Panama City Race
05-25-2005, 09:44 PM
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Re: Panama City Race
Julie,
Thanks for the great pixs!
We had an absolute blast! The City was a great host and the spectators couldn't get enough racing action. I really enjoyed talking with so many people interested in offshore racing.
We're looking forward to going back to Panama City...the sooner the better.
Sean
Thanks for the great pixs!
We had an absolute blast! The City was a great host and the spectators couldn't get enough racing action. I really enjoyed talking with so many people interested in offshore racing.
We're looking forward to going back to Panama City...the sooner the better.
Sean
05-29-2005, 10:14 AM
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Re: Panama City Race
Croce thunders to win
By Jason Shoot
News Herald Writer 747-5069 / [email protected]
PANAMA CITY
There’s a part of Matt Croce in seven of the nine boats that ran on the water during Thunder on St. Andrews Bay offshore powerboat racing Saturday afternoon.
So was there something a little awry when Croce drove the Extreme Liquid Assets boat to victory and left his competitors far behind at the finish line? Not much, other than the fact that he was behind the wheel.
"I usually do the prop work," Croce said. "Of the nine boats out there, I did the prop work on seven of them. Typically, it’s a conflict of interest, but in this race it wasn’t an issue."
Croce teamed with throttleman Richard Davis to win the race. Corey Shantry, the boat’s owner, usually pilots the boat, Croce said.
The race covered a five-mile oval course and included boats that normally compete in a number of different classifications. The Extreme Liquid Assets boat is a Super Vee Limited competitor, and only a few of the boats were able to keep pace with the hard-charging Croce and Davis.
Charlie Graf’s JSJ Racing boat, a Manufacturer Production 3 vessel, engaged in a spirited duel with Extreme Liquid Assets in the front of the race early on, and the two boats swapped the top position three times before Croce and Davis gained control.
"We were just playing with them," Croce said. "We have equivalent speed, and they were fun to play with."
The smooth water was a bit of a hindrance for the 38-foot JSJ Racing boat, which is designed for rough water. A boat like the 30-foot Extreme Liquid Assets boat is more ideally suited for calmer water even though it possesses just one 525-horsepower engine compared to the two 500-horsepower engines employed by the JSJ Racing boat.
"They have a huge speed advantage and a huge advantage in rough water," Croce said. "But when we get in a smooth water race like this, their advantage of rough water is negated."
In a battle of five smaller production boats, owner Warren Miller drove the P-5 Joker Powerboats vessel to a narrow win over the Dee Early-owned P5-33 Crazy Chicken. Miller and throttleman Mack Clark took the lead for good on the race’s final turn on the fifth lap.
There was little separation between the production boats, and all of them were within striking distance before Miller crossed the finish line.
"It was deck to deck the entire race," Miller said. "Nobody had the advantage until the end, and we got (the lead) in the last two buoys at the far end of the course. That was the only way we were able to win this one."
Graf said Panama City has proved to be a viable host for the event, which is sanctioned by Superboat International and the American Power Boat Association (SBI/APBA).
This event is serving as a divisional event, but event director Ken Doyle has said that SBI/APBA president John Carbonell has indicated that Panama City could be hosting an event from the association’s national tour with a strong community showing this weekend.
"It’s been great, and we can’t wait to come back," Graf said. "I heard they’re talking about coming back here twice a year, and next time we can bring some more boats. Everybody here has been so great and so gracious."
The Extreme Liquid Assets powerboat driven by Matt Croce of St. Petersburg, along with throttleman Richard Davis of North Port, roars by the crowd.
Powerboats participating in Thunder on St. Andrews Bay start their race on Saturday afternoon. Racing will resume today on St. Andrew Bay.
The Crazy Chicken, driven by Dee Early of Waynesville, N.C., with Bob Mazikowski of Buford, Ga., on the throttle, vie for position with Joker Powerboats, driven by Warren Miller of Boydton, Va., with Mack Clark of South Hill, Va., on the throttle Saturday during Thunder on St. Andrews Bay.
JSJ Racing, driven by Jon Weiner of Sarasota, with Don Urfer of Sarasota, on navigation, and Charlie Graf of Nokomis, on the throttle, zips past the crowd Saturday.
