The 2016 Super Boat International national championships will be decided the last weekend of this month in Clearwater Beach, Florida, as the teams look to build momentum heading into the world championships in November.
In Superboat Unlimited, the Wake Effects team of driver Rusty Rahm and throttleman Jeff Harris in Bob Bull’s 48-foot MTI catamaran powered by twin Mercury Racing 1650s has the points lead as they ride an undefeated streak into the finale. Nigel Hook and Jay Johnson have taken the consistent approach in their 44-foot Silverhook V-bottom, Lucas Oil, and hold second place.
In Superboat Extreme, Peter Meyer’s AMH Construction-Instigator Fountain has run unopposed most of the season. The Superboat class, on the other hand, has had good competition between a pair of Skater catamarans powered by Sterling Performance engines. Throttleman John Tomlinson and driver Myrick Coil have won three of the season’s four races in their 38-foot Skater, Performance Boat Center. They’ve been chased hard all season by driver Billy Mauff and throttleman Jay Muller in the 40-foot Skater, WHM Motorsports, which won the recent race in Mentor, Ohio. Rookie driver Jake Noble and throttleman Grant Bruggeman sit third in points in the 38-foot Skater, Stihl, but they have opted to skip Clearwater to prepare for Key West.
After not finishing the first race of the season in Cocoa Beach, Gary Ballough and the FJ Propeller team have gone undefeated and sit in first place in Superboat Stock in their 32-foot Doug Wright catamaran. Ryan Beckley and his 30-foot Skater, Doubledge Motorsports, won that first race in Cocoa Beach and sit primed to challenge for the national title in second place.
Owner/driver Brit Lilly and throttleman Ron Umlandt hold first place in the Superboat Vee class, primarily because they are the only team that has attended every race in their 30-foot Extreme, LSB Racing. Steve Miklos and his fast 29-foot Extreme, Sunprint, have taken three checkered flags this season and sit in second place. The popular father-son team of Steve and Stephen Kildahl and their 30-foot Extreme, Boatflater.com, are in third.
In the Production classes, the 38-foot Fountain, The Developer, leads in points in P3, while Team Raven has a commanding hold of first place in P4.
The teams arrive at Coachman Park on September 30, and the races will take place Sunday, October 1, starting at noon. For more information, go to www.superboat.com.
