Speedboat - November 2018

SPEEDBOAT MAGAZINE

JETBOAT BATTLE ROYALE

The Keys to

VICTORY

Dubai Team is Ready to Rumble

Lake of the Ozarks

Shootout

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2018

FULL COVERAGE NOV / DEC 2018

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Table of Contents NOVEMBER 2018

COLUMNS

FEATURES

8 RAY LEE 14 TEAGUE ON TECH

18 THE OFFSHORE ELITE Our Key West sneak preview, featuring profiles of the race teams you’ll see at the World Championships.

53 LAKE OF THE OZARKS SHOOTOUT With 102 total competitors, the legendary Missouri event just keeps getting faster, better and more exciting.

62 2018 SKATERFEST The Douglas Marine crowd converges on Lake St. Clair to show what real muscle is all about.

66 BIG CAT POKER RUN The ever-popular Delta provides a picturesque backdrop for Northern California’s premier power players.

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Speedboat.com Published by DCO Enterprises, LLC Publishers

Ray Lee ray@speedboat.com

Chris Davidson chris@speedboat.com

Editor

Brett Bayne brett@speedboat.com

Senior Tech Editors Bob Teague bobteague@teaguecustommarine.com

Jim Wilkes jim@speedboat.com

Tech Editors

National Sales Director Art Director

Greg Shoemaker Jim Wilkes Valerie Collins Ray Lee ray@speedboat.com

Gail Hada-Insley

Helicopter Services Fred Young fyoung@live.com

Photographers

photo by Erick Bryner

Todd Taylor, Pete Boden, Mark McLaughlin, Kenny Dunlop, Jeff Gerardi, Paul Kemiel, Daren Van Ryte

Operations Manager Michele Plummer and Subscriptions michele@speedboat.com 5840 W. Craig Rd Suite 120, #386 Las Vegas, NV 89130-2730

Webmaster

Craig Lathrop craig@speedboat.com

72 DISASTER STRIKES Idaho’s famous race requires turbine-powered jetboats to negotiate rapid waters at nail-biting speeds.

76 MIKE FRY FALL CLASSIC NJBA competitors get crazy on Lake Ming during the fourth race of the 2018 season.

Web Design

Blair Davidson Market It Mobile, Las Vegas, NV blair@speedboat.com

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SPEEDBOAT MAGAZINE (ISSN#1941-9473) is published 8 times plus a bonus issue this year by DCO Enterprises LLC. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Domestic $34.00 for 8 times plus a bonus issue, Canada $66.00 for 8 times plus a bonus issue, International $77.00 for 8 times plus a bonus issue. All prices are for one year and in U.S. funds. For subscription info: call (702) 313-1400.

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OBSERVER’S SEAT RAY LEE The Speedboat Team, which is really quite spread out across the country, congregated once again in Missouri to cover, what I believe to be, the largest organized powerboating event of the year. Which is why we pack our schedules full from the time we are “wheels up” to “wheels down”–a full week with very little downtime. There is so much going on and most, if not all, of the industry’s largest players are there. So we try to take full advantage of this opportunity.

Each year, we collaborate with our friends at Performance Boat Center in Osage Beach to shoot and evaluate some of the baddest boats that the marine industry has to offer. PBC co-owner and mutli-tasker extraordinaire Brett Manire never fails to collect some of the most impressive hardware onto their docks for us, along with some of the ones I manage to coax to be there early Tuesday morning of the über-frantic week of the Shootouts.

The Fabulous ’Four-Peat’

as it looked like we were going to get a lucky break–which we did.

The storm eventually passed and it was business as usual for our test team, albeit a bit delayed. We had photographer Todd Taylor clicking away on his Canon camera, as videographer Carter Bahde filmed the action–both on the docks and from the sky. Utility man Jay Forbes handled all of the tedious details while my co-publisher and partner in crime Chris Davidson handled the interviewing duties of the boat owners and/or company reps. Drivers Bob Teague and Myrick Coil meticulously inspected each and every boat for their upcoming features and handled driving duties while I did my best to make sure every task we set out to do, was done.

Michael Wagner, Toni “Juggs” Wagner and Sandy Laffoon are We had three MTIs, “Radar’s Angels.” two Sunsation cenOf course, it wouldn’t be a LOTO trip ter consoles (including their all-new for us if we didn’t have weather concerns. 40’ CCX), two Cigarettes, Mystic’s latest We landed with a storm threatening our model–the C-3801, an outboard-powphoto shoot and we wondered if we’d ered Skater, an over-the-top DCB M35, have to postpone or abort it altogether. and a 32' Wright Performance by Doug We continuously monitored the Doppler Wright. After shooting 11 boats and evalradar apps as if we were Al Roker on uating 3, within the span of five hours, Adderall and held our collective breaths we were exhausted but the mission was

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accomplished and I was damn proud of the guys for the TEAM effort. Look for these awesome boats to appear in a future issue, coming soon.

The Street Party, also known as the “Shootout on the Strip,” always happens on the Wednesday of Shootouts week and it has grown into quite the spectacle. Only a few short years ago, I remember that it was held on the dusty Laurie Fairgrounds with dim lighting and cramped quarters. Now, it spans miles of the Bagnell Dam Strip and the hardware lines both sides of the boulevard. It is quite the sensory overload, for those that have not experienced it before–which makes it highly likely that they will return to experience it again.

Poly Lift’s Friday Poker Run brought some more rain that greeted the Poker Runners, as they made their way to the designated stops across the lake. A few entries tapped out and found their way back to the docks, but most of the diehards braved the wind and the rain to collect their chance at compiling the best poker hand in the land. And yet gain, as Missouri is often known to do, the rains subsided, the sun came out and the pleasure boating commenced.

Finally, the Shootouts were upon us, yet the buzz seemed to be lighter than normal. The many high-horsepowered vessels that regularly represent their respective manufacturers throughout both days of racing were seemingly less [Continues on page 70] speedboat.com

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TEAGUE ON TECH BOB TEAGUE Bravo 1 Sticks in Forward Dear Bob: Is there any reason my drive would stick in forward? I can sometimes get it out using some force on the shifter, but sometimes I had to shut down the engine and then it shifts back to neutral. It shifts to reverse and back to neutral without any problems. It also appears to work fine once it is shifted into forward but won’t come out. This is a new boat to me, and I’ve only been out twice in it. It kind of did it the first time out, and then was a real issue this last time.

Docking is really not fun.

Here are the specs: Bravo 1, twin BBCs with B&M supercharger (circa 1989), hydraulic steering, drive showers.

Syd Crawford Poughkeepsie, NY

especially because it can be shifted out of gear with the engine off which usually is not the case.

It is more likely a problem with the cone clutch assembly or the shifting fork in the drive. The cone clutch or gear may be worn to the point where they stick together. The older drives like yours are more prone to the problem you are having. There are two thrust bearings at each end of the upper spiral shaft that can fail. If they do, they deposit debris into the cone clutch which can also cause the problem. The two gears that are driven by the pinion gear have brass rings on them which actually wobble and need to be in proper time for easy shifting in and out of gear. It is also possible that the upper was not assembled correctly paying attention to the gear timing by the last technician that worked on the drive.

If you remove the upper plug, which should have a magnet on it, and you find silver flakes on the magnet, the indication is that a bearing or gear is beginning to fail.

The bottom line is that you are probably going to have to rebuild the upper on that drive as a cable adjustment does not solve the problem.

Valve Seals on Iron Guides

Being that your boat is a twin engine boat, one of the drives is using a righthand propeller, and the other one is using a left-hand propeller. The one using the right-hand propeller uses the lower in the drive upper for forward operation, and the other uses the upper gear in the upper for forward operation.

The easiest possible solution for your problem is an adjustment to the intermediate cable that connects to the shift quadrant to the drive. There is a slot in the arm that will allow you to move the cable pivot point up so it gets more travel when it is shifted from the helm cable. A 7/16” open end wrench is the only tool needed. This might resolve the problem

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Dear Bob: I did not get to ask you a question at the Lake Cumberland Poker Run last September. My brain flatlined after you backed that 46' Outerlimits into the slip (fantastic-nothing like a little pressure.

I watched the owner step out while you took over). I called you a few years back when I was replacing the valve springs in my 500HPs in a 35 foot Fountain. You said to remove the springs on the exhaust valve stem seals so it won’t use oil. Why? What’s the theory behind this? I’ve been a tech almost 40 years now and have done my share of engine rebuilds. But I never omitted the valve seals or removed the springs from the valve seals. I am interested in how you figured this out.

Mike Mason Cincinnati, Ohio You must have misunderstood the reason I stated for leaving the springs off the seals on the exhaust valves. It is actually the opposite. Leaving the spring

off the seal causes a little oil to leak by the seal which in turn lubricates the exhaust valve guide. This is something that we have done for years. Mercury Racing included the procedure on their performance engines with iron heads. It is only necessary when the heads have stock iron guides. As the exhaust valve temperature rises, it can stick in the guide because of the moisture present without a little lubrication. It is not necessary or desirable to remove the spring from the PC seal if the guides are bronze or have bronze liners. In every case when we rebuild an iron head, we install K-line bronze guide inserts and omit the procedure of removing the springs from the valve seals.

The bottom line is that a little oil usage is better than having a valve stick in the guide.

Aerators on a Bravo?

Dear Bob: I have a twin engine 32’ catamaran that has naturally aspirated motors with Bravo XR drives. The engines do not seem to have enough bottom end torque to get the RPM up to get the boat on plane in a reasonable amount of time. I have seen boats with these hoses coming from the drives that I am told were for aerators to free up the propellers when coming on plane. Is there some sort of setup that could be used on my XR drives?

Jason Joyce Atlanta, Georgia

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story by Brett

Bayne photos by Paul Kemiel and Pete Boden

With a total three races under its belt in 2018, Super Boat racers head to Key West for the World Finals. Here’s who you’ll see there.

