Seven-time NASCAR Champion’s Lifelong Hydroplane Racing Dream turned Reality 

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (June 12, 2025) – Leading moving company Atlas® Van Lines reignites history as seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson is set to drive the restored “Blue Blaster” of American Unlimited Hydroplane legend Bill Muncey at the Seafair Weekend Festival in Seattle, Wash. on Aug. 1, 2025.   

The activation stands as a nod to the company’s longstanding legacy of hydroplane racing, starting in the 1970s and 1980s when the Atlas Van Lines hydroplane team was the first to use turbine-powered engines in 1981. Its iconic “Blue Blaster” boat was known for reaching a top speed of 180 mph and winning 24 races over four years, including Bill Muncey’s win at Evansville’s Thunder on the Ohio in 1981.   

“There is so much nostalgia surrounding hydroplane racing and its ties to Atlas Van Lines and our agent network,” said Jack Griffin, Chairman and CEO of Atlas World Group. “For that reason, reigniting this partnership makes sense, and we are honored to have a legendary champion like Jimmie Johnson at the helm to drive the restored boat that hasn’t seen the water in over 40 years.”   

Atlas Van Lines’ agent network played an integral role in the original sponsorship of the “Blue Blaster” in 1977. One of those agents, Evansville-based Shetler Moving & Storage, was responsible for spearheading the relationship with the Muncey family during his time on the Atlas Van Lines hydroplane team.    

“On behalf of the entire Atlas Van Lines agent network, we could not be more excited to watch the iconic Blue Blaster boat make history on the water again,” said Bob Shetler, CEO of Shetler Moving & Storage. “To have watched it back then and now, it is definitely a full circle moment for us.”   

When Johnson was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (MSHFA) in 2024, a historic photograph of him as a four-year-old resurfaced from 1979. In the picture, Johnson is sitting on the Atlas Van Lines “Blue Blaster” boat at the Unlimited Hydroplane Races on Mission Bay when it broke down mid-race. Years later, that same boat was officially restored at The Hydroplane & Race Boat Museum in Seattle.  

Johnson is slated to drive the Atlas Van Lines “Blue Blaster” on Aug. 1 in Seattle, with Muncey’s successor Chip Hanauer, as his coach. Hanauer was selected to drive the “Blue Blaster” following Muncey’s death in 1981. He went on to win the Unlimited National and World Championship for the Atlas Van Lines hydroplaning team.   

Atlas Van Lines will join the Muncey family, the Hydroplane & Race boat Museum team, and MSHFA President George Levy in welcoming him.  

About Atlas® Van Lines  

Atlas Van Lines, Inc., a national moving company, is the largest subsidiary of Atlas World Group, Inc., an Evansville, Indiana-based company. Atlas World Group companies employ nearly 800 people throughout North America. Nearly 350 Atlas interstate moving Agents in the United States and Canada specialize in corporate relocation, household moving services, and in the specialized transportation of high-value items such as electronics, fine art, store fixtures, and furniture. For more information, visit www.atlasvanlines.com.  

About The Hydroplane & Race Boat Museum   

The Hydroplane & Raceboat Museum is the nation's only public museum dedicated solely to powerboat racing. The museum features an incredible collection of vintage hydroplanes spanning seven decades, including boats that have won 17 American Power Boat Association Gold Cups.  

The Atlas Van Lines “Blue Blaster” hydroplane is powered by a 2,500 horsepower, supercharged,1650 cubic inch Rolls-Royce Merlin V-12 engine originally built to power British Spitfire fighter planes in World War II. The museum team has recently completed the engine installation and test-firing in preparation for Johnson’s drive.   

About The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America  

Founded in 1986, the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity, is the premier Hall of Fame and Museum honoring all the top forms of professional motorsports in the United States.  

Located in Daytona Beach, Florida, the MSHFA attracts more than 120,000 visitors each year. Hanauer’s 1982-83 Atlas Van Lines, currently on loan from the Hydroplane Museum, is a highly popular attraction.