Team owner/throttleman Tyler Miller decided to start building a Class 1 race boat in early 2022 and, with driver Myrick Coil alongside him, the learning curve was steep for the Kansas-based team for the first half of its rookie season in 2023. But by the end of the series, they had recorded three podium results on the way to a fourth-place overall finish.

This season began with Miller recovering from surgery on his back that involved removing two extruded discs lodged in the nerves of his spine, and multi-time Class 1 world champion Steve Curtis joined Coil in the 43-foot Skater for the opening race in Cocoa Beach in May. Miller made a remarkable recovery to renew his partnership with Coil later that month in Lake of the Ozarks and notch up two victories to extend their championship lead. Next stop in August was Sheboygan on Lake Michigan where Team Defalco, with Mike Falco and Billy Moore in the cockpit, won both races and then followed up with a third successive victory in Sarasota last month to dramatically close the gap on the Monster Energy-sponsored M CON team. The arrival of Hurricane Milton brought the Class 1 season to an untimely end, with Falco and Moore left to dream about what might have been.   

Tyler Miller’s response to the official announcement was to quote Theodore Roosevelt: “The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood. This is the Monster Energy/M CON Racing Team captured in one sentence.” He then went on to pay tribute to his wife, Lindsey and his family who he said were beside him every step of the way, and to thank Myrick for “being an absolute professional behind the wheel with such a positive mentality.”

“We joined forces with M CON Racing a couple of years ago when Monster Energy looked at getting involved in offshore powerboat racing,” said Dave Gowland, Vice President Monster Energy Sports Marketing. “We were thrilled to be involved in the Super Cat National Championships which the M CON Racing team won, and to now be part of their very first UIM Class 1 World Championship victory has just been thrilling and energizing to Monster Energy and all that we do. High horsepower and fierce competition is what drives Monster Energy and we’re straight-up thrilled to be a part of it all.”

“M CON Racing is one of the most professionally run teams in offshore racing and they are always looking to break new ground in promoting and marketing the team,” said Powerboat P1 CEO Azam Rangoonwala. “Tyler and Lindsey bring to the sport the outstanding energy and skills they demonstrate in running their successful M CON company.”  

Miller and Coil will be invited to the UIM Awards Giving Gala in Monaco next year to be presented with the prestigious Sam Griffith Trophy, named after the man who made the sport his own in the 1950s with four wins in the fabled Miami-Nassau race that signaled the beginnings of modern offshore racing.

Final Championship Standings

1. Monster Energy/M CON
2. Team Defalco
3. dfYOUNG
4. Morpheus 8
5. XINSURANCE

For full details go to www.class1world.com

While speaking to Powerboatracingworld.com, Curtis explained the team’s decision, stating, “We basically decided not to race Key West this year. Personally, I love the event, but as a team, we decided not to race.” While he didn’t go into details about the reasons behind the decision, speculations ran rampant among fans, wondering if it was due to technical issues, strategic planning, or other factors in social media.

However, Curtis quickly shifted his focus to the future. “I am now excited to see the new Class 1 World Championship calendar,” he revealed. “I hope that we can get back over to race a few events in Europe.” The announcement will for sure spark excitment among his supporters, eager to witness Curtis returning to his winning ways on international waters.

Powerboat racing enthusiasts eagerly awaited the launch of the 2024 calendar by PowerboatP1. Curtis’s remark has only increased the curiosity surrounding P1´s future plans. Would Mr Curtis continue dominating the sport? Only time would tell.

In the meantime, fans reminisced about Curtis’s remarkable career. Starting at the young age of 21, he had already made history by becoming the youngest Class 1 champion and the first Briton to claim the title in Key West, Florida, in 1985. From there, his journey was a continuous stream of triumphs, accumulating over 20 World Championships, European Championships, and Middle East Championships throughout his illustrious 33-year career.

One particular accomplishment that stood out was his world record for the fastest propeller-driven watercraft, reaching a mind-boggling speed of 244mph in 2014 at the Lake of the Ozarks Top Gun Shootout. This feat cemented his status as a legend in the sport and solidified his place as the GOAT of offshore powerboat racing.

Curtis’s partnership with Huski Racing had also been a fruitful one. In their inaugural season of racing in 2021, they claimed the APBA World Championship, with Curtis as the throttleman and Carlos de Quesada as the driver. The victory marked a significant milestone for the team, and lets hope its the beginning of an extraordinary journey.

Class1.com posted on Facebook tuesday night :

Six of our UIM Class 1 World Championship teams will battle it out this week at the 2023 Key West Offshore World Championship.

