TATE CANNOT JUST RACE BUT CAN RUN, BAREFOOT

 

FUN TIMES AT MADISON AS ANDREW TATE RUNS BAREFOOT DURING THE PARADE.

MORE FUN THIS WEEKEND AS THE 12 AND ANDREW WILL BE RACING AT TRI-CITIES, COME JOIN THE FUN AND ROOT FOR THE 12.

TATE FLYS THE 12!

 

Andrew Tate made big waves when he was named driver of the U-12 Graham Trucking unlimited hydroplane on June 3, 2021. And he made quite a splash on the racecourse when turned laps over 157 mph during the annual H1 Unlimited Spring Training in Tri-Cities.

The 2018 H1 Unlimited points champion, Tate spent four seasons driving the Jones Racing U-9 until it was sold in 2020. He’s also currently the driver of the GP-777 Steeler Grand Prix boat in the Hydroplane Racing League.

Tate – a resident of Walled Lake, Mich. – was born into a hydroplane racing family and has been racing since 2001. His family from his great-grandfather to grandfather, father and mother all have raced boats. His dad, Mark Tate, had success in the unlimited driving for Jim Harvey and Steve Woomer in the 1990s.

Andrew started racing at age eleven, driving outboard hydroplanes, and has amassed more than 100 wins during his career in all classes. He’s won nine national championships and has been inducted into the American Power Boat Association (APBA) Hall of Champions three times (2010, 2016, and 2018).

VIRTUAL RACING BEGINS!

 

All of us here at Graham Trucking Racing are excited to announce our driver line up for the H1 E-League that will begin this Saturday.
Quinton Miller will be piloting the U-12 and Matt Johnson will be behind the wheel of the U-98. Quinton has one sanctioned HydroSim victory to his resume and has been a member of the Graham Trucking team since 2019.
Matt Johnson also has one sanctioned HydroSim win to his credit and works with several H1 teams to design their paint schemes.
Tune in to the first race this Saturday, May 23rd at 12:00 PM Pacific and cheer them on!

Graham Trucking Wins Tri-Cities

 

All weekend long, J. Michael Kelly had been looking for some extra speed out of his U-12 Graham Trucking boat.

The driver had just been a step behind the speedy leaders – Jimmy Shane and Andrew Tate.

But during the final of Sunday’s HAPO Columbia Cup, Kelly found what he was seeking to pull out the victory.

Read more here: https://www.tri-cityherald.com/sports/other-sports/hydro-racing/article233245462.html#storylink=cpy

Graham Trucking Racing is Heading East!

 

Both the U-12 Graham Trucking and U-98 Graham Trucking American Dream are heading back east to the Guntersville Lake Hydrofest and the Madison Regatta Gold Cup. J. Michael Kelly and Corey Peabody will be competing on Lake Guntersville to kick off the H1 season and a week later on the Ohio River for the Gold Cup.

Both boats leave later this week to begin the trek across country to Alabama. Tom Anderson will head up the U-12 race team all season. Brooke Tyler will be the crew chief for the U-98 in Guntersville, with Johnny ‘Luv” Walcker taking over the 98 crew chief role in Madison for the Gold Cup event.

With some hard, dedicated work in the off-season by the Graham Racing crew, good results from the spring testing session, Rob made the decision to send the 98 back east, along with the 12 to support the H1 Unlimited season events.

Great news from Rob Graham, the boats roll out of the Milton, WA. shop on Friday.

From Hydro News

https://www.facebook.com/TheHydroNews/

Graham Trucking adds second hydro to pre-season test

 

We are excited to announce that our second boat, the U-98 Graham Trucking American Dream will also be at spring training testing on Friday May 31st in Tri-Cities!

We are also excited to announce that Budd’s Broiler will be a sponsor for us at the Columbia Cup this summer! Budd’s Broiler, an Anthony’s Restaurant, is a premier waterfront steakhouse showcasing the best beef, seafood and seasonal produce coming from the Pacific Northwest. Be sure to head into Budd’s Broiler this summer every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night for live music on the deck! Local musicians are featured beginning at 6:00pm!

https://www.h1unlimited.com/…/graham-trucking-adds-second-…/

2018 H-1 Awards Banquet Announcement

Saturday, October 13, 2018

at Three Rivers Convention Center in

Kennewick, Washington.

https://vimeo.com/oucommercial/review/291583064/7c17304c37

 

Tickets can be purchased for $99. plus service fees at: https://tri-city-water-follies.ticketleap.com/h1-unlimited-hydroplane-awards-banquet/

Carson Kelly (J Michael Kelly’s son) got his first, first place in j-stock at the Albert Lee Appliance Cup at Seafair!  His crew chief was Brody Anderson (Graham Trucking Racing’s Crew Chief, Tom Anderson’s son).  Way to go Carson!!!

