Great Lakes Super Boat GP proves a winner

by Bob Wonders on 12 Aug 2010

JBS Racing, fastest entry int he field was a clear cut winner in the Turbine class before a snapped drive shaft ended its weekend. Rodrick Cox

Super Boat International offshore race teams converged on the Lake Michigan coastal city of Indiana last weekend and according to observers 'dazzled' the big crowd for the second year running.

WHM Motorsports, Jason Muller at the wheel, William Mauff on throttles, claimed overall victory winning the Superboat 750 class.

For the big crowd, a race highlight was the performance of the fastest entry in the field, JBS Racing, which 'screamed' around the course and won the Turbine powered class.

Joey Skrocki, JBS Racing's throttleman, surely entertained the crowd with some great racing around the eight-kilometre course.

It was not all joy for the JBS Racing team; after winning the class, driver Jeff Stevenson felt some ‘major vibration' and with handling rather erratic knew something was wrong with the boat.

The pair shut down and then noticed the boat was leaking.

They returned to the crane and when the boat was lifted out discovered the drive shaft had snapped and the very expensive propeller had pierced the transom and was stuck there.

'Fibreglass is basically free compared to a $12,000 propeller,' Skrocki lamented.

There was some drama in the event when Popeye's Super Cat throttled by Stan Ware and driven by Lisa Matthews experienced a wild roll over near the end of the race.

Popeye’s Super Cat before its wild roll over that led to driver Lisa Matthews being taken to hospital. Fortunately, her injuries were not serious. © Rodrick Cox

Ware escaped uninjured, but Matthews was taken to the South Bend trauma centre for evaluation, but her injuries were not reported serious and she was scheduled for release the following day.

Overall winner WHM Motorsports did not disappoint the Michigan City crowd with a convincing Superboat 750 class victory, the boat's bright yellow and black paint scheme gleaming.

Superboat Vee Unlimited winner, Instigator Motorsports, owned by Peter Meyer, brought back a veteran driver for the race.

Joe Sgro, who has been competing in Europe for the past four years, returned to the US to contest selected Super Boats International races, proved to be well suited to the event, overcoming a tough course for his first win of 2010.

The big Fountain, Instigator Motorsports, with veteran driver Joe Sgro aboard, gave his a comfortable victory in Superboat Vee Unlimited. © Rodrick Cox

Michael Jannsen, owner of Saratoga Stampede, winner of the Super Vee Extreme, described the racing as 'incredible.'

'We've done a lot of testing and we were prepared for this weekend,' he said.

'It was a great race and I was really impressed with the attendance.

'We'll definitely be back next year,' he added.

John Carbonell, President of Super Boat International, lavished praise on the local authorities, volunteers and public services for their assistance.

'And the fans from all around Indiana and Illinois really showed their support again for offshore powerboat racing,' he added.

The Super Boats roar again at Cocoa Beach, Florida, over the weekend of August 20 – 22.