NGK F1 Teams Chasing Undefeated Rinker At Halfway Point In The Season

Over the next couple of weeks, the teams in the NGK Spark Plugs F1 Powerboat Championship are going to be working hard to figure out a way to beat the defending series champion, Ashton Rinker, who has won three straight races to open the season following his victory in the series’ halfway point in Bay City, Mich., last weekend.

Ashton Rinker won his third straight NGK Spark Plugs F1 Powerboat Championship race in Bay City, Mich., on Sunday, leaving the rest of the field wondering how to beat the yellow No. 20 boat. All photos courtesy Kevin Pyles/MOTO Marketing Group

“I’m excited for the next race in Pittsburgh, which is one of my favorite courses,” Rinker said following another dominant performance in front of thousands of spectators in Bay City. “I love Pittsburgh. We won there last year and that’s when everything started rolling. I’m looking forward to going back there and continuing our championship run.”

Finishing in second behind the Riverview, Fla., driver who is sponsored by Rinker’s Boat World and McLain Trailers, was Canadian driver Rusty Wyatt in his Triple R Racing boat sponsored by Crystal Clear Wiper Blades.

Wyatt, who finished in second place at the race in Toledo, Ohio, and fourth place in the season-opener in Port Neches, Texas, said he is focused on getting his No. 94 boat running perfectly before the race in Pittsburgh (August 2-4).

Check out more of the highlights from the NGK F1 race in Bay City in the slideshow above.

“We made the best of it in Bay City considering we were trying to keep the motor together for the last 10 laps,” Wyatt said. “We’ve got a few more tricks to try for Pittsburgh. We’re running a big boat for our engine package, but we have some decent propellers to test to make it pop and a few more adjustments to make. Ted Gryguc and the guys at Speedmaster Marine have been a big help.

“The racing has been great so far this season—Tim (Seebold) and the NGK F1 team have done an excellent job promoting the series,” he continued. “It was nice to be back in Bay City and the racing in Pittsburgh should be very competitive. It’s a big course with some wild water so it is going to be a fun one to watch. Then we head to Springfield, Ohio, the following week (Aug. 9-11) and that’s a very technical course.”

After Springfield, the season finale takes place in Windsor, Colo. (Aug. 31-Sept. 1). Until then though, the rest of the drivers, including veteran Chris Fairchild (currently second in the standings at 89 points behind Rinker and 38 points ahead of Wyatt) and Spencer Love, who finished third in Bay City, have a lot of work to do to catch the current points leader—Rinker, the son of multiple time tunnel boat national champion Terry Rinker.

NGK F1 Teams Chasing Undefeated Rinker At Halfway Point In The Season

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