GO 3 RACING
U-3 GRIGG’S PRESENTS MISS ACE HARDWARE
GO 3 RACING
U-3 GRIGG’S PRESENTS MISS ACE HARDWARE
Veteran pilot Jimmy King joined Ed Cooper’s Go3 Racing Team in 2005 after successful run in the Unlimited and Grand Prix ranks. King first stepped into an Unlimited in 1994, driving the Miss Exide II, and earned the sport’s “Rookie of the Year” honors. He went on to drive the Miss Wellness Plan, Miss Elam Plus and Llumar Window Film before teaming up with the Allison powered Go3 team.
As a 16 time top three finisher in his career, King has yet to add an Unlimited win to his already Hall of Fame career as a Grand Prix racer. King won three National titles as well as three World Championships in GP class. Ten of those podiums were with Go3 Team. “It’s a foregone conclusion this boat can win,” King said of fan favorite U-3.
Close but no cigar could be the motto for Jimmy King in the Unlimiteds. Twice King had races all but won, but in the end, mechanical failures robbed him of winning races in Evansville in 2009 (leading after three laps) and Nashville (falling short just before the finish line with a thrown prop) in ’05. “The Coopers are outstanding people. They provide cream of the crop equipment in over 30 years of racing Unlimiteds. I’ve never been in a boat where everything was tailored to fit the way it’s supposed to. Until now. There’s none of that ‘close enough’ stuff with the Coopers.”
As one of the senior drivers of the current H1 Unlimited fleet, King is ready to step up to the top step of the podium.
The Go3 Racing Team is owned and operated by Ed Cooper Jr. of Evansville, IN Ed co-owned the team with his dad until the elder Cooper, Ed Sr., passed away in December 2005. The father-and-son team first embraced Unlimited racing in the 1950s, when Ed Sr. helmed a large patrol boat for the Madison Regatta committee. Years later, teenager Ed Jr. retrieved disabled hydros from the Ohio River race course with a runabout. “That’s how I met Bill Cantrell,” Ed Jr. said, referring to the renowned Gale driver. “I towed him in once after he conked out, around 1965. That evolved into a job on the Miss Madison crew in ’66. The shop was just two blocks from my house, so I cleaned parts and disassembled motors for crew chief Dave Stewart.”
After college, Ed Jr. worked on Cantrell’s and Graham Heath’s race team for four years. The highlight was racing their former My Gypsy as Miss Budweiser for a while in 1979 while the new Griffon Bud was being built. Then came an early 1980s stint on Jim Sedam’s U-22 team.
The Coopers formed their own racing team in 1985 and bought Chuck Hickling’s Tempus hull. Since then, the Coopers have built and raced another three hulls, the last of which began racing in July 2002. The Go3 is unique in that she is powered by an Allison V-12 piston power plant, a motor originally used in World War II fighter planes. In 2002, his boat was the first with a reciprocating engine to complete a lap at over 160 m.p.h.
The next year, Cooper made history again when his crew became the first non-turbine winner since 1983 to claim the APBA Gold Cup. The team has three other victories in Unlimited racing as well.
In 2014, the team gave an exhibition performance at the 2014 Evansville Shriners Fest & Airshow with the U-11 Peters & May – the “Piston vs. Turbine Shootout” but returned to the H1 Unlimited series in 2015 for the first time since the 2010 Madison Regatta.
- Home Port: Evansville, Indiana
- Founded: 1986
- Boat Colors: Red
- Engine Builder: Ed Cooper
- Length: 28′ 3″
- Width: 14′ 6″
- Weight: 6750 lbs
- Engine: Turbocharged Allison V-12
- Fuel: Methanol
Grigg’s got is beginning in 1938, when Mr. And Mrs. Charles G. Grigg moved from Faulkton, South Dakota, to Pasco. They opened a small store at 114 S. 4th St in Pasco, where they sold furniture, appliances, and general merchandise.
In the early 1940’s, Mr. Grigg built a new and larger store, consisting of 12,000 square feet at the corner of 7th and Lewis St in Pasco. Immediately after World War II, the store was enlarged to 24,000 square feet.
