Andrew Tate follows father's footsteps, wins Madison Regatta final

MADISON, Ind. — The 67th Madison Regatta turned into a real father-son affair Sunday afternoon on the Ohio River.

In the H1 Unlimited hydroplane final, Andrew Tate — last year’s rookie of the year in the series — rallied past Madison’s Miss HomeStreet in the final lap and zipped to the win.

While recording his first win at Madison, Tate will see his name join his fathers’ name, Mark, on the Governor’s Cup Trophy, presented to him by Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb. Tate's father won the Cup in 1991 and 1996.

“This is a special place,” Tate said of Madison. “We’ve always marked it down on the calendar. We knew we were going to Madison. We not only watched the parade, but we were in the parade on my father’s boat. And I loved watching the fireworks."

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The 27-year-old Andrew Tate thanked his family after the win.

“They’ve poured their heart into this sport,” he said. “This means so much to us. My grandfather raced here, my father raced here and I get to race here.

“They’ve supported me since I was 11 years old and started to race.”

For Tate, it wasn’t an easy win against the favored Madison boat. He fell behind early and had to work to take back the lead.

“He got a little bit of a jump on us,” Tate said. “We were playing catch up the whole race.”

On the final of four laps, Tate passed Jimmy Shane (the driver of Miss HomeStreet) in the first turn and took charge down the backstretch.

“When you hit the water here on the Ohio, it can be pretty rough and unforgiving,” Tate said. “There’s nothing like driving a hydroplane that fast."

As he flew down the backstretch, Tate said he didn't know how far his lead had grown.

“I couldn’t see Jimmy in my rearview mirror,” he said. “Then, I saw him and breathed a little bit sigh of relief.”

Mark Tate was among the crowd that watched Andrew Tate claim the victory.

The elder Tate said seeing his son win the race was a memorable moment.

"He’s very humble,” he said. “He’s a great kid. ... Plus, he’s a great driver.”

In the Grand Prix West series, preceding the H1 Unlimiteds, Greg Hopp took top honors by winning the final as he held off his father, Jerry, who is 70.

“Thank God, he still has his health and he’s able to to do it,” Greg Hopp said. “I’m glad we were able to go one-two and keep it in the family. I've been coming to Madison for so many years and I finally won."

Jerry Hopp — who drove Miss Madison on a few occasions throughout the years — said he has a soft in his heart for Madison, as he lived in the city during the filming of the “Madison” movie nearly 20 years ago.