To find out more information on activities and schedules head to https://raceworldoffshore.com/key-west

Their path to victory involved a superb hat-trick of wins in Sarasota, Michigan City, and the first race of the Mercury Racing Midwest Challenge in Sheboygan last weekend. This triumphant performance ultimately outpaced their strong contenders, Steve Curtis and Brit Lilly in Huski Ice Spritz, securing the championship title by finishing second in race 2 of Sheboygan.

Darren Nicholson, the first Australian to claim the Class 1 title, commended his Italian throttleman Carpitella and the team for their exceptional performance. Reflecting on his first Class 1 world title, Nicholson expressed his gratitude for the talented crew that made up for his initial inexperience in powerboat racing. “Our crew, including Muddy, Robbie, Ali, Marky, and Skye, played a pivotal role in our success. Muddy’s vast experience and Giovanni’s expertise were invaluable. I have become a better driver by closely listening to them,” Nicholson emphasized, attributing their triumph to the camaraderie and skill within the team.

Having previously won three sailing world championships and the XCat last year with Carpitella, Nicholson acknowledged the significance of their latest accomplishment. Carpitella, who possesses an impressive track record of powerboat titles, including multiple victories at various levels, expressed his joy at finally clinching this major championship. The duo aims to approach the upcoming St. Petersburg race with enthusiasm and determination, intending to race without stress and at their maximum speed.

The 2023 UIM Class 1 World Championship season has witnessed thrilling offshore powerboat racing, with Nicholson and Carpitella standing out as the exceptional competitors in a fiercely competitive field. Both running with the Mercury 1100 competition engine, their outstanding performances have added excitement to the series, which has experienced resounding success in the United States. The UIM Secretary General, Thomas Kurth, commended the continued growth of the UIM Class 1 World Championship and the revival it has experienced since its relaunch last year. Kurth also acknowledged the efforts of Azam Rangoonwala, CEO of Powerboat P1, as he attracts new boats and teams for the 2024 season, ensuring the championship’s return to the pinnacle of offshore powerboat racing.

As the newly crowned UIM Class 1 World Powerboat Champions, Nicholson and Carpitella have demonstrated their exceptional talent and determination throughout a thrilling championship campaign. With three different race winners, six teams, and four manufacturers on the podium, the UIM Class 1 World Championship continues to grow in popularity and excitement under the leadership of Powerboat P1.

The Sudrheim team has considerable experience of offshore powerboat racing at the highest level, with almost everyone having been a member of the legendary Spirit of Norway team which made its Class 1 debut in 1997 and won five world titles, including three consecutively.

Team owner and driver Ove Troen described entering UIM Class 1 as “a longtime dream that has finally come true after three years of planning.”

He commented:

“I’m proud to have put together a talented and vastly experienced team that includes throttleman Pal Virik Nilsen, technical director Rolf Arnestad and consultant Gro Helgesen. It’s exciting that Class 1 is growing and that we will compete at the pinnacle of offshore racing. I can’t wait to get the whole organization welded together and to test the boat.” Troen is Chairman of Sudrheim Gruppen, a family-owned investment firm specializing in property ownership, development and green innovation, including involvement in the hotel industry and aviation. The company owns hotels in Arendal, Norway’s leading maritime town and powerboat racing venue, where Troen says he “grew up with Class 1.”

Troen and Virik Nilsen will compete in a 43-foot Victory catamaran that was originally raced by the Qatar team. It will undergo a complete rebuild with new Mercury Racing V8 1100 Competition engines arriving at the team workshop at the end of January. Testing is scheduled to get underway in late March and the plan is to gain some race experience before heading to the opening Class 1 event of the season.

“I am very happy to be part of this new Class 1 team with such experienced colleagues, and sharing the boat with Ove will be interesting and fun,” said Virik Nilsen, who boasts more than thirty years in both circuit and offshore powerboat racing with over 300 races under his belt. “I’ve competed in more than fifty Class 1 races and it will be my job to ease Ove into the series and make him feel confident in both me and the boat,” added Virik Nilsen.

Arnestad, who has more than twenty years’ experience in the world of motorsport as a mechanic and crew chief, is optimistic about Sudrheim’s prospects in the highly competitive Class 1 World Championship and believes that it won’t be long before they are battling for podium places. Consultant Gro Helgesen entered powerboat racing with the Spirit of Norway team in 2000 and ran the Qatar team from 2008 to 2016. She will help Troen build the new team and is excited that Norway will again have a Class 1 team.

“We are delighted that Sudrheim Offshore Racing will be flying the flag for Norway next season in the UIM Class 1 race series and we can now look forward to enjoying another Scandinavian team battling for the world title,” said Powerboat P1 CEO Azam Rangoonwala. “Our principal goal is to grow the Class 1 championship commercially and promote the series both in the United States and internationally to deliver enhanced value for race teams, host venues, sponsors and partners. We will return Class 1 to the summit of offshore racing by attracting more teams and building the worldwide television audience.”