T

he 2018 Super Boat International season was an abbreviated one, as the new Race World Offshore circuit snared SBI’s summer stop in Mentor, OH. This was the second year in a row

that SBI has trimmed its schedule (2017 did not include a Marathon, FL, race), and some racers Speedboat talked to confidentially questioned what a 2019 SBI season might look like—or if it would exist at all. We’re down to a three-race season— Cocoa Beach, Michigan City and Clearwater—followed by the usual World Finals event in Key West.

Though it was the shortest SBI season in recent memory, it was not without excitement. Some teams dropped out of sight, while some got a new lease on life (the Stihl Superboat class competitor got a facelift and is now being campaigned as AHM Motorsports, while JD Byrider/Smokin’ Tuna was back, howsoever briefly, after taking a few years off following their crash in 2015). Two boats, Cleveland Construction and CRC Racing, crashed in Michigan City, while the New Zealand team Pro Floors flipped in Clearwater after a collision with M-CON. Champion race team Miss Geico grabbed the National Championship while announcing that it would not race in Key West this year; meanwhile, the team’s final race of

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Above: Three scenes from the Clearwater, FL, race, which featured a collision between Pro Floors and M-CON. All of the racers escaped serious injuries.

2018 barely lasted 20 minutes before being cancelled because an inebriated man swam out onto the course. And the U.S. welcomed Dubai’s Victory team, which shipped two of its hulls to Florida to compete in two races. Good luck to them, and all of the competitors, in Key West! speedboat.com

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Production 3: Wix Filters/The Developer, a 38’ Fountain (left), took the National Championship for driver J.P. Larkin and throttleman Ed Tamberino.

Production 4: Driver Billy Shipley and throttleman Chad Woody are the National Champions in Team Woody, a 28' Lavey Craft.

Superboat Vee: LSB Hurricane of Awesomeness, a 30’ Extreme hull (below), was the National Champion for driver Brit Lilly and throttleman Ron Umlandt, who are repeating their 2017 championship.

Superboat: Driver Billy Mauff and throttleman Jay Muller were the National Champions in WHM Motorsports, a 40’ Skater (right).

Superboat Unlimited: James Sheppard (D) and Steve Curtis (T) repeated their championship success in Miss Geico.

Superboat Stock: Driver Jimmie Harrison and throttleman Gary Ballough are the National Champions in FJ Propeller, a 32' Doug Wright hull (right). speedboat.com

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Superbo Superboat 2018 RESULTS Cocoa Beach, FL: 1st Michigan City, IN: 1st Clearwater, FL: 1st

WHM Motorsports Owner/Driver: Billy Mauff Throttles: Jay Muller Mauff and Muller have earned the right to be called superstars on the offshore circuit, and their 2018 season could not have gone any better. With back-to-back-to-back wins, they enjoyed a perfect season, besting the competitors on every course. If they can pull off one more win in Key West, they will have to get used to being called legends.

When Speedboat caught up with Mauff in Michigan City, ID, just prior to the race, he was upfront about some mechanical problems he was having with the Skater. “For example, we have a trim-tab problem,” he sighed. “If ever there was a year that WHM was plagued with problems, this is my year.”

Still, he maintained a positive outlook. “You don’t get yourself jammed up. You don’t get upset. Boat racing is about fun.

If you ever get to the point where you’re so serious, you’ll drive yourself crazy and you’ll drive yourself out of the sport.”

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Jay Muller and Billy Mauff had a perfect record in their 40’ Skater WHM Motorsports, powered by twin 750-hp Sterlings.

Mauff, who has been at boat racing since 1978—that’s 40 years and counting—describes himself as “the oldest young guy doing this, and I would never not want to stop doing this.

My health is good, and I can see myself doing this another 15-20 years. I’ll run until I’m a problem for other people in my class, when I’m too old to respond to what I should do as a good boat racer.”

With an undefeated record under their belts, Billy and Jay are a fair bet to clinch the Key West race. Look out for the #5 at the finals!

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Superbo Superboat 2018 RESULTS Cocoa Beach, FL: n/a Michigan City, IN: 4th • Clearwater, FL: 2nd

Performance Boat Center / Jimmy John’s Driver: Myrick Coil • Throttles: John Tomlinson After a stellar 2017 SBI season in which Coil and Tomlinson took both the National and World Championships in their 38' Skater, the WHM team snatched the National title from the boys this year.

That turns Key West into a grudge match galore, and the anticipation is off the charts. Regardless of the outcome, the PBC team will not be seen in this Skater come 2019; the boat will be replaced with an MTI, as the actual Performance Boat Center dealership of Osage Beach, MO has taken on the MTI line.

This team is also active in OPA—they won the Lake Race at LOTO, and also came in second place at the independent competition in Sarasota.

Driver Myrick Coil and throttleman John Tomlinson are the wizards at the helm of this 38' Skater—which will be replaced by an MTI next season.

AMH Motorsports Driver: Aaron Hope Throttles: Anthony Smith 2018 RESULTS Cocoa Beach, FL: n/a • Michigan City, IN: 3rd • Clearwater, FL: 3rd

It was interesting to watch confused fans walking through the pits at Michigan City this year, curious about why the Stihl hull was parked in front of the AMH Motorsports booth—with the team’s logo emblazoned on the side. After running its last Superboat Extreme race in Cocoa Beach with its enclosed-canopy Fountain, AMH purchased the Stihl 388 Skater and switched over to Superboat class—leaving Instigator at home. “It’s been a learning curve,” says Hope. “And we’ve got a lot more competition in this class.” The team also races in OPA, where they clinched the 2018 National championship in Super Cat class.

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Above: The AMH Motorsports crew includes driver Aaron Hope and throttleman Anthony Smith. The pair nabbed the National Championship in OPA’s Super Cat class this year.

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Superbo Superboat

Chris Hanley and Wayne Valder of Auckland, New Zealand.

2018 RESULTS Cocoa Beach, FL: n/a Michigan City, IN: 4th • Clearwater, FL: n/a

Pro Floors Racing Driver: Wayne Valder • Throttles: Chris Hanley Although the 2018 offshore season earned the Kiwi team a bunch of fourth-place positions (Race World Offshore’s Dunkirk race, OPA’s Lake Race and SBI’s Michigan City race), they nabbed the win in July’s independent Sarasota race Super Cat class in a field of seven boats. The challenge was then to grab a podium spot in SBI’s Clearwater bout. Alas, the 39' MTI collided with M-CON and flipped upside down, demolishing the hull. (Fortunately, Wayne and Chris escaped uninjured.) At press time, it was announced that Pro-Floors would be leasing the Cleveland Construction 388 Skater from owner Mark Small for a shot at the Key West World Finals.

M-CON Owner/Throttles: Tyler Miller Driver: Tyson Garvin

NZ-1 Pro Floors Racing, a 39' MTI, ended the regular season with a terrifying flip in Clearwater.

2018 RESULTS Cocoa Beach, FL: n/a Michigan City, IN: 2nd Clearwater, FL: 4th

Team M-CON performed respectably in all three offshore sanctioning bodies this season, picking up podium positions in Race World Offshore and SBI before colliding with Pro-Floors (see above) and caving in the side of the M-CON 40' Skater (see Page 18). This was the second scary close call for the team in as many years: last year in Michigan City, the boat spun out on Lap 8, breaking off both skegs and nearly flipping. Owner/ throttleman Tyler Miller is joined by a new driver this year, Tyson Garvin.

Above: Tyler Miller and Tyson Garvin of M-CON. Left: The M-CON machine is a 40’ Skater powered by a pair of 750-hp Sterling engines.

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Superbo Superboat 2018 RESULTS Cocoa Beach, FL: n/a Michigan City, IN: n/a • Clearwater, FL: n/a

Cleveland Construction Driver: Edward W. Smith Throttles: Grant Bruggemann

Above: Ed Smith and Grant Bruggemann.

Below: The Cleveland Construction 38’ Skater.

Bruggemann, who throttled the Stihl Skater in 2017, hopped into Smith’s Skater when the Stihl team called it a day and sold the boat to AMH Motorsports. The team had a rough year, flipping their Skater upside down in Michigan City—then repairing the hull in time to attend Clearwater, only to hit the road after a dispute with Super Boat International prior to the race. The rift will likely keep the team out of SBI permanently, although they’ll continue campaigning it in OPA—and the boat will reportedly be at Key West, campaigned New Zealand’s Pro-Floors.

MGI Digital Technology Owner/Throttles: Randy Sweers • Driver: Glen Hibbard 2018 RESULTS Cocoa Beach, FL: 2nd • Michigan City, IN: n/a • Clearwater, FL: n/a

The full name of this MTI is a mouthful: MGI Digital Technology/Konica Minolta. But you’re probably more familiar with its former name: Sailor Jerry, campaigned since 2011 by FastBoats Marine Group President Sweers, who runs three marine sales and service shops in Florida: Pompano Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami. After sitting out the 2017 SBI season, Sweers and Hibbard brought the boat back this year to tackle truly deplorable sea conditions in Cocoa Beach—and nabbed a second-place trophy. We are hoping to see them back in Key West!

Above: Throttleman Randy Sweers of Fort Lauderdale, FL. Below: The 41' MTI is powered by two 750-hp Mercury engines.

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Powerboat Nation is the world’s leading resource for Powerboating Videos, Photos, News and more!

There’s no better place on the web to live the powerboating life!

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Superboat Unlimited Superboa Steve Curtis and James Sheppard.

Miss Geico Driver: Jim Sheppard Throttles: Steve Curtis

2018 RESULTS Cocoa Beach, FL: 3rd Michigan City, IN: 1st • Clearwater, FL: 1st

Miss Geico is a 44’ Victory powered by twin 1650 engines (total 3,300 hp).

