Thunder on the Gulf Grand Prix - Tight racing wows record crowd

by SBI on 5 Jun 2013 During the 10th annual Thunder on the Gulf Grand Prix, one of the largest crowds of the season saw two of the most exciting races Super Boat International (SBI) has ever put on. Working with a new format that saw each class run two races, with a break of a little more than an hour in between, teams fought choppy waves and conditions that changed from race to race. WHM Motorsports takes first place overall in front of packed beach crowds.

'I think they were fantastic races and there seemed to be as many or more fans on the beach as when I raced here years ago,' said SBI founder John Carbonell, talking about the crowd of 75,000 that packed the beach to watch the boats reach speeds in excess of 115 mph. 'The reception we got today from local producer (Gary Nichols) and the rest of the local organization was great.'

The Superboat class proved why it is one of the most popular classes in the field, turning both of Sunday’s races into nailbiters from start to finish. WHM, JD Byrider and Team STIHL made sure all eyes were focused on their battle as they bobbed and weaved, jumped waves and dodged each other for a total of 75 miles in the two races. JD Byrider streaked down the 2.8-mile frontstretch, passing WHM with less than a hundred yards to go, to take the checkered flag. Team STIHL was in on that battle, but dropped out when a prop popped free. The Rick’s Collision boat flipped on Lap 4 as it ran third, forcing both the driver and throttleman to climb to safety through the tunnel hatch of the overturned craft.

'This class has really come a long way. I don’t think you could have picked a winner today,' said Tony Marcantonio of JD Byrider.

As if that race wasn’t close enough, Race Two saw Team STIHL rebound in a big way. Using a set of props borrowed from the JD Byrider team, Team STIHL fought back from fourth in the middle of the race to finish one boat length short of WHM, settling for second. The racing was so tight, one more lap around the 5.6-mile track might have led to another result.

'Not only was that first race a close race, but it was also an expensive race due to losing an expensive prop,' said Team STIHL’s J.R. Noble. 'The set we borrowed may not have been the exact set I would have chosen if I had my own, but I didn’t have my own. Tony is a great guy and competitor and we really appreciate him loaning us a set of props to run the second race. Our boat ran well and we fought back from fourth place. That was just a great second race.'

Other class winners included Miss Mary Mac in the Turbine class, Lucas Oil Silverhook in Superboat Extreme, Phantom in Superboat Vee, ATC in Superboat Stock and Black Pearl in the Manufacturer 3 class.

The next Super Boat International race will be at Sarasota, Fla. the weekend of July 5-7. The 29th Annual Suncoast Superboat Grand Prix and Festival is one of the most popular stops on the Super Boat circuit for both drivers and fans. The Super Boat season begins in the middle of May and runs through the second week of November, finishing with the Key West World Championships in Key West, Fla.



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