Boats' aim: NASCAR-style success

By TERRY TOMALIN

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 6, 2000

Florida is known for baseball spring training, college football and world-class bass fishing. Now add powerboat racing to the list.

The American Power Boat Association's offshore racing division calls St. Petersburg home. The rival Super Boat International makes its headquarters in Key West. And for six years the PROP Formula One Tour was run out of marine industry veteran Gary Garbrecht's office at Lake Hamilton in Polk County.

Now, Garbrecht and legendary unlimited hydroplane racer Bernie Little of Miss Budweiser fame have joined forces to bring the last of powerboat racing's big four to the Sunshine State. The new organization, which will be called HYDRO-PROP Inc., will join the Seattle-based Unlimited Hydroplane Racing Association and the PROP Formula One Tour.

"We will have the best of both worlds under one roof," Garbrecht said. "The Unlimiteds are the fastest boats on the water. The Formula Ones are the most maneuverable. Put the two together, and you have the most spectacular powerboat racing imaginable."

Unlimited Hydroplanes such as Miss Budweiser are 28- to 32-foot, twin-hulled boats powered by monster engines. They can achieve speeds of 200 mph on straightaways.

The Formula Ones are smaller (18 to 19 feet long) and powered by twin outboards. They are not as fast as Unlimiteds, but can hit a turn at top speed, 140 mph.

Both classes race on rivers and lakes, in contrast to the APBA and SBI boats, which typically run in the ocean.

"We expect this to be very popular with motorsport fans," Garbrecht said. "One of the criticisms we have had so far is the down time in between the Unlimited races. Now we can run the Formula Ones right after the Unlimiteds and we'll have non-stop action."

Garbrecht and Little hope the HYDRO-PROP Tour will make 12 stops in North America next year, including one in Florida.

"That is one of our top priorities," Garbrecht said. "We want to bring racing back to Florida."

A Formula One race is scheduled Oct.21-22 at Cypress Gardens in Polk County. Little said he will bring Miss Budweiser to give fans a taste of Unlimited Hydroplane racing.

"Once they see a boat fly by at 200 miles per hour they'll be hooked," Little said.

Powerboat racing has enjoyed something of a renaissance. In 1999, St. Petersburg attorney Michael Allweiss bought the rights to the APBA's offshore division, hoping to turn blue-water powerboat racing into the next Winston Cup.

The APBA's World Championship is scheduled for Nov. 13-19 in St. Petersburg. Last year, nearly 200,000 people turned out to watch three days of powerboat racing. This year, Allweiss said he thinks the new Super Cat class will draw even more motorsport fans.

Meanwhile, Garbrecht and Little hope their Cypress Gardens event will prove to be a permanent fixture on the HYDRO-PROP Tour.

"I have had people asking me to also bring a race back to Miami," Little said.

The SBI tour will hold its world championships in November in Key West, the week before the larger APBA tour holds its championships in St. Petersburg.

"I think powerboat racing has finally come of age," Garbrecht said. "We are getting good coverage on ESPN. The new HYDRO-PROP Tour will only bring in more fans. This could be as big as NASCAR."

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.

Headlines

Americans Lose in 1st Round of Davis Cup

---