You Can't Keep Good Men Down

Racers Nigel Hook and Joe Sgro Commend Outerlimits' Performance

"We are happy to report that despite the dramatic accident and crash of the Lucas Oil Outerlimits race boat in Sunday's Powerboat P1 Grand Prix in Gothenburg, Sweden, our racers, Nigel Hook and Joe Sgro are well and back home," reports Outerlimits Powerboats' President Mike Fiore.

Fiore raced the boat with Joe Sgro in Saturday's challenging Sprint race and attested to its top-performance despite suffering some minor mechanical problems after a strong start. The boat was in a close contention with the first-place Furnibo Fountain in Sunday's race, coming down a straight-away into a turn when it hit a rogue wake and spun, sending the 43' boat into a full barrel roll at high speed. Both racers exited the boat on their own and were picked up quickly by rescue boats and transported to the local hospital for observation and tests. Both were released that night.

"We were ready to come to the P1 party that night in our hospital garb, just to show everyone we were fine!" joked Joe Sgro, a 30-year racing veteran who had never flipped in a boat before. "I just want to go on record as saying,' Joe Sgro will never crash another boat--unless it's an Outerlimits,' There is no way any other manufacturer's boat would have held up in that crash," Sgro stated emphatically.

"We put great effort into the engineering and construction of our boats," said Fiore, "The carbon fiber and Kevlar construction make a major difference in our boats and the cockpit and windshield protected the racers lives. That is what they are meant to do and we proved that our boats are strong and purpose-built."

Though the boat is unlikely to be repaired in time for Sicily the team is working on some alternatives to finish the season in Syracuse, Sicily in September. According to Powerboat P1 rules, if as a result of a force majeure event, the P1 Management Committee may permit the replacement of the boat and engines. Those decisions will be made in the coming weeks.

"My first commitment is to Lucas Oil and to have a #77 Lucas Oil boat on the water in Sicily to complete in the World Championship," said Hook of his long-time sponsor, "To do that in an Outerlimits would be ideal! This is racing and we were pushing the boat to the limit for first place, despite the turns, currents and variables on the race course. That is what makes boat racing so dynamic!" he added.

"Racing is an inherently dangerous sport and we all know the risk. When we get into the boat, despite our experience and attention to safety, once on the race course, anything can happen. Both Joe and Nigel are APBA Hall of Champions racers and know what they're doing. The sea is always changing and you never know what it has in store. We are satisfied that the integrity of the Outerlimits hull and deck saved the lives it was built to protect. We can replace boats and engines--we value the lives of our friends more than the boats."

The Lucas Oil boat was the second of two Outerlimits boats racing in Powerboat P1 this season. The SNAV OSG 43' race boat is run by Italian Giancarlo Cangiano and Austrian Hannes Bohinc. The Team won the Grand Prix in Sweden and is in second place in the point standings going into the World Championship race in Sicily. The Lucas Oil team could still be in the running for a podium position at the final race and in the Championship standings, if it finds a way to race another boat. Time is short for preparation, but the team is still eager to defend its position after a hard-fought season to date.

# # #