, I gotta I gotta I'll have to talk to you more about that because I'm I just got into the 3D printing uh world. I've got a friend down in Texas that's been designing some uh scale models of unlimited hydroplanes. So I've been printing some one-tenth scales uh and racing that recently. So I'll probably have to see if that's you you've actually printed something. Yeah. Yeah, we've printed a boat out and it and it actually worked. Yes, yeah. So it's the weight's a little bit heavier, um, but hey, I got it to work. The durability's not there. Yeah, we'll have to talk more about that. Um, but yeah, it's super fun. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 29:59

David, David is one of the best RC setup butt guys I know. And uh I had a bubble bud that I overpowered. I thought I could be Bernie Little and threw like the biggest breakless motor in there. It was super fast down the straightaway, all out of shape in the corners. And then uh when when I started racing bigger boats, I sold all my RC stuff. And David bought that boat, and I think he won some championships with it, but the ride's smooth. I'm like, what did you do, man? That is awesome. So it was just it's RC boats is uh is an amaz is an amazing connection. I'm glad that Cool Cat's doing that too. Who knows? We might be selling some of the Cool Cat uh boats at some point, but um I was a big fan too, starting with RC. And one of the titles uh that I have was John Walters growing up and pay and pack turban was my boat. I wanted to make sure that that was my RC boat that I raced, 10th scale, uh what was 16th scale before that? And uh yeah, just that's where the passion really started.

SPEAKER_00 30:59

Yeah, yeah. And Brent, yeah, Brent, you've raced for for a number of years. Yeah, I still have your boat. It's uh it's a shelf clean.

SPEAKER_02 31:06

No, don't you be selling that. Out first is, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:09

Yeah, it's it's either staying here or it's going to you, Brent. No, no worries there.

SPEAKER_02 31:13

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 31:13

Thank you. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 31:14

Yeah, that's yeah, but it was on a it's a very nice boat. It was built by Mitch Dillard originally, right?

SPEAKER_02 31:21

That's right. Yeah, Mitch built it. And I think Pete Julia built a 16-scale version of that for me a long time ago. Um but yeah, no, those two definitely packed turbine, and then when we went to the capsule, it was the bowl bud.

SPEAKER_00 31:34

Yeah, yeah. Well, yeah, well, yeah, John, we'll uh we'll definitely have to talk later on about 3D printing world because it's uh it's pretty wild. It's incredible what you can do. Yeah, it is. Yeah. Well, uh Brent, before uh you almost got out of this, but I want to ask you that same question. Uh because you have a lot of accolades throughout your career, but want to hear what's been the highlight of your racing career to this date.

SPEAKER_02 32:01

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:03

And we can say before signing with Cool Cat, because I know that's probably the highlight.

SPEAKER_02 32:07

So we'll go before before Cool Cat and after Cool Cat. That's right. Yeah. So no, I you know, I have had a a unique career. Um, but I will say, you know, when I listened to John and Ed, you know, I didn't necessarily come up the same way. And I and I think that's why the Cool Cat Motorsports team really completes me. Yeah, I, you know, was a fan first and then had a chance to drive lots of different boats, but um, this team has really owned the craft. And you know, I've spent some time talking to John about uh race pack and you know all of the different ways to get faster and learn. And so that's one of the things I'm really excited about, Cool Cat. And then as far as highlights, you know, I I swing for the fences. I mean, I'm when you think about it, I'm as close to a fan as uh a fan can get, but I have had a chance to drive lots of different boats. And you know, I had a chance to test driving unlimited back in 2012. And it really was one of those things where I just said, you know, this is my rookie career as a two and a half stock driver. I'm pretty good at the sponsorship stuff, and they knew that. And so they asked me, Hey, would you help us find sponsors? And I I know like what that deal is. It's like a 15% cut, it's a lot of work. And I just said, Well, no, not really. I mean, if I got laps from the boat, maybe, and then I kind of lobbed that over, and then they said, nah, no, no, sir. And then 60 days before seafair, I got a call from Jeff Campbell, and he's like, Hey, if you think you can go still get sponsors, uh, we might be able to get some laughs from the boat. And it happened. Um, so that was a real highlight, but it also just fueled my aspire to be better at the craft. And I knew I needed more time in a smaller boat. And uh, you know, uh Scott Baker walked me over and introduced me to Jerry Hopp and said, Hey, uh, this is someone you need to get to know. He knows how to get sponsors. And, you know, Jerry had me come uh to the shop and uh he got his name Mr. Miyagi because he handed me a broom and said, Sweet list the shop, let's figure out what you can do. And then, you know, they kind of graduated me to learning a little bit more about the boats. And I I drove off and on, shared seat time with Jerry for about six or seven years. And again, another another honor to be part of that team. And now being part of Cool Cat, they're really saying, Hey, Brent, this is your boat, go drive it, go learn. And what I also loved that Ed said is, hey, drive at your own pace. You know, we're we're not expecting miracles here. Um, go learn. Anyone who thinks you can just jump into a Grand Prix and uh light the world on fire, you're fooling yourself. That's kind of a disrespect to the sport. We've got a lot to learn, and I got a great team to learn it with. And you heard me kind of poke at them about it because there's just so much more to that team that you'll get to learn as you come see us at the different races this year. They are a hundred percent family.

