Powerboat Talk

On the Powerboat Talk podcast, we talk everything performance boats including offshore powerboats, lake racers, jet boats, v-drive boats, race boats. Featuring interviews with leaders and influencers in the performance boat industry.

Episode 75 - Bob Wartinger Outboard Racing’s Record Man 07/23/2026

Episode 74 - Harlan Orrin The Wood Craftsman Behind Legendary Performance Boats 07/07/2026

Episode 73 - Mary Rife Drag Boat Racer and Fastest Woman on Water 06/17/2026

Episode 73 - Mary Rife Drag Boat Racer and Fastest Woman on Water 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 made of a 48-mph, 16-foot boat powered by an 85-hp Mercury outboard led to her quest for speed on the water. The purchase of a Holman & Moody-powered Kindsvater flatbottom came next and led the Rifes to their first time on a liquid drag strip. When Rife outqualified her husband at that first race at Lake Ming in Bakersfield, California, it earned her a place in the driver's seat, one she never relinquished. In 1973, the couple purchased a Howard hydro hull, rigged it in their garage, and named it Proud Mary after the Creedence Clearwater Revival hit song. The Rifes fit the boat with a blown 392 Chrysler Hemi and ran it on nitro, which Mary drove to its first pass of 155 mph. An upgrade to a Keith Black 426 Hemi led Rife down the path to a list of career accomplishments that included a 206-mph pass, winning the 1978 NDBA Nationals at Firebird, earning Driver of the Year honors in 1977, appearing on national television with Billie Jean King, and even taking racing legend Mario Andretti for a 168-mph ride across Long Beach Marine Stadium. Rife also shares the remarkable story of losing and later recovering Proud Mary, and the painstaking restoration that returned one of drag boat racing’s most famous machines to its former glory. Follow Mary Rife on Facebook Visit our website at View the video for this episode: Follow us on Instagram and Facebook Contact me: powerboattalk@gmail.com /episode/index/show/2f4d0cf0-eea4-4b15-9345-8d04853cd4ac/id/41674285

Episode 72 - John Connor Offshore Racing Legend and Genius Innovator 05/27/2026

Episode 72 - John Connor Offshore Racing Legend and Genius Innovator 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 their first world titles just one month apart, marking a groundbreaking moment for women in motorsports. Working alongside the Cooks, Connor helped push the limits of performance and reliability while driving innovation behind the scenes. The conversation dives into the team’s development of the groundbreaking 38-foot Scarab and the , technologies that helped reshape offshore boat design and propulsion. Connor also shares insight into his time with , where he served not only as throttleman but as project manager and lead engineering force behind the transatlantic record setting . He discusses the challenges of developing its turbine-assisted powertrain and advanced systems, culminating in the record-setting 1989 transatlantic crossing, where the team averaged remarkable speeds over more than 3,400 miles. Like Connor’s time with the Cooks, his partnership with Gentry produced world championships, record speeds, and cutting-edge technology, but it ultimately ended in tragedy following a devastating crash in Gentry’s final race in 1994, which led to his death in 1998. Connor is a fascinating and often underrecognized figure in offshore racing. This episode offers a firsthand look at the mindset and innovation that defined one of the sport’s most influential contributors. Visit John Conner online @ Visit our website at View the video for this episode: Follow us on Instagram and Facebook Contact me: powerboattalk@gmail.com /episode/index/show/2f4d0cf0-eea4-4b15-9345-8d04853cd4ac/id/41436280

Episode 71 - Cade Wilson Owner of Sterling Engines 05/20/2026

Episode 70 - Ty Newton Flatbottom K-boat Racer 05/06/2026

Episode 69 - Dave Villwock Unlimited Hydroplane Racing Legend 04/28/2026

Episode 68- Joe Zelinski Founder of Custom Marine, Inc 04/16/2026

Episode 68- Joe Zelinski Founder of Custom Marine, Inc 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 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 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 engines and a top choice for leading engine builders such as , , and . 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 @ Visit our website at View the video for this episode: Follow us on Instagram and Facebook Contact me: powerboattalk@gmail.com /episode/index/show/2f4d0cf0-eea4-4b15-9345-8d04853cd4ac/id/40895150

