South Makes Waves: South Makes Waves on Miss Beacon Plumbing Hydro
There are legends who have reached a level of fame – or in some cases infamy – where only part of their name is needed to recognize their accomplishments. Edison. Jefferson. Einstein. Mantle. Jordan.
Another name that fits into that category is Schumacher – Billy Schumacher. Schumacher, who won back to back hydroplane championships (1967-1968) as a driver, is considered one of the best to ever get behind a wheel. During his torrid dominance, Schumacher won six out of eight races, a feat that had never been achieved in the sport. Schumacher, who started racing at age eight, set 12 world speed records (in outboards and unlimited) and was recognized as a champion in every class he competed.
While his 24-year career as a driver is over, Schumacher remains close to the sport as an owner and certainly has left an impression.
"He is a legend," South Heavy Diesel and Automotive Instructor Doug Clapper said. "He is a big time player in this. There are people just lined up to get his autograph, to meet him and just talk to him every time we have an event," Clapper explained.
Clapper would know. In addition to being an instructor at South, Clapper also transports Schumacher's boat, the Miss Beacon Plumbing hydroplane, to its races across the country - including the upcoming Seafair race August 2nd – 4th.
Clapper is a friend of Bill Cahill – owner of Beacon Plumbing, and primary sponsor of the hydroplane. Cahill needed some work done on the truck that tows the boat to its races and so he approached Clapper and asked if he and his students could help. A partnership formed, and grew just as quickly.
"We started a relationship with Schumacher and the race team's truck," Clapper explained. "And then the next thing, the boat was up here."
Now, in the second year of the relationship, Clapper and his students have been able to continue to work on the truck and the boat with Schumacher's seal of approval.
"Doug Clapper is a friend of ours that we met through Bill Cahill (Beacon Plumping,)" Schumacher said. "Bill (Cahill) told us about Doug (Clapper) out at the school and he told us that we could probably get the work done even better at South than any place else."
For the students, it allows them to sharpen their skills on diesel-trucks and explore new horizons in the world of hydroplanes. Students like Victor Najera, who spent his final quarter working on the boat before graduating in June, donated time outside of class for the project.
"I never thought about being able to work on a hydroplane. I only thought about working on diesel," Najera explained. "We were getting to work on turbine engines! That was a great opportunity."
Schumacher said that having South work on the boat "absolutely" speaks volumes about the program. These sentiments were echoed by Schumacher's team, including his crew chief, Jeff Weiding, who has been with the team the past six seasons.
"The only thing that is unlimited about this sport is the work and it's just been a huge help," Weiding said of the South students. "These guys are hands-on and they are very careful. If they have any questions, they are not afraid to ask."
While the mechanics of a hydroplane and a semi-truck are drastically different, many of the principals that the students learned in the diesel classroom are applied to their work on the hydro.
"This group right here is coming from working on heavy diesel trucks which are totally different," Weiding explained. "(With hydroplanes) you are working on carbon fibers and fiber glass. The mechanical skills are the same but you have to adapt to this type of work. It's been really fun to watch them learn and grow."
The working relationship that has developed between South, Schumacher racing, and Beacon Plumbing has been beneficial for all parties involved.
"He (Schumacher) trusts the students and it's a great opportunity for them to learn on something live – not just the training aides at school," Clapper said. "It's been great for the students to see a boat that they worked on going over 200-miles-per-hour and to see the truck that they worked on to get the boat to the races."
As Schumacher and his team prepare for the Seafair race, their confidence remains high. Driver J. Michael Kelly will be in the cockpit for the race, and like Schumacher he has had a successful career. Kelly, who started racing at the age of seven, was named the H1 Unlimited Rookie of the Year (2004) and has also raced internationally.
"We're pretty excited for Seattle. I think we are going to be tough to beat," Schumacher said. A Seattle-native, Schumacher explained the importance of this race. "This is the biggest race on the circuit – in terms of attendance, live television and the fact that our sponsor is from Seattle – it's a really important race for us. We've put everything up to win and we are due."
South, Cahill and Schumacher - the legend continues.
“South student Victor Najaera (far end) works with Crew Chief Jeff Weiding works to raise the boat into position for some work that needed to be done on the bottom of the boat at the Billy Schumacher Racing Team’s Garage.”
Ever been on board a hydroplane that reaches speeds of nearly 200 mph? Check out this video from the 2012 Columbia Cup Finals.