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THE
LEGEND LIVES ON ... Miss Budweiser team to continue under
direction of Joe Little
Miss Budweiser team pays tribute to Bernie
Little
and looks to the 2003 season for a 23rd World Championship
Staff
Report
SEATTLE (May 2003) – The Miss Budweiser team announced
May 20 that it will be business as usual this year after Unlimited
Hydroplane racing icon and team owner Bernie Little died April
25. The team will be under the direction of Joseph Little,
president of Bernie Little Distributors and vice president
of Hydroplanes Inc., thus ushering in the next generation
of Unlimited Hydroplane leadership.
Joseph (Joe) Little, 45, son of Jane and Bernie Little, has
been around the Unlimited Hydroplane circuit most of his life
and now assumes the team ownership responsibilities. Dave
Villwock, driver and team manager will continue his role with
the team for the seventh consecutive season. Mark Smith returns
as the crew chief of the Miss Budweiser for his sixth year.
“The Miss Budweiser team is here to stay,” said
Little. “Dad put the procedures and processes in place
so that the team could continue even when he was no longer
able to run things. Unlimited competition was dad’s passion.
He was larger than life in the sport. I can’t be my dad;
I can only be myself. My goal is to provide the best leadership,
direction and support to the team so we can continue to win
races and show value to our great sponsor, Anheuser-Busch.”
Anheuser-Busch has renewed its commitment to sponsor the team
for the 41st consecutive year, making it the longest running
sponsorship in motorsports history.
“Bernie Little and my father, August Busch III, forged
a friendship and one of the most successful sponsor and team
relationships in history,” said August Busch IV, president
of Anheuser-Busch. “Joe Little and I have known each
other since we were kids and we are going to continue the
long and proud tradition of the Miss Budweiser team with a
new generation of passion, competition and success.”
Little said, “I look forward to what our generation can
add to the sport. Working with August Busch IV, Anheuser-Busch
and the Miss Budweiser team will be a rewarding experience.
However, we’ll always remember it as Bernie Little’s
Miss Budweiser since he started all this business 41 years
ago.”
Returning for its 41st consecutive year of competition, the
Miss Budweiser team has a record in Unlimited Hydroplane racing
that is unrivaled with 134 victories, 22 world championships
and 14 APBA Gold Cups. The team has entered a record 354 races
and finished in the top three a total of 230 times in 40 years
of competition. The crew of the Miss Budweiser has a combined
286 years of experience.
“We can’t replace Bernie, but he wouldn’t want
us walking around looking at our feet and kicking rocks,”
said Villwock. “Bernie would want us to go out and be
all we can be, and that’s what we are going to do this
season. Bernie taught us well. He wanted us to move forward
and the best way we can honor his spirit is to go out and
win races.”
Villwock, who has been racing Unlimited Hydroplanes since
1992, has 39 wins, six series championships and five APBA
Gold Cups to his credit.
“The other teams should not discount us this year,”
Villwock said. “This Miss Budweiser team is here to compete.
Bernie Little never taught us how to play defense, and Joe
Little is working from the same playbook, so we won’t.
Every heat and every race will be run with the goal of victory.
We want to win, pure and simple.”
Bernie Little’s Miss Budweiser: By the Numbers
• 22 – Unlimited Hydroplane World and National
Championships.
• 39 – Career victories for Miss Budweiser
driver, Dave Villwock.
• 41 – Consecutive years of Unlimited hydroplane
competition.
• 41 – Consecutive years Anheuser-Busch has
sponsored the Miss Budweiser.
• 134 – Career victories for the Miss Budweiser
team since 1963.
• 286 – Years of combined experience on the Miss
Budweiser team.
• 354 – Races that the Miss Budweiser has entered.
• 230 – Number of top three finishes in 40 years
of competition.
• 2002 – Bernie Little’s 40th consecutive year
of competition.
• 2003 – A new generation takes charge with Joe
Little.
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