Episode 67- Tyler Speer Drag Boat Racer (Part 2) 04/07/2026

Episode 67- Tyler Speer Drag Boat Racer (Part 2) 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 the and the , where he finished second and third in season points, respectively. The conversation also covers the final race in Wheatland, Texas, where Speer and his team put things together to run a 4.22-second elapsed time, setting a class record and winning the event. For 2026, Speer will continue to be the only naturally aspirated, nitro-burning boat on the circuit and will continue to work with A Fuel drag racing standout . He will again rely on his system for fuel management and data logging, using expanded data to evaluate clutch performance, fuel delivery, and run-to-run consistency. Speer will continue to focus on the current A Fuel boat and resist the move back to Top Fuel. He also outlines plans to build two additional Warhawk hulls to serve as backup boats and support ongoing testing and development. We also discuss expectations for the and its involvement in drag boat racing, along with how that could impact participation and event structure moving forward. Finally, we talk about the usefulness of running a marine engine on a dyno, as well as availability and quality control issues with high-performance racing parts. Follow Tyler Speer on Instagram on Facebook on Youtube Visit Tyler online Visit our website at View the video for this episode: www.youtube.com/@powerboat_talk https://www.youtube.com/@powerboat_talk Follow us on Instagram and Facebook Contact me: powerboattalk@gmail.com /episode/index/show/2f4d0cf0-eea4-4b15-9345-8d04853cd4ac/id/40753975

Episode 66- Tyler Speer Drag Boat Racer 03/10/2026

Episode 65 - Live from Eddie's SoCal Performance Expo opening night 03/04/2026

Episode 64- Racers and Engine builders Gordy Jennings and Paul Fitzgerald 02/25/2026

Episode 63 - Tate Ramsey Australian National Drivers Champion 01/13/2026

Episode 62 - Richie Powers Offshore World Champion Throttleman 12/23/2025

Episode 62 - Richie Powers Offshore World Champion Throttleman In this episode, we sit down with one of offshore powerboat racing’s most accomplished throttlemen, Richie Powers. Over the course of more than three decades, Powers amassed an extraordinary record, more than sixty victories across Superboat and competition, nearly 12,000 miles of race-winning performance, seven World Offshore Titles, and eleven national and international championships. His many successes occurred on some of the world’s most demanding open water courses and conditions. Power’s put his stamp on many of the most important technical advancements in high performance boating and offshore racing. Powers’s journey began as a 19-year-old test driver for working under Karl Kiekhaefer, where he quickly earned a reputation for fearlessness and precision. His early years at Lake X placed him alongside legends such as Bob Magoon, Gene Lanham, Odel Lewis, and Don Aronow, and by his early twenties he was competing in grueling events like the 548-mile Bahamas 500 and major races throughout the country. From racing under Carlo Bonomi’s Dry Martini team in Europe to joining powerhouse American programs with Tom Gentry, Al Copeland, Bernie Little, and Rocky Aoki, Powers’s career is a tour through offshore racing history. He won four consecutive UIM world titles in the 1970s, three U.S. Superboat world championships in the early 1990s, and set multiple world Kilo speed records, including a blistering 158-mph average in Gentry’s 40' Skater. Along the way, Powers raced with and befriended some of the world’s most recognizable names, sharing cockpits and racecourses with actors Don Johnson and Kurt Russell, and encountering icons like Mario Andretti, Steve McQueen, and Jacky Ickx through the sport’s tight-knit, high-adrenaline community. Powers also helped pioneer the first successful canopied, sit-down V-bottom raceboat, Apache Heritage, which captured back-to-back world titles in Key West. In this conversation, Powers reflects on the machines, the men, the danger, and the innovation that defined offshore racing’s most influential era. It’s a rare look into a remarkable career that shaped the sport from the inside out. Follow Richie Powers on Facebook Visit our website at View the video for this episode: Follow us on Instagram and Facebook Contact me: powerboattalk@gmail.com You can listen to Powerboat Talk on and most podcast players like , , , , , , , , , , /episode/index/show/2f4d0cf0-eea4-4b15-9345-8d04853cd4ac/id/39515190

