History was made at the 68th Indiana Governor’s Cup race held July 7-8, 2018, in Madison, Indiana, as it was the first time a woman has won an Unlimited Series race as crew chief.
While Jimmy Shane (pictured left) drove his Miss Homestreet Bank/Miss Madison unlimited hydroplane to a first place finish, with an average speed of 140.089 mph on the Ohio River hydro course, the big buzz on pit row was Cindy Shirley (from Everett, Washington, pictured right). A long-time crewmember of the Miss Madison team, she was recently appointed as crew chief, and Shane’s victory provided Shirley with her first win as crew chief.
“I am ecstatic,” Shirley says. “We fine-tuned the boat all day to find the right balance with propeller selection and find the right gearbox ratio.”
—Paul Kemiel