The Cool Cat Name And Look

SPEAKER_00 35:05

Yeah, yeah, definitely 100% family. Just kind of that aura just kind of just shows at every race that they're at. Well, love hearing about the highlights of your careers and uh and your history of your of your racing. And uh, one last question I have on kind of the run the history is Cool Cat, where did this name come from? And who designed the paint scheme on your boats? Because it just it's probably the best paint scheme I've seen. I don't know how many years. It just it just it screamed it screams your name, Coolcat. So talk talk to me about this.

SPEAKER_04 35:41

Let's see how to explain it. I bought a um right after I got married, I bought a uh uh cat boat uh with a 525 horsepower, 28 foot profile, still go-class boat. And it was being a cat, and it was cool. And uh that's the funny way about it is uh the pulled her from me and my wife. When I first met her, she uh I had on a um a remaps.com page. If you don't like boat racing, I'm not for you. And she texted me back, I'm a boat racist art. And my reply was one word. So trying to have the um cracking together with all cat people. You have 13 printers right around here that I'm surprised you haven't seen all time. You might see my own that's trying to keep the craft on things. Um we level the craft, we have things in the whole thing. But cool cat came from that person. Um we formed, and then in 2017 I got into the drift course for my stepston. And um what I formed Cool Cat Metal Sports. Because anybody that knows me at the same time, we've been all in the and um I went all into the drift command, I have a uh FB uh HP car, and we have a uh US drift program. And I have a driver's running them uh and so in 2017 that's how poor cast came about. Uh the rap drifting. Um California. Um and um it's the company uh he does all the four drift cars and the uh drift cars. Um a lot of the designs and raps. So they sat talk to me and explained to me when I had in my head information market. That's a match part. I told we show you how to sell in the market. So we came up and defined my cool cat logo, the way it was, five uh delivery, as we call them. That's when I learned what delivery was, and uh we defined that. I have several uh and I stole anyone's first one because I fell in love with it. And uh it's very marketable. We've kind of built our brand off of it, and uh that's where it came from, so the world drift, which is another thing that we haven't touched on, but that's that's for another time because we're built like this, and I'm fighting really so hard.

unknown 38:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 38:28

That's really that's really cool. You're able to kind of bridge two worlds there with that and get outsider influence on delivery or or library, or I always call it a paint scheme, but yeah, that's really it's really fascinating.

SPEAKER_02 38:42

I was gonna ask you, and and might be switching topics just a little bit, but you know, you you talked about the paint scheme, but boy, your social media presence, you incredible. Like you push out content like nobody else. You do you're kind of making it sound like, oh, I'm this farmer guy, but yet on social media, man, you you push it. And I I love watching your posts, and I think the fans do too. Where's the inspiration inspiration coming for that?

SPEAKER_00 39:08

Yeah, yeah, definitely the drift world.

SPEAKER_02 39:11

I mean, we are so farmed up all from the drift world.

SPEAKER_04 39:14

We are so we are so we may cut the dice yet or not. Uh-oh. Uh oh. I mean, as far as if I brought my drift guys in, like, we have a drift team that actually carries with us to the events to carry so our media force. I mean, we don't have people out there doing it. You have your own media guy on the team, flying your own stuff and doing your hard camera work and all the hard point. I mean, and learn a lot from those shots. Um, and uh how to how it's gotta be markedable. I mean, these are the corners to be able to do 110 mile an hour sometimes, blowing up on a bank wall, blowing up on a bank with a mouth driveway, to run it side by side. And uh the guy's flying that drain, it's probably four to six inches off the windfield and not looking at you because you're not gonna stop or whatever it's called. And you just wake up, he comes around and waves the waves at you and swing around, and you speak in the mirror and look at you driving and shooting that animal. And that's why I kind of, you know, I left people back on the guy before cameras and gotta be all. We're not even close to what they do with the thing driftwork. I mean, it's central parts working in the things. I mean, some teams are trying it. I'm running it. I think we'll see more of it this year.

unknown 40:35

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 40:36

I mean, we're we'll try to do a little bit more. I might bring Lisa in to uh do a couple of our great events to see if he'll come in and do some power workforce when we can put some good stuff together. But uh, that's where it's coming from. So I'll run it out the 12.