Episode 61- Alan Stoker Boat Racer and Founder of Stoker Boats 12/17/2025

Episode 61- Alan Stoker Boat Racer and Founder of Stoker Boats Alan Stoker is a world-renowned boat racer and the builder of Stoker Boats. An innovator whose career spans the formative decades of Mod VP outboard racing and tunnel-hull development, Stoker was raised in Southern California. This episode was recorded shortly after his third straight victory at the 2024 Parker Enduro. Stoker grew up immersed in boating through his father, John Stoker, owner of John’s Custom Marine, where he began working weekends at just 11 years old. He started racing when his dad purchased a kneel-down racer from Ron Hill and spent time in the pits while his father crewed on the world speed record-holding Hustler jet engine boat. John Stoker also competed in the Parker Enduro with a Chrysler-powered Patterson, further cementing racing as a family pursuit. In 1976, when the first Evinrude V-6s were introduced, the Stokers bought a wood-plug Kona bottom, built a wood deck, and raced the . A step up to a Witchcraft the following year, driving with Earl McKinney, saw the team win 12 out of 13 races. As competition in the V-bottom outboard ranks intensified, a partnership with Jerry Baker of Baker Boats provided the Stokers with increasingly faster equipment. With the advent of modified V-bottoms, which eventually evolved into full-blown tunnel boats in the hugely popular Mod VP class, the Stokers were led to design what would become one of the most successful hulls of the era, the Stoker Sport Tunnel (SST) Mod VP. These boats are still being produced today by . For its 45 years in operation, John’s Custom Marine remained a loyal Outboard Marine Corporation (OMC) dealer. During much of that time, Stoker was often the lone competitor powered by an OMC Evinrude. His many successes behind the wheel in Mod VP competition were rivaled only by his reputation as a highly skilled and innovative engine builder. Stoker later climbed back into the driver’s seat alongside his old friend and longtime competitor, the late , to win the Parker Enduro in 2012 and again in 2017. The appeal of running a new V-8 Mercury on one of his 22-foot SST hulls led him to team up with boat owner John Roth, a partnership that dominated the event from 2022 through 2024. An attempt to tie old friend Todd Bowden’s record of four consecutive Parker Enduro victories was ultimately thwarted in 2025, when Stoker was forced to withdraw at the last minute due to back issues. If history is any indication, Alan Stoker’s story at the Parker Enduro is far from finished. Visit our website at View the video for this episode: Follow us on Instagram and Facebook Contact me: powerboattalk@gmail.com You can listen to Powerboat Talk on and most podcast players like , , , , , , , , , , /episode/index/show/2f4d0cf0-eea4-4b15-9345-8d04853cd4ac/id/39440280

Episode 60- Next-Gen Circle Boat Racers Nick Balayan, Travis Hill, and Nash Thorpe 08/05/2025

Episode 59- Fred Inman of IMCO 06/25/2025

Episode 58- Chris Davidson from Hot Boat and Speedboat Magazines 05/27/2025

Episode 57 - Mike Finnegan Returns! 05/08/2025

Episode 55 - Freedom One Racing Team 04/27/2025

Episode 55 - Freedom One Racing Team In this episode, we’re talking with the team behind , a new name making waves at this year’s . The Shootout’s loose rules invite wild setups, and Freedom One didn’t disappoint, bringing a brand-new powered by twin 4,000-hp 4.9-inch bore, all-aluminum Hemi Pro Mod drag racing engines. The boat’s engines are a marvel of engineering much of which is familiar to the 1/4 mile crowd, but unconventional to general marine performance guys. Topped by , the engines feature dry blocks (no water jackets) and require no cooling system. They employ engine management systems and route the power to the surface drives through Turbo 400-style three-speed transmissions. The Freedom One boat was purpose-built for shootout style events like LOTO and came together just days before hitting the water. While some mechanical hiccups kept them from a full-speed pass, they still managed to hit 170 mph officially (202 mph unofficially). Not bad for their first outing! We hear from team members Noah and Ryan Ola and Ryan Greco, as they discuss how this project came together, their big plans to break the LOTO top speed record, and why Freedom One is more than just a racing team—it’s a philanthropic effort with a mission to give back. Update: Since this episode was recorded, Freedom One Racing suffered a serious crash at the Desert Storm Shootout April 26, 2025 when the boat flipped at over 200 mph. This was the boat's first pass of the weekend and it's first run since the team's debut at the Lake of the Ozark's Shootout. While the boat was heavily damaged, the still unidentified driver and throttleman escaped with only minor injuries. As of now, we have not received an official update from the team regarding their future plans. This episode is brought to you by: the #1 online performance boating community forum, manufacturers of the coolest , hosts of the the Summer Tour with 6+ events along the Colorado River, and owners of The . Visit SoCal Jet Boats at on Instagram at and Facebook Contact SoCal Jet Boats (702) 970-7252 Follow Freedom One Racing on Instagram and on Facebook Learn more about the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout at Visit our website at View the video for this episode: Follow us on Instagram and Facebook Contact me: /episode/index/show/2f4d0cf0-eea4-4b15-9345-8d04853cd4ac/id/33988182

