Good Boy Vodka’s Pratt Eager To Race In Key West For First Time In XINSURANCE MTI
<!–
Racing: Good Boy Vodka’s Pratt Eager To Race In Key West For First Time In XINSURANCE MTI
–>
He didn’t exactly call it a “dream come true,” but during my interview on Sunday afternoon with Alex Pratt, the beyond charming 28-year-old powerboat enthusiast who splits time between Florida and Michigan and has built an incredibly well-known vodka brand, Good Boy Vodka, which is dedicated to giving back to local animal shelters through its “Every Pour Helps A Pup” campaign, Pratt said he’s looking forward to hitting the course this week to compete against a formidable group of Class 1 offshore racing teams during the American Power Boat Association/Union Internationale Motonautique Offshore World Championships produced by Race World Offshore and presented by Performance Boat Center in Key West, Fla.
The Good Boy Vodka/XINSURANCE team of throttleman Alex Pratt and driver Miles Jennings got in some testing on Tuesday in Key West, Fla., ahead of this week’s Class 1 competition during the Offshore World Championships produced by Race World Offshore. Photo courtesy Parker Lindsey/XINSURANCE
Unfortunately, due to the weather-forced cancellation of Wednesday’s races in Key West, Pratt won’t get his first chance to officially compete on the famed liquid course until Friday when he and driver Miles Jennings battle the other Class 1 teams in their Good Boy Vodka/XINSURANCE MTI catamaran powered by twin Mercury Racing 1100 engines.
“I’m really looking forward to racing in Key West this year,” Pratt said. “I’ve been dreaming about racing here ever since I came down in a poker run boat several years ago. This is going to be an exciting week and our team is doing everything we can to be as prepared as we can be. As you know, we have some great people behind the team who are going to put Miles and I in the best position possible to do well out there.”
Pratt said beyond the race crew and the XINSURANCE team led by founder Rick J. Lindsey, that the team has received great support from outside vendors, including Mercury Racing, which delivered two sets of new No. 6 drives—four total—and a pair of new 1100 engines for spares, and Wilson Custom Marine, which blueprinted the drives for improved performance.
“We’ve received a tremendous amount of support so far this season and we hope to put on a great show to finish out the year,” said Pratt, who is also helping promote and organize the Boats and Boots concert featuring Eddie Montgomery, Brian Kelley and John Daly at the 3,000-plus-capacity Truman Amphitheater in Key West on Saturday, Nov. 12. Tickets can be purchased here.
The Good Boy Vodka/XINSURANCE team’s new pit setup is on display at the Truman Waterfront Race Village. Photo courtesy Alex Pratt
Pratt, who informed me that Good Boy Vodka recently signed a national distribution deal that will put the lifestyle brand in front of customers in all 50 states by the end of next year, said he wanted to let people know that Good Boy Vodka seltzers are available in most of the bars in Key West this week thanks to the new distributor.
“The Good Boy stuff is blowing up; it’s pretty cool,” he said. “We have 22 employees now and we’re just trying to keep up with demand. It’s crazy to think it’s only been a couple of years. Having a major distributor behind us now is super exciting.”
Maybe not as exhilarating as racing a 45-foot MTI alongside four other Class 1 boats on the 4.48-mile course in front of thousands of fans in Key West, but still pretty exciting.
Related stories
2022 Key West Poker Run And Offshore World Championships Coverage
New GBX Racing Pratt And Jennings Team To Finish Class 1 Season In MTI Catamaran
Class 1 Pivots For The Key West Worlds
Catching Up With Good Boy Vodka’s Pratt Before ‘Fox & Friends’ Appearance On Friday
Fireworks On The Water In Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix
Pratt And Jennings Notch First Practice Session In Class 1 345 Racing/XINSURANCE Raceboat
Pratt And Jennings Teaming Up In 345 Racing’s XINSURANCE-Sponsored Class 1 Boat
Leaving No Doubt: APBA National Championship Series Opens With A Bang In Cocoa Beach
Good Boy Vodka Preparing Huge Launch At Lake Of The Ozarks
Pratt Chasing 200-Plus MPH In New Turbine-Powered Good Boy Vodka Mystic
Performance Boating’s Next Generation: Catching Up With Alex Pratt
.
