The 50th Anniversary of the “Great Race” from Trinidad to Tobago will get underway early on Saturday morning, August 18. 43 entries, including “#77 Lucas Oil SilverHook” running in the top A-Class Division, will challenge the 100+ mile course between the two islands.
The last time a USA entry competed in the “Great Race” was in 1989 when “Dollar Marine Special” took the victory in a time of 1:48. Last year, “Mr Solo Too” took top honors with an elapsed time of 1:12:35.
29 years later, Lucas Oil #77 SilverHook will have its work cut out to claim victory for the USA in the A-Class. Top contenders include “Mr Solo Too,” “Jumbie,” “Paramount,” “Ironman,” “Monster,” and “Cat Killer.”
The race will feature 43 boats in nine different classes, all scheduled to receive staggered starts on the day, starting at 7:15 am ET for smaller boats and 8 am ET for the A-Class competitors.
A-Class speeds should average 80mph, with top speeds in the 130mph range. During the race, #77 Lucas Oil SilverHook will attempt to outpace the competition and set a new UIM sanctioned world/race record.
The north coast of Trinidad is known for its rough seas with waves in the 6-8 foot range.
#77 Lucas Oil SilverHook is owned and captained by Nigel Hook, who will control the throttles during the record attempt. Hook is a 30-year veteran of international powerboat racing and has won three World Championships and set four World Speed Records. He and his co-pilot, long time driver and friend Jay Johnson, were inducted into the APBA Hall of Champions in 1998 and they are currently racing the #77 Lucas Oil SilverHook 48GP in the Superboat International Unlimited class.
The “#77 Lucas Oil SilverHook” is already in the record books including setting a one-way time of 1 hour, 18 minutes and 3 secs (Guinness® World Record – and APBA/UIM sanctioned) a year ago on Thursday, August 17, 2017 from Key West, USA to Havana, Cuba.
