Hoover 8th Crew Chief in Madison Family Tree
by Owen Blauman
When Dan Hoover, newly selected crew chief for the Miss Madison race team received word in 2011 that his father had passed away, he knew he had to step up his game with his family and keep a closer eye on his mother and twin sister living in Richland, Wash.
When Larry Hanson unexpected quit the Miss Madison family as crew chief, leaving the Miss Madison family with an unpainted boat, the boat’s systems stripped out and engines that needed attention, Hoover knew he had to step up to the plate with his Miss Madison family.
President and team manger Charlie Grooms said after the shock of the text message from Hanson set in, he made a few calls “and it made perfect sense to hire Dan.”
Hoover heard Hanson left and first said, “Oh sh*t.” Then Charlie (Grooms) called and I said ‘I was in!’”
Hoover said the crew chief position was never on his bucket list, but with the position open on the newly sponsored U-1 Miss
[HomeStreet] Bank he said, it was a “natural progression.”
Hoover who has been on the Miss Madison team for two seasons has preformed almost every roll with the team and was the natural choice as crew chief.
“Dan knows the boat, motors, propellers, crew, and just as important Dan knows the Madison (Ind.) community and the 55-year history this team has in the sport,” Grooms said. He continued that sometimes people don’t understand what a family the Miss Madison team really is.
In addition to Hoover’s understanding of the boat and what many call the “Madison Mafia,” the 43-year-old Hoover blends well with younger crewmembers on the team.
Tyler Hanson, 21, (son of former crew chief Larry Hanson) “has really accepted the new responsibilities we have giving him.” He basically painted the boat by himself and has rallied many of his friends to volunteer.” He was instrumental in convincing Hoover to adopt Brandon MacCalister to the team.
Hoover said over the pop music in the boat shop that his number one goal was “to pick up the pieces and get our championship boat back together and test” in Kennewick, Wash. on June 10th on the Columbia River. “And after that, keep the no. 1 on the boat!”
He said he is sure the Ellstrom team will be in the hunt this year but is unsure of their driver or when and where they might show up this season. He also said he thinks “the Graham boat will be in the hunt and the U-9 might make things interesting.”
Unlike what many have forecast, Hoover said the team is in great shape. The turbine engines and display boat have been shipped off to Hydroplanes, Inc., which over a decade ago ran the Miss Budweiser operation. The boat is painted and systems and hardware are getting installed.
He said Larry Hanson has been “very helpful” when we have questions. Hoover said Larry Hanson was just burned out from the traveling back-and-forth from Seattle to Madison and with the new [HomeStreet] Bank sponsorship and larger list of to-do ‘s, Hanson felt it was better to pass the torch to someone else.
Hoover has temporarily moved to Madison and is staying in the team’s condo on the Ohio River. He will maintain his home in Richland, Wash. and commute to Madison just like the two previous crew chiefs have done.
The likeable Hoover knows the heritage of the family and said when he first started in the sport in 1998 as a crewmember on the Appian Jeronimo team he was “in awe of the longevity of the Miss Madison team.”
What Hoover didn’t realize he is only the eighth crew chief in the teams half a century existence. “Wow” he said with a long pause after he was informed he was only the eighth.
In addition to Larry Hanson, other past crew chiefs include Mike Hanson, Charlie Grooms, Lamar Goode, John Humes, Dave Stewart and Bobby Humphry who won the team’s first Gold Cup in 1971.
Not only does Hoover follow in big family footsteps he said he has patriarchs in the sport as his mentors.
John Walters former Pay ‘N Pak driver and crew chief on Hoover’s rookie team, “taught me what it takes to handle and manage a crew.” He also credits Jim Lucero teachings him about boat set-up and making it all work together. Finally he credits Tim Ramsey and Butch Croning with helping him understand the dynamics and maintenance of the turbine engines.
Unlike many older fans of the sport that towed plywood hydros behind their bicycles Hoover did not. He got into boat racing after a fascination with auto racing.
“I was a car nut in high school. I had a 1966 Galaxy two-door and I got into Street Stock racing and began to crew on a Top Alcohol Funny Car on the Northwest circuit.”
