Charlotte Harbor Super Boat Grand Prix - 2014 Season Opener
by Barbara Biers on 8 Apr 2014
77 Lucas Oil Emilia Hillerström
Commencing their 2014 season, the 77 Lucas Oil team will be testing their SilverHook 48GP this week on Lake Monroe near their race shop in Sanford, FL before heading down to participate in the Super Boat International season opener, the Charlotte Harbor Super Boat Grand Prix April 11-13.
The big announcement for our team is the addition of Parts.Com as a major sponsor. 'We are very excited to have signed a three year partnership with Parts.Com and this is a natural fit for us after what we’ve learned from the last 14 years with Lucas Oil. Parts.Com is a fast growing company with great people with whom we have close synergies', commented Nigel Hook. 'They were the naming sponsor of our Golden Gate to Queen Mary Lucas Oil Cup endurance record last year, so this is logical progression', Hook added.
Also joining forces with Nigel Hook and his team this season is the Clearwater based Parliament Motor Coach Company. General Manager, Ken Robertson says, 'As a full service RV Center and premier manufacturer of Prevost Luxury Coaches, the name Parliament has been synonymous with quality and service nationwide since 1992. Collaborating with Lucas Oil, a company that has built its reputation on Quality and Performance is a natural fit. We are looking forward to another championship year for #77!'
Manasota Key, located halfway between Tampa and Naples on the Southwest Florida Gulf Coast, will be the focus of the inaugural Charlotte Harbor Super Boat Grand Prix, which will feature two races on Sunday taking place in the Gulf of Mexico between Stump Pass and Englewood Beach. Race promoter, Jerry York has done an outstanding job and Super Boat International expects a bigger team turn out than last year’s season opener with over thirty race boats registered.
'We’ve made a few minor improvements during the offseason to optimize the balance of our SilverHook race boat, good balance is key for handling in multiple types of seas. We’ve clearly been the best boat in rough waters and we are aiming to carry this over into the calmer races', says driver Michael Silfverberg. 'Our Mercury 1075 engines have been incredibly reliable and we’ve taken advantage of the offseason to refresh them.'
Many international race boats are joining in, Qatar (#13 Qatar), Norway (#99 Gasse), and Dubai (#3 Fazza), to take on the likes of #113 Miss Geico and many others, including #77 Lucas Oil SilverHook, driven by Michael Silfverberg and throttled by Nigel Hook, who are stepping up to the Superboat Unlimited Class.
Race coverage including pre-race interviews will begin airing on Livestream at 10:45 EDT on Sunday, April 13. With over 16,000 registered followers of Super Boat International, boat racing is becoming a popular online sport to watch. The team will be streaming live video of their preparations during the week via UStream.tv.
2014 SBI Schedule:
Apr 11-13 SBI #1 Charlotte Harbor, FL
May 16-18 SBI #2 Cocoa Beach, FL
July 4-6 SBI #3 Sarasota, FL
Aug 1-3 SBI #4 Michigan City, IN
Aug 20-22 SBI #5 Orange Beach, AL
Aug 22-24 SBI #6 Pensacola, FL
Sept 5-6 SBI #7 New York, NY
Sep 26-28 SBI #8 Clearwater, FL
Nov 1-10 Key West World Championships
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