Photo courtesy of speedonthewater.com
We are getting ready for another action-packed weekend as the Great Lakes Grand Prix in Michigan City is set to kick off August 4th – August 6th! There is also going to be a new face in the 450R Factory Stock Class as Mead Family Racing is going to have 16-year-old Caleb Mead driving an MTI 390XR cat alongside veteran throttleman Shaun Torrente. Additionally, the iconic dynamic duo, Taylor Scism and John Tomlinson are striving to take the #7 MTI to victory again, continuing the sensational season they are having. Continue reading to get more insight into the newest additions to the class!
We’ll also have our eye on fellow MTI racers that we hope to see at this event as well!
- Valder Yachts/Pro Floors Racing (Super Cat)
- CMR Racing (Super Stock)
- 151 Express (450R Factory Stock)
- MF Racing (450R Factory Stock)
- XINSURANCE (Class 1)
There is a new team joining the newest class in offshore racing via MTI’s 450R Factory Stock-class concierge service, and everyone involved is excited to see the catamaran compete on the racecourse for the first time later this week in Michigan City, Ind. Featuring the youngest driver in the class—and that’s saying something considering 17-year-old Logan Adan drives the 38-foot Doug Wright Powerboats cat—the Mead Family Racing team is going to have 16-year-old Caleb Mead on the wheel alongside veteran throttleman and three-time world champion tunnel boat racer Shaun Torrente of Shaun Torrente Racing.
Torrente, who also throttles a Super Stock-class MTI with owner and driver Sean Conner, and Mead, who is the youngest son of longtime MTI customers, Zane and Amanda Mead of Texas, are going to be racing the 390XR raceboat that Taylor Scism and John Tomlinson raced in 2022, earning the sport’s first 450R Factory Stock-class world championship in Key West, Fla., in November. It’s actually TS Motorsports number two; the first one is now the 151 Express boat.
Dubbed MF Racing, the new team, which will be supported by an MTI crew led by Milton Calafel, similar to the program utilized by the GB Racing team of Willy Cabeza and Gary Ballough, spent a few days in Miami in early July testing the boat, which was wrapped to match the Mead family’s 48-foot MTI cat and its MTI-V 50 performance center console. This past weekend the team regrouped at Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri for two more days of testing, which went well according to Zane Mead.
Caleb Mead, a teenager who chooses his words wisely and sparingly, said he is eager to get out on the racecourse and start learning the ropes.
“I’m stoked—I’m really ready to race,” Caleb Mead said. “When we went to Miami it was fun and it was more exciting than I thought. There’s a lot more to it than I was expecting, too. I have a lot to learn. But that’s OK because this season is about finishing races and gaining experience.
“I’ve wanted to do this for a long time,” he added. “My dad’s had these types of boats for a while and when I found out about Bob Bull and Randy (Scism) racing, I’ve told my dad and Randy that I’ve wanted to do this for years. I can’t wait to get out there. I have to thank my parents and my brother for their support, and also the Scism family for everything they’ve done to help me.”
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Original article published on speedonthewater.com