Episode 56 - Slug Hefner from Dirty Duck Racing 02/21/2025

Episode 54 - Billy Moore Class 1 Offshore Racer 11/05/2024

Episode 53 - Warren Kosikov Vice President of Sales at SEMA 10/24/2024

Episode 52 - Shane Westerfield Drag Boat Racer, Engine Builder and Tuner 09/17/2024

Episode 52 - Shane Westerfield Drag Boat Racer, Engine Builder and Tuner Shane Westerfield is a versatile and accomplished racer with a rich history in both drag boat and car racing. Along with his father, Steve, he owns , a shop specializing in supercharged engines, components, and high-performance flat bottom boats. Westerfield’s 15-year drag racing career began by helping his father with his Top Alcohol flatbottom and reached a peak in 2017 when he won the Top Alcohol Funny Car World Championship. Westerfield has amassed 14 NHRA national event wins and continues to drive alcohol cars. He spent the last five seasons with and recently began driving AA Nostalgia Funny Car where he won their first two events. Despite his success in car racing, Westerfield is most passionate about competing with his in the (NJBA) and (CDBA) and working to keep the class healthy and competitive as one of the few remaining "heads-up" drag boat racing classes. He has streamlined class rules and secured sponsors to increase prize money, ensuring its continued growth. In this episode, Westerfield shares the challenges of closing the family’s trade show exhibit company due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, he explains how the setback led him and his father to pivot to their side project—working on boats and engines. They eventually transitioned to the business full-time, building a reputation for one-off custom work that has made them a go-to destination in the fast-boat community. This episode is brought to you by: the #1 online performance boating community forum, manufacturers of the coolest , hosts of the the Summer Tour with 6+ events along the Colorado River, and owners of The . Visit SoCal Jet Boats at on Instagram at and Facebook Contact SoCal Jet Boats (702) 970-7252 You can follow Shane Westerfield on Instagram and on Facebook and Visit Westerfield Motorsports' website Learn more about Blown Gas Flatbottoms on Facebook Visit our website at View the video for this episode: Follow us on Instagram and Facebook Contact me: /episode/index/show/2f4d0cf0-eea4-4b15-9345-8d04853cd4ac/id/33088482

Episode 51 - Ron Gordon Founder of American Turbine and Dominator Jet Pumps 09/03/2024

Episode 51 - Ron Gordon Founder of American Turbine and Dominator Jet Pumps Ron Gordon, General Manager and Vice President, founded with his boyhood friend, Bruce Simmons, in 1989, bringing decades of experience in the jet drive industry. Ron’s first encounter with a jet pump dates back to 1968, when he began working on his family’s Glastron V174 jet boat. Gordon’s career in the industry officially began in 1976 when he and Simmons founded Dominator Jet in Lubbock, Texas. After running the business for 12 years, they sold Dominator. Gordon stayed on as manager for a few years before he and Simmons left to start American Turbine. Gordon developed American Turbine jets from a “clean sheet of paper,” incorporating innovative designs and proven ideas from his years at Dominator. He was the original designer of key industry innovations such as the shouldered wear ring, Energizer kits, and larger impeller sizes ranging from AA to 9½ inches. American Turbine was also the first to offer high-performance intakes, high-flow bowls, and high-quality investment cast impellers. In 1993, Gordon sold American Turbine to Travis Garske, owner of , ensuring top-quality production through TP&F's aluminum foundry and CNC machine shop. Gordon personally oversees the machining and hand-finishing of every impeller, emphasizing the importance of precision and craftsmanship that machines alone cannot replicate. Under Gordon’s leadership, American Turbine has continued to innovate, acquiring Dominator Jet in 1998 and Legend Jet in 2007. With over 48 years of experience, Gordon and his highly skilled team remain at the forefront of jet drive technology, delivering unmatched quality and expertise. This episode is brought to you by: the #1 online performance boating community forum, manufacturers of the coolest , hosts of the the Summer Tour with 6+ events along the Colorado River, and owners of The . Visit SoCal Jet Boats at on Instagram at and Facebook Contact SoCal Jet Boats (702) 970-7252 Visit American Turbine online at Visit our website at View the video for this episode: Follow us on Instagram and Facebook Contact me: /episode/index/show/2f4d0cf0-eea4-4b15-9345-8d04853cd4ac/id/32852387