He said car racing “got boring” and he got tired of working so hard “getting race cars ready then getting all the fenders and stuff banged up at the track. Hydros were clean and there are more bikinis at the beach than the drags.”
Growing up in the Tri-Cities area and graduating from Richland High School he said he always watched hydros from a distance because, “back in those days you didn’t take your kids to the Columbia Cup races.”
His friend Terry Martin was on the Miss 7-Eleven team and introduced him to John Walters at Appian Jeronimo. “I badgered John to death until he hired me,” he said with a smile.
After three seasons on Jerry Rise’s Appian Jeronimo team they shuttered and he moved to Las Vegas to join the USA Racing Partners team.
In 2005 he moved to Florida and built and tested boats for Mystic Powerboats. By 2010 he was running a marina for the City of Daytona, a job he held for five years.
He decided he needed to come back to the Pacific Northwest to be closer to his mother Sharon and twin sister Danielle.
He returned to the H1 Unlimited racing in 2013 with Precision Performance Engineering’s U-5 race team where he met driver Jimmy Shane. Shane convinced Hoover to join the Miss Madison family two seasons ago.
As an adult Madison fan entered the shop to introduce himself and offer any help Hoover he said, its “fans that makes his job so special.”
With the smell of fresh paint in the air the fan blurted out “I was worried about the color but it looks a lot better in person than the cartoon, can I touch it?” Hoover agreed and as the fan touched the boat the fan said, “every time I touch our boat I just can’t believe I’m touching it. It gives me goose bumps.”
Hoover grinned and you could tell he was happy he is the head of the household in the Miss Madison race team family.
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| Dan Hoover, crew chief of the U-1 Miss HomeStreet Bank leads a group of volunteers as the team prepares to defend their Gold Cup and National Championship in the 2016 H1 Unlimited hydroplane series. In addition to Hoover, Tyler Hanson painted the boat and Jimmy Gilbert is busy installing the electrical system and steering hardware in the race boat. Others preparing for the upcoming season include Cindy Shirley, Matt Sontag, Richard Dunn, Gary Spanner, Brandon MacCalaster and president and team manager Charlie Grooms. | |
Hoover 8th Crew Chief in Madison Family Tree
by Owen Blauman
When Dan Hoover, newly selected crew chief for the Miss Madison race team received word in 2011 that his father had passed away, he knew he had to step up his game with his family and keep a closer eye on his mother and twin sister living in Richland, Wash.
When Larry Hanson unexpected quit the Miss Madison family as crew chief, leaving the Miss Madison family with an unpainted boat, the boat’s systems stripped out and engines that needed attention, Hoover knew he had to step up to the plate with his Miss Madison family.
President and team manger Charlie Grooms said after the shock of the text message from Hanson set in, he made a few calls “and it made perfect sense to hire Dan.”
Hoover heard Hanson left and first said, “Oh sh*t.” Then Charlie (Grooms) called and I said ‘I was in!’”
Hoover said the crew chief position was never on his bucket list, but with the position open on the newly sponsored U-1 Miss
[HomeStreet] Bank he said, it was a “natural progression.”
Hoover who has been on the Miss Madison team for two seasons has preformed almost every roll with the team and was the natural choice as crew chief.
“Dan knows the boat, motors, propellers, crew, and just as important Dan knows the Madison (Ind.) community and the 55-year history this team has in the sport,” Grooms said. He continued that sometimes people don’t understand what a family the Miss Madison team really is.
In addition to Hoover’s understanding of the boat and what many call the “Madison Mafia,” the 43-year-old Hoover blends well with younger crewmembers on the team.
Tyler Hanson, 21, (son of former crew chief Larry Hanson) “has really accepted the new responsibilities we have giving him.” He basically painted the boat by himself and has rallied many of his friends to volunteer.” He was instrumental in convincing Hoover to adopt Brandon MacCalister to the team.
Hoover said over the pop music in the boat shop that his number one goal was “to pick up the pieces and get our championship boat back together and test” in Kennewick, Wash. on June 10th on the Columbia River. “And after that, keep the no. 1 on the boat!”
He said he is sure the Ellstrom team will be in the hunt this year but is unsure of their driver or when and where they might show up this season. He also said he thinks “the Graham boat will be in the hunt and the U-9 might make things interesting.”
