Offshoreonly.com - fairwell to Doug Lewis

For those who weren't lucky enough to meet him, here is a story that was done back in 1997 on Doug:

INDUSTRY PROFILE - Doug Lewis, Professional Marine Racing
Offshore Racing Magazine - 1997
An international household name, Professional Marine Racing, PMR, is one of the foremost custom marine engine builders in the world. Bearing the name Pro 1 engines, their motors are designed to withstand the most grueling uses under extreme conditions using the most modern technology available. "Our slogan Miles Ahead of the Competition has quickly become an offshore racing standard. Racing isn't just our sideline but the basis upon which our reputation has been founded," stated Douglas Lewis, owner of Professional Marine Racing.

"Believe it or not, not too long ago (within the past year) we tallied up all the boats that raced the USORA circuit only and discovered that of the 100 boats that were registered, we had something to do with 75 of them at one time or another - ie, rigging/re-rigging, engine, maintenance, troubleshooting, team member etcetera," continued Lewis. Some of the boats running out of PMR include: FOUNTAIN (IN CONTEMPT), TEAM FOUNTAIN, BUCKSHOT, GREAT ADVENTURE, TERMINATOR, INSANITY, TEAM PROGRESSION, LIGHTNING JACK'S and PRIORITY.

Amongst PMR's most recent achievements, two of their boats, LIGHTNING JACK'S and IN CONTEMPT, competed in the SBIP Argentina Extravaganza in January. "LIGHTNING JACK'S finished first in Open class and IN CONTEMPT, raced by Lewis along with Patrick Patel, was leading the Modified class until they were sideswiped sustaining a hit bad enough to break a gas tank and force them out of the race.

After coming home from Argentina, Lewis left for North Carolina to participate in the APBA Kilo Runs held at the Fountain factory in February. He and Patel joined forces again setting a kilo record of 107+ mph in Manufacturers V in a 42-foot Fountain powered by PMR's Pro 1 engines.

The following Sunday, Lewis was off again, this time to Dubai where PMR has another shop that maintains several race boats in the Middle East. Here he raced the boat SAFEENAT NOOH, translated NOAH'S ARK, which is the name of their client's company, an international Mercedes-Benz dealer. After placing second in a field of 25, Lewis is looking forward to the UIM championship.

Lewis first become involved in offshore powerboat racing in 1975 when he did research and development on a 24-foot Superboat with Gale Banks turbo-charged motors and sterndrives. Because money was an object, and there was not enough to support his hobby and his new family, Lewis decided to leave offshore and try his luck on the more affordable drag boat racing circuit. During his dragboat racing years, he designed, built, and maintained his own small block, alcohol injected engine and set the fastest small block record of 129 mph with 8.31 second et. in the quarter-mile using an 18-foot flat bottom boat. Today, that same 129 mph is used as the East Coast Standard.

In 1987, Lewis again got involved in offshore powerboat racing as a throttleman/driver/crew chief. When the dry spells came in between races, he officiated as a certified APBA referee and inspector where needed. Lewis and team KONKRETE KAT won the 1988 World Championship in Pro Stock during their first year on the circuit. In 1990, after two years of offshore racing experience, Lewis decided to take his knowledge, love of boats and racing, and form Professional Marine Racing so his skills could be utilized by all types of boating enthusiasts.

Lewis subsequently amassed five world, six national, five North American, and five Northeast division championship titles in offshore racing during the past nine years in four different classes. His list of achievements has generated so many new ideas in boat rigging technology that it has caught the attention of Mercury Marine, Sutphen Marine and Douglas Marine. Lewis has done extensive research and development since 1990 on the Mercury Bravo sterndrive and is highly respected in the boating industry and sought after for consultation and troubleshooting purposes. He is widely known on the race circuit for his innovative rigging and engine building designs and techniques.

A close knit, five man team, PMR operates out of a new 20,000 square foot marina on Route 70 East in Brick, NJ. Their expertise includes services ranging from custom boat rigging/re-rigging and marine engine building/modifications for both inboard or outboard engines to lab analysis of fuel and oil for internal engine troubleshooting, and from custom part design/fabrications and complete dyno and flowbench services to in-water testing, winterization and storage.