Original subtitles

MIKE: Why is it that everything important

that happens to you when you're a kid

happens during the summer?

In the summer of 1971, I was 10 years old

and the only thing I looked forward to more than the last day of school

was the first day of practice of hydroplane racing season.

You could say Madison kids were born into racing

the same way some folks are born in the oil business or farming.

The town's port on the Ohio River

at one point had been the busiest in the Midwest,

but that had started to change.

And though the river had given the town its prosperity,

boat racing had given it her identity,

having hosted the first professional boat race in the United States.

The town even owned its own boat.

They called it the Miss Madison.

In June of 1961, my father climbed in that very same boat,

just two days after I was born,

and barely survived a tragic accident,

which ended his racing career

and took the life of his best friend.

People used to say I should have known my father before the accident,

that he was a different man.

Well, that summer, 10 years later,

he would give us a glimpse of just what kind of man he was.

(BOAT ENGINE HUMMING)

(GLORY BOUND PLAYING)

♪ All the sun on the outside

♪ Doesn't touch what I feel within

♪ When I've got you beside me

♪ I'm reachin' out for the rainbow's end

♪ You get to me

♪ And give me a feelin' that's comin' on

♪ Gettin' stronger and stronger

♪ Glory bound

♪ To that everlastin' feelin'

♪ Glory bound

♪ Lord, I ain't never, never comin' down

♪ Oh, no

2:04.

She's not even hittin' 110.

Guess we better check that compression tonight.

Mmm-mmm. Gotta do better than that.

JIM: She's a little sluggish. 15:46...

How's she runnin', Dad?

Well, a little slow on that one.

Probably the supercharger breakin' down again.

Probably.

Damn things are just too unreliable.

JIM: Hey, watch your mouth.

(ENGINE ROARING)

Best first day we've ever had.

No, no, no, no. The, the first day of '62,

that was a whole lot smoother.

'62? It rained that day.

Hello, everybody.

Hey, Cecil. How are you? Good mornin', Mr. Mayor. Good.

Yeah, much better.

(ALL CHEERING)

Look at those people, Tony.

Best part of this day for me.

She's startin' to move, eh, Tony?

Yeah.

Those nights in the garage last winter just might pay off.

Walker, Walker. What?

Skip Naughton's pushin' her too hard. I got me a bad feelin'.

(ENGINE SPUTTERING)

(CROWD GROANING)

(ENGINE DYING)

Told you '62 was better.

Now it's better, sure.

But it still rained that day.

They'll get that fixed. They'll get it fixed. It'll be all right.

MAN: I hope so, Mr. Mayor.

Well, let's tow her in.

(MIDNIGHT CONFESSIONS PLAYING)

♪ The sound of your footsteps

♪ Telling me that you're near

♪ Your soft gentle motion, baby

Jimmy, let me give you a hand with that drill.

♪ Brings out the need in me that no one can hear ♪

Hey, Tony, let's get these plugs out of here first, huh?

Got you.

Okay, I'm out.

You haven't even gotten all your cards yet.

Well, I don't care. I'm out.

How many you want?

Pick one.

Hey, everybody.

ALL: Hi, Mr. Mayor.

Present from Mabel over at the diner.

Fried chicken.

(INDISTINCT CHATTERING)

All right, listen, you two.

You can save your speeches, 'cause the answer is no.

Now, come on, Mayor. Now, we're only askin' for a few hundred dollars.

Just in case of an emergency.

Every time you start that engine there's an emergency.

Look, it's out of my hands.

You guys know I can't access municipal funds without

a referendum or a two-thirds majority vote.

Boys, all in favor of accessin' city funds

for boat-related expenses, say "aye."

Aye!

Looks like two-thirds to me.

I'll see what I can do.

There we go. That's the spirit.

Hey, Jimmy, you got a second?

Read 'em and weep, gentlemen.

(LAUGHING) The kid picked me a full house.

WALTER: Isn't it past your curfew, kid?

(ALL LAUGHING)

What's goin' on?

Well,

you know, nothing's set in stone yet, but

Helen and I are talkin' about movin' off to Indianapolis.

Job offer come up?

No, no, no. It's just...

I don't know. It's probably somethin'

I should have done a long time ago.

Well, anyway,

I guess it's pretty much up to you,

but I was thinkin' that you're gonna wanna take over as crew chief.

(CHUCKLING)

I don't know. I mean,

Bonnie's been after me to cut back on my boat hours, you know.

Jimmy, come on.

You've driven these boats. You worked on these boats.

You know this operation better than anybody.

Wow.

MIKE: Dad, when you were drivin', did you win a lot of races?

No, Son, I never won any.

Do some of the teams bring people out to the races with 'em?

Sure. The bigger teams bring motor homes full of people.

Kids, too?

(CHUCKLING) I could do stuff for the crew and everything.

And I... I know.

I, I haven't even been out of town before.

Only to Grandma's house, and that's really not that far.

Mmm-hmm.

Well, we'll have to check with the boss on this one, okay?

All right. All right.

JIM: Just don't tell her we had any of that chicken, okay?

MIKE: Okay.

BONNIE: There we go.

So, Amy had a big day.

Got home from work, and I had the radio on.

I was changin' her diaper, and all of a sudden out it came.

Out what came, honey?

Her first word.

At 11 months? Mmm-hmm.

Well, that's incredible. BONNIE: I know.

JIM: Little girl's a regular certified genius.

That's my girl. Well, what did she say?

Agnew. Agnew?

As in Spiro.

JIM: I know who the man is, Bonnie.

Who's Spiro Agnew?

This is gonna get around, you know.

Well, if you want, I can tell 'em she said,

"he's a low-down crook" in the same breath.

Oh, come on, Jim. Look at his hands.

(MUSIC PLAYING ON RADIO)

(DOOR OPENING)

Here you go.

Is Mike asleep?

Mmm-hmm. Finally.

Wanted to know what his first word was.

What was it, "Nixon"?

Close. It was "Daddy."

Listen, honey.

There's somethin' I wanted to talk to you about.

Walker and Helen are movin' to Indianapolis.

He asked me to take over as team manager.

It was completely unexpected. You said yes?

I had to say yes. How could you do that?

How can you say it's unexpected, Jim?

Walker's been lookin' for an excuse to get out of here

for the last five years and you know it.

If we had any sense at all, Jim, we'd go, too. No, no, no.

Let's not get started on this. Why, Jim?

We're getting in deeper and deeper, you know?

How many people leave here before you see the writing on the wall?

And what wall is this? A wall from our house?

How many homes do we own up in Indianapolis or Cincinnati?

How many jobs do we hold up there?

How many jobs did Owen have before he went to Chicago, Jim?

Now, that's really a fair comparison.

Jim, he invited you to partner with him.

Good night, Bonnie.

ANNOUNCER ON RADIO: The forecast for tomorrow is warm and sunny.

Perfect weather for all you racing fans, and who in this town isn't?

Come out and join us as we wish a fond bon voyage

to the Miss Madison team as they load up

and head off to the sunshine of Miami for the first race of the season.

We'll get lots of racing fans and a special appearance by Mayor Vaughn.

Don't forget, listeners, it's your boat, too.

