Sarasota Articles from Monday
07-04-2005, 07:21 AM
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Sarasota Articles from Monday
SARASOTA -- The JSJ Racing team is asking the same question today that confounded it Sunday.
Just who in the heck put that brick wall in the middle of the Gulf?
Racers call it "hooking." Nokomis' Charlie Graf and Sarasota's Don Urfer and Jon Weiner provided the visual during Sunday's running of the Suncoast Offshore Grand Prix.
"Normally when a boat hooks, you're done," said Graf, owner of the P3-76 Manufacturer Production boat, a bag of ice pressed gingerly against his ribs.
Hooking. In a boat, not a good thing.
It happened on lap one, turn two of the day's second race. The 38-foot Fountain spun out, its side striking a wave with a force that usually spells pain, both for craft and occupants.
"It's like going 75 mph to 5 mph in a half-second," said Weiner, the boat's driver and owner of Bradenton's JSJ Tile & Stone Inc., its main sponsor.
Urfer, the navigator, flew into the metal shifter, bending it in half. Graf and Weiner slammed into opposite sides of the boat.
From 75 to 5. The impact snapped the three-eighths-inch bolt securing Graf's seat.
Urfer and Graf cracked their ribs. Weiner bruised an elbow. It could have been a lot worse.
The life jacket Urfer wore absorbed much of the impact. Without it, said Weiner, "he would have been in serious trouble."
Weiner and Graf were protected by Kevlar flak jackets, which saved both from certain trips to the hospital.
The boat and crew recovered to complete another lap. But the accident damaged the communication system. Graf couldn't speak to Weiner, Weiner to Urfer.
One of the boat's drives was stuck, causing it to lean. Urfer was in pain. End of race. Too bad. Graf said they were ready to pass the leader.
Two completed laps still got JSJ Racing third place. The damage to the boat should cost around $2,000 to repair.
Chump change, right?
"It's a lot," said Graf, a former manager for Land Rover.
Such is the life of a first-year racing team. The mighty Bacardi Silver team spends $150,000 a year on trailers. That's much of JSJ's annual budget.
Five sponsors keep the outfit afloat. The team's crew works gratis. At least, their hotel rooms and food on the road get covered.
"They want to be on this team," said Graf, "because we are a successful team."
One night, a neighbor, drink in hand, wrote out a check for $1,000. "If I would have got up and toasted," said Graf, "we might might have gotten $8,000."
First-place money covers just the entry fee for the next race and fuel. In five previous races, JSJ finished first four times, second once.
The plan is to keep winning, get more sponsors, move up in class.
Weiner, a former Coast Guard drug-enforcement officer, along with Graf, an admitted speed junkie, will enjoy the rest of the ride.
"This is kinda fun," said Weiner. "I just don't have to worry about anyone shooting me at the finish line."
Just who in the heck put that brick wall in the middle of the Gulf?
Racers call it "hooking." Nokomis' Charlie Graf and Sarasota's Don Urfer and Jon Weiner provided the visual during Sunday's running of the Suncoast Offshore Grand Prix.
"Normally when a boat hooks, you're done," said Graf, owner of the P3-76 Manufacturer Production boat, a bag of ice pressed gingerly against his ribs.
Hooking. In a boat, not a good thing.
It happened on lap one, turn two of the day's second race. The 38-foot Fountain spun out, its side striking a wave with a force that usually spells pain, both for craft and occupants.
"It's like going 75 mph to 5 mph in a half-second," said Weiner, the boat's driver and owner of Bradenton's JSJ Tile & Stone Inc., its main sponsor.
Urfer, the navigator, flew into the metal shifter, bending it in half. Graf and Weiner slammed into opposite sides of the boat.
From 75 to 5. The impact snapped the three-eighths-inch bolt securing Graf's seat.
Urfer and Graf cracked their ribs. Weiner bruised an elbow. It could have been a lot worse.
The life jacket Urfer wore absorbed much of the impact. Without it, said Weiner, "he would have been in serious trouble."
Weiner and Graf were protected by Kevlar flak jackets, which saved both from certain trips to the hospital.
