WHM Wins Overall in 30th Annual Key West World Championship Event
KEY WEST, FL (November 16, 2010) – Super Boat International hosted one of the best World Championships ever with 54 boats competing in three days of racing. Taking the overall victory was multi-time world champion WHM Motorsports. Driver, Billy Mauff and Throttleman, Jay Mueller took top honors while other World Champions were earning their place in history in other Vee-bottom and Super Cat classes.
Super Boat International celebrated the 30th running of the famed event with an under current of nostalgia along with the excitement of things to come. Owner and founder of Super Boat, John Carbonell, reflected on the world’s most recognized offshore event. “This year meant a lot to me and, I believe, to the racing community. This event had record crowds arriving early in the week and staying all the way through Sunday (14th). It’s a true testament to those teams who race with us all yearlong and also to those who save money to come race here and take part in our week-long festivities. These are difficult economic times and, with the turnout we had here and the number of boats and sold-out hotels all the way up the keys… it just couldn’t have been any better.” Carbonell continues, “We had a lot of old racers walking the pits and talking with some new first-time teams making their first championship race. Our 30th Annual Program highlighted some of those heroes of the past and brought back a lot of memories. This race was great for me to remember the past, but also be excited about what’s in-store next. We will be coming out very soon with the 2011 schedule and next year should be even better.”
This tag line for Key West is always the same and it was repeated many times by winning teams. Bob Teague was clear, “[To be the best… you have to win in Key West.] It was frantic and full throttle, Stihl Racing is well prepared, they have a great boat and they made sure we had our A game going.” Teague, Owner and Throttleman of Super Cat winner Team Amsoil, says of the Key West event, “It’s the race of races and everyone pays attention to it.”
Many teams had a successful week, while others fought through mechanical breakdowns to stay in the races and some fought just to stay in their boat. Super Boat’s National Medical and Safety Staff was called into action a couple times this week and showed everyone how their experience paid off. The SBI medical staff deployed rescue divers to work with disabled boats and found it necessary to send a few racers to the local hospital with minor injuries from mishaps on the course.
Team Boat Show Direct in the Super Boat Vee Extreme class, owner Joe Lamberti, exclaimed it was a victory but not without lots of help and only a couple hours rest. ”We thrashed through the night until about 2:00 am getting the boat ready for today’s race. We had electrical issues, motor issues and various other issues, but we hammered it out last night and, if it weren’t for Peter Meyer, we wouldn’t have engines. He (Meyer) loaned us a motor to give us a chance to win. Peter couldn’t make it because of health issues but he sent his whole team and boat here to race and, if it weren’t him, we couldn’t have won.”
Other 30th Annual World Champions include: Superboat Unlimited (Cintron), Superboat Vee Unlimited (Team Instigator), Turbine (Aqua Mania), Superboat 850 (CRC), Superboat Vee Limited (Typhoon), Superboat Stock (Talbot Excavating), P1 (Twisted Metal), P2 (Hawaiian Tropic), P3 (J&S Motor sports), P4 (Simmons Racing) and P5 (Rum Runners).
Super Boat is excited to produce the biggest and most recognized offshore racing championship event in the world. With VIP guests from Japan, Great Britain and other international teams competing… this is truly an international event. Super Boat International is the most recognized offshore race organization and produced more offshore race events in 2010 than any other racing organization in the world.
During the World Championship Awards ceremony, Super Boat presented the most coveted award, The Golden Eagle Award, to Team Instigator. This award recognizes a team’s or individual’s generosity, involvement and commitment to Super Boat Racing. WHM received the First Place Overall Award for completing all laps with the time and average speed. Team Warpaint received the Kevin Brown Award for sportsmanship. Two teams received the Triple Crown Award, Team Instigator and Simmons Racing, for winning all the Florida races and the National Championship and World Championships in the same year.
Super Boat is the premier sanctioning body of offshore powerboat racing. The Super Boat National Points season runs April through November and the final race of the year is the Key West World Championships. National races take place in Miami, FL; Sarasota, FL; Michigan City, IN; Cocoa Beach, FL; New York, NY; Morehead City, NC; and the National Series Championship event is in Clearwater Beach, FL. This schedule enables Super Boat International to claim the largest and the best schedule of offshore Super Boat racing around the world.
