FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Formula 1 Powerboat Championship Kicks off the 2023 Race to the Championship!
Tim Seebold, the Managing Director of the US based F1 Powerboat Championship is well used to running flat out across the water. Just recently though it’s been a case of running wide open on shore as he and his team put the final touches together for their forthcoming racing season.
“I’m delighted to say that we have new collaborations with Powerboat P1 and the OPA (Offshore Powerboat Association) for the Mercury Racing Midwest Challenge and the LOTO Powerfest. These weekends will see the fans benefit from non-stop racing action from the F1 and offshore classes competing together at these venues” said Seebold.
The 2023 F1 Powerboat Championship will be a six-round series contested across North America from May through to October, starting this weekend with the Port Neches Riverfest in Texas. From there it moves to the Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri in early June as part of the LOTO Powerfest event.
Seebold is thrilled about the opportunity to bring the F1 Series to his hometown.
“I’m very proud to be able to bring our championship caliber powerboat racing home to the lake area and I am looking forward to an exciting weekend of racing and entertainment.”
Seebold continued by saying.
“The key development in our calendar is having contrasting boat racing disciplines which I believe will complement each other. The offshore boats range from 30’-50’ long and are capable of reaching speed in excess of 180 mph on the larger racecourse, while the more agile F1 boats are only 17’ reaching speeds of 120 mph and capable of pulling over 5 G’s in the corners while racing on the smaller course like the one we will set up off Lazy Gators Point for this event.”
Following in a similar format will be The Mercury Racing Midwest Challenge, where more than forty race teams are expected to participate with competitors attending from around the world, including Australia, Italy, Sweden, Canada, United Kingdom, and Norway. They will line up in Sheboygan, Wisconsin in mid-August.
“When we toured cities to host the event, Sheboygan stood out due to its beautiful Lake Michigan water, and a local government group that were eager to learn more about powerboat racing and host this event” said Stuart Halley, General Manager of Mercury Racing. “Our race support team and collection of marine products are featured in powerboat races around the world and now there’s going to be a powerboat race weekend in the Midwest, less than an hour from our corporate headquarters.”
Once again Mercury Racing will continue with their F1PC series and event partnership with event technical field support. The powerful Mercury Racing Apex 200 approved engine package sees its second year of eligibility as teams dial in their boats and propellers to maximize performance for 2023. The series ‘F1 Race Ride Experience’ 2-Seater boat sports the Apex 360 V8 Fourstroke power plant giving VIP’s the true feeling of an F1 boats performance.
Closely following the Sheboygan race the F1 teams head to Windsor Colorado just north of Denver for Round Four where the Roar of the Rockies Revved Up will take place. Windsor leads the way in attracting green industry, which is a path that both VP Racing Fuels, who are the Official Fuel supplier along with the F1 Powerboat Championship are set on.
“We can’t ignore renewable fuels” said Seebold, “So together we will continue to work with their new EcoGen™ Renewable fuel, Non-Alcohol Alternative to Ethanol and Butanol.”
The final two rounds will be the Boats Beats & BBQ event in Grove Oklahoma, and The Legends of Havasu festival that will include the Lake Havasu Classic Powerboat Championships. American Outdoor Events (AOE), who are the parent company of MidAmerica Outdoors, MAO Racing, Ultra4 USA, which is the premier unlimited off-road racing series are the organization behind these two races.
Starting off with the City of Grove they will run the first annual Boats Beats & BBQ fundraising event. Set to take place on Labor Day weekend the event, which will be held at Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees it will feature the penultimate round of the F1 championship, high-energy music performances, along with a BBQ cook-off, all in support of local charities in the Grove community.
“We are excited to grow and support the outdoors and watersport lifestyle, especially where people and families can come out and enjoy the outdoors together. 2023 and beyond is an exciting step in being able to share that passion with people all across the United States. It’s family friendly events like these that really highlight the future of our programs. It’s a perfect fit” said Jason Robinett, owner, and CEO of American Outdoor Events.
Concluding the 2023 series will be the Lake Havasu Classic which will be part of the Legends of Havasu festival. Organized again by AOE they promise an amazing destination in the fall to have one last blow out before winter starts. The line-up will feature the Ultra4 USA National Finals, the IRPA Bull Riding World Finals, American SxS Takeover, Poker runs, Live National Music Acts, Wakeboard demonstrations, Nitro Circus, and of course, F1 Powerboat racing.
We are also grateful to our new sponsor, KICKER Marine Audio for adding its powerful sound and support to our Championship Series. The Stillwater, OK-based company has been “Livin’ Loud for 50 years and will be an excellent addition to all the festivities planned in all of our locations. Kicker Marine Audio, produces “Real Marine” audio components, meticulously designed, engineered and built with durability to withstand the harsh marine environment and the power to be heard with clarity—even in an open-air environment, like F1 Racing.
As to the competitors involved it’s been a busy off season for many of the teams and drivers. 2023 will see several new drivers including Shawn Love of the Clover Construction Team, Dean Comer as the second driver on the Chuck Skelton Racing Team, and Andrew Tate as he crosses over from the H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Series. He will race the Fenom Ventures boat on a partial schedule when it doesn’t conflict with H1. Jeremiah Mayo switches to the Phase Three Performance team driving for owner Jim Slack alongside returning veteran driver Terry Rinker. Rookie sensation Grant Shubert steps up to the F1 class joining Dustin Terry on the Outlaw F1 Team as they will field both a Mercury Racing Apex 200 four stroke and a 2.5L Mercury Carb Motor.
With an extensive race calendar and driver line-up along with large on-site event attendance coupled with mass media exposure through the various channels regionally, nationally, and internationally combined with live streaming on various social and traditional channels, this season is set to be one of the best ever.
2023 Schedule
May 5-7 | Riverfest | Port Neches, TX
June 1-3 | LOTO Powerfest | Lake of the Ozarks, MO
August 11-13 | Midwest Challenge | Sheboygan, WI
August 18-20 | Roar of the Rockies | Windsor, CO
September 1-3 | Boats Beats & BBQ | Grove, OK
October 27-29 | Lake Havasu Classic | Lake Havasu City, AZ
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