In 1956 Mr. Grigg returned to the business world after an illness by opening a unique operation in the old Masonic Temple building at 2nd Avenue in Pasco to handle bankrupt and distressed merchandise. It became the largest operation of its type in the Pacific Northwest. The business experienced considerable growth. And in 1959, with the opening of the new building consisting of 10,000 square feet of floor space, moved to it’s present location at 7th and Columbia Street in Pasco.
In 1961, 14,999 square feet were added to the existing store. At this time, the ownership and management of the business was turned over to Mr. Grigg’s son, Charles F. Grigg. Their store was designed and merchandised to reflect a self-
By 1963 a 28,000 square foot addition was completed, bringing the total to 52,000 square feet! The variety and selection of merchandise had increased to present a whopping 26 departments for the area consumers.
In 1964 Grigg’s purchased a furniture store located in their original building on Lewis St, and absorbed this operation into their existing business.
There was one more dream of expansion to be realized by the Grigg family, but in October 1967, before it could be completed, Mr. Grigg Sr passed away. Charles F. Grigg went ahead with the expansion plans in 1968, bringing the total amount of square footage to a staggering 160,000 square feet, all under one roof! A warehouse and anex building brought the building complex to 195,000 square feet. The largest home owned and independent retailer in the northwest!
In 1969, Grigg’s began their affiliation with Ace Hardware.
Since the 1970’s the Grigg family has owned and operated department stores in Milton Freewater Oregon: Two furniture stores, one in Richland and one in Yakima: two family clothing stores in Spokane, and an Outlet store in Yakima. In the 1990’s all of the branch stores were closed to concentrate on the Tri-
In 2004, the Grigg family opened Richland Ace Hardware and Sporting Goods on George Washington Way in Richland. It was one of the most successful openings in Ace Hardware history.
In March of 2007, the Ace Hardware on Keene Road opened with 22,000+ square feet of hardware, garden, sporting goods, and much more. This store also broke Ace Hardware records when it opened!
We are looking forward for more to come in the Tri-
EVANSVILLE, IN
Eddie is the son of owner Ed Cooper and has been around the sport all of his life. Nobody knows the operation of the team better than Eddie, also named after his Grandfather as well. He’s a third generation boat racer.
Eddie is married to wife Kristin and has two daughters, Madison & Brooklyn.
EVANSVILLE, IN
Robert has been part of the Go3 team since the early 90’s. He used to race dragsters on local area tracks, but has since been all about hydroplanes. If Ed Cooper has a right hand man in the shop, it would be Robert. His job many responsibilities represent that.
Robert is married to wife Diane and he has one son, Alex.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI
Joe joined the Go3 team in 1992 after seeing a race while he was serving in the United States Navy. Hanging around the pits and the boat, Ed Cooper, Sr. put him to work. Joe is still with us and his knowledge of props is second to none. He takes care of anything at the back of the boat. Joe has attended the last 32 Gold Cups in a row, a feat he happily points out!
Joe is married to wife Albina.
SEATTLE, WA
Rick started in the sport in 1980 when he was co-owner of the U-4 with Mitch Evans. The team competed until 1984 under various names of Island Security Systems, Evans Marine, Miss Machine Rock and others. Since then has been with the Go3 team as one of the primary builders of the team’s three hulls. He has also helped build the U-11, U-37, the first Miss HomeStreet hull, all three of Ted Porter’s hulls and others.
Rick is divorced and has two children, Jake and Leticia.
PASCO, WA
Charlie first came into contact with Ed Cooper and the Go3 team in the summer of 2015 when he decided to sponsor our team. Growing up in the Tri Cities area, he was a lifelong hydro fan, and loved the piston boats. We needed the funding and Charlie provided it. A perfect match. He thought he would put his name on the boat, and go back to the Pasco side and watch the race. He hung around too long and we put him to work. Besides being our sponsor, he is a full fledged crew member and part of the Go3 family. He’s going into his 9th year with the team.
