“M for Mercury! M for Miss GEICO! M for Magnificent!” Those were the first words from Gary Goodell upon my congratulatory call to him Monday morning regarding Miss GEICO’s convincing win last weekend in Port Huron. OPA’s bracket race rule, with a speed cap of 135 mph, puts a spotlight on driving skill and acceleration. Miss GEICO’s QC4v 1650’s are unparaled when it comes to acceleration. Time in and out of the turns were the deciding factor in this bracket race.
“The 1650s ran flawlessly. They respond and pull like no other. They are a blast to drive,” said Miss GEICO driver Marc Granet. “We enjoyed having Mike Griffiths (Mercury Racing Product Integration Manager) and (Mercury Racing Engineering Tech) Johnny Bauer with us for the weekend,”
Marc said. “It was an insightful weekend. We learned alot. The team is continuing to gel. The 1650s continue to impress us – and our competitors,” Marc exclaimed. Marc said there was one moment when they were concerned about the engines. “We we slowing down upon completing the race and I started to hear an odd rumble sound. Scotty [Begovich] heard it too. It was a few seconds later before we realized it was the roar of hundreds of fans along the Sarnia, Ontario side of the St. Clair river. The response was overwhelming!,” said Marc.
To be fair, the 1650’s raw power, torque and advanced technology is a big hurdle to compete against on the open water. GEICO’s competitors are running lighter boats with power in the 1200 to 1400 h.p. range. Broadco, the former Speed Racer MTI, feature twin 1200 h.p. Scorpion engines. Phoenix Parts, a 36-foot Skater, has twin Mercury Racing 1200 SCis. Michigan based Cat Can Do competed with twin Sterling 1400s. Mike D’Annible and Team GEICO exchanged some pleasantries over the weekend. All in the spirit of friendly competition.
Marc and Gary see Port Huron as a turning point for the season.They have the OPA race in Long Island and the OPA championships in October to prepare for the Grand Daddy of them – all – Key West. “Key West can’t come soon enough. We are excited to to run the 1650s in the open water to their full potential. This will be the most exciting Superboat Unlimited racing ever. We’re ready.
Mercury Racing is equally excited about Miss GEICO’s future. We’re proud to be affiliated with a brand that brings smiles to enthusiastic motorsports fans throughout the world.