The boat and crew recovered to complete another lap. But the accident damaged the communication system. Graf couldn't speak to Weiner, Weiner to Urfer.
One of the boat's drives was stuck, causing it to lean. Urfer was in pain. End of race. Too bad. Graf said they were ready to pass the leader.
Two completed laps still got JSJ Racing third place. The damage to the boat should cost around $2,000 to repair.
Chump change, right?
"It's a lot," said Graf, a former manager for Land Rover.
Such is the life of a first-year racing team. The mighty Bacardi Silver team spends $150,000 a year on trailers. That's much of JSJ's annual budget.
Five sponsors keep the outfit afloat. The team's crew works gratis. At least, their hotel rooms and food on the road get covered.
"They want to be on this team," said Graf, "because we are a successful team."
One night, a neighbor, drink in hand, wrote out a check for $1,000. "If I would have got up and toasted," said Graf, "we might might have gotten $8,000."
First-place money covers just the entry fee for the next race and fuel. In five previous races, JSJ finished first four times, second once.
The plan is to keep winning, get more sponsors, move up in class.
Weiner, a former Coast Guard drug-enforcement officer, along with Graf, an admitted speed junkie, will enjoy the rest of the ride.
"This is kinda fun," said Weiner. "I just don't have to worry about anyone shooting me at the finish line."
07-04-2005, 07:25 AM
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Re: Sarasota Articles from Monday
Racers riding the waves
Choppy waters off Lido Key make for a bumpy ride in this year's Grand Prix
BY JON STYF
SARASOTA -- Sometimes it's how fast you race. And other times, it's just a matter of finishing the race.
The 4- to 5-foot waves were nothing new when the 21st Suncoast Offshore Grand Prix was run Sunday, but the unpredictability made the new race course off Lido Key more like an obstacle course for racers to navigate.
The Shogun capsized and all three members of the crew were sent to Sarasota Memorial Hospital while local favorites like Pier 57 and Muscle couldn't even finish the race.
No racers were seriously hurt, but several were treated and released while another driver and a spectator were treated for dehydration at the races, which were delayed twice due to the 17 turtles that entered the raceway during the day.
One of the boats that was left gliding along at the end of the race was Marine Tech, which was Sarasota's only local winner Sunday.
The team of throttleman Denis Bilodeau of Sarasota and Ed Tamborino of Englewood fell behind early, but didn't panic because they knew the race course would have its casualties.
They remained patient as the two boats ahead of them left the race during the first two laps.
"I've been doing this since 1994 and I've seen it bad, but not like this," Bilodeau said. "The problem was that the holes (between waves) were created, but the next time around, the holes would move. It's the worst water I've run in in a long time."
The Marine Tech team stayed atop the points race with four races remaining in the season.
"It becomes a battle of attrition," Bilodeau said after showing off the large bruise he acquired on his arm from bouncing around in the boat during the afternoon. "It's just who can finish the race."
In the Superboat Unlimited class, the Bacardi Silver boat stole the show during the day's second heat.
Their fastest lap time was at 115 miles per hour as they finished the race two minutes and six seconds ahead of the D.F. Young boat.
The boat lapped the third- place boat, Warpaint, and driver Dave Scott said that most of the difficulties came when his team was attempting to lap the slower racers.
The oddest race of the day came in the Suberboat Stock division.
The Hulk boat ran into a corner buoy, which left several racers unsure where to turn.
Team Mojo continued to race, going through the spectator area, while the rest of the racers turned around and got back on course.
Sarasota's Loan Shark was as originally awarded the checkered flag after Hulk was penalized for the collision. But before the awards ceremony, the decision was reversed and The Hulk was awarded the victory.
After winning the race last season, Sarasota's Muscle boat was running well but blew an outdrive on the 10th lap and couldn't finish the race.
Sarasota's Pier 57 boat also blew out a propeller and couldn't finish. Sarasota driver Doug Sutherland of the Don't Blink boat finished sixth of 11 racers.
Shogun's Charles Clay was ejected from his boat when it flipped and was sent to Sarasota Memorial along with teammates Joseph Nesmith and John Sherrod.
