Photo courtesy of speedonthewater.com, Pete Boden
With a new boat, new competition on the course and new points to earn, MTI is excited to have the 450R Factory Stock named as an official APBA class this season. Continue reading below to learn more about the 450R Factory Stock and the 2022 season.
Like any new American Power Boat Association category, the 450R Factory Stock class began its life as an “unofficial” class in its first full year. But with the 2021 season completed months ago and the season kicking off with the eight-race APBA Offshore National Offshore Championships Series season-opener in Cocoa Beach, Fla., 450R Factory Stock is a now an official class in the sanctioning body’s rulebook.
That means 450R Factory Stock-class teams are eligible to accrue National Championship points, as well as compete for an official APBA post-season title at the early November APBA/Union International Motonautique Offshore World Championships in Key West, Fla.
Per the APBA rulebook, a class must have no less than three registered entries to earn National Championship points at any given race. Two teams are currently registered for the season-opener: the TS Motorsports duo of Taylor Scism and John Tomlinson in a new MTI 390X catamaran and Randy Keys and Bill Allen (of Super Stock-class Team Allen Lawncare and Landscaping fame) in KLOVAR, a 39-foot MTI formerly piloted by Scism and Tomlinson.
While several boats for the class such as a 39-foot Doug Wright catamaran owned by Michael Karsenti reportedly are in the works and close to completion, it’s not certain if a third entry team will be ready in time for Cocoa Beach. Scism, who ran her first complete season last year, said that she and Tomlinson are excited to have at least one team to compete against and hopes a third will make it to series-opener. But she’s not sure it will happen.
Click here to read the full article!
Original article published on speedonthewater.com