Roar Of The Rockies

WINDSOR, Colorado – August 24, 2007 – - It’s amazing what a year will bring? A season ago it was all the talk of the power boat racing world that if Floridian Terry Rinker could win 7 straight F1-ChampBoat races he could set a world record. Well, he did, and a dream season went to the Amsoil sponsored driver in something that had never been accomplished in the sport. Taking victory in every race on the season!

Fast forward to 2007 and as the F1-ChampBoat Grand Prix Series heads off to Windsor, Colorado for the 5th stop on the year, it’s turned into a four driver shootout for this season’s title. Tim Seebold of the famed Bud Light Seebold Racing Team leads the championship on the strength of a pair of back to back victories in Bay City, Michigan and at his home race in St. Louis, Missouri three weeks ago.

The Missouri driver really knows his way around Water Valley Lake having won this event in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2004 but hopes he doesn’t have the same problem he had when his power steering unit failed him early in last weekends event in Warsaw, Kentucky and he had to settle for 4th and see his championship lead shrink to just 16 points. Considering a driver earns 400 points for each win on the F1-ChampBoat tour, that’s just a drop in the lake so to speak.

Coming up fast is the first of three serious challengers. Second year driver Shaun Torrente of the California Gold Racing Team from Miami, Florida has been a model of consistency all season, being the only driver to reach the top-3 podium all four races this year. Shaun had the performance of the day after making poor start on his restart from pole position on the 22nd lap. He fell in a hole last weekend and recovered in last place. He then put on a spirited drive that saw him race through the pack of drivers reaching as high as 3rd until his setup started giving him problems late in the race barely giving last seasons “Rookie of the Year” a chance to come across the finish line at the end of the 50 lap event.

Chris Fairchild of Paw Paw, Illinois charged up from 5th starting position and put in a fantastic performance taking the runner-up spot and with his win in the championships first race in Augusta, Georgia in May on the Savannah River, he now sits just 41 points back and is primed to take victory for the first time on Water Valley Lake in Windsor.

Terry Rinker, with his great performance from 6th place off the start to push hard towards the front and taking over 1st place on the restart, charged his way to a 6 second victory and snapping his 4 race winless streak in the process. Terry now has moved into a tie for 3rd place overall for most wins in the history of F1-ChampBoat racing with 16 overall equal to the great driver Bill Seebold who now manages the Bud Light race team.

Fighting for an outside chance at the title having now moved up four spots from 9th in the championship to 5th is Illinois driver Lynn Simburger of Elsah, who continues to push hard despite a limited budget showing that he’s still in the fight despite being 359 points back. The 2nd generation driver has finished in the top-5 of the series points race six of the last 7 years and is ready to take his first checkered flag fairly soon in his career.

A couple of “wild cards” are expected to race in Colorado including the winningest driver in F1-ChampBoat racing history in St. Louis driver Mike Seebold joining his younger brother Tim in the Bud Light sponsored entry. He is returning from running an offshore boat two weeks ago and will be primed for a shot at winning his 29th career win and his first in Windsor. Another former series champion, Greg Foster from California is also expected to make the Roar of the Rockies event in the local team entry of Jenson Racing, owned by John and Scott Jenson, both former competitors on the tour.

Several other strong candidates will be looking to make their mark toward the Windsor podium including Mark Major from Ontario Canada in a new Grand Prix boat, and Tennessee’s Jeff Shepard coming off a strong heat win in Kentucky is ready to turn his luck around. Brian Venton has also improved drastically in his sophomore season looking to crack the podium with veteran owner/manager Don Jenkinson.

The high altitude of the circuit will make life interesting for both crews and drivers as they try to solve the puzzle of less horsepower that less oxygen brings to these race conditions. The 50 lap feature event will be run on Monday, September 3rd and can be followed lap for lap with updated timing via computer right to the www.champboat.com home page. The 7th “Roar of the Rockies” could shape up to being the best ever event with drivers desperately seeking championship points with just 3 races to go in the 2007 season and the right to be called, “F1-ChampBoat Champion”.