Photo Finish! Port Huron Offshore Gran Prix

This race was a cat and mouse chase from green flag to checkered flag. Lined up with eight boats in the front row at the start, the two winning boats — Lucas Oil #7 (in lane 7) and the #18 Donzi (in lane 8) — dueled from takeoff.

"After landing two third places in a row, without a doubt we're climbing higher on the podium for this race", predicted Nigel Hook, Captain of the Lucas Oil Team.

For the first couple of laps, the #2 Super Vee, driven/throttled by Reichman/Gordon, got sandwiched in the middle, enabling #18 Bowman/Conrad team to get a head start in the clean water. Once Hook/Pavlichek in the red Lucas Oil #7 got around the #2 boat, the chase was on. Crew Chiefs John Hanas for the #7 and Dave Pyk for the #18 were calling in splits at each lap to their teams — 8 seconds, 6 seconds, 4 seconds, 2 seconds, 4 seconds, 2 seconds...

With 32 race boats competing for the Miller Lite Port Huron Offshore Grand Prix in the APBA GMC Pro Grade National Series, traffic on the racecourse provided the distractions for the cat and mouse chase. The winds were out of the south and the waves were calm, even with a 1,000 foot commercial freighter steaming in parallel to the racetrack.

The five-mile track with four left hand turns per lap ran right along the pristine beaches crowded with race fans. This was a special race for the Lucas Oil #7, with it's race shop based down the road in nearby Pigeon, Michigan. Nick Pavlichek, throttleman of the #7, runs the race shop alongside the Alton Company, craftsman par excellence of custom trucks. Nick wasn't about to let first place slip away without a fight. With both boats running the flawless Mercury 525 power packages, it was down to the final straightaway with Bowman/Conrad heading out of the last corner, turn 4, just ahead of the Lucas Oil #7. Lucas Oil #7 crossed to the outside lane and churned up the water foot by foot — the sprint to the finish saw the boats nose to tail.

The mouse finally got away and the Lucas Oil #7 had to settle for second place. "We just needed one more mile and we would have had them for sure!" said Nick Pavlichek. "After 75 hard fought miles, racing doesn't much more exciting than this", noted Tony Wiese who was the official commentator for the event.

Mayor B. Mark Neal announced that the city is backing the race for next year, and the contracts and permits have already been signed.

The team wants to thank the primary sponsor Lucas Oil for their continued support and excellence in their lubricants, which keep the ship humming. Lucas Oil lubricates the brilliant Weismann surface drives and transmissions, which have proven to be indestructible, and also the incredibly reliable Mercury 525 Racing Engines.

Nick and Nigel wish to thank to onshore crew that keeps on performing an outstanding feat of making this team successful and retaining such a high profile for its sponsors: Dean Henne, Keli and Richard Gunn, John Hanas, Tony Wiese and Janet Wilson.

Special thanks to Dr. Patrick Weismann, President of Traction Products, Kristi Gunn and Vern Gilbert, who stepped in just in the nick of time to provide extra parts and service to keep the team race-ready.

The RaceWater team couldn't run without the support and superb products from the following leading companies:

• BULLYDOG Technologies - the extra power that pushes the team's tow truck
• ALCOA Wheels - Hot Forged Aluminum Wheels for the truck, trailer and motorhome
• MASTERCRAFT Race Products - special, aluminum-framed MasterCraft 3G race seats and restraints
• GOODYEAR Tire and Rubber, Commercial and Consumer Divisions - truck, trailer and motorhome tires
• K&N - industry leading filters
• KODIAK trailer disc brakes - stainless steel disc brakes for the trailer
• ACTIVE Technology - patented ActiBrake electric over hydraulic trailer brake actuator
• PPG - paint for the trailer and the raceboat
• DETROIT Flexible Metal / Auto Cycle Marine - custom hoses and belts for the "new" boat