(INDISTINCT CHATTERING)

Hey, Mayor.

A little somethin' for the trip.

All right, Jimmy, I wanna talk to you for a minute.

Listen, this is just for an emergency, okay?

Now, there's only about $200 in this account.

It's the Women's Club Five-County Bake-Off.

If old Mrs. Whittington finds out

that we've borrowed from her raspberry-filling fund,

she'll skin both our heinies.

I'll keep that in mind.

Put it up top.

Hi, honey. BONNIE: Hi.

I can't believe I approved this.

You be good, all right?

No gamblin', no whiskey and no women.

Good luck.

Bye, Mom. Bye.

(ALL CHEERING)

(SHAMBALA PLAYING)

♪ Wash away my troubles

♪ Wash away my pain

♪ With the rain in Shambala

MIKE: Every kid in Madison

would have traded places with me that day.

My father and the team were the only sports heroes we had,

and now I was one of them.

♪ Ooh, yeah

♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

♪ Ooh, yeah

♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

♪ Everyone is helpful, everyone is kind ♪

They're gonna race that thing so it won't run anymore.

Whoa, this is cool! Great, huh?

This is cool.

Can I take a look around?

Sure.

But don't run off too far. We have dinner plans tonight. All right.

JIM: Hey, Tony, you see that?

The Atlas is goin' with a new hull this year.

And look, who's that down there in Bill Muncey's boat?

Well, I'll be. That's Buddy Johnson. He's a Limited driver.

That was great. Feels great.

He's supposed to be a real comer.

(INDISTINCT CHATTERING)

(DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN PLAYING ON STEREO)

♪ Been forty days since I don't know when

♪ I just saw her with my best friend ♪

...completely sprayed this guy

with this rooster tail. It was so funny.

Is that Grizzly Adams over there?

Yeah, that's Dan Haggerty. Who are you?

I'm Mike McCormick.

This picnic's only for racing teams.

Oh, I'm on the Miss Madison team.

Well, the food's over there.

Okay.

(MIMICKING) "I'm on the Miss Madison team."

Oh, hello, Mr. Wallin.

Well, by God, it's the Budweiser team.

Hello, George. How you doin', Roger?

Jim McCormick, Miss Madison.

So, how are the defending Gold Cup champions?

Well, if you can still lift that trophy at the end of the year,

we'll be glad to take it from you again. I'll lift it.

Hey, Roger.

Jim.

Hey, McCormick, did you bring a calendar with you?

A what? A calendar.

To time that boat with.

Hey, old-timer, why don't you pick on someone your own size?

How about this? Jimmy, how the hell are you?

Great, Harry.

And this, this can't be Mike.

Grown up some, hasn't he?

Certainly has.

Why don't you come onboard, have a little fish?

Can you fish out of this boat?

Caught more fish than John the Baptist.

Who's John the Baptist?

(LAUGHING) Somethin' tells me this kid spends

a little too much time at the boat garage.

(LAUGHING)

Son, let me tell you somethin'.

Harry Volpi was as great a mechanic as they come.

If your dad hadn't walked out on that team in the middle of that season,

we may have won a race or two.

That's not true.

Your father is the only good thing about that entire group.

Oh, I ran into Epperson and his smart-aleck driver

down at the registration tent.

(CHUCKLING) I'll bet that made your day.

As always.

If you'd like to come by later on,

we sure could use an extra hand.

I think you know the answer to that.

(BOTH LAUGHING)

You can tie up the race right now.

See that right out there?

(INAUDIBLE)

ANNOUNCER: Hello, Madison race fans.

This is Jim Hendrick speaking to you

from Marine Stadium in Miami, Florida.

The temperature is in the 70s.

A beautiful sunny day.

A great day for the opening

of the 1971 Unlimited Hydroplane Racing season.

Now, the Madison local boys have been working all winter long

to show well in this opening of the season.

In a start unique to hydroplane racing,

the clock starts to wind down as the drivers jockey for position.

When the clock goes completely black,

the drivers want their boat right at the starting line at full speed.

Now, time and time again, Rick Winston, the Budweiser driver

has proven he's the sport's most talented starter.

(CROWD CHEERING)

Open it up!

ANNOUNCER: And they're climbing at turn number one,

with the Budweiser leading the way

and the Miss Madison backing the pack.

Into the corner in turn two, the Budweiser extending its lead

over the Hawaii Kai and the Atlas.

Yes!

Now, Rick Winston in the Bud really opening her up.

Come on, Skip. Do not push her.

Look at this. Now he's coming up on the last-place Madison.

(CHUCKLING) He could actually lap the Madison,

and we haven't seen that in a while.

Skip Naughton is really pushing the Madison, fans.

He's determined to hold the Bud off at any cost.

Lap him, Rick! Come on, man!

(ENGINE BACKFIRING)

MAN: Go, Budweiser!

(CROWD CHEERING)

MAN 2: Go, Budweiser!

ANNOUNCER: And it looks like a blown engine, folks.

The Miss Madison is smoking heavily I told you.

...and it goes dead in the water.

JIM: Hey, Skip, I just gotta ask you,

what happened to takin' it easy?

Take it easy? He was gonna lap me out there.

I don't care. I told you not to push it.

What are we doing here, then? I came to race.

Jesus, don't you guys have any pride?

I'll tell you what we do not have, is another engine.

Thanks to you, we are done for the day. Do you understand?

Don't put that on me.

Good run. Got the lap in on him.

(BOTH LAUGHING)

EPPERSON: All right, you take a breather, we'll do it again.

All right. Pull that old engine out of there.

Put the new one in for the next heat. Let's move it.

Heat two, boys.

Happy anniversary, honey.

You didn't hear?

Hear what?

Midwest Grain and Coal stopped all barge shipping.

Completely?

They're cutting half the shifts today.

It's 372 men.

Come here, y'all. I wanna show you somethin'.

This here right here is an Unlimited hydroplane. Look at this.

All right, if you have any more problems, just let me know, okay?

WOMAN: Thank you, Jim.

TRAVIS: Isn't it great? Look at that guy in there.

It kind of looks like your daddy, doesn't he, Mike?

Come on. Let's go inside. You guys are gonna love this.

Everything in here is authentic. It's the real McCoy.

Look here, look here. This here boat raced in Madison in 1928.

And then in 1958, millionaire Sam DuPont

donated the current boat to the city,

makin' the Miss Madison the world's only community-owned racin' boat.

Isn't that somethin'? All that history right here in this little-bitty town.

ALL: That is cool.

TRAVIS: This is important for y'all to learn this stuff

because we got a responsibility to keep this stuff goin'.

Come here. Now, I want to show you somethin'.

Need a lift?

Is this the hearse?

They ought to all be wearin' dark glasses

and usin' them Seein' Eye dogs for bein' so damn blind.

Bonnie told me this mornin'.

Any chance it's just a layoff?

No.

Water transport's just too expensive.

It's... It's obsolete.

This whole town's obsolete.

(SIGHS)

Listen, Jim,

Phyllis and I had a long talk this mornin',

and her brother has a lead on somethin' for me up in Cincinnati.

I just thought I ought to tell you,

on account of the team and everythin'.