Episode 50 - Tres Martin Owner of Tres Martin Performance Boat School 08/20/2024

Episode 49 - Gordy Jennings Circle Boat Racer and Engine Builder 07/23/2024

Episode 49 - Gordy Jennings Circle Boat Racer and Engine Builder Gordy Jennings is one of the most decorated circle boat racers in history, particularly noted for his excellence in driving blown boats in the . While his boat racing career is remarkable, Jennings is perhaps best known for his expertise in performance engine building, a skill he honed while working for his stepfather, Paul Pfaff, at . During his time at Pfaff, the company excelled at creating power plants for boats and found success in various forms of motorsports, including sprint cars and off-road racing. Today, Jennings works as a dyno operator for and continues to build engines for Tom Buckles' Bucks Up Racing K-boat, driven by Cory Ferguson. Jennings hints at a secret plan to attempt a K-boat kilo run with one of his best friends and K-boat owner, Mike Stock. In this episode of Power Boat Talk, Jennings discusses his background in racing, which began alongside his boyhood friend, Greg Foster. He also talks about his rivalry with racer , his experiences driving in the , , Offshore Racing, his horrific racing crash in 1995, and the lengthy recovery process that followed. This episode is brought to you by: your trusted source for Marine and RV Financing. BoatLoanGuy provides quick and easy stress-free financing for most types of boats including performance boats, pontoons, and center consoles. BoatLoanGuy offers loans from $20,000 to $5M with up to 20 year terms. Visit BoatLoanGuy at On Instagram and on Facebook Contact BoatLoanGuy.com (619) 699-9900 This episode is also brought to you by: the #1 online performance boating community forum, manufacturers of the coolest , hosts of the the Summer Tour with 6+ events along the Colorado River, and owners of The . Visit SoCal Jet Boats at on Instagram at and Facebook Contact SoCal Jet Boats (702) 970-7252 You can follow Gordy Jennings on Instagram and on Facebook Visit our website at View the video for this episode: Follow us on Instagram and Facebook Contact me: powerboattalk@gmail.com /episode/index/show/2f4d0cf0-eea4-4b15-9345-8d04853cd4ac/id/32253842

Episode 48 - Chuck Stearns and Mike Avila Water Ski Racing Legends 07/08/2024

Episode 48 - Chuck Stearns and Mike Avila Water Ski Racing Legends Chuck Stearns and Mike Avila are two of Water Ski Racing's most successul competitors. Stearns, who is often regarded as the greatest water skier in history having won National and World Championships in tournament skiing, won his first Catalina Ski Race in 1955 at the age of 16. Stearns went on to dominate the international race winning an unprecendented (at the time) 11th title in 1982 at the age of 44. Stearns also set a multiple world speed records culminating with is run of 122.11 m.p.h. in 1969 at Long Beach Marine Stadium. Avila one the first ski race he entered in 1968 at the age of 10. He went on to become one of the most dominate skiers in the 80's. Avila claims to have the most wins in ski racing history with 149 which included 27 national championships. Avila was a member of six US world teams. Avila still competes today as a boat driver and finished 1st overall in the 2023 Catalina Ski Race. Lifelong friends, Stearns and Avila are both members of the Water Skiing Hall of Fame. Stearns was inducted in 1982 as a member of the first class of inductees. Avila was inducted in 2002 as the first speed skiing only member. Stearns will also be a passenger in Avila's boat as they compete in this year's Catalina Ski Race on July 13. This episode is brought to you by: the #1 online performance boating community forum, manufacturers of the coolest , hosts of the the Summer Tour with 6+ events along the Colorado River, and owners of The . Visit SoCal Jet Boats at on Instagram at and Facebook Contact SoCal Jet Boats (702) 970-7252 This episode is also brought to you by: your trusted source for Marine and RV Financing. BoatLoanGuy provides quick and easy stress-free financing for most types of boats including performance boats, pontoons, and center consoles. BoatLoanGuy offers loans from $20,000 to $5M with up to 20 year terms. Visit BoatLoanGuy at On Instagram and on Facebook Contact BoatLoanGuy.com (619) 699-9900 Visit our website at View the video for this episode: Follow us on Instagram and Facebook Contact me: powerboattalk@gmail.com /episode/index/show/2f4d0cf0-eea4-4b15-9345-8d04853cd4ac/id/32045872

