Residents in St. Petersburg, the home of the IndyCar season opener, turned to Spa Beach for the International Hot Rod Association’s Offshore Powerboat Series over the weekend.
While Friday and Saturday saw high-speed racing in calm waters, wind speed increased to 30 miles per hour on Sunday. Rocky waters tested the skills and setups of the racers.
“It wears you out, and you’re doing a lot,” said Julian Maldanado, a throttleman in both the Factory Stock and Super Stock classes. “You’re telling the driver what you want him to do, and you’re making the boat do what it’s asking you for. So a lot of trimming, a lot of throttling, and keeping the boat level as possible and pushing forward as much as possible.”
The IHRA Offshore Series heads to New Orleans April 10-12. The series will return to Cocoa Beach in May.