Charlie is married to wife Robyn and they have two children, CJ and Nicki.
KENNEWICK, WA
John joined the team in 2003, working mainly on west coast races. John also worked previously with the Water Follies and currently helps organize the Richland Regatta. He also owns and races a 1 liter hydro in Region 10 with his son.
John is married to wife Vauna and they have one son, Josh, who is also on the team, and daughter Melanie.
PASCO, WA
Josh has been part of the team since he was kid. He now drives his own hydro, a 1 liter he owns with his Father. He has worked mainly for the Go3 team, but was part of other teams that raced in Doha, Qatar two different years.
Josh is married to wife Tori and they have two daughters.
OWENSBORO, KY
Kirk joined the team in 2008. He’s responsible for any media related functions, as well as the team social media platforms. He also is tasked with helping with any and all boat related things. And is pretty good about getting things for others as well.
Kirk is married to wife Janine and has two stepsons and two grandchildren.
EVANSVILLE, IN
Eddie is the son of owner Ed Cooper and has been around the sport all of his life. Nobody knows the operation of the team better than Eddie, also named after his Grandfather as well. He’s a third generation boat racer.
Eddie is married to wife Kristin and has two daughters, Madison & Brooklyn.
EVANSVILLE, IN
Robert has been part of the Go3 team since the early 90’s. He used to race dragsters on local area tracks, but has since been all about hydroplanes. If Ed Cooper has a right hand man in the shop, it would be Robert. His job many responsibilities represent that.
Robert is married to wife Diane and he has one son, Alex.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI
Joe joined the Go3 team in 1992 after seeing a race while he was serving in the United States Navy. Hanging around the pits and the boat, Ed Cooper, Sr. put him to work. Joe is still with us and his knowledge of props is second to none. He takes care of anything at the back of the boat. Joe has attended the last 32 Gold Cups in a row, a feat he happily points out!
Joe is married to wife Albina.
SEATTLE, WA
Rick started in the sport in 1980 when he was co-owner of the U-4 with Mitch Evans. The team competed until 1984 under various names of Island Security Systems, Evans Marine, Miss Machine Rock and others. Since then has been with the Go3 team as one of the primary builders of the team’s three hulls. He has also helped build the U-11, U-37, the first Miss HomeStreet hull, all three of Ted Porter’s hulls and others.
Rick is divorced and has two children, Jake and Leticia.
PASCO, WA
Charlie first came into contact with Ed Cooper and the Go3 team in the summer of 2015 when he decided to sponsor our team. Growing up in the Tri Cities area, he was a lifelong hydro fan, and loved the piston boats. We needed the funding and Charlie provided it. A perfect match. He thought he would put his name on the boat, and go back to the Pasco side and watch the race. He hung around too long and we put him to work. Besides being our sponsor, he is a full fledged crew member and part of the Go3 family. He’s going into his 9th year with the team.
Charlie is married to wife Robyn and they have two children, CJ and Nicki.
KENNEWICK, WA
John joined the team in 2003, working mainly on west coast races. John also worked previously with the Water Follies and currently helps organize the Richland Regatta. He also owns and races a 1 liter hydro in Region 10 with his son.
John is married to wife Vauna and they have one son, Josh, who is also on the team, and daughter Melanie.
PASCO, WA
Josh has been part of the team since he was kid. He now drives his own hydro, a 1 liter he owns with his Father. He has worked mainly for the Go3 team, but was part of other teams that raced in Doha, Qatar two different years.
Josh is married to wife Tori and they have two daughters.
OWENSBORO, KY
Kirk joined the team in 2008. He’s responsible for any media related functions, as well as the team social media platforms. He also is tasked with helping with any and all boat related things. And is pretty good about getting things for others as well.
Kirk is married to wife Janine and has two stepsons and two grandchildren.
The U-3 is hull 2002-03 and is the only current Unlimited hydroplane that uses a V-12 piston engine instead of a turbine engine. The Allison V-1710 carries two turbochargers and utilizes water injection to help with pre-ignition.