Sure. I appreciate that.

(JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING)

BONNIE: Real estate was weak before the layoffs.

The issue is whether or not the housin' market can support the turnover at all.

No one buys houses anymore. Everybody's leasin'. It's just not practical.

(PEOPLE APPLAUDING) So what do you suggest?

Maybe you should go see Owen next week, when you're in Chicago.

You're somethin' else, Bonnie. What?

He used to call all the time. Why not?

Hear what he has to say.

Chicago.

♪ Chicago, Chicago That toddlin' town

You did this. You requested this.

Yes, you did. No, I did not do that.

(LAUGHING) I wish that I had, but I didn't.

Let's go for a walk.

It's fate.

♪ The town that Billy Sunday couldn't shut down

♪ On State Street, that great street

♪ I just wanna say Oh, no!

♪ They do things they don't do on Broadway

It's a good thing you're handsome, sweetheart.

♪ They have the time, the time of their life

♪ I saw a man shoot his wife last night

♪ In Chicago, Chicago

SINGER: ♪ That's my hometown

(HORNS BLARING)

RADIO ANNOUNCER: That was Instant Karma with John Lennon.

Jesus, Dad.

How many people live here?

(SIGHS)

ANNOUNCER: ...right after the Chairmen of the Board.

♪ Give me just a little more time

♪ And our love will surely grow ♪

Good luck tomorrow.

Hey, Bobby, I got to run up and see an old friend tonight

during the sponsors' party.

I was wondering if you could keep an eye on Mike for me.

BOBBY: Long as he promises to stand in the drink lines for me.

♪ Let's think of each other and hesitate

♪ Young and impatient we may be

♪ There's no need to act foolishly ♪

(LAUGHING) Jimmy Mac! Get your butt in here.

How have you been, Owen? Oh, wow.

Obviously pretty lousy.

OWEN: Hey, you just missed Helen.

She just dropped Ricky off. Oh.

Here. Hey, thanks, man.

Can't get over how big that lake is.

That's a clever gadget.

Oh, man, this thing will keep your beer cold all the livelong day.

(CHUCKLING) Damnedest thing, man.

I was down in Mexico, sales convention.

I see this kid on the beach sellin' 'em for a nickel.

Next thing I know, I'm in the sports-marketin' business.

Right place at the right time.

Story of my life.

So, catch me up, man.

My sister says to look for you on Wide World of Sports,

and then, then I hear you're retired.

Yeah, well, after the accident I got an offer

to drive for a team out in Seattle,

but, you know, movin' to a new town and all

would've taken some gettin' used to.

Hell, man.

We got three new facilities openin' next month.

One in Newark, if you're lookin' around at all.

Well...

We really love it back home, Owen.

The regatta's coming up, and the trees along the river are in bloom.

No place like it. No place like it, I tell you.

(BAND OF GOLD PLAYING)

♪ Now that you're gone

♪ All that's left

♪ Is a band of gold Nice to meet you, Jennifer.

BOBBY: What's going on?

You guys want to go down to the docks and check out the boats?

Sure. Come on, let's go.

BOBBY: The plane we flew in this time

was a lot bigger than the plane we flew in to Miami.

They even showed a movie. An "R", too.

I've seen an "R" movie before.

Our mall has six theaters in it and we just sneak in.

They've shown an "R" at our town theater before.

You mean there's only one theater in your whole town?

Hey, let's go shoot bottle rockets off the pier.

Yeah, let's go. Okay.

(CHILDREN CHATTERING)

WALLIN: Well, the racing board has considered

making some changes to the circuit.

KITTLE: Being from San Diego,

you know how important this is to me.

Well, with that great new waterway you guys are buildin',

we're excited as hell to have you onboard.

The trouble is findin' you a slot.

George, you know that my group is very serious.

If we get behind this race, I can guarantee national TV.

He's right, George. Think about it.

The APBA and the circuit stand to gain thousands of dollars.

All right, Bill, why don't you just tell me what works for you?

Well, first of all, we'll want the Labor Day weekend slot.

Madison's race? Uh-huh.

Shoot, that means we'd have to kick 'em off the circuit,

and they've been around a long time, 1904.

That has to be part of the deal. Sorry.

JIM: The guy from San Diego is Bill Kittle.

Now, he's been tryin' to get a race on the circuit for years.

And knowin' how much money those guys are wavin' around,

we're probably lookin' at our last season.

You mean we can't race anymore?

Just 'cause we don't host a race

don't mean we can't have the boat on the circuit, right?

Travis, proceeds from the regatta

practically support the entire boat operation.

I imagine George Wallin will make some sort of announcement tonight.

Hi, everybody. I'm George Wallin,

president of the American Power Boat Association.

If you don't know that by now, I'm in deep trouble.

(ALL LAUGHING)

Unfortunately, Tri-Cities has had some sponsors fall through

and so they will be unable

to host the Gold Cup Championship race, this year.

And we've decided, really, that the only fair thing to do

is to conduct a drawing among the other five cities.

And the city that is drawn would have the right

to host this year's Gold Cup,

provided, of course, that they can guarantee the prize money,

which is $50,000 to be deposited by tomorrow at midnight.

And so, the city with the right to host

the 1971 Gold Cup Championship race is...

Madison, Indiana.

(PEOPLE MURMURING)

Well, will somebody from the Madison team come on up?

The whole damn town isn't worth $50,000.

(ALL LAUGHING)

Now, Jim,

we can pick another card, you know, while everybody's still here.

You understand that you're gonna have to come up with this money by tomorrow.

Come on, get on with it. Pick somebody else.

(INDISTINCT CHATTERING)

The problem is,

gettin' the money by tomorrow may not work for us.

(CHUCKLING) I didn't think it would.

You see, George, we'd like to deposit the money right now.

Jim, look, we're in enough of a time crunch as it is, you know what I mean?

If... If you're not really serious, you're wastin' everybody's time.

Let me just pick another card.

$50,000 and zero cents.

See you in Madison, George.

This will be the greatest news to hit Madison in years.

Jimmy, you ought to think about runnin' for mayor.

MAYOR: $50,000?

$50,000. Were you out of your mind?

Come on, let's get on with it.

MAN 2: Yeah, let's get on with it.

(ALL CHATTERING)

Folks, I called this meeting.

I wanted to see where everybody stands on this issue.

Mr. Mayor, just in case you didn't know,

last week 400 people lost their jobs.

I'm one of 'em, and I say we forget about all this racing business.

And I say we stand behind Jimmy and the boys.

ALL: Yes! Yeah.

That's easy for you to say. You work in Louisville.

Now, folks, I reckon we need to sell

25,000 regatta tickets to break even.

Now, how many have we sold so far, Audrey?

Well, as of tonight, 134.

(CROWD GROANING)

This whole thing's a joke.

Okay, folks, settle down. Let me say something.

No, no, that's fine. I'm just... Please.

Just let me say something. All right.

Now, folks, before you vote, Jim McCormick has a few words to say.

JIM: I know that this will be your decision,

but I brought along a letter that the San Diego Racing Club

sent to the American Power Boat Association last night.

"This letter is to protest the decision to allow Madison

"to host the Gold Cup.

