The first weekend of August found Bob Teague and Team AMSOIL Offshore competing in the 17th running of the popular St. Clair River Classic Offshore Race. The St. Clair race was the first OPA/OSS joint event of 2009.
A festival was held along the park and race course and offered a full-blown carnival complete with rides, attractions and street vendors. The event was a huge success, drawing nearly 100,000 people over three days.
Although high winds made test conditions unusually rough on Saturday, Sunday brought calmer conditions for race day.
Sunday's racing was fast, furious and safe with no accidents or rollovers reported. In the main event, Team AMSOIL started in the number-two lane, with Team Propstop on the pole. When the green flag dropped, a deck-to-deck battle ensued with the 388 Skater of Team Propstop. On the third lap, as Team AMSOIL attempted to pass on the inside of turn one, Team Propstop hooked into the path of Team AMSOIL. The #77 boat got caught in the rooster tail and had to pull back. The deluge of water caused one of the AMSOIL boat’s engines to go into “guardian mode” with reduced power. Teague was able to get the engine restarted after three tries, but by that time Team Propstop had gained about a 20-second lead.
A festival was held along the park and race course and offered a full-blown carnival complete with rides, attractions and street vendors. The event was a huge success, drawing nearly 100,000 people over three days.
Although high winds made test conditions unusually rough on Saturday, Sunday brought calmer conditions for race day.
Sunday's racing was fast, furious and safe with no accidents or rollovers reported. In the main event, Team AMSOIL started in the number-two lane, with Team Propstop on the pole. When the green flag dropped, a deck-to-deck battle ensued with the 388 Skater of Team Propstop. On the third lap, as Team AMSOIL attempted to pass on the inside of turn one, Team Propstop hooked into the path of Team AMSOIL. The #77 boat got caught in the rooster tail and had to pull back. The deluge of water caused one of the AMSOIL boat’s engines to go into “guardian mode” with reduced power. Teague was able to get the engine restarted after three tries, but by that time Team Propstop had gained about a 20-second lead. After three laps, Team AMSOIL made up the deficit and was again knocking on the door of Team Propstop. Throttle-man Teague and driver Paul Whittier stayed on the outside lane in turns one and two, tailing Team Propstop closely down the course into turns three and four. As Propstop headed into turn four, they left a lane open. Teague and Whittier crosse
d to the inside and hooked the 368 Skater tightly around turn buoy four at high speed, gaining a two-boat advantage heading out of the turn. The planned move paid off as Team AMSOIL then stretched the lead for the remaining laps until taking the checkered flag. The winning Cat Lite #77 Team AMSOIL boat was paraded in front of the huge crowds, proudly displaying the checkered flag.
The win at St. Clair put Team AMSOIL in first-place in the points’ chase in both the OPA and OSS circuits.
Next stop: OPA/OSS Race – Patchogue, New York – August 22 & 23
See you at the races!
d to the inside and hooked the 368 Skater tightly around turn buoy four at high speed, gaining a two-boat advantage heading out of the turn. The planned move paid off as Team AMSOIL then stretched the lead for the remaining laps until taking the checkered flag. The winning Cat Lite #77 Team AMSOIL boat was paraded in front of the huge crowds, proudly displaying the checkered flag.The win at St. Clair put Team AMSOIL in first-place in the points’ chase in both the OPA and OSS circuits.
Next stop: OPA/OSS Race – Patchogue, New York – August 22 & 23
See you at the races!