Mustang driver Dave Howard was also ejected from his boat, treated for a back injury and released after his boat hit bottom.
A 61-year-old male on a spectator boat got his ropes tangled around his propellers, jumped in the water to untangle it and suffered lacerations to his leg, according to Sarasota police spokesman Jay Frank.
Another spectator was treated for dehydration, along with two drivers. All of the incidents, which Frank said was the most he had seen in his past five years at the race, occurred during the same 15-20 minute time period during the day's first heat.
Sarasota's Mark Smith was a stand-in driver for Team Fischer and finished second in the Manufacturer F2 division in his first competitive race.
Choppy waters off Lido Key make for a bumpy ride in this year's Grand Prix
BY JON STYF
SARASOTA -- Sometimes it's how fast you race. And other times, it's just a matter of finishing the race.
The 4- to 5-foot waves were nothing new when the 21st Suncoast Offshore Grand Prix was run Sunday, but the unpredictability made the new race course off Lido Key more like an obstacle course for racers to navigate.
The Shogun capsized and all three members of the crew were sent to Sarasota Memorial Hospital while local favorites like Pier 57 and Muscle couldn't even finish the race.
No racers were seriously hurt, but several were treated and released while another driver and a spectator were treated for dehydration at the races, which were delayed twice due to the 17 turtles that entered the raceway during the day.
One of the boats that was left gliding along at the end of the race was Marine Tech, which was Sarasota's only local winner Sunday.
The team of throttleman Denis Bilodeau of Sarasota and Ed Tamborino of Englewood fell behind early, but didn't panic because they knew the race course would have its casualties.
They remained patient as the two boats ahead of them left the race during the first two laps.
"I've been doing this since 1994 and I've seen it bad, but not like this," Bilodeau said. "The problem was that the holes (between waves) were created, but the next time around, the holes would move. It's the worst water I've run in in a long time."
The Marine Tech team stayed atop the points race with four races remaining in the season.
"It becomes a battle of attrition," Bilodeau said after showing off the large bruise he acquired on his arm from bouncing around in the boat during the afternoon. "It's just who can finish the race."
In the Superboat Unlimited class, the Bacardi Silver boat stole the show during the day's second heat.
Their fastest lap time was at 115 miles per hour as they finished the race two minutes and six seconds ahead of the D.F. Young boat.
The boat lapped the third- place boat, Warpaint, and driver Dave Scott said that most of the difficulties came when his team was attempting to lap the slower racers.
The oddest race of the day came in the Suberboat Stock division.
The Hulk boat ran into a corner buoy, which left several racers unsure where to turn.
Team Mojo continued to race, going through the spectator area, while the rest of the racers turned around and got back on course.
Sarasota's Loan Shark was as originally awarded the checkered flag after Hulk was penalized for the collision. But before the awards ceremony, the decision was reversed and The Hulk was awarded the victory.
After winning the race last season, Sarasota's Muscle boat was running well but blew an outdrive on the 10th lap and couldn't finish the race.
Sarasota's Pier 57 boat also blew out a propeller and couldn't finish. Sarasota driver Doug Sutherland of the Don't Blink boat finished sixth of 11 racers.
Shogun's Charles Clay was ejected from his boat when it flipped and was sent to Sarasota Memorial along with teammates Joseph Nesmith and John Sherrod.
Mustang driver Dave Howard was also ejected from his boat, treated for a back injury and released after his boat hit bottom.
A 61-year-old male on a spectator boat got his ropes tangled around his propellers, jumped in the water to untangle it and suffered lacerations to his leg, according to Sarasota police spokesman Jay Frank.
Another spectator was treated for dehydration, along with two drivers. All of the incidents, which Frank said was the most he had seen in his past five years at the race, occurred during the same 15-20 minute time period during the day's first heat.
Sarasota's Mark Smith was a stand-in driver for Team Fischer and finished second in the Manufacturer F2 division in his first competitive race.
07-04-2005, 07:25 AM
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Re: Sarasota Articles from Monday
Racing roadblock
After turtles delay race, Bacardi Silver dominates the day
JOSH HALL
Herald Staff Writer
SARASOTA - On a day when few things happened as expected at the 21st annual Suncoast Offshore Grand Prix, one thing was certain - the Bacardi Silver team ran circles around the competition.