(ALL EXCLAIMING)

"We are not alone in our belief

"that the championship race belongs in a major city,

"not in some backwoods town on a dirty river."

Backwoods town? Dirty what?

"As you know, the good people of San Diego..."

(ALL PROTESTING) Those no-good sunbathing sons of bitches.

We'll show them what a real race looks like.

All in favor of hosting the Gold Cup, raise your hand.

(ALL CHEERING)

(CRYING)

Honey? Honey.

Honey, I know what you're gonna say.

Somethin' has to give. Then let it give.

I am not interested in becoming Styrofoam king of North America.

Well, I know that.

Those people back there are me.

They were there for me after the accident,

and I'm not turnin' my back on them now.

JAKE: Good goin' tonight, Jimmy.

Thank you, Jake.

Wait just a second.

I'll talk to you. Just a second.

We may need a little help from you folks down at the bank.

What kind of help? That check of Wallin's.

If you could buy us a week or two before it clears.

How am I gonna do that?

(PHONE RINGING)

Good morning. Madison Bank and Trust.

Yeah, this is George Wallin,

president of the American Power Boat Association,

callin' to find out when that $50,000 check's gonna clear.

I'm sorry, Mr. Wallin, you'll need to speak with Gertie, our check processor.

Well, put her on.

We do check processing on Tuesdays and Fridays.

What is this, Mayberry?

If you'd like, I can give Gertie your message tonight.

Tonight? Yes, sir.

At bingo.

Bingo?

Never mind.

(INDISTINCT CHATTERING)

(CHOIR SINGING)

Audrey, how many can you get me from the Women's Club?

Okay, if you can do that, I would really appreciate it.

Jim?

I gotta go. I'll call you back. Come on. Let's go.

MAN ON RADIO: One-Bravo-Delta, this is Central Station.

You have a call.

One-Bravo-Delta, come in, please.

Who is this?

JIM: It's Jim McCormick, Harry.

(MOANING) Yeah?

(STUTTERS)

We're not gettin' enough power from our engines

and we really need the prize money in these next two races.

Yeah? Well, I got to thinkin'

about your old nitrous oxide injection system.

Stay away from it, Jim.

Is any of that old equipment still around?

If I couldn't do anything with that stuff with all of Epperson's money,

you guys don't have a chance in hell.

Jim, we are not talking about blowing up just boats and parts.

We're talking about blowing up drivers.

I understand that, Harry.

Listen, we put in a bid to host the Gold Cup.

(SIGHING)

MIKE: Harry Volpi had pioneered the use

of nitrous-oxide injections for boat engines.

And we were confident that this simple and straightforward device

would be the answer to all our problems.

Does anybody recognize anything?

TRAVIS: Where are the directions?

This stuff looks like scuba gear.

It's just engine equipment.

This is crazy.

Harry Volpi's blown up more boats than the US Navy.

MALE ANNOUNCER: Another picture-perfect day

in Seattle, hydroplane fans,

as the Miss Madison, racin' here on Lake Washington,

hope to overcome a tough start this season,

and they hope that the momentum

of Madison bein' the host city for the 1971 Gold Cup

will do it for 'em.

MIKE: Get your Gold Cup tickets.

Labor Day weekend in Madison, Indiana, on the scenic Ohio River.

Come on, get your Gold Cup tickets.

Sir? Ma'am?

Injection system checks out?

Yep. Canisters are mounted. She's ready to go.

(ENGINE ROARING) Skip, come here.

I think we got a handle on that nitrous system.

When you get in open water, go ahead and hit that white button.

You'll get a boost of power.

Anything you guys can do to make this tub go faster, I'm all for it.

Gold Cup tickets. Get your Gold Cup tickets.

Gold Cup tickets. Get 'em now.

Gold Cup tickets! Get 'em now. They're goin' fast.

Get your Gold Cup tickets.

Look here. Moonhead's trying to get people to come to his Hillbilly Cup.

I don't see you sellin' any Gold Cup tickets, Epperson.

I guess I will be soon, since I heard that we're hosting the Gold Cup

since you guys haven't sold enough tickets yet. That's a lie.

George Wallin's talking to my dad about it right now.

Why don't we just go over there and ask him?

You're so full of it.

Wanna do somethin' about it?

That's what I thought.

A chicken, just like his dad. Let's go.

(CROWD CHEERING)

MALE ANNOUNCER: After a perfectly timed start,

Skip Naughton steers the Miss Madison through the first turn

right in the middle of the pack.

That's a 14:06 on that first corner, Jim.

Look at Winston tryin' to take the inside.

It's all right. She's lookin' good.

ANNOUNCER: Coming off the fourth corner,

the Miss Madison is really moving, fans,

only a boat length out of the lead.

He could use it on this stretch.

Skip Naughton is driving a great race, a beautiful race,

as he brings her down the main strait.

Come on, Skip, let's go.

ANNOUNCER: Oh, God!

A terrible explosion has rocked the Miss Madison.

The entire right side... Where's the Safety Rescue?

Bill, Bill, come on.

ANNOUNCER: Skip Naughton is swimming away. He seems to be okay,

but he's swimming away from a burning, sinking boat.

MAN: Get those hillbillies off the water!

Skip, listen, I thought we had a handle on it. I apologize, really.

Mechanics who know what they're doin'

have a hard enough time with this stuff, let alone a gas pumper,

a dockworker and some retard.

I quit.

MIKE: The drive from Seattle took almost three days,

but it felt like three years.

We returned on a bleak Saturday afternoon.

My father and I had barely spoken during the trip,

already aware of what this would mean to the team and the town.

I'm headin' down to the boat garage if you wanna come.

No.

Come on. Let's go for a ride.

(BIRDS TWITTERING)

Come on, there's somethin' I wanna show you.

It's just up here.

You brought me up here to see a cave?

Not just any cave, Son.

(HATCH SQUEAKING)

Your grandpa brought me down here when I was a little boy

to show me what stalactites look like.

Claimed he discovered this place when he was in high school.

Told me I was the only person he ever told about it.

(BOTH PANTING)

(JIM SIGHING)

It's somethin' else, huh?

Here, take a look at this.

My dad would have tanned my hide if he'd ever seen this.

I used to come up here sometimes when I needed to think about things.

That's one of the special things about where we live.

And it just occurred to me today that you never been here.

(BIRDS TWITTERING)

Hey, Lyle, I'm sorry. I tried to call you last week,

but we had a problem out in Seattle.

I'll talk to you later.

I'll call you right back.

Jim.

Yeah?

We need to talk.

Patty said they might be lookin'

for someone over at Meecham's.

What, did you tell her about this already?

No, I didn't tell her about this already.

I wouldn't do that.

I'm sorry.

You know, Jim, this may be for the best.

At least it's a fresh start, you know?

I know Bobby and Tony will miss you,

but they just have to understand.

I can't do that, Bonnie. That boat's all this town's got.

Jim, what are you saying?

You're sayin' that this doesn't change anything?

(AMY CRYING)

Why are we stoppin' here?

Get out of the car, Jim.

What? Get out of the car.

Bonnie, for cryin' out loud...

I told you before you had a choice, Jimmy.