Gary Decivcies, left, of New Port Richie, driver of Venom Team Extreme, and Frank Sarro of Melbourne on throttle, maneuver the boat to a dock after completing a time trial run before racing at Thunder on St. Andrews Bay.
By Jason Shoot
News Herald Writer 747-5069 / [email protected]
PANAMA CITY
There’s a part of Matt Croce in seven of the nine boats that ran on the water during Thunder on St. Andrews Bay offshore powerboat racing Saturday afternoon.
So was there something a little awry when Croce drove the Extreme Liquid Assets boat to victory and left his competitors far behind at the finish line? Not much, other than the fact that he was behind the wheel.
"I usually do the prop work," Croce said. "Of the nine boats out there, I did the prop work on seven of them. Typically, it’s a conflict of interest, but in this race it wasn’t an issue."
Croce teamed with throttleman Richard Davis to win the race. Corey Shantry, the boat’s owner, usually pilots the boat, Croce said.
The race covered a five-mile oval course and included boats that normally compete in a number of different classifications. The Extreme Liquid Assets boat is a Super Vee Limited competitor, and only a few of the boats were able to keep pace with the hard-charging Croce and Davis.
Charlie Graf’s JSJ Racing boat, a Manufacturer Production 3 vessel, engaged in a spirited duel with Extreme Liquid Assets in the front of the race early on, and the two boats swapped the top position three times before Croce and Davis gained control.
"We were just playing with them," Croce said. "We have equivalent speed, and they were fun to play with."
The smooth water was a bit of a hindrance for the 38-foot JSJ Racing boat, which is designed for rough water. A boat like the 30-foot Extreme Liquid Assets boat is more ideally suited for calmer water even though it possesses just one 525-horsepower engine compared to the two 500-horsepower engines employed by the JSJ Racing boat.
"They have a huge speed advantage and a huge advantage in rough water," Croce said. "But when we get in a smooth water race like this, their advantage of rough water is negated."
In a battle of five smaller production boats, owner Warren Miller drove the P-5 Joker Powerboats vessel to a narrow win over the Dee Early-owned P5-33 Crazy Chicken. Miller and throttleman Mack Clark took the lead for good on the race’s final turn on the fifth lap.
There was little separation between the production boats, and all of them were within striking distance before Miller crossed the finish line.
"It was deck to deck the entire race," Miller said. "Nobody had the advantage until the end, and we got (the lead) in the last two buoys at the far end of the course. That was the only way we were able to win this one."
Graf said Panama City has proved to be a viable host for the event, which is sanctioned by Superboat International and the American Power Boat Association (SBI/APBA).
This event is serving as a divisional event, but event director Ken Doyle has said that SBI/APBA president John Carbonell has indicated that Panama City could be hosting an event from the association’s national tour with a strong community showing this weekend.
"It’s been great, and we can’t wait to come back," Graf said. "I heard they’re talking about coming back here twice a year, and next time we can bring some more boats. Everybody here has been so great and so gracious."
The Extreme Liquid Assets powerboat driven by Matt Croce of St. Petersburg, along with throttleman Richard Davis of North Port, roars by the crowd.
Powerboats participating in Thunder on St. Andrews Bay start their race on Saturday afternoon. Racing will resume today on St. Andrew Bay.
The Crazy Chicken, driven by Dee Early of Waynesville, N.C., with Bob Mazikowski of Buford, Ga., on the throttle, vie for position with Joker Powerboats, driven by Warren Miller of Boydton, Va., with Mack Clark of South Hill, Va., on the throttle Saturday during Thunder on St. Andrews Bay.
JSJ Racing, driven by Jon Weiner of Sarasota, with Don Urfer of Sarasota, on navigation, and Charlie Graf of Nokomis, on the throttle, zips past the crowd Saturday.
Gary Decivcies, left, of New Port Richie, driver of Venom Team Extreme, and Frank Sarro of Melbourne on throttle, maneuver the boat to a dock after completing a time trial run before racing at Thunder on St. Andrews Bay.
Last edited by KenD; 03-18-2007 at 04:21 PM.