Unlike what many have forecast, Hoover said the team is in great shape. The turbine engines and display boat have been shipped off to Hydroplanes, Inc., which over a decade ago ran the Miss Budweiser operation. The boat is painted and systems and hardware are getting installed.
He said Larry Hanson has been “very helpful” when we have questions. Hoover said Larry Hanson was just burned out from the traveling back-and-forth from Seattle to Madison and with the new [HomeStreet] Bank sponsorship and larger list of to-do ‘s, Hanson felt it was better to pass the torch to someone else.
Hoover has temporarily moved to Madison and is staying in the team’s condo on the Ohio River. He will maintain his home in Richland, Wash. and commute to Madison just like the two previous crew chiefs have done.
The likeable Hoover knows the heritage of the family and said when he first started in the sport in 1998 as a crewmember on the Appian Jeronimo team he was “in awe of the longevity of the Miss Madison team.”
What Hoover didn’t realize he is only the eighth crew chief in the teams half a century existence. “Wow” he said with a long pause after he was informed he was only the eighth.
In addition to Larry Hanson, other past crew chiefs include Mike Hanson, Charlie Grooms, Lamar Goode, John Humes, Dave Stewart and Bobby Humphry who won the team’s first Gold Cup in 1971.
Not only does Hoover follow in big family footsteps he said he has patriarchs in the sport as his mentors.
John Walters former Pay ‘N Pak driver and crew chief on Hoover’s rookie team, “taught me what it takes to handle and manage a crew.” He also credits Jim Lucero teachings him about boat set-up and making it all work together. Finally he credits Tim Ramsey and Butch Croning with helping him understand the dynamics and maintenance of the turbine engines.
Unlike many older fans of the sport that towed plywood hydros behind their bicycles Hoover did not. He got into boat racing after a fascination with auto racing.
“I was a car nut in high school. I had a 1966 Galaxy two-door and I got into Street Stock racing and began to crew on a Top Alcohol Funny Car on the Northwest circuit.”
He said car racing “got boring” and he got tired of working so hard “getting race cars ready then getting all the fenders and stuff banged up at the track. Hydros were clean and there are more bikinis at the beach than the drags.”
Growing up in the Tri-Cities area and graduating from Richland High School he said he always watched hydros from a distance because, “back in those days you didn’t take your kids to the Columbia Cup races.”
His friend Terry Martin was on the Miss 7-Eleven team and introduced him to John Walters at Appian Jeronimo. “I badgered John to death until he hired me,” he said with a smile.
After three seasons on Jerry Rise’s Appian Jeronimo team they shuttered and he moved to Las Vegas to join the USA Racing Partners team.
In 2005 he moved to Florida and built and tested boats for Mystic Powerboats. By 2010 he was running a marina for the City of Daytona, a job he held for five years.
He decided he needed to come back to the Pacific Northwest to be closer to his mother Sharon and twin sister Danielle.
He returned to the H1 Unlimited racing in 2013 with Precision Performance Engineering’s U-5 race team where he met driver Jimmy Shane. Shane convinced Hoover to join the Miss Madison family two seasons ago.
As an adult Madison fan entered the shop to introduce himself and offer any help Hoover he said, its “fans that makes his job so special.”
With the smell of fresh paint in the air the fan blurted out “I was worried about the color but it looks a lot better in person than the cartoon, can I touch it?” Hoover agreed and as the fan touched the boat the fan said, “every time I touch our boat I just can’t believe I’m touching it. It gives me goose bumps.”
Hoover grinned and you could tell he was happy he is the head of the household in the Miss Madison race team family.
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| Dan Hoover, crew chief of the U-1 Miss HomeStreet Bank leads a group of volunteers as the team prepares to defend their Gold Cup and National Championship in the 2016 H1 Unlimited hydroplane series. In addition to Hoover, Tyler Hanson painted the boat and Jimmy Gilbert is busy installing the electrical system and steering hardware in the race boat. Others preparing for the upcoming season include Cindy Shirley, Matt Sontag, Richard Dunn, Gary Spanner, Brandon MacCalaster and president and team manager Charlie Grooms. | |