It's pretty clear to me you've already made it.

Go!

Okay.

(PHONE RINGING)

Phone's ringing.

I know.

(PHONE RINGING)

(MUSIC PLAYING ON CAR STEREO)

Cliffsboro! This is the place with the Putt-Putt course

and the cool old stores with homemade taffy!

Well, we're just stopping for gas. Batting cages!

(GROANING)

No, I'm sorry. We're an hour from Grandma's, Mike.

You know what a mob scene those places were

the last time we came through here.

(SONG PLAYING ON CAR STEREO)

♪ And a pocket full of dreams

♪ The big folks came to town

♪ I love that thunderin' sound ♪

Will you just fill it up for me, please? Yes, ma'am.

Oh.

Get back in the car, sweetie.

Seven-sixteenth, okay?

Seven-sixteenth? I'm sorry.

Travis! I'm sorry.

Travis, would you watch where you're goin'?

That could really hurt somebody.

I... I think I might go to Shipley's

and get me some coffee or somethin'.

What?

Honey?

Bonnie?

(CRICKETS CHIRPING)

Y'all on lunch break?

It's beyond repair.

Long night in front of us, then.

It's already been a long night.

TONY: Nothin' more we can do. It's totalled.

We need boat builders, not mechanics.

Well, I'll just find somebody who can fix it.

I already called someone.

TONY: Staudacher up in Michigan.

$6,000, four weeks at least.

Then I'll get Peter or somebody to work on it.

Jim, you're not listenin' to me. It's destroyed.

Don't tell me I ain't listenin'.

After all we've been through to get this far

and you're ready to just throw it away.

Why don't you just get off your high horse, McCormick?

It's just a damn boat.

If that's the way you feel about it,

then maybe you should have taken

that great, fancy, high-class job up in Cincinnati.

Maybe I should have.

You've had a rough couple of days, Jimmy.

I think maybe we all ought to get a little sleep.

(FOOTSTEPS PATTERING)

(SCOFFS) Mmm.

(INHALING)

There's a reason they call them "the good old days."

What a time.

Goin' every weekend from race to race,

with Davy and Linda and everybody.

It seemed like such an adventure for a while.

(BONNIE SIGHING)

Stupid.

Soon it was races on Sundays, funerals on Tuesdays.

Sometimes a man we barely knew, sometimes a friend.

And Davy.

It's still in his blood, isn't it?

Good night, sweetheart.

Good night, Mom.

Your public servant, available at all hours...

Mayor,

tomorrow's the deadline for coverin' the check, and...

Well, we weren't even close.

Here's about $12,000 in there.

I'm sorry.

Come on in, Jim.

I'll make you a Black Cow.

As far as the boat goes, we're done for the season.

Probably for good.

I take full responsibility for that.

(SIGHING)

Sure is calm tonight.

Yeah, the plain fact is that if it hadn't been

for a couple of misguided Indians,

none of us would be here anyway.

Supposedly they were paddling upstream from Kentucky

and they settled here because they thought they were in Cincinnati.

Next thing you know, we're the busiest port outside New Orleans,

wealthiest town in the state.

I remember when I was a little boy,

my dad and I used to sit down there on the shore

and count all the boats comin' in and out of the port.

Everybody nowadays will tell you they saw it comin',

but back then,

nobody could ever imagine what this river would look like

without all those boats goin' up and down.

Maybe those Indians should have built this town on a superhighway.

I guess we should've realized it was only a matter of time

before boat racin' outgrew us, too.

I'm sorry for wakin' you up.

You didn't wake me up.

(PAPER RUSTLING)

(THUNDER RUMBLING)

(CAR DOOR CLOSING)

MIKE: Well, for those 24 hours,

it seemed like every person in town came to the team's aid.

Now, it's Tuesday, and I want to talk to Gertie.

SECRETARY: I'm sorry, Mr. Wallin.

She had to run to her grandson's piano recital.

Oh, this is ridiculous. Get me the bank president.

He's at the recital also.

Who is this kid, Vladimir Horowitz?

No, sir, Ritchie McCallister.

There are no Vladimirs in Madison, as far as I know.

Have a nice day.

(RAIN PATTERING)

Darlene, you think they'd let an old fat guy be an astronaut?

Sir?

If I do somethin' stupid and get voted out of office,

I'd have to come up with somethin' else, right?

(CHUCKLES)

Hello?

Hello?

Oh, afternoon, Miss McCormick.

Hi.

I hope you don't mind we come back here.

Well, we heard from some folks down there at Shipley's

that Jim wasn't gonna be able to finish this, due to the boat and all.

So he doesn't know you're here?

No, ma'am.

Well, let me get you guys some pop or something.

This boat's gonna be in the water

wherever the heck the Gold Cup is.

TONY: Hey, Jimbo! Yeah?

You got a phone call here.

It's Jake Merrill over at the bank.

Uh-oh.

(SIGHING)

Hey, Jake.

JAKE: Hey, Jim, have you talked to the Mayor?

Yeah, I talked to him last night. I was at his house.

So you know he covered the check.

What? The $50,000.

He did what? Yeah, from the city's sanitation funds.

(STUTTERS)

Listen, I gotta go. I gotta... I gotta get to the ticket office.

Okay, bye. Okay, Jim.

Tony! Call this guy Buddy Johnson.

See if he's available to race for us.

What for? We got the Gold Cup.

What? We what? We got the Gold Cup.

We may not have our garbage collected for the next three years...

but we got the Gold Cup!

(LAUGHING) We got it!

Let's go call him!

SECRETARY: Good morning. Madison Bank and Trust.

(BABY PLEASE DON'T GO PLAYING)

♪ Baby, please don't go

You're gonna have to rebuild the sponson

and take it all the way back to the stringers.

♪ Down to New Orleans

♪ You know I love you so, Baby, please don't go

♪ All right

♪ Before I be your dog

MAN ON RADIO: One-Bravo-Delta, you have a call.

One-Bravo-Delta.

♪ Be your dog

Come on, Harry, I know you're out there.

♪ Baby, please don't go

♪ All right

♪ When your man done gone

♪ When the man done gone

♪ When the man done gone, at the county farm

Let's do it!

♪ Baby, please don't go

♪ All right

♪ Oh, hit it

♪ Hey

(MOTORBOAT HUMMING)

BOBBY: It floats!

(CROWD CHEERING)

CROWD: Yeah!

(MAN WHISTLING) BOBBY: It floats!

(MAN WHOOPING)

Yeah!

Excuse me. What's going on?

Oh, it floats. Isn't that great?

Hey, you're Buddy. In the flesh. Mr. McCormick!

Oh, God, I'm sorry. We were just testing the boat out here.

Well... Here, meet my wife Bonnie. And it's Jim, by the way.

How are you? This is my new bride Tami. Newlyweds. Congratulations.

Thanks. Six weeks.

Well, come on, Buddy, let me introduce you to the Miss Madison.

Oh, she is an angel.

So I hear you're gonna be driving for Atlas Van Lines in Dayton this weekend.

Yeah, they only need me for one race,

so I'll be available for the Gold Cup. Well,

Atlas is a damn fine operation.

