
Episode 178: Sam Cole, Part 2
From Roostertail Talk by David Newton
April 21, 2026 · 40 min · Season 8 · Episode 7
About this episode
David Newton continues his conversation with Sam Cole about the impact of unlimited hydroplane racing on national television and the sport's business dynamics.
Send us Fan Mail We pick up our conversation with Sam Cole as he explains how unlimited hydroplane racing broke onto national television and why that single shift changed sponsorship leverage for decades. We also get candid about the messy reality of exclusivity rules, hard business lessons from the Miller era, and the larger-than-life people who shaped the sport. Make sure you come back next week, as we'll have part three and the conclusion of my interview with Sam Cole. *Photo by Bill Osbor...
People in this episode
Guest: Sam Cole
Topics covered
- unlimited hydroplane racing
- sponsorship
- exclusivity rules
- business lessons
- sports history
Keywords
- fan mail
- Miller era
- sponsorship leverage
- national television
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- Episode 181: Jonathan Abbott, Part 1 · May 19, 2026 · 45 min
- Episode 180: 1986 Miami Budweiser Unlimited Hydroplane Championship Radio Broadcast · May 5, 2026 · 48 min
- Episode 179: Sam Cole, Part 3 · April 28, 2026 · 52 min
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