Racing partnerships put our competition engines in the spotlight

Powerboat racing hits full stride in May, and partnerships with two of the most exciting racing series on the water—F1 Powerboat Championship and Powerboat P1—put Mercury Racing at the center of the action.

The Formula 1 Powerboat Championship series kicked off its 2024 season May 3-5, 2024, at the Port Neches Riverfest in Port Neches, Texas, which featured the competition debut of Mercury Racing’s newest competition outboard, the 250 APX.

The new 4.6-liter V8 model joins the Mercury Racing Apex Series of competition engines—including the 60 APX, 200 APX and 360 APX—and is the second V8 four-stroke outboard produced by Mercury Racing for tunnel boat racing. It features a double overhead cam/four-valve powerhead with a 64-degree cylinder angle and circuit racing specific 12-inch midsection. Rated at more than 250hp, it produces more torque and better acceleration than other engines used in the series, giving racers an edge over their competition.

“Mercury Racing was born out of competition,” said Jeff Broman, director of category for Mercury Racing. “Expanding our Apex Series portfolio with this new V8 and partnering with F1 Powerboat Championship as a season sponsor demonstrates our commitment to tunnel boat racing and leading the pack while doing so. The 250 APX will take race teams to the next level of competition.”

Fulfilling that promise, the 250 APX was an immediate winner on its debut, with RJ West taking the top spot on the podium and Dustin Terry placing third. Overall, racers fielding the new 250 APX claimed four of the top 10 places and seven of the top 15. The F1 Championship series gets back into action later this month at the Red River Rumble, May 24-26, in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Mercury Racing also renewed and expanded its partnership with Powerboat P1 to provide the Mercury Racing 1100 Competition engine as the Official Engine of the UIM Class 1 World Championship. The P1 season kicks off May 17 at Thunder on Cocoa Beach in Cocoa Beach, Florida.

Developed exclusively for offshore racing, the V8 1100 Competition sterndrive engine features Mercury Racing’s exclusive aluminum four-valve cylinder heads and Quad Cam Four Valve (QC4) valve train and produces 1,100hp.

“Our partnership with Mercury Racing has expanded each year since 2017 and it adds significant value to our business,” said P1 CEO Azam Rangoonwala. “Race teams will continue to receive onsite technical support this season through Mercury Racing’s Race Support Team, underscoring its commitment to the sport and its products.”

Racing fans can follow all the upcoming racing action this season on f1powerboatchampionship.com and p1offshore.com or on social media @ MercuryRacing, f1powerboatchampionship and P1offshore.