Jim Kropfeld Biography

Jim Kropfeld

three-time national champion driver in unlimited hydroplane racing; piloted Miss Budweiser to national titles in 1984, 1986 and 1987; suffered a broken neck in 1988 during a crash in Miami; returned to racing briefly in 1989; his 22 career victories ranked fourth all-time at the time of his death; helped develop safety measures which became accepted practice, including fully enclosed cockpit canopies and onboard oxygen systems; inducted into the Unlimited Hydroplane Racing Association Hall of Fame in 1998. Died of cancer.