You're gonna have some excellent equipment underneath you.

Yeah, I can't hardly wait.

Well, let... Let me just tell you a little bit about this boat.

Go ahead and hop in there, Buddy.

(STUTTERS)

she's 12 years old,

she's heavy and she's gonna handle a whole lot different

than anything you've ever piloted.

I... I'm just telling you, 'cause we just rebuilt

the whole right sponson on her.

The engine is down on horsepower. And...

Well, frankly, Buddy, we really don't know what she's got left in her.

I'll tell you what, Jim.

As long as she floats and her engine runs,

I'll put her at the front of the pack.

Supper was great. Thanks again. Oh.

You're welcome. I'm glad you could come.

Good luck on the Atlas. See you Tuesday? Yeah.

Great. See you next week. Oh, you betcha, boss.

Drive safely. Thanks.

Thanks. Bye.

BUDDY: Hey, come here.

(TAMI GIGGLING)

(BUDDY WHOOPING)

JIM: Oh, he's a stick of dynamite.

Years ago I knew a guy like that.

Well, let's see if I can still try here.

(GRUNTING)

(LAUGHING) It's not funny.

I hurt my back!

MIKE: With a new driver and restored boat,

the mood in the town was high.

But things were different with me

and none of that seemed to matter anymore.

(BIRDS TWITTERING)

MALE ANNOUNCER ON TV: Making his first appearance here in Dayton,

is Limited class driver Buddy Johnson in the Atlas Van Lines boat.

(PHONE RINGING) Although he's driving for Atlas today,

Buddy will be the driver for the Madison team

at next week's Gold Cup Championship race.

BONNIE: Madison Regatta ticket office.

Hey, Audrey. Hi, Jim. We got the race on.

Great, thank you. Hi, honey.

I'm okay. How are the ticket sales coming along?

It's all right. Bit of an upswing this week,

but we need a lot of walk-ups, or we're in big trouble.

The final heat's startin'. Thank you.

ANNOUNCER: The boats are charging towards the starting line

deck to deck... Come on, Buddy.

...Budweiser and Cat's Pride on the inside.

Which one is he? He's right there.

JIM: On the outside.

He's racin' for Atlas this week.

...is on the far outside. Let's go.

They hit the start, and the race...

(EXPLOSION)

(ALL GASPING) ANNOUNCER: An accident!

My God, an accident on the course!

It's the Atlas Van Lines boat!

The Atlas has flipped on the course!

It's Buddy Johnson's boat!

Oh, God.

ANNOUNCER: What a tragic accident this will be.

Buddy Johnson, 22 years old,

and the sport's most prominent up-and-coming driver

from the Limited class,

seen there on the stretcher, lifting to that helicopter.

Seems the rescue teams here are on the course.

His young wife is looking on.

Oh, God, what she must be feeling.

Our thoughts and our prayers are with the family.

(BIRDS CAWING)

MALE ANNOUNCER: And Madison making her move now

as they head down the straightaway into the backstretch.

And it's Budweiser still leading the Miss Madison,

followed by the Towne Club, the Thriftway,

with Atlas Van Lines way back in the pack.

And look at this, folks. Davy Snyder in the Towne Club

making his move, challenging his best friend Jim McCormick.

He's right on McCormick's shoulder.

And it's Budweiser and Madison going for the same lane.

Going for the same lane, folks!

McCormick is gonna have to drop back.

But no, he hits the gas pedal! He spins out!

McCormick spins out 180 degrees!

Here comes Davy Snyder with Towne Club.

Flips twice!

No!

And there's two drivers face down in the water!

Bonnie.

Bonnie. What?

Why did I even go up there?

I knew what you were doin'.

I owe it to them, Bonnie.

Who do you owe?

The team, the town? Who, Buddy?

Buddy has nothin' to do with this.

Who, then? Davy?

Is this your way of asking for his forgiveness?

You think Davy wants you to go out there and kill yourself?

You don't owe anyone.

For eight years I've been trying to explain to people what I was thinkin'

when I walked away from that cockpit in the middle of the season,

and for eight years I've been trying to convince them

that it was because of Epperson,

or because of Davy's crash, or because of you,

and all along I've known it didn't have anything to do with anybody but me.

Jim... Now hold on a second.

Maybe I didn't have the guts to keep racin'

for the same reason that I do not have the guts to leave here.

It's not fair.

I'm gonna do it, Bonnie.

(REVVING)

(MOTORBOAT ROARING)

(ENGINE SPUTTERING)

Oh, he stalled it.

(CROWD MUTTERING)

We got an all-practice day tomorrow, now.

Oh, Lordy. What?

TONY: Good grief.

There's no lookin' back now. Let's go.

I keep waitin' on the caboose.

Wait, you guys.

MAN ON RADIO: One-Bravo-Delta, this is Central Station.

You got another one.

McCormick, you know, this is really becoming ridiculous.

Harry, Harry, it's Bonnie.

What's wrong?

(STEAM WHISTLE BLOWING)

WOMAN ON PA: Welcome to Madison, Indiana, folks,

proud home of the Miss Madison team.

Thank you for joining us as we host the Gold Cup

for the first time in the town's history.

Please watch your step as you disembark.

And don't forget to buy your tickets for the big race tomorrow.

You can find them in the gold and red booths to your right.

On behalf of the Belle of Louisville,

we hope you enjoy your stay here in Madison.

Hey, Harry!

What the heck are you doin' up here?

How about that, huh?

(JIM CHUCKLING)

I should have just moved my boat up here and retired.

Gotten a hell of a lot more fishin' in, I'll tell you that.

Don't we call that dirt, son?

HARRY: You're gonna have to re-wash every one of these.

Okay. No, no, not okay.

Do it. Okay. I mean...

Mr. Volpi, it's a pleasure. Hello, sir. How are you?

Tony Steinhardt. You can call me Harry, Tony.

You got it. I was goin' over this blower assembly.

I'll tell you right off, you're gonna wanna re-check the clearance on this one.

Will do. Good attitude. I like it.

Roberto. A face from the past.

Been a long time, Harry.

Sure has.

That's lookin' real good.

Damn right it does.

Atta boy.

Harry, about the nitrous system...

No, no. No nitrous now, son. It's out of the question.

You're gonna wanna disassemble this entire engine

while I go out and find myself something to eat.

I'll be back in an hour or two.

I don't know how you heard, Harry, but thanks.

I got a hunch you do.

You know the first thing the big fish tell the little baby fish?

"Don't ever eat anything hanging on a string off a dock."

Let's go fishing.

Let me see you cast.

Atta boy. The man can cast.

Haven't been helping your dad out too much lately, have you?

What's it gonna matter? People will still laugh at us.

People? You mean the people on the other teams?

It would be nice, wouldn't it if we could

change places with other people.

You know, kind of wake up one day and live in a different place,

big house and fancy parents.

That'd really be swell, wouldn't it?

We wouldn't lose anymore.

No, and you wouldn't have to work at it anymore, either, would you?

No.

Do you think your dad and the team would like it that way?

There's nobody that works harder at this game

than the boys in that garage.

Then we should be winning.

Well, yes, sir, I guess we should.