The Miss Geico story is dramatic enough to warrant a Netflix series. After the team’s 44’ Victory was torn apart last July following a crash on the OPA circuit, the longtime Geico team of Marc Granet and Scott Begovich was utterly devastated. But in August, it was announced that a 41' Victory leased from World Champion throttleman Steve Curtis’s Offshore Racing Services (Orlando, FL) would be rechristened Miss Geico, and that Curtis and Jim Sheppard would finish out the season. And what a finish it was! The new team earned a World Championship trophy for 2017, then went on to grab the National Championship for 2018, thanks in large part to its mighty showing in Clearwater’s final regular stop of the season. Steve Curtis, who is originally from Wimbledon, London, England, isn’t a big fan of the new, shorter courses that are situated in front of a beach for a mile or so. “I like bigger courses where you really have to trim the boat into different directions,” he tells Speedboat.

“I’d much prefer a nice 10-mile course that has a few bends here and there along the straightaway. That’s more my style.” Miss Geico won’t be racing in Key West this year, but Curtis is expected to co-pilot one of the two Victory hulls from Dubai (see Page 30).

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James Sheppard and Steve Curtis inside the cockpit of Miss Geico.

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Wake Effects Owner/Driver: Rusty Rahm • Throttles: Jeff Harris 2018 RESULTS Cocoa Beach, FL: 1st • Michigan City, IN: 2nd • Clearwater, FL: 2nd

After taking the National Championship in Unlimited Class last year, Rahm and Harris grabbed enough points to win Wake Effects the Florida title this year— while narrowly being denied the National Championship by a few lousy points. Their disappointment was further impacted, understandably so, when a rogue swimmer interfered with that critical final race in Clearwater. In addition to their very impressive third year on the SBI race course—attending all three bouts—the boys also performed admirably in OPA’s Lake Race (taking second in Extreme class) and Race World Offshore’s event in Mentor, OH (capturing the win).

It’s also worth mentioning that Wake

Team CRC Owner/Throttles: Mike DeFrees Driver: Gary Ballough

Effects not only put on a great show at this year’s Lake of the Ozarks Shootout, running a “race” exhibition alongside a bi-plane, but also hitting a speed of 148 mph during the actual shootout.

Jeff Harris and Rusty Rahm of Wake Effects, a 48’ MTI.

Right: Mike DeFrees and Gary Ballough of Team CRC.

Now known officially known as Team only raced in Michigan City in 2018, but CRC/Spooled Up Racing, this 48' MTI was crashed. The boat was repaired in time originally the #8 Gasse competitor in for Clearwater, but mechanical issues 2015 until it was purchased by the legendary Mike DeFrees and rechristened with his new sponsor’s logo. The team

kept them off the course. We look forward to seeing the team in Key West in their other MTI CRC Racing hull.

Team CRC / Spooled Up, a 48’ MTI, is powered by a pair of 1650 Mercury Racing engines.

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2018 RESULTS Cocoa Beach, FL: n/a Michigan City, IN: DNF Clearwater, FL: n/a

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Team Victory Dubai Team Members: Salem Al Adidi, Eisa Al Ali USA Team Members: John Tomlinson, Steve Curtis, Gary Ballough

The Victory team in Clearwater.

Arguably the most exciting news to come out of Super Boat racing in 2018 was that two Class One champion boats owned

by Team Victory in Dubai would be joining U.S. racers at the Clearwater and Key West events. The team shipped out two of its signature blue Victory hulls (a 40' and 42'), along with team members Salem Al Adidi and Eissa Al Ali. John Tomlinson (of Performance Boat Center/Jimmy John’s) and Gary Ballough (FJ Propeller) would each team with one of the international racers for the Clearwater race, with Tomlinson and Steve Curtis (Miss Geico) co-piloting in Key West, all in Superboat Unlimited Class. But in the kind of fiasco unseen in racing history, their Clearwater race was cancelled less than halfway through when an inebriated man swam onto the course in the way of the boats.

The Dubai racers were confounded. “Why didn’t they just start the race over?” they wondered (as did a lot of other people). That leaves Key West wide open them to give their domestic competitors a thorough spanking. And if anybody is capable of doing it, they are: Formed in 1986, the Victory Team has scored more than 24 world championships and clinched 590 awards during its racing journey. Speedboat wishes them good luck!

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Superboat Unlimited Superb

DF Young Owner/Throttles: Rich Wyatt Driver: Herb Stotler 2018 RESULTS Cocoa Beach, FL: n/a Michigan City, IN: n/a • Clearwater, FL: 3rd

Above: The DF Young competitor is a 50' Mystic powered by twin 1,450-hp engines built by Stotler Racing Engines of Gainesville, GA.

World reknown engine builder Herb company until he sold it a few years ago. Unlimited race in Clearwater, the fun Stotler works on a variety of offshore Depending on the situation, you might sure didn’t last very long.) “Rich may race boats at his Gainesville, GA, shop, find Stotler racing any of these boats, decide to get back into racing,” Stotler inclduing Envy (a 50' Mystic), Lucas Oil Silverhook (see below), Alex and Ani (a 40' Platinum cat) and Cintron, another 50' Mystic that has been rechristened as DF Young—that’s because owner Rich Wyatt was CEO of the Cintron beverage

but while the team retools the Platinum’s powerplant for a future season—when it’ll be known as Stotler Turbo—Rich and Herb jumped into the DF Young Mystic in Clearwater, more for fun than anything else. (Given the fiasco of the Superboat

says. “He may be racing in 2019, but the Clearwater race might have been a oneshot deal. I’m not sure. But the boat definitely won’t be in Key West.” Speedboat hopes to see Herb and Rich back on the race course in the near future.

Lucas Oil Silverhook Owner/Throttles: Nigel Hook • Driver: Jay Johnson 2018 RESULTS Cocoa Beach, FL: 4th • Michigan City, IN: n/a • Clearwater, FL: n/a

Last August, World and National Champion racers Nigel Hook and Jay Johnson made history when they set a Guinness World Record by driving their Swedishbuilt 48' Silverhook from Key West to Cuba in 1 hour and 18 minutes. After their feat, they promptly returned to Key West in 2 hours, 16 minutes and 13 seconds. Hook’s list of career wins and speed records date back to 1993, and his achievements on the race course are the stuff of legend. The team participated in only one SBI race this year, the notoriously rough-water Cocoa Beach event, which was nearly canceled because of sea conditions and which ultimately wreaked havoc on the Silverhook hull. Regrettably, they didn’t fare much better in Sarasota. But the team is most certainly looking forward to Key West.

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Above: Offshore veterans Jay Johnson (driver) and Nigel Hook (throttles). Below: Built in Sweden, the Lucas Oil-sponsored 48' Silverhook is powered by a pair of 1075-hp engines.

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CT Marine Owner/Driver: Andy Strobert Throttles: Billy Moore 2018 RESULTS Cocoa Beach, FL: n/a • Michigan City, IN: n/a • Clearwater, FL: n/a

Billy Moore, son of legendary offshore racer Bobby Moore, has been campaigning a former Qatar 44' Victory hull as CT Marine the last couple of seasons.

Engine guru Steve Curtis powered it with Sterling twin-turbo motors, which helped the boat earn a second-place finish in last year’s Clearwater race. Mechanical issues prevented Moore from competing in this year’s Clearwater race, but he’s hoping to have the issues resolved in time for Key West. Meanwhile, Moore is excited about his new gig as Director of High Performance Sales at Iconic Marine Group, where he’s handling the firm’s three go-fast lines—Fountain, Donzi and

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Baja. He also drove Fountain’s new outboard-powered 32' Thunder Cat at the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout, winning his class.

Above: Throttleman Billy Moore. Below: The 44' Victory CT Marine.

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Production 3 Producti

Wix Filters Drivers: JP Larkin, Scott Brown Throttles: Ed Tamberino 2018 RESULTS Cocoa Beach, FL: 1st • Michigan City, IN: 1st • Clearwater, FL: 1st

Owner/driver Larkin and throttleman Tamberino are celebrating an undefeated season in the boat popularly known as The Developer (as it is typically listed on SBI’s results sheets), but this season, the 38' Fountain has undergone a cosmetic transformation to highlight the sponsor (thanks to Ryan Beckley at Kinetic Animation), so for the foreseeable future, it’ll be known as Wix Filters.

This was a truly astonishing year for the racers, which also saw them snare a first-place position at the Sarasota Grand Prix in June. (Scott Brown handled driving duties in both Cocoa Beach and Sarasota.) The way the 2018 season has played out has been a pretty sweet vindication for Larkin and Tamberino, who’ve had to settle for second place in Production 3 at the World Finals for the last two years running. Now all they have to do is humiliate the competition in Key West this year!

Above: J.P. Larkin and Ed Tamberino accept their victory trophy in Michigan City. Below: The 38' Fountain Wix Filters/The Developer.

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SimmonsMarine.com Owner/Driver: Jim Simmons Throttles: Tony Canale

2018 RESULTS Cocoa Beach, FL: n/a • Michigan City, IN: 2nd • Clearwater, FL: 2nd

SimmonsMarine.com is one of two Phantom hulls being campaigned by the same team—the other being Team Octane in Superboat Vee (see Page 51).

“Tony and I normally run both boats—we jump out of one and we go jump in the other one,” chuckles Simmons. Some were astonished when Simmons and Canale paired up, considering that they were once competitors who constantly harrassed each other. “People said, ‘Those two idiots together? It’s never going to work!” But work it has, with second-place finishes in two SBI races (Michigan City and Clearwater) this year, and a pair of wins last year to show for it. Simmons Marine is an Ohio-based service franchise catering to small boats up to big Skaters.

Above: Throttleman Tony Canale and owner/driver Jim Simmons.

SimmonsMarine.com is a 34’ Phantom.

