Meyer Sees ‘Tough Competition’ for Extreme Class in Key West Worlds

Defending Superboat Extreme Class World Champion Peter Meyer, the owner and throttlemen of the Hooters/Instigator team, is heading into tomorrow’s first race of the Super Boat International Offshore World Championships in Key West, Fla., ready to run with teammate John Stanch. Having tested their 40-foot Fountain late last week, Meyer and Stanch opted out of today’s test session.

“We ran in Miramar, about an hour south of Cocoa Beach (Fla.),” said Meyer. “We ran pretty well up there—I know what we have.”

Said Meyer: “I’d rather race against one Billy Glueck than 10 nobodies.” Photo courtesy/copyright Pete Boden/Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

Meyer also said he knows he and Stanch will face “tough competition” in this week’s races most likely from Billy Glueck and Brett Furshman in Twisted Metal/Cooper Standard.

“The competition down here is really, really tough,” he said. “I’d rather race against one Billy Glueck than 10 nobodies, but I think we’re going to have some really good competition from everyone down here this year. Joe Sgro (of the Outerlimits Extreme-class team) was just sitting two feet away from me and he was smiling. So he and Steve Curtis probably have something for us.”

In addition to the Hooters/Instigator, Twisted Metal/Cooper Standard and Outerlimits teams, the Freedom team of throttleman Joe Ferrer and drive Jacqueline Piper in another Fountain—a 42-footer—will compete in the Superboat Extreme class this week. Meyer said that he’s expecting all of the teams in the class to be race hard and succeed.

It’s the kind of balanced sportsman’s perspective that comes from 33 years in the sport—Meyer began his offshore racing career in 1983.

“I want everyone to run competitively,” he said. “I hope we show Hooters, our sponsor, a little something and Billy Glueck shows Cooper Standard a little something and Joe Sgro shows Outerlimits a little something. That’s what it’s all about.”

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