But every now and then, a pocketful of money

will whoop the pants out of plain old hard work.

(FISHING LINE WHIRRING)

You got somethin'. Pull on her.

Atta boy. You're a fisherman!

You're a fisherman!

MAN ON RADIO: It's 10:48, WMAD,

ten hours to go before our own Jim McCormick...

climbs in the Miss Madison to race for the Gold Cup.

Hey, Jim. Yeah?

You wanna go out to my truck and get the socket wrench?

Sure.

Wait a minute. Your truck?

You didn't drive your truck.

Now, if you weren't so damn tired,

you'd have figured that out before you even went out there.

Come on, Harry, you're shorthanded as it is.

We got 10 hours to get that engine runnin' right.

Go to sleep!

All right, well, I'm goin'.

I got that breather hose off the accessory housing.

So, where do we go next?

Next page.

(POUNDING ON DOOR)

(SIGHING)

(CHUCKLING)

(HARRY MUTTERING)

McCormick, I told you to go home and get some sleep.

(CRICKETS CHIRPING)

MAYOR: Hey, Jimbo!

Big day for you tomorrow.

Big day for all of us.

Listen, Jimmy, don't worry too much about the race.

Just coax her through a couple of laps, we'll all be proud.

See you tomorrow.

(METALLIC CLANKING)

HARRY: I see why this nitrous system ain't gonna work.

Your motor just plumb wore out.

Half these parts are shot.

Maybe we should get some new ones.

There aren't many World War II airplane engines available

in southern Indiana at this hour.

Hey, maybe we ought to drive to Columbus and steal the engine

from that old fighter plane in front of City Hall.

Now, hold on a second here.

I'll do it.

I'm in.

Fellows, even if there is still an engine in it, which there probably isn't,

we're talkin' about a plane on display

down in front of their City Hall.

As in the mayor's office, the county jail.

I don't think there's much left here to discuss. Do you?

We can take my truck.

Wait, I was just kiddin'.

(SIGHING)

Please don't look at me like that.

You wanna do old Harry a favor?

Go home and get some sleep.

I need you in the morning to be sharp.

BOBBY: Maybe we should come back tomorrow around noon.

Won't be as bright.

Here. No, let me have that. Okay.

We're on it. It's okay.

(DOG BARKING)

What have you got there?

(GRUNTING)

It's the tach drive.

You got it? I can't get in there.

(GRUNTING) Now if we just...

had somebody with smaller...

Hands?

HARRY: Well, I'll be.

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

Go get them, Jimmy.

It's just like in Huckleberry Finn.

Look at the smoke coming out of those stacks!

That's not smoke, that's steam.

GIRL: Wow!

Have you ever been on it?

Sure, loads of times.

They're givin' rides all day. I can get you on if you want.

Cool! Let's go.

Wait! My dad said we could watch TV in his new motor home. Guys?

(STEAM WHISTLE BLOWING)

Hey, Jim! Jim, I hear you guys only sold 30,000 tickets.

Well, George, we're countin' on a few walk-ups.

What is ABC gonna say when they see a half-empty shoreline?

I suppose we'll find out.

I knew this was a mistake.

Who'd ever want to come to this place?

KEITH: The banks of the Ohio River as it flows

by the city of Madison, Indiana,

population about 13,000 on a hot summer day.

It's the setting today with more than 100,000 people

to watch the Gold Cup race for Unlimited hydroplanes.

It's an American folklore festival where thousands and thousands

have come to enjoy themselves and just have some fun.

Hello, I'm Keith Jackson

and you're about to see today on ABC's Wide World of Sports

what we call the thunderboats, the Unlimited hydroplanes,

the powerhouses of boat racing, run for the Gold Cup.

This is the Grand Prix for the Unlimited hydroplanes.

This is the one that every man in boat racing strives to win

at one time or another, because this is the top prize.

(ENGINES REVVING)

The boats are now moving onto the course.

As you fans know, the race is set up on a points system.

They'll run five heats today, and the five boats with the most points...

will advance to the winner-take-all final.

The heavy favorite today is Rick Winston in Miss Budweiser.

He's gunning for his third straight Gold Cup trophy

and he's piloted his boat to four wins in five races so far this year.

(FIRING)

(HYDROPLANES ROARING)

Coming down the straightaway, it's deck to deck to deck across the field,

all five boats even.

It looks like Cat's Pride will hold the inside lane.

The leader, Cat's Pride, spinning out in turn two and stalls.

And here's Miss Madison, coming out of the pack and taking the lead.

(ALL CHEERING) Jim McCormick, in his first race in eight years,

has taken the lead.

And here comes Rick Winston in the Budweiser.

Here's the Budweiser cutting in front of the Madison,

taking the inside lane.

Jim McCormick is caught in the Bud's rooster tail.

Hey, now that's a wash-down!

Boy, Rick Winston was dangerously close to a penalty on that move.

Now McCormick has more trouble.

Here comes the Atlas.

No!

Now the Notre Dame is after him.

This is critical. The winner of this duel takes third place

and gets enough points to make it to the next heat. Come on, baby!

Coming to the finish line, it's Budweiser, it's Atlas...

Madison taking third, advancing to the next heat.

(ALL CHEERING) And the home folks are loving it!

JIM: Winston!

That wash-down was no accident, and you know it!

TONY: Jimmy, come on now, he's not worth it.

You know what they say, McCormick, that's racing.

I'm gonna show you racin'! Come on. Let it go!

And stay focused!

KEITH: A previous heat had to be stopped shortly after the start

because of an accident that occurred in the first turn.

The Hallmark Homes boat sank.

It's now at the bottom of the Ohio River.

We'll be back for the running of the next heat in just a moment.

Second or third in this heat puts us in the final.

Well, then I'm really gonna have to push her.

No, 3,700 RPMs, that's all this old thing has in her.

How do you expect me to beat these guys at three-quarters throttle?

You're the driver. Figure it out.

KEITH: As the heat gets underway, Miss Madison has a big problem

falling well off the pace.

Come on, Dad, pick it up.

KEITH: Miss Madison is lagging way behind

the other leaders, almost a half lap.

Something's gotta be wrong.

Right on it.

Up at the front, Pay 'n Pak coming hard, taking the lead.

But look, there's a puff of smoke.

That's a blown engine, no question.

Pay 'n Pak's gone, coasting off the course.

With the Pay 'n Pak out, third is all we need.

We're in the final heat.

We are in, guys. We're in, Harry!

Just hope that he can hold together and finish, son.

KEITH: This could be the miracle the Madison team was hoping for

but Madison's got trouble.

They are down on power.

It's a struggle right now.

Just hold together and finish.

Come on, baby!

Here comes Madison, smoke billowing out of the engine now.

Will she make it? Can she make it?

Come on, Jim! Come on!

(CROWD CHEERING) The checkered flag.

McCormick's done it, and Madison is in the championship heat.

Congratulations on putting the Miss Madison in the final heat

of a Gold Cup race for the first time ever.

Well, thank you. The guys have been working awfully hard

and it's a tribute to them that we're in it.

The Budweiser and the Atlas are the heavy favorites.

You've run against them both today.

Who do you give the edge to?