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Production 3 Producti 2018 RESULTS Cocoa Beach, FL: 2nd • Michigan City, IN: 3rd • Clearwater, FL: 3rd

Things change rapidly in the fast-paced in different areas of the boat. It’s a true world of offshore racing. Just last year, old-school, offshore race boat.

Thee DollHouse Owner/Driver: Clyde Petty Throttles: Ricky Maldonado Navigator: William Dehayes Team Manager: Warren Colazzo

Thee DollHouse was a 30' Phantom racing in Production 4 class; now it’s a 30' Larry Smith hull tearing up the Production 3 class. The eponymous Tampa, FL-based gentleman’s club is now sponsoring Clyde Petty’s boat...and as they say, that’s life on the race course.

We asked Petty to tell us about his journey. “I’ve been building high-performance boats for almost 20 years,” he says. “I’ve always had a passion for offshore racing as a kid, but I’d always been crewing as part of someone else’s team. Finally, I decided to go off on my own, and buy my own boat—a 30' Larry Smith hull rigged by Craig Archer of Conner Marine Engineering (Costa Mesa, CA). I always wanted a certain kind of boat—one built for racing in rough water conditions. There are no seats in this boat; you stand up in it.

The fuel tanks are strategically placed

“I’d just gotten to a point in my life where everything’s settled and taken care of, so I asked my fiancé, Elizabeth, if this was something that she might like to do with me—to get into this sport. If I couldn’t do it with her, I wasn’t going to do it. So we decided to pull the trigger and both got into the sport and created and formed the team. It consists of 90 percent family and 10 percent friends.

We all have 9-to-5 jobs and we all have children, so we make it a family affair.

“When I bought the boat, it was in complete disarray. The motors and drives were obsolete and needed to be rebuilt.

Every aspect of the boat needed to be gone through—paint work, fiberglass, you name it. It used to have carbureted motors, and now they’re fuel injected.

I modernized an old-school race boat.

We’re going to go out there and give it the best we’ve got.”

Thee DollHouse owner/driver Clyde Petty.

Thee DollHouse is a 30' Larry Smith hull powered by twin 500-hp Mercury Racing engines.

Right to left: The Performance Boat Center/Jimmy John’s team, just prior to their win this year in Michigan City, IN: Brett Manire, Mark Waddington, John Tomlinson, Myrick Coil, Craig Amptmeyer, Ben Ablen and Dave Mcintyre.

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GetRubberMulch.com Owner/Driver: David Squier Throttles: Nate Hunt 2018 RESULTS Cocoa Beach, FL: n/a Michigan City, IN: n/a • Clearwater, FL: 4th

Get Rubber Mulch is an Ocala, FL-based firm that sells mulch made from recapped truck tires. Unlike wood mulch, it will not decompose, rot or decay. This unique company—and its online namesake—are owned by driver David Squier (who also filled in for Bruce Walter of Production 4’s Yabba Dabba Doo team in Michigan City this year). The 35' Fountain is “just not that competitive in its class,” he says. “Rather than spending a lot of money into making it competitive, I’d rather just go bigger and faster.” To that end, he’s purchased the 50' Jaguar that ran under the CocaCola banner from 1998 to 2002, and is

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rebuilding its four modified 565 supercharged big blocks. Expect to see Squier and Hunt run it in Unlimited class as early as 2019.

Top left: Nate Hunt and David Squier.

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Superboat Stock Superbo 2018 RESULTS Cocoa Beach, FL: 1st Michigan City, IN: 1st • Clearwater, FL: 3rd

Below: Bryant Hopkins and Gary Ballough at the Michigan City, IN, race.

FJ Propeller Owner/Throttles: Gary Ballough Drivers: Jimmie Harrison, Bryant Hopkins, Lindsey DeNooyer FJ Propeller, a 32’ Doug Wright hull, is powered by twin 300-hp Mercury Racing engines.

An abbreviation of Frank & Jimmie’s West last year (although they took the Propeller, a Fort Lauderdale, FL-based pro- National title both years). This year’s peller shop, FJ Propeller is a 32' Doug Wright owned by Gary Ballough, one of powerboating’s enduring champions.

“I owe a lot of that to the people that I surrounded myself with, who are still in this sport because they have endured.

And that is because they are good people. That’s the only way you can go through life and be good at anything.

You’ve got to have friends who help you through it.”

After winning the Worlds in 2016, FJ had to settle for second place in Key

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Clearwater competition gave them yet another national title, so the 2018 Key West battle will be a fierce one between FJ, Shadow Pirate, Team Allen Lawn Care, et al. Speaking of the Superboat Stock class (he also competes in Unlimited class—see Page 29), Ballough is quick to praise his competitors. “We’re all buddies in Stock class,” he told Speedboat.

“We’ve got new guys in the class, and we welcome them to the sport. They’re the kind of people that we want. They’re really good guys. This class has gotten to

be where it should be, where it’s about racing. We’ll win one weekend, they’ll win another weekend, another team will win...and everybody’s happy. It’s great for the sport, and it means it will flourish.

Our class will grow.”

Depending on the circumstances, Ballough welcomed a variety of co-pilots this year, including Jimmy Harrison in Cocoa Beach (his usual partner), Lindsey DeNooyer in Sarasota and Bryant Hopkins in Michigan City. He also pulled double duty in Clearwater, racing with Salem Al Adidi in one of the two Team Victory hulls from Dubai. speedboat.com

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Team Allen Lawn Care Owner/Throttles: Bill Allen • Driver: Andrei Allen 2018 RESULTS Cocoa Beach, FL: 5th Michigan City, IN: 2nd • Clearwater, FL: 5th

The Allen 30' Phantom is piloted by the father/son team of Bill and Andrei Allen, whose Allen Lawn Care and Landscaping is doing gangbuster business in their hometown of Des Moines, IA. They’ve been pretty successful on the course as well, earning National, Florida and World Championships in last season’s Production 4 class—in only their second year. Now running in Stock class, they’ve given the other teams some good competition, but the pressure is on to grab another trophy in their new class. “We had some pretty rough races this year,” Bill admits. “We’re all new to this game and it’s been a heck of a learning curve. But so far, we’re learning. I guess we’re headed in the right direction. We’re looking forward to Key West.”

CR Racing Owner/Driver: Rob Unnerstall Throttles: Casey Boaz

Top: Bill and son Andrei Allen. Above: The 30’ Phantom Team Allen Lawn Care & Landscaping was rigged by Andy Sanders of Performance Boat Center.

2018 RESULTS Cocoa Beach, FL: 3rd Michigan City, IN: 3rd • Clearwater, FL: 1st

Rookies no more, Unnerstall and Boaz have proved themselves as talented pilots in their 32' Doug Wright hull, nabbing third place in last year’s World Finals, earning a podium position in all three of this year’s SBI events—and winning Race World Offshore’s race in Dunkirk, NY, in Pro Stock class. On the downside, the boat flipped at OPA’s Lake Race in June during an intense battle for second place; it made a complete roll, landed upside down, then began to sink. (Both drivers were fine.) “We were just in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Boaz says. “It’s not the most fun thing I’ve ever done with my clothes on.”

Above: Rob Unnerstall and Casey Boaz. Below: CR Racing, a 32’ Doug Wright.

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Superboat Stock Superbo 2018 RESULTS Cocoa Beach, FL: n/a Michigan City, IN: n/a • Clearwater, FL: 2nd

Shadow Pirate Above: Austin and Nick Scafidi.

Left: Shadow Pirate, a 32’ Doug Wright.

Owner/Throttles: Nick Scafidi Driver: Austin Scafidi Nick Scafidi has raced a couple of different boats on the offshore circuit under the Nick’s Creative Marine banner, including a 30' Velocity in Production 3 class. But recently his focus has been on his 32’ Doug Wright, which he now runs with his son Austin.

Scafidi seems to have dropped the Nick’s Creative Marine name in favor of his now-familiar Shadow Pirate wrap. The team didn’t make it to Cocoa Beach or Michigan City this season, but scored an impressive 2nd-place finish in Clearwater.

Killer Bee Owner/Throttles: Jim DeNooyer Driver: Lindsey DeNooyer

2018 RESULTS Cocoa Beach, FL: n/a Michigan City, IN: n/a • Clearwater, FL: n/a

Although the new 32' Doug Wright Killer Bee did not race in SBI this season, veteran offshore racer Jim DeNooyer plans to bring it to Key West with 20-year-old daughter Lindsey behind the wheel. Lindsey got some valuable seat time running alongside offshore superstar Gary Ballough in FJ Propeller at OPA’s St. Clair race over the summer. Her father won his first offshore championship in 1989; in 1993, he throttled Witz End, a 32' Skater owned by Bob Witko to the National Championship. Offshore racer Betty Cook (1923-1990) is Lindsey’s all-time hero.

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Above: The father/daughter team of Jim and Lindsey DeNooyer. Below: Killer Bee, a 32’ Doug Wright hull.

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Superboat Stock Superbo

Jackhammer Owner/Driver: Reese Langheim Throttles: Brad Wade We love the rookie teams! Last year, Langheim and his wife went to the

2018 RESULTS Cocoa Beach, FL: 4th Michigan City, IN: 4th • Clearwater, FL: DNF

Key West World Finals and fell in love with the boats and the speed.

They purchased the former Hog’s Breath Racing competitor—a Blade hull from Australia, one of only two ever built—and faster than you can say “G’day,” Langheim entered the SBI circuit with throttleman Wade.

Jackhammer is a reference to Langheim’s company, Langheim Concrete in Illinois. “This year is all for fun,” he says, “and if we win, we win.”

Above: Reese Langheim and Brad Wade. Right: The Jackhammer 34' Blade hull with twin 300-hp outboards.

Turtle Cove Marina/Foam All Driver: Ryan Beckley Throttles: James DeNooyer Jr.

Below: Owner/driver Ryan Beckley.

