P1 SuperStock to Repower USA Fleet with Mercury 300XS Optimax Offshore
December 10, 2016 Indianapolis, IN: Powerboat P1 USA, promoters of the P1 SuperStock and P1 AquaX series in North America, have made the decision to switch to Mercury Racing as they repower their powerboat fleet for the 2017 racing season and beyond. The alliance with Mercury Racing brings a wealth of experience and reliability associated with the clear leader in the marine high performance industry.
A key element of the series is the lease feature available to racers, allowing teams to lease a boat for a season or a single event, with P1 maintaining ownership of the boat itself. Consequently, P1 performs the major annual maintenance of the fleet, including the powertrain, from normal wear and tear associated with racing, as well as damage from incidents on the racecourse.
“With six seasons of racing on most of the engines, we were faced with the need to repower the fleet”, according to Director of North American Operations Azam Rangoonwala. “After careful consideration, we determined that the Mercury Racing 300XS Optimax was the best option moving forward due to their extensive record of reliability in conditions and applications that most closely parallel our racing series.”
The Mercury Racing 300XS Optimax Offshore package features a heavy duty “race proven” bracket system, heavy duty mid-section, and a lower unit that provides exceptional stability as well as increased overall performance.
The USA conversion and fleet refurbishment will be overseen by P1’s Director of Manufacturing, Martin Sanborn, who managed the production of the fleet since 2010. “The boat was actually designed and initially tested with the Mercury Racing package, so the conversion will yield predictable and exceptional results,” said Sanborn. “The performance improvement is notable, and we are confident that this change will spur increased interest in the already successful series.”
The conversions will be performed at the Doller Offshore Marine facility in Hollywood, FL. “As a Premier Mercury Service Center, we are thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with P1 and prepare their fleet for the 2017 season,” according to Doller Offshore president, Mindi Doller. “We have dedicated a segment of our service department to the project, and anticipate the ability to run up to two boats per week through the refurbishment and recertification process.” The repower will be accompanied with a full refurbishment of each boat in the fleet, both structurally and mechanically, including servicing the trailers. The intention is to bring the fleet to a “factory certified” refurbishment status for the coming season, according to Sanborn.
The P1 Panther powerboat was debuted at the 2010 PRI show in Orlando, FL, and the initial fleet of 18-boats entered the racing scene with the inaugural season in 2011 in the USA and UK. The series continues to gain momentum and recognition with events held in popular venues, as well as the most prolific television package in powerboat racing, reaching nearly 600 million homes worldwide.
The 2017 racing season will commence in St. Cloud/Kissimmee, FL May 20th, and run through the summer concluding Islamorada is August. For more information visit us on the web at www.p1superstock.com or at p1 SuperStock on Facebook.
[Original Press Release from www.p1superstock.com]
