Major Changes Ahead For Former Pothole Heroes Class 1 Team

The crew chief for Huski and Pothole Heroes Class 1 offshore racing teams for the past four seasons, Gary Stray had hoped to have a 45-foot Victory-built catamaran to renovate and re-rig for the Class 1 offshore racing season months ago as the Powerboat P1-produced series kicks off this month in Cocoa Beach, Fla. The 45-footer formerly ran under the Abu Dhabi team banner, and Stray planned to have it ready for owner/driver Carlos de Quesada and throttleman John Tomlinson this season—of the former Pothole Heroes team—who will have new sponsor this year.

Though it will sport the graphics of its soon-to-be-announced new sponsor, the former Pothole Heroes boat will be in Class 1 mix at the season-opener Cocoa Beach, Fla. Photo by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

But due to the current conflict in the Middle East, he explained, shipping out of the region has been significantly disrupted. Now the boat is slated to arrive in the United States in June. Once it clears customs, it will be hauled to Stray’s Super Cat Rigging shop in Riviera Beach, Fla.

“This boat is a little shorter than the other Victory boats, which have an overall length of 47 feet,” Stray explained. “It also has a different tunnel and a different deck shape—it really is quite different from the other Victory cats. It needs quite a bit of work, but we want to take it, refine it and make it into a winner.”

Renovating and re-rigging of the 45-footer with Mercury Racing 1100 Comp engines will take time. Stray is hoping to have it ready for the Race World Offshore Key West World Championships in early November.

“I am going to push hard and try to get it done for Key West,” he said. “Carlos loves boat racing and that is his favorite time of year. But it definitely will be ready for the 2025 season.

The former Class 1 Abu Dhabi team catamaran should arrive in the United States by June. Photo courtesy Gary Stray.

In the meantime, the team will use the same 47-footer de Quesada and Tomlinson campaigned last season—except that its owner won’t be in it for the season-opener as the dates conflicts with one of his automobile racing commitments in Europe. So the team will have a yet-to-be-announced replacement driver for the Cocoa Beach race.

“Carlos plans to make every race he can,” said Stray. “But there will be times when he can’t be there—he’s a very serious automobile racer—and someone else will take his place.”

Asked who that stand-in driver might be for Cocoa Beach and beyond, Stray said that information will be released ahead of the Cocoa Beach event.

“I’m really looking forward to starting the new season,” he added. “So are Carlos and Johnny. We have quite a bit going on and it’s all really exciting stuff.”

Captured here with engine-builder Jon Kasse, Carlos de Quesada (right) will make every Class 1 race his automobile racing schedule permits this season. Photo by Cole McGowan copyright Powerboat P1.