Seafair 2018 2nd Place! 

For complete Seafair 2018 hydro show coverage, click on the video on your right. Featuring Mark Allen & Steve Montgomery calling the races in Seattle. The race for the Albert Lee Appliance Cup and the Boeing Air Show are a must see event.

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Special Thanks To Our Food Sponsor in Richland, Wa:

The U-12 Unlimited Graham trucking is pleased to announce their official food sponsor for Tri-cities Water Follies was Budd’s Broiler! Budd’s Broiler helped keep the team fueled up for success. We can’t thank them enough! We encourage everyone to pay them a visit and thank them for supporting hydroplane racing in their great town!! Great food, beverages and live music on the deck!!

A special thanks to Cara McDonald for all of her help throughout the race weekend!  We appreciate it.

Champ follows in dad’s wake with hydroplane racing title

Andrew Tate always had aspirations of a career in professional sports.

However, the Michigan native thought it would be on a sheet of ice after growing up playing hockey.

Sure, he had that other hobby of boat racing in the spring and summer once the frozen ponds of his native Michigan had melted.

But it was skates, sticks and pucks he saw in his future.

“All of a sudden, I realized I was 5-foot-6 and a buck-sixty,” said Tate. “It was then that hockey kind of went away and I refocused.”

Right choice.

Last month in Detroit, Tate clinched the 2018 H1 Unlimited Hydroplane championship and in doing so — along with father Mark — became the first father-son combination in the history of the sport to claim the crown.

“Certainly, it means a lot for our family,” said Tate, whose title now stands alongside his father’s championships in 1991 and ’94. “My family name and history has been built around boat racing. It’s a prestigious sport and an honor to be able to compete.”

Being a fourth-generation boat racer, Tate always envisioned capturing checkered flags on the water, but wasn’t always sure his vision would become a reality.

“You always have childhood dreams, whether you’re playing with boats in the bathtub or whatever,” said Tate. “But now that it’s actually happening, it’s all kind of surreal.”

Dad couldn’t be more proud of son, whose U-9 Delta/Realtrac team is competing in the circuit’s season finale this weekend on Mission Bay.

“When Andrew won, I was more choked up than when I won my first one,” said Mark Tate. “He’s carved his own path in the sport — it’s a great feeling as a father.”

Racing has always been family-oriented, with some of the greatest names in the history of the sport, regardless of discipline, passing the tradition down from one generation to the next.

The Tates are no different.

According to Andrew Tate, it’s a natural progression.

“We travel together, stay in the same hotels, eat meals,” he said. “It’s one, big family experience which really becomes a way of life.”

Not to mention the sport being in his blood.

However, Andrew was faced with a choice early in his racing career.

“I had to choose between either cars or boats — one or the other,” said Andrew Tate. “But it was easy because boats were all I knew.”

After focusing on the water, it wasn’t always easy having a world champion father in the same sport to which he was now dedicating his life.

“At times, my dad could be overbearing,” he said. “But he just wanted the best for me. Over time, as I’ve had more success, he’s begun to step away a bit and let me figure out things on my own.”

Mark Tate said there was always a method to his madness.

“You tend to hold your children to the same high standards you had for yourself,” he said. “No matter what I did, I always put 110 percent into it.”

But, at a certain point, father realized he finally had to let son find his own way.

“It’s a process of learning and experiencing things for yourself,” said Mark Tate. “Andrew’s a great kid — he’s always willing to listen and learn. As a parent and fellow racer, I couldn’t be more proud.”

Andrew Tate’s championship-clinching victory in Detroit was especially gratifying because it was in front of a hometown crowd.

“All of my friends and family were there to support me, which made it that much more special,” he said. “It was great to be able to share it with all the people who made me the person I am today.”

Water seems to have agreed with Andrew Tate just fine after all, only not the frozen variety.

This article appeared in the September San Diego Tribune in 2018.