Victorious! First place overall in the Marathon Super Boat Grand Prix

Everyone knew it was just a matter of time before the new #7 Lucas Oil seized its first victory – and what a victory it was! After two intense days of racing on the turquoise waters of the Florida Keys in Marathon, record crowds witnessed the end of the dominance of the formidable Fountain factory fleet of Super Vees. Broadcast live on FM105.5 with commentary by Stan Lane, disseminated on the Associated Press wire with articles and photographs appearing in the Key West Citizen and as far up the coast as in the Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel — the news was out.

At the green flag, World Champion #96 Yachts Magazine Fountain and the #7 Lucas Oil contender soared side by side with the rest of the Super Vee fleet breathing down their necks. Just by a nose, the #7 Lucas Oil edged its way through the first left-hand corner, earning the rights to pick the fastest lane under the infamous bridges.

Both old and new bridge stanchions were virtually getting clipped as the racers flew under and back through again, creating excitement for the fans as well as the drivers. As they continually crossed from the Gulf to the deep blue sea of the Atlantic Ocean and back, the dynamics of the 5.5 mile liquid track constantly altered. Once through the first round of hazards, the #7 Lucas Oil firmly established a five boat-length lead, a convincing margin, and kept widening that margin from lap to lap. Struggling to stay in the game, the trailing race boats began to succumb to overheating problems. The plentiful sea grass littering the course was unavoidably being vacuumed up by the race boats, tending to choke off the ambient water-cooling systems. The problem was compounded for those teams who raced the day before but failed to overhaul their systems overnight.

As headlined in the Monday morning edition of the Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel, “Late work pays off” (see article below).

Even though the Lucas Oil team had proven their faster speed, they cinched the deal with two bonus advantages. First, crew chief Rick Turmel and Mike “Mambo” Cintron, in a relentless pursuit of thoroughness, spent the prior night doing their homework. Second, Lucas Oil 20/50 synthetic lubricants were the secret weapon. “It was evident that our sea-strainers were clogging by the end of the Sunday race, but we were clearly afforded better engine protection by the Lucas lubricants in the Mercury 525 engines,” Hook said. “It definitely pays off when race engines are under the extra stress of waning cooling systems.”

Until cooling gremlins started to chisel out the pack in the latter stages of the race, the competition had been fierce. “This is a very technical track and one of my favorites,” said Mike Seebold, driver of the #15 Rio Roses Fountain and one of the stars of the circuit. Seebold is an APBA Hall of Champions racer, former Formula One tunnel boat racer, and winner of the Harmsworth Trophy. The Fountain fleet also featured APBA Hall of Champion racers — Steve David, driver of the #76 and hot shoe in the turbine powered Unlimited Hydroplane “Oh Boy, O’Berto”, and Benny Robertson, former Formula One tunnel boat racer. The winners of the Saturday heat were certainly tough competition, but Hook, who is also an APBA Hall of Champion racer, had their measure Sunday with the #7 Lucas Oil. “Our new Douglas Marine Skater V399 v-hull race boat is a brilliant design and constructed with unparalleled precision,” said Hook. “It is giving us the edge to overcome the “David and Goliath” challenge of a privately prepared team going up against the factory.”

The taste of victory could not have been sweeter as the #7 Lucas Oil captain, Nigel Hook, received the winner's trophy and congratulations from the National Series Sponsor and racing icon, Reggie Fountain. "This even overshadowed the presence of Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cheerleaders wishing the victors well, “ said Hook. "I recall as a young lad first watching Reggie Fountain race in the British Grand Prix on Lake Windermere in 1974, and later in the mid-90s even had the pleasure to compete against him. I’ve always respected what he has brought to our sport.

Final results for the Marathon Super Boat Grand Prix —
1st:  #7 Lucas Oil Skater
2nd:  #76 Shogren Fountain
3rd:  #77 Fountain/Mercury
4th:  #11 Joe Boxer/Tequila Patron/Miller Lite
5th:  #96 Yachts Magazine/Fountain

This race will be televised to over 125 million households on the Fox Sports Network in September.