Episode 47 - Keith Eickert Offshore Race Engine Builder 06/19/2024

Episode 47 - Keith Eickert Offshore Race Engine Builder Keith Eickert is one of the most recognized and successful high-performance engine builders in offshore racing history. With a career that began at Mercury Racing in 1972, Eickert went on to create power for 37 World, International, and National Champions. Eickert was recruited to Mercury by his childhood friend Gary Garbrecht, who was the head of Mercury Racing. Eickert graduated from working on cylinder heads at Mercury to becoming one of their best engine builders. In 1976, Eickert was lured away from Mercury to build engines exclusively for racers Rocky Aoki (Benihana) and Preston Hen (Natural Light), the owner of the infamous Thunderbird Swap Shop. As the race team's participation fizzled and Eickert’s popularity increased, he went into business in 1981 with Jerry Jacoby and Bob Saccenti and opened Hawk Marine Power. Eickert went on to start KS&W Engines where he worked from 1982 to 1984, then worked for Ben Kramer at Apache Boats where he designed parts to marinize and race V12 Lamborghinis for the first time. Eickert later founded Lightning Performance Products and Keith Eickert Power Products, where he added a complete line of high-performance parts to his engine-building business. After two failed business partnerships, Eickert relaunched his original Lightning Performance line as part of the Don Onken group of companies. Under the Onken banner, Eickert developed and launched his V-16 engine concept, where he coupled two 540 cu. in. Big Block Chevy engines. Eickert programmed the electronically fuel-injected assembly to fire as one 16-cylinder engine. The power plant helped push Onken’s Mystic American Ethanol to multiple Lake of the Ozarks Top Gun victories. Eickert, now in his 80s, is retired and still resides in Florida. He occasionally still builds engines to stay busy. This episode is brought to you by: your trusted source for Marine and RV Financing. BoatLoanGuy provides quick and easy stress-free financing for most types of boats including performance boats, pontoons, and center consoles. BoatLoanGuy offers loans from $20,000 to $5M with up to 20 year terms. Visit BoatLoanGuy at On Instagram and on Facebook Contact BoatLoanGuy.com (619) 699-9900 This episode is also brought to you by: the #1 online performance boating community forum, manufacturers of the coolest , hosts of the the Summer Tour with 6+ events along the Colorado River, and owners of The . Visit SoCal Jet Boats at on Instagram at and Facebook Contact SoCal Jet Boats (702) 970-7252 Visit our website at View the video for this episode: Follow us on Instagram and Facebook Contact me: powerboattalk@gmail.com /episode/index/show/2f4d0cf0-eea4-4b15-9345-8d04853cd4ac/id/31804692

Episode 46 - Jerry Gilbreath Boat Builder and Offshore Powerboat Racer 06/05/2024

Episode 46 - Jerry Gilbreath Boat Builder and Offshore Powerboat Racer Jerry Gilbreath has made a career out of designing, building, and racing some of the most exotic and well-known boats in the world. His journey began in the 1960s, driving flat-bottom endurance boats in races like the Salton Sea 500 and the . Gilbreath’s father, Jake, founded Gil Marine, which started as a gas tank manufacturer and grew into one of the largest aftermarket performance marine companies in the world, producing iconic Gil Exhaust Manifolds and the first outboard set-back bracket, the Gil Bracket. Gilbreath became one of the most respected and talented custom boat builders globally. With his GMT Tunnel boats and partnership with racer Greg Foster, he played a key role in advancing the Mod-VP racing class. Gilbreath also rigged water ski racing boats for Vic Edelbrock and Jerry Herbst. Later, Gilbreath became involved in offshore racing, teaming with Al Copeland and Matt Alcone to form one of the most dominant Open class catamaran teams in the late 1990s. He is often mentioned as one of the best throttlemen to ever control an offshore race boat. Although retired from racing, Gilbreath remains involved in high-performance boating with a collection of custom boats. You can follow Jerry Gilbreath on Instagram This episode is brought to you by: the #1 online performance boating community forum, manufacturers of the coolest , hosts of the the Summer Tour with 6+ events along the Colorado River, and owners of The . Visit SoCal Jet Boats at on Instagram at and Facebook Contact SoCal Jet Boats (702) 970-7252 This episode is also brought to you by: your trusted source for Marine and RV Financing. BoatLoanGuy provides quick and easy stress-free financing for most types of boats including performance boats, pontoons, and center consoles. BoatLoanGuy offers loans from $20,000 to $5M with up to 20 year terms. Visit BoatLoanGuy at On Instagram and on Facebook Contact BoatLoanGuy.com (619) 699-9900 info@boatloanguy.com Visit our website at View the video for this episode: Follow us on Instagram and Facebook Contact me: powerboattalk@gmail.com /episode/index/show/2f4d0cf0-eea4-4b15-9345-8d04853cd4ac/id/31610367

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