The US Offshore Racing season hasn’t started yet, however, the drama going on in the background makes an episode of Game of Thrones look dull.

The story so far.

The Offshore Powerboat Association (OPA) teamed up with Powerboat P1 to create a 5 venue series for 2019, those races include; Thunder on Cocoa Beach, Lake Race, Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix and the St. Clair River Fest.

OPA / P1 also bid to host the Key West event in November and yesterday we reported that they had been beaten by Larry Bleil’s Race World Offshore presentation.

OPA / P1 are sanctioned by APBA and in turn the UIM, although according to a press release from Race World Offshore today, their application to be affiliated has been blocked.

Race World Offshore President, Larry Bleil says in the release:

Race World Offshore agreed to go with APBA, on OPA’s recommendation to tie all the racing together.

Race World Offshore filled out APBA paperwork and was issued an event number and put on APBA schedule, after OPA said they would sign off on it.

He continues:

Howie Nichols, President of APBA, stated that OPA has the contract and he can’t do anything about it.

As it stands as of now, Race World Offshore will be going it alone at their Dunkirk, Clearwater and Key West venues.

Bleil concludes:

I can understand why John Carbonell did what he did for so long.

I have never been involved with a business in my life like this.

Everyone has their own agendas.

Time will tell, I am moving forward with my plan and I know I am doing it the right way.

I am not closing the door on listening to other organisations, but I will be more cautious.

But when I get shut out of APBA and we have the best race sites in the world, it is short sighted.