The 2016 offshore powerboat racing season came to a close in Clearwater, Florida, at the Super Boat National Championships on the weekend of September 30 through October 2. Marine Technologies Inc. continued its hold on the championships in the Superboat Unlimited class when throttleman Jeff Harris and driver Rusty Rahm took a conservative approach, finishing third, but that was good enough for the 2016 national championship in Rahm’s rookie campaign.
In the Superboat class, throttleman John Tomlinson and driver Myrick Coil in the 38′ Skater, Performance Boat Center, knew they had to finish behind owner/driver Billy Mauff and throttleman Jay Muller in the 40′ Skater, WHM Motorsports, to claim the title. Performance Boat Center got pushed out at the start, which led to the 38′ Skater, Cleveland Construction, taking the win in the season finale for the second straight year, but Performance Boat Center took the national title and the coveted US-1 heading into the upcoming world championships in November in Key West, Florida.
In the Superboat Extreme class, Peter Meyer and Johnny Stanch ran unopposed for most of the season in their 40′ Fountain, AMH Construction-Instigator. The team took a conservative approach in Clearwater to clinch the national title.
One of the most competitive classes all season, Superboat Vee came down to Clearwater, and Brit Lilly of Millersville, Maryland, and Ron Umlandt, of Severna Park, Maryland, took the approach of finishing every race of the season on the podium to claim the national title in their 30′ Extreme, LSB Racing. Steve Miklos won the race in his high-tech 30′ Extreme, Sun Print, and should be tough in Key West.
In the Superboat Stock Class, Gary Ballough and Jimmie Harrison continued their winning ways in Ballough’s 32′ Doug Wright, FJ Propeller, that was powered by twin Mercury Racing 300 XS outboards. After placing second at the season opener in Cocoa Beach, Florida, the team won every subsequent race en route to the championship.
In Manufacturer’s Production 3, the 32′ Spectre, 2nd Amendment, took the checkered flag, but the 38′ Fountain, The Developer, claimed the national honors. In Production 4, Two Cruel won the battle in Clearwater, but Team Raven claimed the championship for the 2016 season.
