LUCAS OIL OUTERLIMITS RACING TEAM PACING FOR PORTUGAL
With a Grand Prix title, two speed run titles, a race lap speed record, and three additional podium finishes, the Mercury Racing-powered Lucas Oil Outerlimits Racing team heads into the World Championship race, the Powerboat P1 Grand Prix of Portugal.
The team has experienced the ups and downs, good luck and bad, that comes with powerboat racing—especially as the team travels across continents for each race. “We’ve learned how difficult it is to field a team in Europe when our operations and teams are here in the U.S.,” says Mike Fiore, owner and president of Outerlimits Powerboats and throttleman of the race team. “We have thoroughly enjoyed the experience with Powerboat P1—a real class act. The rules are a little different than what we’re used to in the States, but we’ve cooperated as good racers and the new guys on the block—it’s all a learning curve with a new organization and we’re very proud of how well our whole team has performed!” he adds.
With APBA Hall of Champions racers Joe Sgro and Nigel Hook as teammates, and Lucas Oil and Mercury Racing as sponsors, the Outerlimits SV-40 has been one of the most visible and successful boats on the Powerboat P1 circuit. Its aerodynamic hull and deck are a departure from all the other boats in the Evolution (Prototype) class and the Super Sport (Production) classes. Outerlimits originally built the SV40 to compete on the tighter courses in the American racing circuits and the boat won the APBA/SBI National and World Championships in 2006. The company modified the boat to meet the P1 requirements (which currently do not allow a full canopy) and at the Naples, Italy race, P1 added 500 pounds to the light-weight carbon fiber hull to meet its calculations of power-to-weight ratios for the new Mercury Racing, European-approved 662 SCi engines. The boat has proven its speed, strength and dexterity as it took on tight turns in a variety of rough and calm seas throughout the season. In the Belgium race, which P1’s Nathan Knight called, “The first race of the season with real P1 [rough] water!” the Outerlimits boat dominated in both races.
The boat’s performance gave Pedro Lamy, Portuguese Formula 1 and Le Mans driver, the incentive to give the SV-40 a run with Fiore on Friday, September 28, trading the wheel of his Peugeot 908 HDi FAP sportscar for the helm of this Mercury-powered race boat. Powerboat P1’s schedule resumes with the endurance race on Saturday and sprint race on Sunday, September 29 and 30. The races will determine the 2007 World Championship winner with Lucas Oil Outerlimits currently third in the poiints battle with King of Shaves and OSG.
“We hope that Portimao’s location on the Atlantic Ocean will provide some rougher water where our boats perform best—that’s what we’re used to as we were born, and build on the Atlantic Ocean,” comments Fiore, “But rough or calm, we’re ready to go—we want to wrap up our first season in Powerboat P1 with powerful statement!”
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