Bottom: The Foam All 30' Skater.

2018 RESULTS Cocoa Beach, FL: 2nd • Michigan City, IN: 5th • Clearwater, FL: 4th

In typical fashion, the S-111 competitor participated in its three 2018 races under three separate banners: first as Reliable Services, then as Foam All, and then finally as Turtle Cove Marina. Owner Ryan Beckley has a bit more flexibility when it comes to promoting his sponsors: he owns Ryan Kinetic Animation, the company that endlessly rewraps his hull. It’s anybody’s guess what the boat will look like in Key West (last year it appeared as Curry Refrigeration and Air). Unfortunately, Beckley had a bit of a heart scare this year, and his physicians forbade him from racing most of the season (pinch hitting were driver Scott Roman of Motley Crew, with Jay Muller on the sticks in Michigan City; the DeNooyers from Killer Bee subbed in Clearwater). But it’s a fair bet that Beckley will be in the seat for the World Finals.

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Deep V Cats Owner/Throttles: Lee Austin Driver: Damon Marotta 2018 RESULTS Cocoa Beach, FL: DNF • Michigan City, IN: n/a • Clearwater, FL: DNF

Deep V Cats is a one-of-a-kind hull, hand-built by Lee Austin (L.A. Marine).

“It’s a unique vessel, for sure,” says driver Damon Marotta. “We’re kind of the underdogs. We’re not rich guys. We just like to race and have fun and try to do the best we can.” Though the pair didn’t have much success this season—they’ve been trying to resolve some engine issues—they did finish second in the 2016 World Finals under the name Specialty Marine Center.

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Above: Damon Marotta and Lee Austin. Below: The 30' L.A. Marine hull Deep V Cats, powered by twin 300-hp outboards.

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Production 4 Producti

TeamWoody Racing Driver: Billy Shipley • Throttles: Chad Woody Woody and Shipley sat out most of last year’s SBI schedule, only showing up at the final race in Clearwater (finishing second), then spun out and 2018 RESULTS Cocoa Beach, FL: n/a Michigan City, IN: 1st • Clearwater, FL: 2nd

nearly rolled over at the Key West World Finals. This year, they came on strong, winning in Michigan City and finishing second in Clearwater for the National title. They also made a stellar showing at the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout, making a pair of 92-mph passes.

“We’ve changed the boat this year a whole bunch,” Shipley told Speedboat following the team’s win in Michigan City. “After our accident in Key West, the engine was ruined—we burned all the pistons up from low fuel pressure. So we had to build a new engine. It had been chinewalking and jumping around a lot, so we took it to Mark Schnepf at Activator Powerboats, and he repaired and reglassed the bottom back half of the boat. We took the extension box off of it, lowered the lower unit and put in a spacer. He totally fixed it, and now it feels amazing.

It practically drives itself. The handling is 50 times better than before.”

Competition in Production 4 is relatively limited, so Team Woody has an excellent shot at the World Championship!

Above: Billy Shipley (driver), Chad Woody (throttles) and Chad’s father, Tom Woody.

Right and below: Two views of the Team Woody as it participated in its 2018 races. It races under both the JRJ Construction banner (Billy Shipley’s company) as well as the Bay to Bay Properties banner. The team is actively seeking a full season sponsor for the 2019 season.

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Yabba Dabba Doo Driver: J.D. Ivines • Throttles: Bruce Walter 2 0 18 R E S U L T S Cocoa Beach, FL: n/a • Michigan City, IN: DNF • Clearwater, FL: DNF

Above: Team members Bruce Walter and J.D. Ivines.

Left: Their 25' Checkmate, Yabba Dabba Doo.

Here’s another team in its sophomore year.

J.D. Ivines came on the scene last season, with Bruce Walter as throttleman. At this year’s Cocoa Beach race, the boys were launching their Checkmate when Walter slipped on the dock and busted his ankle. David Squier of GetRubberMulch.com subbed for him in Michigan City, but the boat blew a head gasket and only finished a lap. Things didn’t go much better in Clearwater; hopefully Key West will chase away this boat’s mechanical gremlins.

Two Cruel Owner/Driver: Daniel A. Racz • Throttles: Craig Belfatto 2018 RESULTS Cocoa Beach, FL: n/a • Michigan City, IN: n/a • Clearwater, FL: 1st

Above: Craig Belfatto and Daniel Racz.

Left: The 30' Phantom Two Cruel.

Daniel Racz has raced his 30' Phantom in P4 class for many years; he’s got more than 20 wins and six championships to his credit, having won the Clearwater event multiple times (including this year). At press time, their appearance at Key West was a 50/50 proposition—both Racz and Belfatto work together at Marina Bay ITI Construction, and it’ll be difficult for both to take time away from their jobs simultaneously. It’s a pity— Racz’s racing record in Florida is a stunner.

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Superboat Vee

LSB Hurricane of Awesomeness Owner/Driver: Brit Lilly Throttles: Ron Umlandt

Above: Brit Lilly and Ron Umlandt. Below: Their dependable 30’ Extreme hull, LSB Hurricane of Awesomeness.

2018 RESULTS Cocoa Beach, FL: 2nd • Michigan City, IN: 3rd • Clearwater, FL: 1st

Talk about a team that doesn’t get tired of winning. LSB has championship with him was amazing,” he says. The pair ran won the last three National Championships, and the World several races together before Art retired and Ron Umlandt Finals in 2016 and 2017. Time for a three-peat? You’d be crazy took over on the sticks. (Brit also drives the 30’ Phantom Tug to bet against them at this point. Owner/driver Brit Lilly comes from royal offshore lineage—his father, the legendary Art Lilly, won the coveted American Power Boat Association’s Throttleman of the Year award in 1999. Fourteen years later, Brit won his first offshore racing world championship with his dad at his side, driving the team’s 30’ Extreme in OPA’s Super Vee Lite class. “Racing with my dad, and winning a

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It with throttleman Kevin Smith in the OPA circuit.)

So what special race-related advice has Art given Brit?

“What my dad always tells me is: You have to find your boat’s limitations. It doesn’t matter what you’re in—how small or how big the boat is. You have to know what it can or cannot do. And all of these guys we race with are so good at that, so you just have to be pushing that edge all the time.”

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Marker 17 Marine Driver: Brian Forehand Throttles: Vinnie Diorio

2018 RESULTS Cocoa Beach, FL: n/a Michigan City, IN: n/a Clearwater, FL: 2nd

Several of the race teams profiled in this issue are running rigs with remarkable rap sheets, and this one is no exception. Imagine this 29’ Outerlimits painted in black and gold, and the words Snowy Mountain Brewery might pop into your head. After Mike “Doc” Janssen, sold the hull to Brian Forehand, it was repainted by Stephen Miles Design (Henderson, KY) and the powerplant changed from fuel injected to carbureted engines. Vinnie Diorio, who befriended Forehand some time ago, asked who he planned to race with. Forehand shrugged. “Well, if you ever need somebody, give me a call!” Diorio said. The call came, and the Outerlimits is back in action.

The 29' Outerlimits Marker 17 Marine, powered by a single 525-hp Mercury Racing engine.

Smokin’ Tuna Saloon Driver: Tony Marcantonio • Throttles: Frank Sarro The storied racing career of J.D. Byrider, a 30' Fountain, was cut short during the 2015 Key West World Finals, when owner/driver Mike Figuero and throttleman Frank Sarro flipped the boat upside down on Turn 3 during the final lap of the seven-lap race. Byrider came zooming back into action in time for this year’s Clearwater race (now known as Smokin’ Tuna Saloon, named for its Key West-based bar and restaurant sponsor) with Tony Marcantonio in the driver’s seat.

Unfortunately, the team endured only a couple of laps before engine problems forced them to head back to the pits. Sarro said that Clearwater was planned as a dry run leading up to Key West anyway, so there’s more to come as the next chapter in the J.D. Byrider saga unfolds.

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2018 RESULTS Cocoa Beach, FL: n/a Michigan City, IN: n/a Clearwater, FL: DNF

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Superboat Vee Superbo 2018 RESULTS Cocoa Beach, FL: 1st Michigan City, IN: 2nd • Clearwater, FL: 3rd

Below: Steve Miklos and Steve Fehrmann, and their 29' Extreme competitor, Sun Print.

Sun Print Owner/Throttles: Steve Miklos • Driver: Steve Fehrmann One, two, three! Sun Print’s 29' Extreme wound up with first, second and third podium finishes, respectively during the 2018 SBI season.

Fehrmann says he was inspired to get into the sport by a man who actually passed in a race boat: Phil DeJana, whose life was claimed in 2008 while racing his 37' catamaran in Long Island, NY. “He was a great racer who had a boat down by me, and then I was dumb enough to buy one too,” he chuckles. The Extreme is powered by a single 600hp Chevy engine with an IMCO drive.

Boatfloater.com Owner/Throttles: Steve Kildahl Driver: Stephen Kildahl

2018 RESULTS Cocoa Beach, FL: 4th • Michigan City, IN: 1st • Clearwater, FL: 4th

What is it with Superboat Vee teams with two guys both named Steve?

The Kildahls are owners of a boat-repair facility in Sarasota, FL, and have been racing boats since 1985. For the last dozen or so years, Steve has raced with his son Stephen. Their current competitor is this 29’ Extreme, BoatFloater.com. “It’s awesome to race with my son,” Steve says. “It’s the best thing in the world. We’ve been racing so long together that we think alike during the whole race.” Stephen adds: “We had a pretty decent year. We have modified our engine package a little bit this year for our class, so we’re still trying to get it dialed in. It’ll be interesting to see how everything goes.”

Above: Son Stephen (driver) and father Steve Kildahl (throttles).

Below: The 29’ Extreme Boatfloater.com.

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Superboat Vee Superbo Below: Mark Niemann and Tom Maddalen, and their 30’ Phantom.

