Meet the Team
Ron Hartley, co-owner/crew chief
Ron Hartley knows his way around a race boat, and he knows how to make them go fast.
The first race he remembers was the first race in Seattle with Slo-Mo IV at full throttle coming under the floating bridge, and his family went back every year. Ron was first exposed to smaller boats when he worked with Norm Evans on a limited hydro getting ready for a race at Sacajawea Park and that was his first encounter with limited hydroplanes. Evans taught Ron to drive the boat because he was going to be driving, as he put it, “the BIG BOATS!” Ron’s mom feared an accident and said no way. Around 1957 his dad worked with a guy who did marine work and motor work, which led him into racing, and an opportunity to drive an outboard hydroplane, while also learning to be a mechanic and help keep everything running. In the 1980s, he was hired as Terry Anderson’s crew chief and motor builder in the inboard limited hydros. At the same time, Ron was doing lots of radio control racing. Whether it has been RC boats, inboards or outboards, Ron has always enjoyed trying different setups, and modifying props, to make the boat ride right and go faster. That’s just one of the major advantages we have with Ron Hartley as our crew chief. A veteran of the Vietnam War, Ron inspires our team to never forget Prisoners of War and those who are Missing in Action, and thus, the boat carries a decal to remind all of those fallen and missing heroes. |
Nelson Holmberg, co-owner/driver
Nelson Holmberg has been involved in boat racing for 16 years, racing radio controlled 1/10-scale replicas of unlimited hydroplanes, working on the pit crew of the five-time World Champion Graham Trucking unlimited hydroplane, and is now in his third year of running outboard hydroplanes as co-owner/driver for Cougar Racing Team.
After winning three races (two in Novice C and one in C-Stock Hydro) and finishing second three times in 2015, Nelson was presented with the 2015 Seattle Outboard Association Novice of the Year Award. Nelson certainly knows what it takes to win races. As an RC racer, he won 26 races, two Gold Cups and six points championships. As a crew member on the unlimited team, he was part of winning 10 races, two world championships and one national championship during his three years. His strategy in this new outboard venture includes not only finishing heats, but continuing to learn how to be a top contender. In eight races during the 2015 season, Nelson has finished on the podium six times, and has finished every heat he started. He’s so committed to performing strongly, that he has already purchased his second boat since joining Seattle Outboard Association less than a year ago. He was hooked on boat racing from the first moment he saw three unlimited hydroplanes — the 1979 Miss Budweiser, 1977 Atlas Van Lines and 1979 Squire Shop at Marine Park in Vancouver, Washington during an exhibition event in August of 1979. His father, Fred (now a retired teacher from Vancouver Public Schools), took him to the exhibition and said, “these things will change your life.” Little did Nelson know how true that was. Nelson is a 1995 graduate of Washington State University, which inspired the name of our racing team, when he founded the team for he and his fellow Cougar RC racing buddies in 2010. |
Susanne Cox, team manager/backup driver
Susanne Cox was new to boat racing in 2015, but she quickly got involved and became a major part of Cougar Racing Team.
In August 2015, she completed the Seattle Outboard Association driving school - "New Folks in Boats" and the smile on her face after her run on the water told a clear story that she had fun. As a result, Nelson and Ron are both hopeful she'll be come a racer on her own one day, adding another competitive driver to the team's stables. At the race site, the team is always relying on her help, support and assistance with any need we have. |