"You just have to love Sarasota"

"We had a bad start because we were still coming out of the milling area when they dropped the green flag. We thought, 'oh boy, here we go.' So we started trying to make our way to the front while also trying to take it easy on the new boat. Johnny and I were still trying to get comfortable with it.

"We lost our intercom, so as we came around to the second straight-away, we motioned to each other as if to say 'Let's go get 'em.' We went for it, and the boat responded really well. I think it might have been around lap four when we lapped both the turbine boat and Team Cintron. We wanted to run fast, but we still weren't pushing the boat that hard.

"I think it was in turn four when one of the motors blew, and I think we only had three laps to go. We'll have to figure out what exactly happened to the motor, but I think we busted a pulley. We are still very excited about how well the boat ran out there. It will be great to get it back out to a race soon.

"It was a great weekend with a lot of boats and tons of spectators. It's a really challenging course, and it gives you a nice blend of different types of water. You have to love Sarasota."

POST RACE FACTS
- Competed in Superboat Unlimited class
- First place finish for Budweiser Select Offshore Team
- Debuted new boat - 50' Mystic
- 6.4-mile race course off Lido Beach
- 44 boats competed in multiple classes
- 23rd year for the Suncoast Offshore Grand Prix
- All proceeds from race donated to charity
- Dave Scott also donated his first-place winnings
- Since the inaugural grand prix, $9 million worth of buildings have been built and paid for to house 6,000 handicapped children each year