Powerboat driver, crew chief

Villwock is the winningest driver in Unlimited Hydroplane history. His 67 career wins include 10 APBA Gold Cups and 10 National High Point Championships. He started racing at 16 and enjoyed years of success in flat-bottom inboards. In 1988, Villwock was 6-Liter Hydroplane national champion. Named crew chief the following year for 1995 inductee Chip Hanauer’s Miss Circus Circus, in 1990 they won 6 of 11 events and the Unlimited title. In 1992, Villwock won his debut Unlimited race in Ron Jones Jr.’s Coors Dry. In 1996, Villwock won his first Gold Cup and Unlimited title aboard Pico American Dream. Hired in ‘97 to drive and crew chief Miss Budweiser, Villwock proceeded to win 37 out of 58 races, including four more Gold Cups, and captured seven High Point titles in eight years, despite losing two fingers in a 1997 blow-over. He added two Gold Cups in Miss Elam Plus (2007, 2009) and three in Spirit of Qatar (2010-12). After retirement in 2012, Villwock remains popular as a team adviser.