OSO News

OUTERLIMITS FOCUSES ON POWERBOAT P1, PASSES ON PICKWICK

After a resounding win over the Fountain Team at last week’s Greer’s Ferry race and upon re-examination of the Offshore Super Series (OSS) schedule and composition, Outerlimits Powerboats has opted not to attend the May 5-6 OSS race in Pickwick, Tennessee. “We simply do not believe that racing against one other boat in our class is in the true competitive spirit of racing,” said Joe Sgro, Outerlimits’ racing partner, “We will decide what other races we may run in the future, but we are not in the hunt for the National Points Championship.”

Mike Fiore, founder and president of Outerlimits, decided earlier this year to field a team in the European Powerboat P1 circuit, a sizable commitment which included altering the canopy of the new SV-40, the 2006 OSS Vee National and World Champion, to suit the European specifications. With Mercury Racing as a sponsor and utilizing its new 662 SCi engines, approved for emissions compliance in Europe, Outerlimits has located its race boat, support vehicles and a race shop near Manheim, Germany.

Fiore then built a new SV-40 with two passenger seats for the OSS circuit so it could be a prototype for a new Poker Run model. “Toward the end of creating a new saleable model, the investment in U.S. racing was worthwhile,” Fiore states, “But with the continued division of the various sanctioning bodies, the truly competitive field we anticipated did not materialize. We see little reason to continue our U.S. participation--we’re not out to race one boat or manufacturer.”

Outerlimits will review other races on the OSS schedule, but for the foreseeable future, Fiore and Sgro will focus on the rigors of the Powerboat P1 circuit that includes a two-day event with two classes, Evolution Class for prototypes, where Outerlimits will race, and SuperSport Class for production models. The first day is an endurance race while the second is a sprint-style ”rally” race with tight turns on a designated course. Points are awarded each day and averaged for the event win. While the field is comprised of a variety of manufacturers, including American brands, Outerlimits is the only U.S. manufacturer sponsoring a Powerboat P1 race team. All races are held in prime oceanfront locations throughout Europe, starting in Malta, then Naples, Italy, Travemunde, Germany, Cowes, UK, Zeebrugee, Belgium and Portimao, Portugal. The estimated live audience for the 2006 season was over 280,000 spectators at the festival-like race sites. A UK-based television production company, Greenlight, will air the races in 70 countries; satellite feeds will be available in the U.S.

“We feel it makes more sense to focus our racing effort where it will be truly appreciated, seen by a larger audience and open new markets for us,” said Fiore, “We’re a competitive group and we’re ready to go racing!”