2018 RESULTS Cocoa Beach, FL: n/a Michigan City, IN: n/a • Clearwater, FL: n/a

Phantom Owner/Driver: Mark Niemann • Throttles: Tom Maddalen German-born Mark Niemann is no stranger to the race course. He is famous worldwide, having driven Honda Formula 4-stroke boats in Europe and offshore musclecraft in the U.S. The team won the first SBI race of 2017, then sat out the rest of the year, roaring back to the Key West World Finals to pick up a fourth-place finish (behind Mr. Technology, another Phantom hull.)

Phantom did not compete in any SBI races this year, but the lure of Key West will be hard for them to resist.

“At least half of the success of Phantom in the last three years is because of the teamwork of Tom and me,” Niemann says. “We really enjoy racing together.”

Buy the Keys Driver: Dennis Austin Throttles: Don Jackson Buy the Keys, a 32' Bandit powered by a single 590-hp engine from Innovation Marine.

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2018 RESULTS Cocoa Beach, FL: n/a • Michigan City, IN: n/a • Clearwater, FL: 6th

Bermuda native Chris Flood, who now runs a marina in Dania Beach, FL, is the owner of Buy the Keys, a 32' Bandit that promotes its luxury island real estate company. Until recently, Flood was also the boat’s driver, but after undergoing open-heart surgery, the Bandit was out of commission for Super Boat International’s first two races. While recovering, he enlisted driver Dennis Austin and throttleman Don Jackson to pilot the boat in SBI’s Clearwater and Key West races. “They haven’t had much seat time in the boat, so Clearwater will be a warm-up for them while they get ready for Key West,” Flood told Speedboat.

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Team Octane

Below: Tony Canale (throttles) and Jim Simmons (owner/ driver), and their 30’ Phantom, Team Octane.

Owner/Driver: Jim Simmons • Throttles: Tony Canale 2018 RESULTS Cocoa Beach, FL: n/a • Michigan City, IN: n/a • Clearwater, FL: n/a

Along with SimmonsMarine.com (the 34’ Phantom in P3 Class), Team Octane is campaigned by the same driver/throttleman combo of Simmons and Canale of Ohio. While the 30’ Phantom picked up second-place trophies in Michigan City and Clearwater, Octane stayed off the course this SBI season, although it ran in both Race World Offshore events, in Mentor, OH, and Dunkirk, NY. “Jim cares more about the sport than 90 percent of the guys racing out there today,” Canale says of his teammate.

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Superboat Vee Superbo 2018 RESULTS Cocoa Beach, FL: 3rd • Michigan City, IN: 4th • Clearwater, FL: 5th

Sheriff Lobo Owner/Driver: Shamo Mohammed Throttles: Gary Johnson, Timothy Skinner Racers from the United States were delighted to welcome competition in the form of this very genial team from the West Indies, who came to all three SBI races. Trinidadians Shamo Mohammed and Timothy Skinner. In Michigan City, the boat spun out and nearly went over. “The race started out pretty solid,” Mohammed says, “I think we were in third place alongside Team LSB on the third lap, we spun out, but we didn’t go over. We were able to finish the race.”

Above: The Sheriff Lobo team includes Shameel Mohammed and Timothy Skinner. Below: Their 29' Extreme hull.

Mr. Technology Owner/Driver: Will Smith Throttles: Jimmy Deitch 2018 RESULTS Cocoa Beach, FL: n/a • Michigan City, IN: n/a • Clearwater, FL: n/a

Not only does Will Smith race a Phantom hull—he’s the builder of the line

Above: Jimmy Deitch and Will Smith.

Below: Their 32’ Phantom Mr. Technology.

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that has served a truly impressive number of competitors, including Team Octane, Stihl, Two Cruel, Punisher and Team Allen Lawn Care, just for starters. Smith started racing in 1986 and launched Phantom the following year; he earned the nickname “Mr. Technology” because of the various technologies he habitually incorporated into his race boats. The team did not attend any regular races this year, but is hoping to race in Key West.

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SHOOTOUT

showdown

With 102 total competitors, the legendary Missouri event just keeps getting faster, better and more exciting.

Brett Bayne Photography by Todd Taylor, Ray Lee and Jay Forbes by

Above: Onken Racing’s 51’ Mystic catamaran American Ethanol, with driver Tony Battiato and throttleman John Cosker, is the Shootout Top Gun for the fourth year in a row, with a 204-mph run on Saturday, Aug. 26.

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nken Racing captured Top Gun honors for the fourth consecutive year in American Ethanol, a 51-foot Mystic, during the 2018 Lake of the Ozarks Shootout.

Mystic Powerboats President John Cosker’s goal was to one-up their 2017 top speed run of 204 mph and defend their Top Gun honors at the Shootout. With its quad, custom pistonpowered custom engines totaling approximately 9,000 hp, American Ethanol was definitely up to the challenge. Cosker and Tony Battiato duplicated their 2017 achievement.

The LOTO event, which comprises a street party, poker run, silent auction and various other events, kept the Missouri boating mecca bustling Aug. 21-25. But the main attraction was the Shootout, which challenges dozens of teams to capture the highest speed in [Text continues on page 82]

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A view of the radar gun with American Ethanol’s 204-mph speed. speedboat.com

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Lake of the Ozarks Street Party

Left: The Street Party— also known as the “Shootout on the Strip”— featured some of the biggest, baddest boats in the shootout, as well as poker run boats, boats for sale, raceboats, and manufactuers’ displays.

Below: The WIA-sponsored 32' Fountain cat, owned by Wayne Robison, features a pair of Mercury Racing 400 outboards.

A new M4200 center console from Mystic Powerboats.

Slug Hefner’s C-3801 cat, Dirty Duck, with Merc 400 outboards.

Elmer Morgan’s 40’ Skater, Wicked Addiction.

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Lake of the Ozarks Poker Run

Above: Jeff Wagner pilots his 43' Nor-Tech vee bottom.

Left: Rusty Rahm’s 52’ MTI, powered by twin Mercury Racing 1350 engines.

Left: Jake Nossaman’s MTI-V 42 center console, Wired Up.

Below: James King’s 2008 Sunsation 32’ Dominator SS is powered by 496 Mag HOs.

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Lake of the Ozarks Shootout

This exhibition drag race between offshore racing rivals Performance Boat Center / Jimmy John’s and M-CON was a Shootout highlight.

Below and right: Lawrence Coelho and his 28’ DCB Extreme.

His top speed was 98 mph.

Mark Weigl of Tuff Marine ran 125 mph in his Tuff 28’, powered by a Mercury Racing 860 with M6 Drive.

Below and left: Taylor and father Randy Scism in their 340X MTI with twin Mercury Racing 400s. It was Taylor’s first shootout, and probably not her last. Their top speed was 116 mph.

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Above and left: Jim Schultz in Factory Billet, a 51’ Outerlimits, ran 139 mph.

Right: Shawn Gibson’s DCB M35 Top Secret, driven by Tony Chiaramonte of DCB and powered by twin Mercury Racing 1550 engines, captured a top speed of 168 mph.

Brad Harrington’s 28’ Sabre, Team Kansas, was clocked at 85 mph.

Left and below: Jeff Harris and Rusty Rahm (far left) pilot Wake Effects, a 48’ MTI, during an exhibition race against Brian Correll’s plane in the halftime show.

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Lake of the Ozarks Shootout

Left and above: Jim Dorris, owner of Playcraft Pontoons, ran 98 mph in this Playcraft.

Above and right: Tiffany Maasen of Poly Lift ran this 39’ Nor-Tech center console to a speed of 75 mph.

Mike Maasen of Poly Lift ran 92 mph in this Cigarette 42X.

Dennis and Jason Parvey ran 153 mph in this Black Thunder 43GT. Dennis was inducted into this year’s Shootout Hall of Fame.

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Billy Moore of Iconic Marine Group drove this 32' Fountain Cat to 119 mph.

Right: Jeff and Diane Casebier’s 2013 36' Sunsation mid-cabin edition. Out of three separate runs, they achieved a high speed of 86 mph—twice!

Above: Tyler Crockett with wife Kim. His Joker hull (left) ran 122 mph.

Rusty Williams (left) made six passes in this Wright Performance 360 with twin Mercury Racing 400s. His top speed was 117 mph.

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Lake of the Ozarks Shootout

Above: Here’s Rudy Sanzottera of St. Peter, MO, driving his Eliminator 380 Eagle vee bottom, powered by twin Ilmor V-10 engines.

Sanzottera also drove the “skull” painted Eliminator below. He lives about 160 miles away from the Lake of the Ozarks.

Right: Nathan Huffman drove his 30' Eliminator to a speed of 134 mph.

Left: Rudy Sanzottera also drove Jon Foster’s 2002 Eliminator 30' Cat with 1100 engines and IMCO SC drives. The fastest of six passes was 131 mph.

Below: John Odom was clocked at 73 mph in this 2018 31' Playcraft pontoon, powered by twin Mercury Racing 400 outboards.

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Lake of the Ozarks Party

The annual welcome and registration party at Performance Boat Center was the usual unforgettable blowout, held right in their own showroom alongside Skaters, Cigarettes and MTIs, as well as the Redhead Yacht Club. The party included a primo dinner, an auction organized by Captain Ron Duggan, and live music, capped off with a tremendous fireworks display.

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10/11/18 12:22 AM

8 1 0 2Skaterfest The Douglas Marine crowd converges on Lake St. Clair to show what real muscle is all about.

by Todd

I

Taylor, Pete Boden and Ray Lee

n its seventh offering since its ago, was simply a way to gather his pizza and submarine sandwiches, free 2011 debut (with the exception of friends with Skaters to enjoy a week- event T-shirts and plenty of eye candy on

2017), Ron Szolack’s Skaterfest in Harrison Township, MI has grown to be bigger and better than ever before. With 43 Skater Powerboats and their crews in attendance enjoying near-perfect weather, the Douglas, Michigan builder had plenty of boats on Lake St. Clair to represent its illustrious array of beautiful, high-performance catamarans.

