Photo courtesy of speedonthewater.com
The excitement continues to build for the 2022 race season as KLOVAR Motorsports teammates, Randy Keys, and Bill Allen, prepare to run the MTI 390XR catamaran in the Stock 450R offshore racing class. Continue reading below to learn more about the duo!
Iowa-based performance boater Randy Keys has been around boats most of his life but his passion for go-fast boats began more recently and is about to reach another level all because his friend—Bill Allen, the owner of the Team Allen Lawn Care And Landscaping Super Stock-class race boat—gave him a ride in the S-17 canopied Doug Wright catamaran almost two years ago back on Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks.
The former owner of a Wright Performance Powerboats 360 catamaran powered by twin Mercury Racing Verado 400R engines that he picked up after taking that ride with Allen and ran up to 106 mph in last year’s Lake of the Ozarks Shootout, Keys recently purchased the first MTI 390XR race boat, which was campaigned in the 2021 class exhibition season by driver Taylor Scism and throttleman John Tomlinson. Scism, client relations manager for the Wentzville, Mo.-based MTI, and Tomlinson, co-owner of TNT Custom Marine in Miami, are going to be racing in a new boat that is expected to be finished before the season opener in Cocoa Beach, Fla., in May.
Keys, who is president and owner of Schaal Heating & Cooling, the award-winning HVAC contractor based in Des Moines that is the primary team sponsor, is planning to race the 39-foot MTI alongside Allen, the world champion throttleman who is going to pull double-duty at most races with talented driver Cody McDowell in the extremely competitive Super Stock class.
Keys said that the team’s new Mercury Racing 450R engines shipped earlier this week so he’s eager to get them on and start testing the boat right away.
“Being new to offshore racing I know I have a lot to learn, but I’m certain I have the right guy in the boat to teach me,” said Keys, who also owns a Nor-Tech Hi-Performance Boats 390 Sport center console powered by a trio of 450R engines. “I want to have fun and enjoy the people and the places at each venue, but I’m a competitive person by nature so I will do what I can to put my boat out in front. I’m also not naive. I understand the time that everyone else puts into this and the experience that they have. I want to be competitive though so we will put in the time and effort it takes to get there.
“I certainly didn’t dream of being a boat racer my whole life—but in a way, this is kind of a dream come true after hanging around Bill and the team the last couple of years,” he continued. “The entire Team Allen crew has taken us in and become like family to us so we’re very excited to go racing with them this season. Our teams are going to remain separate, but I’m sure we’ll be working together as much as we can. I also anticipate working closely with and learning from Taylor, Johnny, and the rest of the MTI team. This is going to be so awesome.”
Along with encouragement from his parents, his brother, and his sister, Keys added that he’s thankful for the support from his wife, Victoria, and their three daughters, Addison, Lexie, and Olivia. He said the team’s name—KLOVAR Motorsports—is an acronym inspired by his family’s names: Keys Lexie Olivia Victoria Addison Randy. The team already started a Facebook page for fans, family, and friends to follow along throughout the season.
Click here to continue reading!
Original and complete article published on speedonthewater.com