I had an Uncle that raced v12 hydroplanes. He had a machine shop that worked on the engines in Newport News in the 1950's. His Son, my Cousin, raced in the A class with a highly modified Buick engine for some years, but went from that to racing Sprint cars.

They used to have races here on the lake in the 1960's, but there was not a good viewing place without closing down the main bridge crossing the lake.

The only hydroplane I ever drove was a little outboard, when I was about 13, and weighed next to nothing. It had a modified Mercury with pipes. The guy was trying to sell it to my Dad, for me, but we didn't get into boat racing.