What Szolack started nearly a decade

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end together on the waters of Michigan, inviting anyone from anywhere to bring their Skater and attend his “house party.”

Since then, it has outgrown his private residence and was moved this year to the spacious surroundings of Lake St. Clair Metropark. Complete with a wide, multi-lane launch ramp, plenty of dock space reserved for Skaterfest guests, and covered picnic areas, Ron greeted his Friday arrival guests with offerings of

and around the docks.

“The first year was just 10-12 boats with my friends that had Skaters for a little local fun run. It’s grown so big now that I could no longer park 40 boats in my backyard,” Szolack admits.

The Saturday run casually started around 11 a.m. out of Metro Beach, ran up to the Ambassador Bridge in downtown Detroit for a group photo, and then all the way up into the city speedboat.com

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Below: Don Doty (near lane) in his 426 Skater drives alongside Todd Fountain in his 46-footer, Tomcat.

Right: Shelby Township, MI-based Tom McCullister’s mutli-colored 32'.

Bottom: Cole Leibel brought his 388 Skater, Dirty Duck, powered by Mercury Racing 1350s.

of St. Clair, where the fleet was hosted (again by Szolack) to a fully catered Mexican lunch at Pepper Joe’s—where Ron reserved the entire restaurant exclusively for his fellow Skaterfesters.

“The entire run is about 120 miles, round-trip. So, that’s about an hour’s ride for us!” said Ron, jokingly.

Saturday evening’s banquet was hosted (again by Szolack) at the WaterMark Bar & Grille in St. Clair Shores, where attendees congregated to eat, drink and talk “Skater.”

“My favorite part is just hanging out with everybody—either on the docks or at the banquet, talking boats… I don’t even really care about the run. I just want to hangout with all the people,” proclaimed Szolack.

Next year’s Skaterfest has already been scheduled for Aug. 9-10, 2019.

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2018 Skaterfest Below: Ron Szolack’s custom 388 Skater with Mercury Racing 1100 engines. The boat was widened 13 inches to accommodate seating for eight passengers.

Above: Phil Mahrew of Belle River, Ontario, Canada, in his exquisitely painted 368 Skater.

Below: Here’s a captivating group photo of “the Skater Chicks,” only two of whom were brave enough to pose without shades. Can you spot them?

Below: The Skater fleet takes a lunch stop at Pepper Joe’s, located on the banks of the Pine River in beautiful St. Clair, MI.

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Bryan Dybing’s 30' Skater is powered by twin Mercury Racing 300 outboards.

Right: Skater guru Peter Hledin and Skaterfest founder and organizer Ron Szolack host their loyal family to a memorable dinner at the Watermark Restaurant.

Left: The Wisconsin-based 438 Skater Rockette is powered by twin Mercury Racing 1550 engines.

Above: Katie Hoelscher of Buffalo, NY, in her 32' Skater, Team Douglas.

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BIG CATpoker run Dozens of muscleboats head to Discovery Bay, California, for an afternoon of fun, sun and cards.

photography by Erick

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Left: Bobby Griffith’s Lavey Craft 2750 Poker Run Edition.

Below: Todd Welling and Tom Lyons in their Skaters run alongside Mark Cooper in his DCB F32 (near lane).

P

resented by Teague Custom Marine and Colledgewood, the Big Cat Poker Run is the muscleboat event in

Northern California, drawing bigmuscle catamarans and vee-bottoms from all over the state and surrounding states. Launched in 2000, it has become one of the year’s most anticipated gatherings, taking participants on a boating adventure from the unique waterfront community of Discovery Bay to Pittsburg and Stockton, CA, and through California Delta, before returning to Discovery Bay, located about 60 miles from San Francisco. The event raises thousands of dollars for local charities every year.

More than 80 boats participated in this year’s poker run, and more than $67,000 was raised for charity. “It’s a very unique run,” says Glenn Hoffman, president of the local Lions Club, which produces the event. “We had folks come from all directions, and we had a lot of new people this year as well, which was nice.”

Big Cat enjoyed one critical change of venue for 2018, and according to Hoffman, it was an overwhelmingly positive experience.

“Hats off to our friends over at the Pittsburg Marina,” he says. “Former racer Van DePiero is the harbor master there, and he opened up his marina to us. We’ve got a commitment from Van that will be doing that again next year. Also, the neighboring restaurants and bars really accommodated us.”

Bob Teague brought his brand-new DCB M31 to Big Cat, as well as his 44' Skater to what Hoffman describes as the power guru’s favorite poker run. “This is home week for him,” Hoffman says. “All of his longtime friends are all right here.”

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Big Cat Poker Run Below: Event sponsors Gary and Roe Colledge with Bob Teague of Teague Custom Marine (center).

Above: Larry and Sharon Kramer’s 388 Skater is powered by twin TCM 1200 EFI engines.

Right: Travis and Summer Richardson with Bree London in their 377 Talon, Swoop Motorsports.

Left: Jennifer Sellers and crew in her Donzi 18’ Classic, Dippin. .Below: Sean and Molly Moore of Cave Creek, AZ, pilot their Fountain (near lane); they also own the Skater known as Lick This. In the far lane is the Scarab Second Chance owned

by Sarkis “Saco” Ulekyan of Burbank, CA.

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Below: Rob Storelee in his 32’ Skater, Full Coverage.

Above: From left: Leianne Graves, Tory Golden, Monique “Giggle Box” Griffin, Tina Milani, Michelle Resendes and Christina Resendiz Hoffman.

Above: Rick Bowling in his 28’ Skater, Gone Again.

Left: Bob Teague and family in their 44’ Skater, Roving Gambler.

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OBSERVER’S SEAT RAY LEE [Continued from page 10] this year. Also, the after-effects of the weeklong storms brought crosswinds across the course and left the waters confused. Not to mention, it seemed that no single boat could rival the odds-on favorite for “Top Gun 2018”–the quad engine, 9,000 hp, 51’ Mystic known as American Ethanol.

But that didn’t mean there was any lack of action. For the vee-bottoms, 2018 Shootouts Hall of Fame inductee Dennis Parvey, along with his son Jason, ran their 43’ Black Thunder to 153 mph, before tapping out for safety reasons, due to uncertain water conditions. DCB co-owner Tony Chiaramonte, piloting

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Speedboat co-publisher Ray Lee (left) with the winning American Ethanol team.

Shawn Gibson’s beautiful new DCB M35 catamaran with twin Mercury Racing 1550s, that we had tested only days

before, recorded an impressive 168 mph on the shortened ¾-mile course. With that pass, Chiaramonte secured the second-fastest run of the Shootouts.

Second only to: Yep. You guessed it…

American Ethanol!

Mystic company owner and Shootouts Hall of Famer John Cosker, along with driver Tony Battiato, made three passes in the 51’ canopied catamaran. Attempting to best their 2017 “Top Gun” pass of 204 mph, the team didn’t succeed, but they also did not fail.

They TIED! Their first run was recorded at 189 mph, which was slowed mid-track by an unsecured canopy hatch. Their second pass went better but fell a bit short at 198 mph. Their third and final pass was radared at 204 mph; the same exact speed as their top pass in 2017. Unfortunate really, because they were well on their way to beating that mark until a broken blower belt prevented a higher speed and the so the team ultimately decided to put boat back on the trailer for the rest of the event. But that number was good enough to award the team their fourth consecutive “Top Gun” title at the 2018 Lake of the Ozarks Shootouts.

I caught up with Team owner Don Onken of Onken Racing and asked him if he was happy with the overall outcome.

He said, “well… I guess I’m happy. But I’m NOT satisfied!”

Congratulations on the “four-peat” to Team American Ethanol and Onken Racing!

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TEAGUE ON TECH

[Continued from page 10]

BOB TEAGUE Hi, Jason. Unfortunately, there is really no way to put aerators on a Bravo Drive. Aerators are designed to be used on drives with surfacing propellers.

We make them for Mercury Racing IV, V, M6, and M8 drives.

We also make them for the Indy drive.

Normally, depending on the application, drives with surfacing propellers are installed at a height that results in about one-half of the propeller in the water when the boat is under way. Most performance catamarans have the prop shafts a little higher than vee-bottoms.

The aerator incorporates a tube on the underside of the cavitation plate that is positioned so the leading edge of the propeller sweeps behind it close enough to draw air into the propeller. The cavitation plates on Mercury Racing M6 and M8 drives are hollow. Because of this, a hole is cut in the top of the cavitation plate and a mount is installed that has the hose connected to it that extends above the water line when the boat is at rest. When the drive is placed in forward gear, even at idle, air is pulled down the hose and into the propeller causing it to slip more. This is beneficial for getting the boat on plane as well as easier shifting and handling around the docks. Once the boat is on plane, the aerator is no longer in effect except if extremely rough conditions when the boat lands and buries the drives. In this case, aerators help take the load off the propeller and engine and result in a quicker recovery.

Aerators are especially beneficial on higher powered boats that have higher gears and high pitch propellers. In use, aerators sort of create the affect of shifting gears as the boat goes on plane.

Aerators are almost a necessity on boats with turbocharged engines because it allows the engine to get up to RPM quicker which results in the turbochargers being able to spool up. speedboat.com

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The effectiveness of the aerator can be adjusted by how close the tube on the under side is to the leading edge of the propeller. For maximum effectiveness, the tube should be about 1/4� from the

propeller. If the aerators are working “too good,� you can increase this distance for the desired effect.

The photos show the typical installation on a Mercury Racing M6 drive.

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10/10/18 10:36 PM

DISASTER s e k i r t S Idaho’s famous Thunder on the Snake competition requires turbine-powered jetboats to negotiate rapid waters at nail-biting speeds.

