{"id":13947,"date":"2025-07-27T10:02:17","date_gmt":"2025-07-27T10:02:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/?p=13947"},"modified":"2025-07-27T10:02:17","modified_gmt":"2025-07-27T10:02:17","slug":"nascar-legend-jimmy-johnson-is-set-to-run-iconic-hydroplane","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/?p=13947","title":{"rendered":"NASCAR Legend Jimmy Johnson Is Set to Run Iconic Hydroplane"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>    NASCAR Legend Jimmy Johnson Is Set to Run Iconic Hydroplane<br \/>\n \t<BR><br \/>\n<BR><\/BR><br \/>\n    <!-- no image --><br \/>\n \t<BR><br \/>\n<BR><\/BR><\/p>\n<div>\n<section class=\"hydra-container\">\n<div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"313\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/boatingmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/BTG725-Atlas-Van-Lines-Hydroplane-1-1024x401.jpg?resize=800%2C313&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"hydra-image disable-lazyload\" alt=\"Hydroplane after a race\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/boatingmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/BTG725-Atlas-Van-Lines-Hydroplane-1-1024x401.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/boatingmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/BTG725-Atlas-Van-Lines-Hydroplane-1-300x118.jpg 300w, https:\/\/boatingmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/BTG725-Atlas-Van-Lines-Hydroplane-1-768x301.jpg 768w, https:\/\/boatingmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/BTG725-Atlas-Van-Lines-Hydroplane-1.jpg 1496w\">                <\/div><figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">As a child, Jimmie Johnson sat on the legendary hydroplane he would look to pilot 46 years later.<\/span><br \/>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Courtesy Atlas Van Lines<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/section>\n<p><iframe id=\"wxuzj5efbz\" src=\"https:\/\/boatingmag.dragonforms.com\/wxuzj5efbz\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"width:100%;height:165px;border:none;overflow:hidden;\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson is set to drive the restored Atlas Van Lines <em>Blue Blaster<\/em> hydroplane on August 1, 2025, at the Seafair Weekend Festival in Seattle. This event marks the return of the iconic boat to the water after more than 40 years and fulfills a lifelong dream for Johnson.<\/p>\n<section class=\"hydra-container\">\n<div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"492\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/boatingmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/BTG725-Atlas-Van-Lines-Hydroplane-3a-1024x630.jpg?resize=800%2C492&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"hydra-image\" alt=\"Hydroplane racing across the water\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/boatingmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/BTG725-Atlas-Van-Lines-Hydroplane-3a-1024x630.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/boatingmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/BTG725-Atlas-Van-Lines-Hydroplane-3a-300x185.jpg 300w, https:\/\/boatingmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/BTG725-Atlas-Van-Lines-Hydroplane-3a-768x472.jpg 768w, https:\/\/boatingmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/BTG725-Atlas-Van-Lines-Hydroplane-3a-1536x945.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/boatingmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/BTG725-Atlas-Van-Lines-Hydroplane-3a.jpg 1538w\">                <\/div><figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">The \u201cBlue Blaster\u201d is powered by a 2,500 horsepower Rolls-Royce Merlin V-12 engine.<\/span><br \/>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Courtesy Atlas Van Lines<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/section>\n<p>Johnson has a long history with the boat, as a 1979 photograph showing a four-year-old Johnson sitting on it after it broke down during a race on Mission Bay, California. The boat was later restored at the Hydroplane &amp; Race Boat Museum in Seattle. Originally driven by hydroplane legend Bill Muncey, the \u201cBlue Blaster\u201d was a fan favorite in the 1970s and 1980s, winning 24 races over four years and reaching top speeds of 180 mph. It is powered by a 2,500 horsepower Rolls-Royce Merlin V-12 engine, originally built for World War II Spitfire fighter planes.<\/p>\n<p>According to Jack Griffin, Chairman and CEO of Atlas World Group, there is \u201cso much nostalgia surrounding hydroplane racing and its ties to Atlas Van Lines\u201d which makes reigniting the partnership logical.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Read Next:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/boatingmag.com\/boats\/the-excitement-of-running-a-p1-offshore-race-boat\/\">The Excitement of Running a P1 Offshore Race Boat<\/a><\/p>\n<section class=\"hydra-container\">\n<div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"990\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/boatingmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/BTG725-Atlas-Van-Lines-Hydroplane-2.jpg?resize=720%2C990&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"hydra-image\" alt=\"Hydroplane in a race\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/boatingmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/BTG725-Atlas-Van-Lines-Hydroplane-2.jpg 720w, https:\/\/boatingmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/BTG725-Atlas-Van-Lines-Hydroplane-2-218x300.jpg 218w\">                <\/div><figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">The \u201cBlue Blaster\u201d was a fan favorite in the 1970s and 1980s.<\/span><br \/>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Courtesy Atlas Van Lines<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/section>\n<p>Johnson will be coached by Chip Hanauer, who succeeded Muncey as the boat\u2019s driver following Muncey\u2019s death in 1981 and went on to win the Unlimited National and World Championship for the Atlas team. The Muncey family, the Hydroplane &amp; Race Boat Museum team, and Motorsports Hall of Fame of America President George Levy will be in Seattle to welcome Johnson.<\/p>\n<p>We look forward to posting photos and video from the event, and watching Johnson let her rip.<\/p>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/boatingmag.com\/boats\/nascar-legend-jimmy-johnson-set-to-run-iconic-hydroplane\/\">NASCAR Legend Jimmy Johnson Is Set to Run Iconic Hydroplane<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/boatingmag.com\/\">Boating Mag<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> \t<BR><br \/>\n <BR><\/BR><br \/>\n    Pete McDonald<br \/>\n \t<BR><br \/>\n<BR><\/BR><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/boatingmag.com\/boats\/nascar-legend-jimmy-johnson-set-to-run-iconic-hydroplane\/\">Go to boatingmag<\/a><br \/>\n \t<BR><br \/>\n <BR><\/BR><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NASCAR Legend Jimmy Johnson Is Set to Run Iconic Hydroplane As a child, Jimmie Johnson sat on the legendary hydroplane he would look to pilot 46 years later. Courtesy Atlas Van Lines Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson is set to drive the restored Atlas Van Lines Blue Blaster hydroplane on August 1, 2025, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[820,126,148,2085],"tags":[127],"class_list":["post-13947","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-boating-news","category-boatingmag","category-boats","category-performance-boats","tag-boatingmag"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13947"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13947"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13947\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13947"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13947"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13947"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}