Episode 74 - Harlan Orrin The Wood Craftsman Behind Legendary Performance Boats
Powerboat Talk
is a true legend in the West Coast performance boating world, with more than 60 years of hands-on experience designing and building molds, hulls, and custom wood decks. His roots in boat building trace back to World War II, when his father and uncle built wooden boats for the US military, an early influence that shaped Orrin’s lifelong path. From an early interest in drafting and sheet metal fabrication, Orrin got his start in 1957 at Mandella Boats after his uncle Ernie purchased the company. In just four years, they built 54 boats, and during that time Orrin even built Rayson-Craft...
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Episode 73 - Mary Rife Drag Boat Racer and Fastest Woman on Water
Powerboat Talk
In this episode of Powerboat Talk, we sit down with drag boat racing pioneer Mary Rife, the first woman ever licensed to drive a Blown Fuel Hydro and the only woman in history to surpass 200 mph in a boat. Long before women became common in motorsports, Rife was competing head-to-head against the sport’s best drivers in one of the most dangerous classes in racing. Often described as drag boat racing’s answer to Shirley Muldowney, Rife built an extraordinary career spanning almost two decades without a major accident. In the episode, Rife talks about how the purchase she and her husband...
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Episode 72 - John Connor Offshore Racing Legend and Genius Innovator
Powerboat Talk
In this episode of Powerboat Talk, we sit down with offshore racing legend John Connor to explore a career that helped define the sport’s golden era. As throttleman and crew chief for Paul and Betty Cook, Connor played a key role in Betty’s rise to prominence as one of the most important figures in offshore racing history. In 1977, Betty Cook became the first woman to win a world championship in offshore powerboat racing (her first of two), and just the second female in any major motorsport to achieve the feat, alongside drag racing’s . Remarkably, Cook and Muldowney each captured...
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Episode 71 - Cade Wilson Owner of Sterling Engines
Powerboat Talk
In this episode of Powerboat Talk, we sit down with Cade Wilson, the new owner of , a name deeply rooted in offshore racing history. After a successful corporate career and a leadership foundation built through service in the U.S. Army, the U.S. Naval Academy, and as a Naval officer, Wilson set out to acquire and grow a business, ultimately landing in the one place he initially tried to avoid, racing. We dig into how a calculated acquisition quickly became a hands-on rebuild of both operations and reputation, from restoring equipment and workflow to navigating early challenges like the loss of...
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Episode 70 - Ty Newton Flatbottom K-boat Racer
Powerboat Talk
In this episode of Powerboat Talk, we sit down with veteran flatbottom K-boat driver Ty Newton of Phoenix, Arizona, a multi-time national champion and member of the American Power Boat Association Hall of Champions (2009). With more than three decades behind the wheel and 15 years in K-boats, Newton brings a deep well of experience and perspective to the conversation. Newton shares the story of his recent trip to Australia to compete in the , marking his third appearance in the event after first competing in 2019. He breaks down the unique challenges and joys of racing down under. The...
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Episode 69 - Dave Villwock Unlimited Hydroplane Racing Legend
Powerboat Talk
In this episode, recorded before the 2025 racing season, we sit down with Dave Villwock, the most successful driver in racing history. At the time, Villwock had amassed 67 career wins, 10 national championships, 10 APBA Gold Cups, and multiple world speed records. During the 2025 season, he added to that legacy with his 68th career win and 11th Gold Cup at age 71. Villwock’s story spans decades, from driving flat bottoms and wrenching in the pits to rising as a crew chief, becoming a dominant driver, and ultimately returning to the cockpit at age 70. His career reached another milestone...
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Episode 68- Joe Zelinski Founder of Custom Marine, Inc
Powerboat Talk
As the founder of , Joe Zelinski stands as a central figure and true innovator in the high-performance marine world. For decades, CMI headers have set the benchmark for performance marine exhaust systems. Raised by a father who was a plumbing contractor, Zelinski developed a strong work ethic early on, along with a natural curiosity for anything mechanical. While spending summers digging ditches for his father’s business, he purchased his first boat, a Boston Whaler, at just 12 years old. Not long after, he landed a job at a local boat shop where he was paid in parts, eventually working his...
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Episode 67- Tyler Speer Drag Boat Racer (Part 2)
Powerboat Talk
In this episode, the 2nd of two parts, we talk with racer following the 2025 drag boat racing season as he breaks down the continued progress of his A Fuel Nitro Hydro, Georgia Outlaw, through the 2025 season and his plans heading into 2026. Speer, who works in the family boat business in Woodstock, GA with his father Tim, talks about an early-season change to a different clutch program that required the team to re-establish their baseline setup, which slowed progress as they worked through the learning curve and adjusted to the new combination. We talk about his results competing in both...
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Episode 66- Tyler Speer Drag Boat Racer
Powerboat Talk
Tyler Speer is one of the most versatile racers in modern drag boat competition and a rising force in nitro-powered hydro racing. Today he campaigns an Injected Nitro Hydro in the Top Alcohol Hydro class, pushing the limits of performance while developing one of the most demanding boats in the sport. Speer began racing motocross at age five, later moving through go-karts, the Allison Legacy Series, and stock cars, before making his debut in 2010. After transitioning to drag boats in 2014, he quickly made his mark by winning the 2016 Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing Series Pro Modified World...
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Episode 65 - Live from Eddie's SoCal Performance Expo opening night
Powerboat Talk
This episode of Powerboat Talk is a recording of a livestream that we did at Eddie Marine in Rancho Cucamonga for Eddie’s SoCal Performance Expo opening night party. We had the privilege of interviewing 23 marine and automotive industry leaders and personalities. Eddie’s SoCal Performance Expo brought together almost 300 cars and 90 performance boats for a great day in sunny Southern California. The line up was INSANE!! To learn more about Eddie’s SoCal Performance Expo visit their website Clint Miglia- / Ray Lee- Ken Johnson- Scott Walters- Rob Torres- Tony Chiaramonte- Jake...
info_outlineAs the founder of Customer Marine, Inc. (CMI), Joe Zelinski stands as a central figure and true innovator in the high-performance marine world. For decades, CMI headers have set the benchmark for performance marine exhaust systems.
Raised by a father who was a plumbing contractor, Zelinski developed a strong work ethic early on, along with a natural curiosity for anything mechanical. While spending summers digging ditches for his father’s business, he purchased his first boat, a Boston Whaler, at just 12 years old. Not long after, he landed a job at a local boat shop where he was paid in parts, eventually working his way into pit crew duties for the owner’s son on the race circuit. It was there that Zelinski developed a passion for racing and began focusing on building components to go faster.
After graduating college, Zelinski joined Kiekhaefer Aeromarine, taking on a variety of roles within the company. While observing an effort to duplicate an existing set of stainless steel headers, he proposed that the company manufacture its own. The idea was met with resistance, and Fred Kiekhaefer challenged him directly: “If you want to build headers, go start your own company building headers!” Taking that challenge to heart, Zelinski left the company in 1986 and introduced CMI to the industry at the IMTEC show in Chicago in 1989.
In this episode, Zelinski reflects on the path that grew CMI into a dominant name in the marine industry, with its headers becoming standard equipment on Mercury Racing engines and a top choice for leading engine builders such as Sterling, Innovation, and Keith Eickert.
The conversation also traces Zelinski’s later years with the company, including the sale in 2005, the transition into corporate ownership, and his eventual departure in 2012.
To learn more about Custom Marine, Inc visit them online @ www.custommarine.com
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