Stor by Brett Bayne Story Photos by Jeannette Mignerey-Klobetanz

Above: Unnatural Disaster, with Gord Humphrey (D) and Wayne McGeachy (N) took first place in Unlimited Class as well as the overall win.

The boat reached speeds of 150+ mph.

Right: A Class competitors Tracy Popham (D) and Mark Wilson (N) won their class with a time of 1:51. Popham has navigated for the past couple of years; this was his first time driving his own boat on the Snake River.

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T

he 8th Annual Thunder on the Snake race was an Unnatural Disaster for driver Gord Humphrey and navigator Wayne McGeachy, both of British Columbia, Canada. The pair took first place in Unlimited Class, and were the overall winners, driving their “disastrously” named machine in the famous twoday jetboat competition held on the Snake River in Idaho’s LewistonClarkston Valley.

Humphrey was the overall winner in the jetboat World Championship races held in Canada in 2011, and the overall winner in 2014’s World Championship race in Mexico. The team reached speeds of over 150 mph in this year’s bout, achieving an overall time of 1 hour, 17 minutes.

That was barely a half-minute average over second-place Unlimited class finishers Ryan Rogers (driver) and Larry Keats (navigator) in Pure Insanity. Rogers, the organizer and one of the sponsors of this race, won the 2012 overall World Championship and is a top U.S. racer—he’s been racing since he was 18 years old.

Top: Pure Insanity, with Ryan Rogers (D) and Larry Keats (N) took second in Unlimited class. Ryan is the organizer and one of the sponsors of Thunder on the Snake. Their time was 1:18.

Left: Chad Burns (D) and Nick Crews (N) of Peace River, Canada, finished in third place in Unlimited class with a time of 1:22. Their boat is called Bad Habit.

Above: Jake Barney (D) and Jared Lutes (N) in Never Satisfied had to be satisfied with a second-place finish in A Class.

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Left: Continuing the “satisfaction” theme: Shawn Flamengo (D) and Erin Soward (N) in Always Satisfied were third place in A Class.

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Disaster Strikes

Above: CX Class winners Cameron Moore (D) and Todd Allen (N) of New Zealand finished with a time of 1:48. Moore started racing in the U.S. in 2016 during the World Jet Boat Races.

Above: Burning Desire, with Tim Harding (D) and Vance Scott (N) finished second in CX Class with a time of 1:55.

Below: Riley Stouffer (D) and Jeremy Hund (N) of Lewiston, ID, were the third-place finishers in CX Class with a time of 1:59 in Rock Bottom.

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Meanwhile, in A class, Tracy Popham grabbed the trophy driving his Top Gun boat with navigator Mark Wilson, both of Clarkston, WA. Popham has navigated for the past couple of years; this is his first time driving his own boat on the Snake River. The team’s overall time was 1 hour 51 minutes.

CX Class action got a bit hairy when Leighton Lillie (driver) and Cody Holzer (navigator), both of Lewiston, ID, wrecked their #27 boat downriver during Saturday morning’s first day of racing. Both men were airlifted to St. Joseph’s Medical Center, and have since fully recovered. First place in the class was captured by driver Cameron Moore and navigator Todd Allen of New Zealand.

FX class competitors Adam Steffes (driver) and Justin Kelly (navigator) in Know Idea won first place, while Cub class was won by driver Mark Moog and navigator Corey Kelly. All are from Lewiston, ID.

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GPS 100 1st place winner top: Alan Asbe and his Pathologicole flat (near lane) goes up against Ralph Richardson’s Liquid Addiction. The #4 qualifier,

Left: Know Idea, with driver Adam Steffes and navigator Justin Kelly (both of Lewiston, ID), took the winner’s trophy in FX Class. The pair finished with a time of 1 hour, 51 minutes. Steffes is famous for being a very consistent racer.

Above right: Rump Shaker, with driver Chuck Thompson and navigator Mike Albright (both of Lewiston, ID), took second place in FX Class with a time of 1 hour, 55 minutes.

Right: Driver John Howell and his navigator, daughter Megan Howell, were third in FX Class driving their green machine, Shameless.

Left: Driver Mark Moog and navigator Corey Kelly of Lewiston, ID, were the first-place finishers in Club class with a speed of 2:36.

Bottom left: Coming in second in Club class were Kody Portock (D) and Ashley Geis (N) of Meridian, ID. Below: Driver Beau Value and navigator Rob Kirsch of McCall, ID, finished third in Club class.

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Mike

Fall Classic

National Jet Boat Association competitors get crazy on Lake Ming during the fourth race of the 2018 season.

Story and photography by Mark

McLaughlin

Above: Quick Eliminators or the 6.00 second class had a field of 15 machines. All the way from Eugene, OR, Craig Collett (near lane) tore up the course going low 6’s all weekend and taking home the prize away from the California guys. Collett is shown here overtaking Jason Silva in round 2 of eliminations on Sunday.

Right: With the Largest class of Blown Gas Flats at any course in the nation for over a decade, this race had a little more incentive than usual. The Westerfield Motorsports team put up a purse for the class and 12 entries showed up. The #1 qualifier and top dog in the class so far this year, Jim Shelton was ousted in the finals by none other than Shane Westerfield, the #2 qualifier.

Westerfield is shown here (near lane) qualifying up against Craig Lucas.

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Right: Pro Comp Flats had a very competitive group of nine boats in the class. Tom Fulkerson (near lane) took home the win; he’s shown here qualifying alongside Kelly Asbe who went only one round on elimination day.

T

he National Jet Boat Association’s fourth race of the 2018 season was the annual Mike Fry Fall Classic, at

which 108 boats registered to race in the great weather in Bakersfeld, CA. Super Eliminator boasted a field of 18 boats. The winner would have to go five rounds to take home the cash purse in the largest class of the weekend. It all came down to Ben Wurster and Alan Asbe in the finals, with Wurster taking home the win.

Pro Gas Hydro owner Danny Day inserted Josh Hayden into his capsule machine, and Josh ran uncontested for the win in the class.

In Pro Eliminator—the 8.00-second class— it was Matt Hudson vs. Tom Lagomarsino in a one-round winner-take-all for the win. The winner? It was Mr. Hudson. Meanwhile, the 7.00 bracket class had been a bit dormant for a while—until this weekend, when Blake Thurlow ran by himself to the victory.

Stock Eliminator, the 11.00 second class, was also a two-boat field, with Tara Scribner taking the win over Vince Curtis, a newcomer in the class.

Pro Gas Jet finalists Arek Strohmenger and Kjell Adams also a two-boat field and final, with the win going to Strohmenger.

Pro Mods paired up #1 qualifier and newcomer to the class, Kevin Cornelius, going up against Ryan Baxter. The win went to the veteran driver, Baxter.

The NJBA Roger Roadstrom Season Finals will occur on Lake Ming Nov. 17-18. speedboat.com

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Mike FRY Memorial Race

Above and right: Lance Gilbert was the winner in Modified Eliminator in If Looks Could Kill.

Above and left: Matt Hudson of Escalon, CA, was the winner in Pro Eliminator, driving Notorious One.

Bottoms Up, driven by Ryan Baxter, was victorious in Pro Mod.

The appropriately named Black Boat came in first place in Pro Gas Hydro for driver Danny Day of Salinas, CA.

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Below: Pro Gas Jet competitor Arek Strohmenger was the victor driving Guess Who’s Back.

Above and right: The Top Eliminator trophy went to Aggravated Assault, driven by Scot Tillinghast of Orangevale, CA.

Below and right: Ben Wurster in the #710 machine (near lane) was the winner in Super Eliminator.

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Mike FRY Memorial Race The Mike Fry Memorial would be not forgotten this weekend as brother, and announcer, Jeff Fry, put on a lifeline jacket and went for a Memorial ride with Tony Scarlata in the Spooky Blown Gas Flat machine. When the crowd got silent, Tony took off from the holding rope, made a left turn out of the course and proceeded cruising down the beach as both driver and tearful Jeff waved at the crowd. A standing ovation for the tribute brought a tear to everyone’s eyes. A moment to remember forever!

We miss you, Mike.

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Lake of the Ozarks Poker Run [Continued from page 54] Right: Speedboat co-publisher Ray Lee and photographer Todd Taylor pose with Fountain Powerboats founder Reggie Fountain. their class over a course measuring 3/4 of a mile. Among the highlights: • Shawn Gibson’s DCB M35 Top Secret, powered by twin Mercury Racing 1550s, made quite the splash, clocking a blistering speed of 168 mph. The boat was driven by Tony Chiaramonte of DCB Performance Boats.

• Rusty Rahm in Wake Effects, a 48’ MTI (see Page 29), ran alongside a bi-plane in a drag race that really dazzled the event’s thousands of spectators; Rahm’s top Shootout speed was 151 mph.

• The father/daughter duo of Taylor and Randy Scism recorded a top speed of 116 mph in their outboard-powered MTI 340X. “I thought it went extremely well,” event organizer “Captain Ron” Duggan told Speedboat. “It was very smooth, and all of the events were very well attended.

Our goal was to raise $250,000 this year, and I believe we might have surpassed that.”

The Shootout event raises cash for more than 35 organizations, including several fire departments and nonprofit organizations around the Lake of the Ozarks, including the Elks Club, Kiwanis International, Rotary Club and Habitat for Humanity. “There are all kinds of clubs who help put this on,” Duggan said.

The only flies in the ointment this year were a couple of ill-timed weather situations. “It was a little windy the first day of the Shootout,” Duggan said. “A cross wind about halfway down the course came through a cove, and that kept some of the speeds down. It slowed some guys down a bit. On Friday, we had a wonderful poker run with 92 boats. It was raining, but everybody still participated and had a great time.”

He added: “There’s not much we can do about the weather—that’s controlled by a little higher authority than me.”

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