‘Holy Buckets,’ Ray Rodda making his last calls at DePue Boat Races

There’s one voice and one voice only when it comes to boat racing, whether it’s in Wisconsin, Florida, Michigan or tiny DePue — Ray Rodda.

Rodda has been the Voice of the DePue Boat Races, having announced each and every DePue Men’s Club’s USTS nationals since the return of the nationals when Lake DePue was dredged. He also raced at DePue in the 1960s.

Rodda, who will turn 76 next month, is making his last tour through the circuit, retiring at season’s end.

“The gas pedal is still there, but the juice behind the pedal is not quite as good as it was before,” he said with a laugh.

Rodda’s final call at DePue will come with an unexpected delay. He contracted COVID-19 last week and is hopeful to make it to DePue from his home in Carmel, Ind., by Thursday, or Friday, when he’s out of quarantine.

On Monday, he said he just grateful he’s starting to “feel like a human being.”

They have a plan in place to take over in Rodda’s absence. John Ruff will be on the P.A. for Modifieds on Tuesday afternoon and will team up with Rodda, who will announce from remote via the monitors on the TKDS streaming. Kay Brewer will do the Modifieds the rest of the week with Ruff on the Pro side.

Rodda has a fondness for DePue and its people. He lived there after his dad died when he was nearly two years old and spent every summer until he was 14.

“I kind of claim it as my own even though I wasn’t born there, but lived there for quite awhile,” he said. “The people, the friendships, visiting with people we were friends as kids. It’s interesting. Those kind of friends, even though we’re apart for a year, it’s almost like you pick it back up again when you get a chance to visit. Like you’ve never been away. It will always be the people.”

Paul “Big Pal” Bosnich Jr., the pit boss at DePue, said Rodda is what the DePue Boat Races are all about.

“He calls the show. He keeps the people informed, keeps the crowd going. If you’re doing something and you hear Ray’s voice perk up, you know something exciting is happening on the water,” he said. “I don’t care where you’re at, everybody knows him. He knows the boats, he knows the stories of every driver.

“He is just fabulous of what he does. There’s some big shoes to fill when we try to find another announcer to take his spot.”

Rodda said he will definitely miss it, but he knows it’s time.

“I think we all get to the point where you realize it’s the right time to step away and let somebody else have the fun that I’ve had,” Rodda said. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my life with racing. When I raced myself, the friendships you gain there, and as I announce and learning all the things our drivers are doing and all the friendships that come with that, you just can’t beat it.”

Bosnich said he expects Rodda to make an encore performance at next year’s races when Bosnich’s grandson, Rayce, 8, races for the first time.

“I told him he’s going to come out of retirement next year just to call my grandson’s name across the P.A., because Rayce will be able to race next year,” Bosnich said. “He said, ‘I’ll be there.’”

This year’s races will also be last hurrah for a cast of other DePue mainstays, including President Steve Solorio of the DePue Men’s Club, Eric Bryant, John Widmer and Steve Rauh, who all will be retiring as well.

“I guess we’re all going out together,” Rodda said with a laugh.

Bosnich said they will all be deeply missed.

“They’ve all done an excellent job and working hard,” he said. “I always tell everyone the toughest position is the treasurer spot, and that’s John Widmer. I said on a podcast last week with Ray that if John was a woman, he’d be one woman you’d want to marry, because you’d have money in your bank account.”

I suggest this to any and all race fans this week. Put aside all other conversations and distractions during the races for a moment or two. Stop and listen to the Voice of the Boat Races. Listen to how knowledgeable Ray is on all the ins and outs of the races and makes a call of the boats steaming around curve 2 and then curve 3.

Listen to Ray’s trademark “30 Seconds to the 3,” and “Holy Buckets” calls.

Never say never, as I’m sure this is the case for Ray, but this very well may be the last time to hear the “Voice of Lake DePue.” Enjoy it while you can.

Kevin Hieronymus is the BCR Sports Editor. Contact him at khieronymus@bcrnews.com