Outdoors

Hometown Horsepower

Joey Gratton of Cortez is among several Floridians doing well on the national offshore powerboat circuit.

By TERRY TOMALIN, Times Outdoors Editor
© St. Petersburg Times
published August 22, 2003

---

For Joey Gratton, jumping from the professional motocross circuit to offshore powerboat racing wasn't difficult.

"They both have engines," said the veteran throttleman. "They both go fast."

But what Gratton will find a challenge is capturing the checkered flag this weekend when he races before a hometown crowd at the Sarasota Offshore Showdown.

"We are not out of the hunt," said Gratton, half of the team Dirty Duck. "But we do have our work cut out for us."

Gratton, who has been racing the American Power Boat Association's offshore circuit for six years, is the Super Cat Light world and national champion.

The APBA Offshore Tour, which started in Daytona Beach in April and went on to Marathon, Savannah, Ga., Milwaukee and now Sarasota, will return to Tampa Bay in October after a two-year hiatus.

"We are really looking forward to coming back home," said Gratton, whose wife and twin sons accompany him to all the races. "It is always great to race in front of family and friends."

After a nearly flawless season in 2002, Gratton teamed with a new driver, Slug Heffner of Missouri, and hopped in a new boat that had a yellow "Caution: Student Driver" on the back.

"Slug has a great sense of humor," Gratton said. "But I think he has been around long enough now to get rid of the sign."

Heffner and Gratton started the season slowly but bounced back with their first "Pro Series" victory in Marathon.

"I think that we showed what we can do," Gratton said. "After just one year in the boat, Slug is finally coming into his own."

But the Super Cat Light class (identical 36-foot, twin-engined, catamarans capable of top speeds well over 120 mph) has quickly become one of offshore racing's most competitive.

It is not uncommon for a half dozen of these speedsters to race for nearly 100 miles and finish within seconds of each other.

Gratton, who lives just over the Sunshine Skyway bridge in the tiny fishing village of Cortez, is one of several Floridians who has made a name for himself on the national powerboat racing scene.

Clearwater's Hugh Fuller and Miami's John Tomlinson are the most successful racers in the history of the sport. They won back-to-back world and national Super Cat championships, APBA Offshore's most prestigious class, and the driver and throttleman are on their way to adding another title in 2003 under the Bacardi Silver banner.

Sarasota's Doug Valentine and Key West's Lee Murray are the top Super Vee racers on the professional tour. Murray and Valentine have world and national championships and lead the nation in points with their 38-footer Team Donzi, designed and manufactured in Sarasota.

In Super Vee Light, New Port Richey's Steve Miklos and Gary Deciucies have been virtually unstoppable in their 29-foot Extreme powerboat, a craft designed and built in Clearwater. Miklos also has served as the APBA Offshore's "competition director" and is responsible for many of the rules that brought parity to offshore racing.

"We want the racing to be close, just like it is in NASCAR," Miklos said. "Who wants to watch a sport where one team walks off with a win week after week. The whole purpose of our rules is to encourage deck-to-deck competition."

And that is exactly what racers like Gratton want. After a disappointing performance in Milwaukee, Gratton is looking for a win to put him back on top in the national points race.

"Don't count us out yet," he said. "We still have some fight left in us."

Baseball

Ailing Pujols expecting to return today

AL: Chisox take over in Central

NL: Houston gains breathing room

College football

No letdowns

FSU's AD disputes findings

Colleges

Former Washington coach sues school, NCAA

Golf

Holy matrimony! Curtis in lead at NEC Invitational

In brief

Judge limits release of Bryant court records

Little League

Mass. reaches U.S. final

Motorsports

Teams get behind CART

Wallace to honor Kulwicki at Bristol

NFL

Sluggish Steelers edge Cowboys

Outdoors

Daily fishing report

Hometown Horsepower

Preps

10 Pressing questions

Sports on the Air

Little League coverage is to be praised

Sports on the Web

Sportsline.com selling fantasy football cards over the counter

Rays

Rays let a win bounce away

Onus is on Kennedy to reclaim ace status

Bucs

Tupa back in form at right time

Roster spots are at stake against Jags