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National powerboat racing title on the line today

© St. Petersburg Times,
published October 7, 2001

ST. PETERSBURG -- Hugh Fuller and David Livingston took a leisurely cruise around Tampa Bay Saturday afternoon.

Of course, most people don't cruise at 150 mph, but for Fuller and Livingston, throttleman and driver, respectively, of Outlaw Performance Extreme boat My Mistress, Saturday's American Power Boat Association race was all about having fun.

"Basically this is a fun race," Livingston said. "This is one of the few courses that will allow us to run these big boats. The crowd likes it. Actually, all the focus is on the Super Cat race tomorrow (today)."

That's when Fuller and throttleman John Tomlinson will try to win the Super Cat national championship aboard Drambuie On Ice. Saturday, Tomlinson throttled Outlaw Performance Extreme boat Budweiser against My Mistress.

Both boats went deck to deck for most of the race, sometimes reaching speeds of 155 mph on the straightaway of the 4-mile course. The course was shortened by 2 miles to avoid MacDill Air Force Base's no fly zone.

Both boats were easily the fastest in a race that included Performance 1, 2 and 3 boats. It was the first time the Budweiser boat has run. It lost oil pressure with two laps remaining and was unable to finish the race.

"We were nice and gave each other space until about Lap 8," said Fuller of Clearwater. "After that everybody started cutting each other off and holding each other down. It got interesting."

Tomlinson was curious to see how his boat would run in its initial voyage.

"We've gotten it up to 180," Tomlinson said. "We want to run it later in the year on an APBA official speed run and try to set a kilo (kilometer) speed record. It ran good for a while but then it started to lose pressure. I didn't want to push it."

There was more at stake for Super Vee Light boat Solarized.

All driver Brian Houllis and throttleman Bill Park had to worry about was getting their boat in the water and running. If they could start the race they would wrap up the southeast regional and national championship.

Not only did Solarize start the race, it ran better than it has all season.

Solarize took the lead early over competitors Vortec/Extreme and Scorpion Performance and never looked back in earning the checkered flag. Solarize beat out Scorpion Performance for the national championship.

"We had something to prove to them," Houllis said. "We've had a lot of mechanical problems this year. We had something to prove to these guys that we could get out front and run. We proved we could run in the rough in Fort Lauderdale last weekend, and we proved we could run in the flat here.

"This course is more like Indy. Fort Lauderdale is more like Martinsville (Va.), where there's a lot of bumping and grinding at slower speeds."

Houllis and Park will take plenty of success into next week's World Championship race in Key West. A win there would cap a successful season.

"Everything's looking good," Park said. "We're running good right now."

Four other classes ran with the Super Vee Lights in the day's first race. In the Outlaw A category, Rumrunners benefited from a breakdown by Don't Blink with three laps to go to take the checkered flag. Don't Blink, however, had enough points to win the national championship, which is a culmination of seven races.

Dagwood, driven by Todd Werner of St. Petersburg, won the Outlaw V race. Just Pray, driven by Scott Utah and throttled by Lee Squires, won the Outlaw Performance 4 race. And in Outlaw Performance 5, Pump It, driven by Edward Ferris and throttled by Joseph Dacey of Riverview, won.

In Performance 1, Montano Motorsports held off In-Mocean for the championship. Team Xtreme/Sunsation was the Performance 3 champion. Ntense, the only Performance 2 boat, broke down on the first lap.

Today's races feature the more popular Formula 1 and Formula 2 boats. The powerful Super Cats will also race. The first races begin at 1. The second races begin at 3.

APBA races

WHEN: Today.

WHERE: Pier and Vinoy Park, St. Petersburg.

SCHEDULE: 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Dry Pits Festival, Vinoy Park; 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Taste of the Races, Straub Park; 1 p.m., offshore racing; 3 p.m., offshore racing; 1-6 p.m., Island Boys, Conch Critters, Straub Park.

ETC.: A special viewing area will be set up at the Pier. Admission is $5. For information go to www.apbaoffshore

nationals.com.

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