Super Stock CELSIUS Team Notches Strong Post-Repair Test Session

Offshore racing fans who watched the 2024 Race World Offshore Key West World Championships in person or via livestream likely recall the Super Stock-class CELSIUS team’s roll during the Friday contest. Team owner/driver Chris Hopgood and throttleman Jay Muller entered final turn on the final lap holding third place, but thanks to a roll-over incident they didn’t exit it.

The CELSIUS team was holding third place until rolling in the final turn on the final lap of the Friday race during the 2024 Race World Offshore Key West World Championships. Photo by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

Neither Hopgood nor Muller were seriously injured. The 32-foot canopied catamaran, however, required carbon-fiber repair and lifting-eye replacement, which was handled at Grant’s Signature Racing in Bradenton, Fla. The rigging shop also had to replace its bucket seats, harnesses and belts. And the electronic control modules for the cat’s twin Mercury 300R outboard engines needed updating.

Hopgood and Muller tested the repaired raceboat yesterday on Sarasota Bay.

“Testing went very well,” said Hopgood, who plans to run a full Super Stock-class season with Muller. “We want to make sure everything was OK with the boat after Key West, and we worked on a bunch of setups.”

“We have our work cut out for ourselves but feel very good going into 2025,” he added. “The boat and team are there. Now it’s up to us to make it happen on the course.”