Huski powerboat team to enter Class 1
by Powerboat P1 23 Oct 00:20 PDT
Huski Wear Offshore Racing © Powerboat P1
Huski Chocolate and Huski Wear have jointly unveiled plans to compete in Class 1 racing next year at American Power Boat Association (APBA) events. The owners of the brands are expanding their powerboat team, which currently includes a 540 MTI catamaran, by acquiring the multiple world championship-winning Class 1 boat from AMF Racing in Florida that was formerly sponsored by GEICO.
Made with all-natural ingredients and spices from a secret family recipe, Huski Chocolate has its origins in Arctic Sweden and has been positioned as a drink for those who push the boundaries with a love of adventure. It is no stranger to the world of motorsport - with an impressive list of partners that includes McLaren Racing, Alfa Romeo Racing and Chip Ganassi Racing - and it also sponsors Millwall and Hammarby football clubs. Huski Wear is a Swedish active-wear and sportswear brand with the same passion for sport and adventure, producing clothing that is functional and du-rable. It is the official clothing supplier to Ski team Sweden Alpine and Skicross.
Co-founder of Huski Chocolate, Robin Hallberg said: "We believe that offshore racing is a great platform to pro-mote our brands and deliver increased exposure in the important US market and internationally. We already have strong ties to a range of key sports including football, motorsports and winter sports, and we will be working closely with Powerboat P1 to achieve our business objectives and return Class 1 to the summit of offshore racing."
The Huski team's 47-foot catamaran, with its Mercury Racing 1100 Competition engines which enable it to reach speeds in excess of 160mph, will be in the hands of crew chief Gary Stray and multi-time world champion Steve Curtis who became the youngest ever Class 1 champion at the age of 21 and now ranks as the most successful offshore powerboat racer in history. The highly experienced British pairing will continue to be based in Stuart on Florida's Atlantic Coast and throt-tleman Curtis said: "My passion for Class 1 racing is as strong as ever and I am delighted to have the opportunity to help take it back to the top where it belongs. My drive to win is equally strong and as part of the Huski team I'm looking forward to once again racing against teams from around the world when the removal of travel restrictions allows them to return to the US race scene."
In October 2019, the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM) assigned to Powerboat P1 the international rights to Class 1 offshore racing in a ten-year agreement, and P1 CEO Azam Ran-goonwala commented: "The decision by the Huski team to enter Class 1 in 2022 is superb news in respect of our aim to grow the class in the United States and at the same time develop plans to globalise the series over the coming years with a strong line-up of international teams and TV cov-erage plus livestreaming. Our principal goal is to grow the Class 1 championship commercially and promote the series both nationally and globally to deliver enhanced value for race teams, venues, sponsors and partners. We want to return Class 1 to the summit of offshore racing by attracting more teams and building the worldwide television audience."
Ahead of the 2022 offshore race season, a Class 1 Huski team boat will be competing in Key West at the 40th annual world championships next month (November 7-14). Alongside Steve Curtis in the former GEICO-sponsored Class 1 boat, that has been rebuilt by AMF Racing over the last six months, will be driver Carlos de Quesada who is an experienced sports car racer. "I grew up in Tampa watching powerboat racing on the Gulf Coast and I have been on the water with Steve a few times," explained Carlos. "Racing in Key West will be a new experience for me and I'm excited by the opportunity. The possibility of racing in Class 1 next year is very interesting but right now I'm focused on doing a good job for the Huski team in Key West."
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