Hot and humid temperatures greeted onlookers as they awaited the first of two races.
Then came the turtles.
More than a dozen turtles moving through the area delayed the first race by nearly 45 minutes. After the delay, those in the waters off Lido Beach were treated to the best view, within a few hundred feet of the boats.
The view off Lido was made possible by the shortening of the course this year, which went over well with local enthuasiasts.
"It's probably more fan friendly to watch from the beach," Bradenton's Andre Scharroo said. "It has more accessibility than previous years." The main change to the course was taking the boats away Siesta Key. But keeping with the trend of the unexpected, a buoy clipped by a boat ended up directing racers toward Siesta Key.
"A lot of guys went off course, but we caught it," JK Lawrence, crew chief of Loan Shark, said.
Fans in attendance and listening to a live broadcast on 1220 AM got a scare during the first race as Showtime, a boat driven by Jamed Sejd of Virginia, had a nasty crash.
Sejd and his throttleman, Mark House, were taken to Sarasota Memorial Hospital but suffered no serious injuries.
The spill by Showtime likely was caused by choppy water, including waves in excess of 4 feet. Many drivers saw their days come to an end because of such conditions.
Two local entries fell victim to the rocky conditions. Love Muscle, out of Sarasota, won in last year's Grand Prix but failed to finish this time after breaking an outdrive in the 10th lap.
Pier57, also of Sarasota, had only three laps left when it went into a turn too high, catching a wave the wrong way and spinning out. The team was without its regular driver, Lisa Mathews of Longboat Key.
Team Fisher, also without a driver, turned to a stand-in, but with much better results. Mark Smith of Sarasota took the reigns and captured second place with the Donzi boat. Smith, who works for Donzi Marine in Sarasota, said he tests hundreds of boats for the company and asked if he could drive a race.
"I had a blast," Smith said. "If I never did it again, it would be enough."
Other local teams performed well, including Marine Tech with driver Ed Tamberino of Englewood, who took first in the P-3 class. JSJ Racing of Sarasota captured third in the P-3.
Sarasota resident Cory Shantry and Extreme Liquid Assets showed off their new 30-foot Phantom, grabbing third in the Super Vee Limited class. Loan Shark, owned by Dan Lawrence of Sarasota, nabbed second place in the Superboat Stock class.
But clearly, the Bacardi Silver boat was in a class by itself.
The boat took home the crown in the Superboat Unlimited class and had local enthusiasts gushing in awe.
"It's the fastest boat," Scharroo said. "It's got several records. It's blowing everybody away."
The boat touched 115 mph during its fastest lap. The boat was able to lap third place finisher Warpaint and finished more than two minutes ahead of second place boat, DF Young.
"It really was a good race from the green flag on," driver Dave Cox said. "The people of Sarasota are our favorites. We're glad it worked out."
2005 SUNCOAST OFFSHORE GRAND PRIX
Manufacturer Production 5
1. Great Adventure, 2. Crazy Chicken Offshore Racing Team, 3. Team Gallagher.
Manufacturer Production 4
1. Miccosukee Indian Gaming, 2. Team Nesquik AMF Offshore, 3. Konrad Fountain of Youth.
Manufacturer Production 3
1. Marine Tech, 2. Pollo Tropical, 3. JSJ Racing.
Manufacturer Production 2
1. DF Young, 2. Wazzup.
Factory 1
1. Team TKO/Russo Marine, 2. Velocity VR1, 3. Venom Team Xtreme.
Factory 2
1. Talk'n Tools, 2. Team Fisher.
Superboat Vee Limited
1. Hometown Mortgage, 2. Extreme Vortec AMF, 3. Extreme Liquid Assets.
Superboat Stock
1. The Hulk, 2. Loan Shark, 3. Mojo.
Superboat Vee
1. Miccosukee Indian Gaming, 2. Instigator, 3. Taboo Racing.
Superboat Cat
1. CMS Castaways, 2. Showtime.
Superboat Unlimited
1. Bacardi Silver, 2. DF Young, 3. Warpaint.
After turtles delay race, Bacardi Silver dominates the day
JOSH HALL
Herald Staff Writer
SARASOTA - On a day when few things happened as expected at the 21st annual Suncoast Offshore Grand Prix, one thing was certain - the Bacardi Silver team ran circles around the competition.
