The 35th annual Super Boat Key West World Championships ended Sunday, November 15 after a week of racing battles with nearly 40 competitors. The event was streamed online and seen live by more people than any other offshore powerboat race. We recently caught up with a team from Maryland that placed fourth in the Manufacturer Prod 4 class for their first time racing in Key West. Mike Yowaiski drives the 26-foot
Maxed Out Joker V-bottom with a 600-hp engine. The Maxed Out Motorsports team is owned by Jim Jackson who throttles while Yowaiski drives. For photos and the full race results, click to
superboat.com
2. How did you get into racing?
Mike: I belong to a group called the Chesapeake Bay Power Boat Association. They have been putting on races since the 80s, and when I joined, they started putting races on at the Hyatt in Cambridge about 12 years ago. I started off as a sweep boat and moved my way up to being race director. I worked for
Miss GEICO for three years as the public relations representative. I also do most of the TV/radio/internet broadcasts for the Offshore Powerboat Association.
Jim: Growing up, my father always had performance boats; you could say I was born with sea legs. When I was 18, I purchased my own. Over the years I have had several different pleasure performance boats until my need for speed brought me to the world of racing.
2. How long have you been racing?
Mike: Jim and I have been racing together for two years.
Jim: I started racing with various teams about 15 years ago. I created my own team Maxed Out Motorsports in 2008.
3. Do you have a favorite memory from Key West?
Mike: I have been going to Key West for many years. I have done everything from the poker run to working for race teams. It was awesome just getting to race there. The whole week was great. Getting to take the start on Wednesday, knowing I was racing in Key West for the first time, is something I will never forget.
Jim: There have been so many moments in the Keys over the years, but seeing our boat in the air, being craned over the very docks that I have seen great winners use was a very significant moment for me. To know that I would be racing with the best of the best in this legendary race is one to be cherished.
4. Were you nervous? What were your expectations?
Mike: To my surprise I was not as nervous at the start of the first race as I thought. There was a lot of work leading up to the event, and at one point, I did not think we would make it. Once we were on the road, it set in, and I was beyond excited. I was the most nervous on Sunday because of the conditions. Key West is by far the biggest race of the year, and I knew that, but I also looked at it like any other race that just needed us to do the best we could.
Jim: I had no expectations going to Key West. I was not nervous. I had concerns about the start of the race compared to other organizations we raced but for some reason, once we were milling and the green flag was up, it was like no other race. The adrenaline was not as much as normal, and it was peaceful and comfortable. I think it was because Mikey and I earned our spot on this race circuit and we were racing the race of our dreams. Win or lose, we were living the moment and giving it all we had. I could not be more proud of my entire team for the showing that we made. The validation from the other racing teams was more than we could have anticipated.
5. Do you plan to race at Key West again?
Mike: I would love to but it depends on what the team plans are for 2016. There was a ton of work that needed to go into the boat before we left. We blew our engine up earlier in the season and got it back a few weeks before we were supposed to leave. There were some long days and nights to get it done, but we did it.
Jim: I would like to race in Key West again; never say never. Being a mostly self-funded race team, racing every year isn’t in the budget, but if some new sponsors came forward to help with the trip, I won’t turn it down.