Congrats Jason and Dennis can't believe how far the boat has come from the first time we ran it here in CA. You and your dad have done something I don't believe that anyone understands. I was floored by that last run it was amazing !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm certain they have done a ton of bottom blueprinting. However, they called it a day on Saturday with 153 mph run. Came back out on Sunday and ran 165 mph. More than the bottom I would say!!!!!! Consider this. That 165 mph run is the 3rd fastest "official" v bottom run ever I believe.

Sure everyone knows a Black Thunder is condo sized an runs about 1/2 of what the Parvey's boat does! :D

That's speculation. We don't know if it's radically faster than a non modified bottom BT or not.

Perhaps BTs have a really efficient hull design. We just don't know because none have been radically like this one. Most were saddled with bravos and were quite heavy 46s.

No matter what they did, that is an impressive number. Congrats to those two on a phenomenal accomplishment. Got me thinking there is hope my 36 Baja could actually see 75 mph... :)

Thanks again everyone for the kind words! I'm still digging up some photo's and going through on-board video's and hope to have them posted this week.

We were thoroughly pleased with the 165mph, and we were not expecting that at all. As many of you saw, our first run did not go as planned. As a result, we decided to be conservative and slowly ramp up our runs while getting a feel for the boat. 2nd run was 142, 3rd run was 151, 4th run was 159, with a final 5th run of 165mph.

After reading through this thread, I want to touch on a few things that have been brought up:

1. Shootout vs Kilo: As Doc J said, a kilo and a shootout are two different animals. They both have their advantages and disadvantages. I will say, what Forehand did in Sgro's 180 kilo boat is nothing short of amazing. I do not think we will attempt this feat.

2. Hull Info: The Black Thunder was an excellent boat to start with. We use the same layup schedule that any other Black Thunder is built with (Baltek AL600 is used to core the entire boat with bi- and tri- directional glass). We have modified some items on the pad, a few lifting strakes, and the transom notch. The step placement & shape, as well as the deadrise remain the same. Our boat ran a best of 99mph with NA 750's (this is back when prop and skeg technology was not as good either). I cannot guarantee this, but I think the 43GT with modern prop and drive technology, along with a few tweaks would be capable of 100mph. FYI, Black Thunder has a bare 43 GT hull sitting in their shop that is setup for 700's and 6's.

3. Powertrain: The boat currently has motors that we built with the help of a couple engine machine shops local to MN (Wheeler Racing and R&R Performance). The motors are 572's with stock Dart Pro 2 Heads. The induction package consists of Holley EFI with PSI 206B Screw Compressors, as well as Intercoolers that we built. Putting the power to the water, we have #6 drives worked over by Matt @ TNT with Velvet Drive Transmissions provided by Bob Teague. We would also like to give a shout-out to Ekvall Engineering for their machining/milling expertise with various projects of ours.

All in all, we had a great time at the shootout this year. Aside from the racing, it was so great to catch up with so many friends at the different parties, and on the docks as well. Until next year!

Photo By Jeff Helmkamp
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Photo By Lake Girl (Amber Grisham)
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Photo By Shoot 2 Thrill (Pete Boden)
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Photo From Speed On The Water (Photo By Jason Johnson?)
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Photo From Speed On The Water (Photo By Jason Johnson?)
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Photo By Tristan Collins
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Thanks for the info. Congrats again! Serious numbers for ANY boat. Hats off

Thanks for info and thanks for coming to the shootout!!!!!

Everyone was rooting for you guys and as always you didn't disappoint. It's the competitors like you guys that make the shootout so special.

Better yet: "I have a beer fridge and hot pocket cooker that runs 165 mph"