Hot and humid temperatures greeted onlookers as they awaited the first of two races.
Then came the turtles.
More than a dozen turtles moving through the area delayed the first race by nearly 45 minutes. After the delay, those in the waters off Lido Beach were treated to the best view, within a few hundred feet of the boats.
The view off Lido was made possible by the shortening of the course this year, which went over well with local enthuasiasts.
"It's probably more fan friendly to watch from the beach," Bradenton's Andre Scharroo said. "It has more accessibility than previous years." The main change to the course was taking the boats away Siesta Key. But keeping with the trend of the unexpected, a buoy clipped by a boat ended up directing racers toward Siesta Key.
"A lot of guys went off course, but we caught it," JK Lawrence, crew chief of Loan Shark, said.
Fans in attendance and listening to a live broadcast on 1220 AM got a scare during the first race as Showtime, a boat driven by Jamed Sejd of Virginia, had a nasty crash.
Sejd and his throttleman, Mark House, were taken to Sarasota Memorial Hospital but suffered no serious injuries.
The spill by Showtime likely was caused by choppy water, including waves in excess of 4 feet. Many drivers saw their days come to an end because of such conditions.
Two local entries fell victim to the rocky conditions. Love Muscle, out of Sarasota, won in last year's Grand Prix but failed to finish this time after breaking an outdrive in the 10th lap.
Pier57, also of Sarasota, had only three laps left when it went into a turn too high, catching a wave the wrong way and spinning out. The team was without its regular driver, Lisa Mathews of Longboat Key.
Team Fisher, also without a driver, turned to a stand-in, but with much better results. Mark Smith of Sarasota took the reigns and captured second place with the Donzi boat. Smith, who works for Donzi Marine in Sarasota, said he tests hundreds of boats for the company and asked if he could drive a race.
"I had a blast," Smith said. "If I never did it again, it would be enough."
Other local teams performed well, including Marine Tech with driver Ed Tamberino of Englewood, who took first in the P-3 class. JSJ Racing of Sarasota captured third in the P-3.
Sarasota resident Cory Shantry and Extreme Liquid Assets showed off their new 30-foot Phantom, grabbing third in the Super Vee Limited class. Loan Shark, owned by Dan Lawrence of Sarasota, nabbed second place in the Superboat Stock class.
But clearly, the Bacardi Silver boat was in a class by itself.
The boat took home the crown in the Superboat Unlimited class and had local enthusiasts gushing in awe.
"It's the fastest boat," Scharroo said. "It's got several records. It's blowing everybody away."
The boat touched 115 mph during its fastest lap. The boat was able to lap third place finisher Warpaint and finished more than two minutes ahead of second place boat, DF Young.
"It really was a good race from the green flag on," driver Dave Cox said. "The people of Sarasota are our favorites. We're glad it worked out."