Well, I'd like to think that we'll have a say in that.

Is the Madison's strategy to simply stay out of the way

and hope to be running at the finish?

Oh, hell, no. We're out there to win, just like everybody else.

KEITH: (LAUGHING) That's the spirit, Jim.

All right, fellows, let's go get set up in the Budweiser pit.

(ENGINE REVVING)

(SIGHING)

(EXHALING)

(SIGHING)

I gotta talk to you about this final.

I don't wanna go home early.

I don't know, Jimmy, it's...

You heard me, Harry.

We're not just showin' up today.

You're driving a stick of dynamite.

What else do you have?

(SIGHING)

Wanna go get your drill-bit box?

(VALVE HISSING)

(WHIRRING)

TONY: Harry, isn't that one awful big for the nitrous?

Wait, Jim, no.

This is my decision, guys.

We're gonna go, or we're gonna blow.

Listen to me.

That white button, only push that if you're still racing.

You got me?

Okay.

Ought to call her the Miss Hindenburg.

What are you doin'?

What are you doin'?

How about I meet you on this spot in 15 minutes?

Mmm-mmm.

Easy now. I don't want you to be all smudged up for the TV cameras.

We're gonna win. We're gonna win. For all of us.

HARRY: Hey, Jim.

I gotta go.

Let's do it. I gotta go.

Harry.

Harry, what are you doin'?

He's gonna be fine.

Come on up.

We can do this!

(HYDROPLANES ROARING)

KEITH: Here they come. It's a good start.

(CROWD CHEERING)

(ALL CHEERING)

Out of the fourth corner, Miss Budweiser extending her lead.

Coming down the front stretch.

Appears to be breaking away from the pack.

This could be a runaway, folks.

(CROWD SCREAMING)

Madison p assing the Notre Dame!

Now he's got the second-place boat, Cat's Pride, in his sights.

Turn two, and the Madison now trails only the Budweiser.

It's just you now, son.

You're all alone out there.

KEITH: Under the white flag. One left to go.

Come on. You got it. You got it, big guy. Hold him back.

(REVVING)

(CROWD CHEERING)

KEITH: Rick Winston has gotta feel Jim McCormick on the back of his neck.

I mean, it's dead even.

You give him hell, Jim McCormick!

KEITH: He's now coming down the straightaway towards the checkered flag

just a half a lap away.

Go, go, go!

Now!

Look at this. Look at this!

He may catch him. He may catch him!

Come on! Come on, Jim. Come on!

He got him!

(SCREAMING) It's the Madison at the finish line!

(ALL CHEERING) Madison has won.

Miss Madison has won the Gold Cup.

(CROWD CHEERING)

Way to go, Dad! Yeah!

(WHOOPING)

He did it.

(ALL YELLING)

We did it! We did it!

Come on over here!

Jimmy, congratulations. You never won one before

and you won the big one in front of the home folks.

Thank you, Keith. Well, we really wanted it.

Well, you guys were just sitting there quietly, watching everybody walk away

and then all of a sudden, you're in the driver's seat.

Well, we were gonna go, or we were gonna blow, Keith.

God, I'm just so proud of this team and this town.

God bless you. Thanks, Jim.

And here comes his wife, Bonnie.

How about that, honey?

Take a look over here.

Mr. McCormick, can I please have your autograph?

(CHILDREN CLAMORING)

GIRL: Mr. McCormick!

(CHILDREN CHEERING)

I'm greatly honored to present the 1971 Gold Cup award

to Mr. Jim McCormick and the Miss Madison team.

(CROWD APPLAUDING)

MIKE: The citizens of Madison

kept their spot on the racing circuit

and now it's one of the most popular tourist towns in the Midwest.

The Miss Madison team is still racing on the Unlimited circuit,

although they haven't won a race since 1973.

My father once said that only someone who had raced competitively

could understand why so many men

had given their lives to the sport of boat racing.

My father continued racing until 1975

when an accident forced him to retire from the circuit altogether.

He remained a fixture in the sport and in Madison

until his death in 1996.

That following summer, I began racing on the Unlimited circuit.

I dedicate each race to his memory.

(GLORY BOUND PLAYING)

♪ All the sun on the outside

♪ Doesn't touch what I feel within

♪ When I've got you beside me

♪ I'm reachin' out for the rainbow's end

♪ You get to me

♪ And give me a feelin' that's comin' on

♪ Gettin' stronger and stronger

♪ Glory bound

♪ To that everlastin' feelin'

♪ Glory bound

♪ Lord, I ain't never, never comin' down

♪ Oh, no

♪ It's 5:00 in the mornin'

♪ I'm lookin' out on a sky of gray

♪ I don't care, let the rains come

♪ If I'm with you, it's a sunny day

♪ You make me feel so close to heaven

♪ Whenever I'm beside you

♪ Glory bound

♪ To that everlastin' feelin'

♪ Glory bound

♪ Lord, I ain't never, never comin' down

♪ I need the comfort I see in your smile

♪ I need the touch of your hand

♪ Hey, hey, hey

♪ Come on and bring out the best in me, girl

♪ Don't you know that you can

♪ Glory bound

♪ To that everlastin' feelin'

♪ Glory bound

♪ Lord, I ain't never

♪ Never, never comin' down, no

♪ Glory bound

♪ To that everlastin' feelin'

♪ Glory bound

♪ Lord, I ain't never, never, never comin' down, no

♪ Glory bound

(ROLL LIKE THUNDER PLAYING)

♪ I saw you, baby

♪ Just like a vision standin'

♪ Underneath the willow tree

♪ Girl, singin'

♪ Every time your earrings jangled

♪ It sounded like a symphony

♪ A storm's brewin' at the mountainside

♪ Everything is blowin' off the house

♪ Come on, baby

♪ Girl, you know we'll roll like thunder

♪ All alone, just you and me

♪ Come on, baby

♪ I can't hold on for too much longer

♪ 'Cause here and now it's gotta be

♪ Girl, you know I do believe

♪ That you, you, you, and me

♪ Are gonna roll like thunder

♪ Aw, baby

♪ You and me tonight, we're achin'

♪ For something crazy we can do

♪ I wanna walk the wild side

♪ A little love will make it all right

♪ Come on, girl, kick off your shoes

♪ A storm's brewin' at the mountainside

♪ Everything is blowin' off the house

♪ Come on, baby

♪ Girl, you know we'll roll like thunder

♪ All alone, just you and me

♪ Come on, baby

♪ I can't hold out for too much longer

♪ 'Cause here and now it's gotta be

♪ Girl, you know I do believe

♪ That you, you, you, and me

♪ Are gonna roll like thunder

♪ Late at night

♪ By candle light

♪ We'll lay our dreams in black and white

♪ Come on, baby

♪ Girl, you know we'll roll like thunder

♪ All alone, just you and me

♪ Come on, baby

♪ I can't hold on for too much longer

♪ Here and now it's gotta be

♪ Come on, baby

♪ Girl, you know we'll roll like thunder

♪ All alone, just you and me

♪ Come on, baby

♪ I can't hold on for too much longer

♪ Here and now it's gotta be

♪ Girl, you know I do believe

♪ That you, you, you, and me ♪