Hours after his throttleman and crew chief, Grant Bruggeman, had left the Thunder on Cocoa Beach offshore powerboat race a couple of weeks back, Wayne Valder, the owner of the 42-foot MTI catamaran, Valder Yachts/Pro Floors Racing, called out the race winners, Tyler Miller and Myrick Coil of the Monster Energy/M CON team. At the […]
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As turnarounds between offshore powerboat races go, two weeks is tight, particularly for teams that have any significant repair work to do. But that’s exactly the challenge competitors who competed last weekend in Cocoa Beach, Fla., will face ahead of the LOTO Powerfest races, June 1-2, at the Lake of the Ozarks in Central, Mo. […]
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In the highly anticipated, season-opening Class 1 World Championships Series competition at the Thunder On Cocoa Beach offshore powerboat race Sunday, owner/driver Darren Nicholson and throttleman Giovanni Carpitella looked to have everything in control in their 47-foot Victory catamaran, 222 Offshore Australia. They had qualified on the pole and took the lead as soon as […]
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Offshore racing fans will have to wait at least until the Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix, June 30-July, in Southwest Florida to see Sudrheim Offshore Racing in Class 1 action. The Norway-based team has been working on its 43-foot Victory catamaran at its United States facility in Florida, but the boat won’t be ready in time […]
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While MTI is enjoying its 25th anniversary this year, the Wentzville, Mo., company is continuing to make history. Time doesn’t stop with milestones. Case in point? The entry of Nick Imprescia and Ian Morgan in the 450R Factory Stock class in a 390XR catamaran powered by twin Mercury Racing 450R outboard engines. Coming to Thunder […]
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Although the defending 450R Factory Stock-class champion TS Motorsports team did not originally have this weekend’s Thunder On Cocoa Beach race (May 18-21) on its calendar due to a conflicting event, the MTI factory-ran team is going to have its 39-foot canopied catamaran powered by twin Mercury Racing 450R engines at the second race of […]
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When the 65 offshore powerboat racing teams and fans in Marathon, Fla., awoke this morning they were greeted by an ominous message: “Tornado watch for the Southern Keys.” The inaugural 7-Mile Offshore Grand Prix proved that no matter how much we prepare, Mother Nature is still in charge. Photos by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 […]
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For close to five months, the team at Shaun Torrente Racing in Southwest Florida has been working around the clock to get its 32-foot canopied MTI catamaran, which is sponsored by CMR Construction and Roofing, Raymarine, Dewald Propellers and more, ready for this weekend’s first race of the Super Stock season in Marathon, Fla. Introducing […]
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A frequent contributor to speedonthewater.com, Speedboat magazine and even Mercury Racing for marketing and media images, photographer Tom Leigh of Tommy Gun Images in Lake Havasu City, Ariz., has built his reputation on capturing outstanding shots of high-performance catamarans, center consoles and V-bottom sportboats. Though the affable, easygoing shooter is best known for his photos […]
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Taking nothing for granted, defending 450R Factory Stock-class world and national champions Taylor Scism and John Tomlinson of the TS Motorsports team recently capped two months of testing and practice in advance of the season-opening 7 Mile Grand Prix, April 28-30, in Marathon, Fla. Most recently—as in the last week—Scism and Tomlinson completed a 25-lap […]
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For the first three days this week, Doug Wright Powerboats commanded the hallowed waters of Lake X, the historic Mercury Racing testing facility in St. Cloud, Fla. Veteran offshore racing throttleman Ricky Maldonado practiced on a buoy course with Logan Adan, his 17-year-old rookie driver, in a 38-foot 450R Factory Stock-class Doug Wright catamaran that […]
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Offshore racers in the thriving Mod-V and still-growing 450R Factory Stock classes will have more than bragging rights to compete for in the 2023 American Power Boat Association Offshore National Championship Series thanks to a backer who prefers to remain “anonymous.” That’s the word from Larry Bleil, the head of Key West, Fla.-based Race World […]
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From the day we came up with our In The Lead documentary-style video series concept, MTI founder Randy Scism was on our short list of subjects. But it took until our second season in 2022—with support from primary backer Mercury Racing as well as MYCO Trailers, CP Performance, Hamilton Marine Finance, Hardin Marine, Bluave Marine […]
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No stranger to success in Key West, Fla., veteran offshore powerboat racing throttleman John Tomlinson departed the place last November with a couple of titles to his credit. Tomlinson claimed a Union International Motonautique world championship in the 450R Factory Stock title with Taylor Scism, his TS Motorsports teammate, in an MTI 390XR catamaran. He […]
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Though offshore powerboat racers and their fans tend to focus on what’s on top of the water in the Florida Keys, there’s a whole lot more going on beneath it. That gave Larry Bleil, the president of Key West, Fla.-based Race World Offshore, an idea for his outfit’s season-opening 7 Mile Grand Prix, April 28-30, […]
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Some of the biggest, baddest and brightest boats from Marine Technology Inc., in Wentzville, Mo., showed up for the 2023 MTI Owners Fun Run in the Florida Keys this week, and once again the voyage to and from Hawks Cay Resort on Duck Key was applauded by those who were part of the fun. The […]
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Starting tomorrow afternoon, locals in the Middle Florida Keys likely will notice an influx of striking MTI catamarans and center consoles—45 of them to be precise. That’s because the Wentzville, Mo.-based company is hosting its eighth annual Owners Run to the Florida Keys, which will take over the Hawk’s Cay Resort on Duck Key this […]
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Here is a poorly kept secret: Most high-performance powerboat builders don’t love running boats out of the Venetian Yacht Club and Marina—formerly Sea Isle Marina—during the Miami International Boat Show, which closed last Sunday. Ripping current and tide, tight quarters and manatees often around the docks make for a demo-ride nightmare. Except the when show […]
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If an Outboard Performance Class tunnel-boat pilot, a Class 1 throttleman and a Super Stock-class driver walked into a bar at the end of a long day, what would they have in common other than being powerboat racers in need of a stiff drink? Simple—all three compete using nothing but Mercury Racing power. Both Super […]
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Just two offshore racing seasons ago, Taylor Scism was a novice driver in an exhibition class. Now she and throttleman John Tomlinson are the 2022 American Power Boat Association national champions and Union Internationale Motonautique world champions in the 450R Factory Stock class she spearheaded in the first canopied MTI 390XR catamaran powered by Mercury […]
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