2005 SUNCOAST OFFSHORE GRAND PRIX
Manufacturer Production 5
1. Great Adventure, 2. Crazy Chicken Offshore Racing Team, 3. Team Gallagher.
Manufacturer Production 4
1. Miccosukee Indian Gaming, 2. Team Nesquik AMF Offshore, 3. Konrad Fountain of Youth.
Manufacturer Production 3
1. Marine Tech, 2. Pollo Tropical, 3. JSJ Racing.
Manufacturer Production 2
1. DF Young, 2. Wazzup.
Factory 1
1. Team TKO/Russo Marine, 2. Velocity VR1, 3. Venom Team Xtreme.
Factory 2
1. Talk'n Tools, 2. Team Fisher.
Superboat Vee Limited
1. Hometown Mortgage, 2. Extreme Vortec AMF, 3. Extreme Liquid Assets.
Superboat Stock
1. The Hulk, 2. Loan Shark, 3. Mojo.
Superboat Vee
1. Miccosukee Indian Gaming, 2. Instigator, 3. Taboo Racing.
Superboat Cat
1. CMS Castaways, 2. Showtime.
Superboat Unlimited
1. Bacardi Silver, 2. DF Young, 3. Warpaint.
07-04-2005, 07:27 AM
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Re: Sarasota Articles from Monday
High Waves, New Course Daunting For Suncoast Boats
Published: Jul 4, 2005
SARASOTA - The 4- to 5-foot waves were nothing new when the 21st Suncoast Offshore Grand Prix was run Sunday, but the unpredictability made the new race course off Lido Key more like an obstacle course for racers to navigate.
The Shogun capsized and all three members of the crew were sent to Sarasota Memorial Hospital while local favorites like Pier 57 and Muscle couldn't even finish the race.
No racers were seriously hurt, but several were treated and released while another driver and a spectator were treated for dehydration at the races, which were delayed twice due to the 17 turtles that entered the raceway during the day.
One of the boats that was left gliding along at the end of the race was Marine Tech, which was Sarasota's only local winner.
The team of throttleman Denis Bilodeau of Sarasota and Ed Tamborino of Englewood fell behind early, but didn't panic because they knew the course would have its casualties. They remained patient as the two boats ahead of them left the race during the first two laps.
``I've been doing this since 1994 and I've seen it bad, but not like this,'' Bilodeau said. ``The problem was that the holes [between waves] were created, but the next time around, the holes would move. It's the worst water I've run in in a long time.''
Published: Jul 4, 2005
SARASOTA - The 4- to 5-foot waves were nothing new when the 21st Suncoast Offshore Grand Prix was run Sunday, but the unpredictability made the new race course off Lido Key more like an obstacle course for racers to navigate.
The Shogun capsized and all three members of the crew were sent to Sarasota Memorial Hospital while local favorites like Pier 57 and Muscle couldn't even finish the race.
No racers were seriously hurt, but several were treated and released while another driver and a spectator were treated for dehydration at the races, which were delayed twice due to the 17 turtles that entered the raceway during the day.
One of the boats that was left gliding along at the end of the race was Marine Tech, which was Sarasota's only local winner.
The team of throttleman Denis Bilodeau of Sarasota and Ed Tamborino of Englewood fell behind early, but didn't panic because they knew the course would have its casualties. They remained patient as the two boats ahead of them left the race during the first two laps.
``I've been doing this since 1994 and I've seen it bad, but not like this,'' Bilodeau said. ``The problem was that the holes [between waves] were created, but the next time around, the holes would move. It's the worst water I've run in in a long time.''
07-04-2005, 09:04 AM
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Re: Sarasota Articles from Monday
Thanks for the articles... It is really great of you guys to send pics and newspaper "clippings" to those who can't make it to the races.
Ernie
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07-04-2005, 04:53 PM
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Re: Sarasota Articles from Monday
Showtime stuffed and "disappeared" only to resurface stern-first a few seconds later. Buyafountain.co and OSO Steve were only yards away. No visible damage other than lots of water. 
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07-05-2005, 08:43 AM
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Re: Sarasota Articles from Monday
The radio also said Mustange flipped,that didnt happen either.Mustange took a bad wave on the 4th lap and Daves brother Rick took a fracture in his back and had to be removed on a back board.I sure wish they would get the facts strait before they put this on the air,it sure scares the H out of the family in the pits. MEL
07-05-2005, 09:19 AM
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Re: Sarasota Articles from Monday
Mel, I just found out about the accident, please give them my best.
It's great to have you guys back and I am very sorry to see this happen
It's great to have you guys back and I am very sorry to see this happen
07-05-2005, 11:59 AM
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Re: Sarasota Articles from Monday
Thank you Scotty,it feels great to be back this year even if I cant spell Mustang.My wife and I are just small sponsers for Dave an Jerri but we both know that this can happen in boat racing real fast and then you got 2 little kids and a boat to take care of so Dave and Ricks wives can get to the hospital.I dont know were thier going from here after Rick heals,but when thier back racing we will be back too.I will pasa it on to Dave an Rick. Mel