SPEAKER_02 40:53

Leading the way. I love it.

SPEAKER_00 40:55

Yeah. Well, I'm always fascinated to hear about marketing and and uh social media presence and all that. And it's it's I think it's great to to look at other venues or events to to see what you can bring to hydroplane racing uh to elevate it at the next level. And uh you definitely have been been showing that so far on on social media. I'm excited to see some of these things this year.

Sponsorship As A Business Mindset

SPEAKER_04 41:19

Yeah, I mean we we've tried, I think one thing I do different too than most uh most folks, and most people disagree with me when I say that is I learned it as a business. Um you know, I'm not, hey, show me the money and I'll show up. I'm gonna show up. First of all, the people will put the race when they need. And I knew them. I can't put my products out there if I don't have a race for it. And if they don't learn, if they need to go out and sell their products, and to go out there and show what they have, and earn their own smart instead of expecting people to hand them the dollar, they're never gonna really progress in racing. And you know, it's that's where a lot of people are doing it wrong. And I really hate to say it because I don't want to learn to do it the right way, because then I think it's tougher for us to have it. But I mean that's what they're doing wrong. Don't sell their product, and then don't sell yourself and don't bring yourself enough to go earn. You know, we race court service us nothing but a good, safe place to ride. Yeah. And then we gotta go out there and do our job and earn our sponsors and run it out of the business and make ourselves welcome to our fans. And then everything just connects. It shows.

SPEAKER_02 42:40

Yeah, well done. Well done.

SPEAKER_01 42:42

It does. It does. We we want to do something different than everybody else. You look out there, and there's, you know, uh the past few years, everything seems like it's red, white, and blue. Yeah. Nothing's black teal. I don't I can't think of a paint scheme be I think the closest thing I I can think of is um was the close call with the black and hot paint. Right. Um, other than that, there's there's nothing, there's nothing close to what what Ed has put together and and the schemes that he's picked, and you know, like atomic screen printing knocked out, you know, knocked all the apparel out of the park. I mean, the stuff literally it flies out of the the t-shirt tent. I mean in in Seattle, Ed Ed and I went down to the pitch at like seven o'clock, and there's already people lined up to buy apparel. Like we hadn't even had our cup of coffee, our brains were like, you know, borderline functioning. Yeah. And there's already people lined up to to buy apparel. I was like completely blown away. Yeah. It just it it seems like it's it's it's catchy, it's bright, um, and there's there's nothing else that's close to it.

SPEAKER_00 43:44

Yeah, yeah, no, it's it's definitely it pops. Uh I love the I love the scheme and uh you're you're I got I got a couple shirts last year, so got one for myself and my son. It's pretty you're right though. Like it seems I mean like obviously I've focused more on each one uh with this podcast, but the past 10, 20 years, the boats teams haven't really popped that much. There's a couple that have stood out, but most of them kind of go towards that red scheme and it kind of all looks together. And that close call that you mentioned that was like 30 years ago. So um so it hasn't really been uh a paint uh point to to have those libraries out there. But I love that you're doing that and love what you're doing.

SPEAKER_01 44:32

That's all that's all Ed. You know, he he told me he wanted to paint a boat black, and I was like, you want to do what? Like, you know, thinking of like dry cities in uh you know July on a black boat.

SPEAKER_02 44:44

I mean it's all those booze and the black boats it is hot.

SPEAKER_01 44:48

But man, does it look good?

Part Two Tease And Wrap-Up

SPEAKER_00 44:50

Yeah, it does. Well, Knuckleheads, that's all the time we have for this week. Come back next week for part two as we'll talk more with Brent Hall, Ed Thompson, and John Shaw, and we'll talk all about their plan. For racing this year and having two hauls, and we'll have some other fun questions along the way as well. Big shout out and thank you to Ed Thompson, John Shaw, and Brent Hall for taking time to be on the podcast. Really enjoyed talking with them and great personalities and great people for the sport of hydroplane racing. And I can't wait to see them out on the waters this year with those their two cool cat hydroplanes. Well, until part two comes out next week, make sure you check us out on social media. We're on Facebook, Instagram, our website, RooshatellTalk.com. And don't forget to check out the Richotel Talk Plus package, where for a monthly subscription fee, you get early access to new episodes, access to part of my website, which has various photos and articles from hydroplanes in years gone by, as well as other prizes along the way. But that's all I have for this week. So until next time, I hope to see you at the races.