Inside SOTW Mag: Team Woody—One Big Happy Family

Pssst. Heard you had an offshore raceboat for sale. If you change the number to 27, add some gray, black and orange to the color scheme, there are a couple of guys in Texas who will probably buy it.

Team Woody has more boats in its fleet than some classes in offshore racing, and it’s having more fun, too. Photo by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

That’s what people who follow offshore powerboat racing would probably think. After entering the sport five years ago, Chad Woody and Billy Shipley have built Team Woody Offshore Racing into a four-boat ensemble that has become something of an extended family for all its members.

“I never thought we’d be here,” Woody said. “Billy has drug it from me getting the idea and turning into the guy acquiring boats and growing our brand.”

That brand includes a 35-foot Fountain that races in the Offshore Powerboat Association’s Bracket 200 class, a canopied 29-foot Lavey Craft that runs in Bracket 300, a 30-foot Phantom that won the national championship and a world title in the Bracket 500 class in 2021, and an outboard- powered 22-foot Velocity that raced in Bracket 700.

Woody is 39 years old and his father, Tom, is at every race as a brand ambassador. He greets fans, sells T-shirts and generally spreads goodwill. The team is named for Tom Woody. The two hail from Weatherford, Texas, where they have a successful general contracting company that specializes in historical renovations. Chad’s girlfriend, Katelynn Horton, and his daughters, 6-year-old Kate and 14-year-old Ashjyn, are at most of the races as well.

Also from Weatherford, Shipley owns a contracting business that handles remodels of Wal-Mart stores. He has a 7-year-old son, Kyler, and is engaged to Madison King. Both accompany him to the races.

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