The Jory is In

by U.I.M. Powerboat P1 Powerboat P1 Press Office on 10 Mar 2008 Shelley Jory, from Southampton, England, will become the first woman to compete in the Evolution class of Powerboat P1 when she joins forces with the American powerboat team, Lucas Oil, to compete in the 2008 Powerboat P1 World Championship.

Jory, a previous winner of the Honda Formula 4-Stroke Series, is one of the UK's leading powerboat racers and top female competitors. She will race a 1400hp Mercury-powered Skater V399 Superboat, with team owner and throttleman, Nigel Hook.

The pair will compete in all 14 rounds of the P1 World Championship, starting in Italy over the weekend of 10/11 May, followed by Grand Prix of the Sea events in France, Malta, Tunisia, Spain, Portugal and Bahrain.

Jory, who in 2007 was chosen by Honda to front their ‘Hondamentalist’ TV campaign for ITV F1, is already setting her sights on the main prize. 'I am delighted to have been signed by Nigel and the Lucas Oil team. I plan to capitalise on all I have learnt from the hot competition in the Honda Formula 4-Stroke series over the past 4 years. With Nigel’s skill and confidence in the boat, I am positive we are the perfect team to go hunting for a world championship!'

Nigel Hook, from Del Mar, California, United States, finished third in the Evolution class of 2007 Powerboat P1 World Championship with the Outerlimits Powerboats team. He aims to use the experience he gained in his P1 debut season to add further titles to the two World Championship crowns and two World Speed Records he already holds.

Inducted into the American Powerboat Association (APBA) Hall of Champions in 1998, Hook is excited by the prospect of racing alongside Jory in Powerboat P1. 'P1 is to boat racing what F1 is to auto racing. P1 is a true World Championship, presenting racers from around the world, competing on three continents, and being televised globally to over 100 million homes. I believe Shelley has the perfect credentials to race in the series. She has proven herself consistently in the highly competitive Honda race series, she is unrivalled at promoting her sponsors and she is a team player.'