Naples Poker Run Finds Low-Key Perfection

Located a little more than 100 miles northeast of Anchorage, Alaska, the tiny town of Glacier View celebrates July 4 by launching cars of a 300-foot cliff. Thousands of spectators from near and far—mostly far as Glacier View is home to just 209 souls— flock to a safe viewing area at the bottom of the cliff to enjoy the full day of automotive carnage.

Sadly, thanks to the erosion of said cliff created by the gleeful day of destruction, the event may never happen again.

Deep Impact 399 owner Brett Halper, John Wittenberg, friend Adam Frankel, the author and his sister enjoyed the entire low-key experience. Photos by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

The things. you learn in a lunch-line during a Florida Powerboat Club event. I picked up that precious gem yesterday waiting for barbecued chicken and brisket at an upscale RV park in Everglades City, Fla., during the club’s Naples Poker Run.

For the record, both Naples and Everglades are almost 5,000 miles from Glacier View.

The Angle of Attack Marine crew represented their brand in their typical joyful manner.

“Subarus are known to fly the farthest,” Tom Shaw, who arrived in Everglades City with friends on a red-and-white Cigarette 39 GTS center console, told me and my sister, Chris Hasty, as we waited to be served. “You really should go if you ever get the chance.”

He read my mind.

Insurance and finance Devin Wozencraft had a full boat for the day.

Until yesterday, my sister, who lives in Winter Springs, Fla., had never been on anything faster than a slow pontoon boat. She and our new friend Shaw were among the 150 guests in town for the 100-mile roundtrip run from Naples to Everglades City. The 34-boat fleet included a slew of center consoles, including our ride for the day, Brett Halper’s 399 Deep Impact with 2,000-hp worth of Mercury Racing outboard engines on its transom.

Outboard-powered catamarans, including the 151 Express raceboat piloted by Ian Morgan, not to be confused with (note to self) his best friend and throttleman Nick Imprescia, were equally abundant. A smattering of stern-drive V-bottoms and cats rounded out the balance boats in the mix.

Tom Shaw arrived in a 39 GTS center console from Cigarette Racing Team.

Though the Naples Poker Run was just the third event on the club’s 12-event schedule, it’s a lock to be the mellowest happening of the organization’s 2025 season. First, it was limited to just 35 boats as neither the Naples Hyatt House host-hotel docks nor Everglades Isle RV Park could handle much more.

Second, Naples is not a wild party town. Posh and exclusive with some of the most expensive real estate in Florida, yes. A place for loud would-be revelers to let their hair down in public, no.

But the club hadn’t produced a Naples event in 10 years, and perhaps because of that it attracted an eclectic group including the one and only Billy Glueck, an offshore racer and longtime beloved Sarasota local. Minus their leader Chris Richards, reportedly on the mend from a bout with Covid, the Angle Of Attack Marine crew brought their joyful act across the state from Miami. Devin Wozencraft ran his 34-foot Victory with friend and stalwart Florida Powerboat Club member Octavio Valdivia.

Enjoy more images in the slideshow above.

Between my sister and Adam Frankel, a friend of Halper’s who joined us on the way to Everglades City, it is impossible to say who had the better time yesterday. My guess is Frankel, who had never experienced a fast boat and rode back with Wozencraft in his 34-footer. A Wozencraft Insurance employee, Natalie Smith, gave up her seat in the cat for Frankel and joined us in the Deep Impact for the ride home.

And that was fine with her. First, she’s sure to ride in Wozencraft’s cat again. Second, her boyfriend John Wittenberger, the Florida Powerboat Club’s general manager, drove the 39-foot center console both ways.

I promised an adult portion of the world I cover to my sister, which she described as “an amazing subculture,” and I delivered. She departed Naples wide-eyed and full of questions.

But she came away with something more, something personal and priceless for both of us.

“I have been reading your stuff for 30 years,” she said. “Finally, I understand, at least a little, what you’re writing about.”

And we both smiled and laughed.