XINSURANCE South Scores A Pro Class 1 Resource

The new manager of the XINSURANCE South Pro Class 1 program, TJ Rand brings heady credentials to his role. Not many folks can say they worked alongside world-renowned crew chief Gary Stray and Class 1 throttling great Steve Curtis, as well as throttleman John Tomlinson. But that’s exactly what Rand, who is 34 years old and lives on Florida’s eastern shore, had been doing for the last four years before has recruited to join the first-year Pro Class 1 team that includes throttleman Bill Pyburn and driver Brit Lilly.

Now Rand works alongside Dirty Money crew chief Bobby Adams, who lead the team to a Super Cat-class world championship in 2024, at the outfit’s headquarters in Stuart, Fla.

“It was really cool to work with Gary and Steve—they are some of the best in their craft in the world,” said Rand. “I learned so much from those two. I have nothing but high praise for them and the entire experience.”

On Wednesday, the XINSURANCE South Pro Class 1 team tested their new-to-them 45-foot Victory catamaran for the first time. Other than driver Brit Lilly, Rand was on the only in the group on hand with Class 1 experience. The day could not have gone better, and it left everyone involved eager to test more and, come mid-May, kick off the Pro Class 1 season in Cocoa Beach, Fla.

“It’s unusual for a boat to have no problems the first time out, but it was flawless,” said Rand. “It did exactly what it was supposed to do.”

Following the test session, the crew began “completely gutting,” in the words of Pyburn, the 45-footer. A trio of MoTeC technicians currently are fabricating an entire new wiring harness for the cat. Though the team has a brand-new set of class-spec Mercury Racing 1100 engines, the engines used in the test session will be reinstalled so practice can continue in the near future.

Pyburn described Rand as “a calming influence” for the team.

“TJ brings a wealth of knowledge,” he said. “Like Bobby, all he needed to thrive was a chance to get out on his own.”

Added Rand, who is delighted with his new role, “Bill believes in testing—he wants to test the boat as much as possible before the season. He told us the other day, ‘Don’t be surprised if we’re testing offshore at the season-opener in Cocoa Beach.”

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Source: https://www.powerboatnation.com/xinsurance-south-scores-a-pro-class-1-resource/