Clearwater National Championships- Victory for 77 Lucas Oil SilverHook
by Barbara Biers on 3 Oct 2013
77 Lucas Oil SilverHook in action Roderick Cox / SBI
http://superboat.com/
With a front page spread welcoming the team and knowing the National Championship was theirs for the taking, the 77 Lucas Oil SilverHook team arrived in Clearwater, FL to compete in the fifth Annual Bright House National and Florida Championships. The race weekend had the typical ups and downs but the team departed with the National Championship, which earned them a new name and they will be starting 2014 as the 01 Lucas Oil SilverHook.
There was plenty of action on the relatively flat course with 10-knot winds. Hulk Hogan joined Stan Lane, the voice of SBI, providing both live commentary and entertainment as the two former wrestlers compared notes about Stan’s world wrestling championships when he was a tag team specialist. We learned that Stan is best known as one-half of The Fabulous Ones, The Midnight Express, and The Heavenly Bodies.
The fastest boat of the day was the new 50' Mystic Turbine, 96 Spirit of Qatar, driven by Sheikh Hassan and throttled by Sir Steve Curtis with an average speed of 112.69 mph. The highly competitive Superboat class was controlled by 13 Stihl and they secured the Superboat National Championship in the catamaran class.
Five boats started the Extreme class with a deck-to-deck race between 05 Broadco Property Restoration and the 01 Instigator driver, Travis Lofland, who was doing his utmost in the corners to 'catch' Broadco. Team 41 Two Cocks Fighting Apparel, throttled by owner Andy Copeland and driven by Joe 'Cat Killer' Lamberti put up a ferocious fight dueling it out with 99 Watt-Ahh driven by Nate Hunt and Edward Tamberino. And for the second year in a row, it was mission accomplished for 77 Lucas Oil SilverHook, who successfully defended their National Championship title, albeit not in their preferred fashion.
Be sure to listen to the Nostalgic Radio and Cars program on the Tan Talk Radio Network, hosted by Robert who will be broadcasting a radio interview with Nigel Hook tonight, Wednesday, October 2 from 7-8pm EST.
Nigel Hook, captain of the team and throttle man for the 77 Lucas SilverHook 48GP congratulated his crew and praises them for all their hard work which keeps the Mercury powered SilverHook in shipshape throughout all the 2013 national events.
Next up is the 33rd Annual Key West World Championships November 3-10.
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