Records Set, Ongoing Protests in V-Class at First Tiki Lee’s Shootout On The River Kilo Event

Editor’s note: Official results were added to this report as of Tuesday, July 13.

Ten boats took to the kilo course on the Back River in Sparrows Point, Md., just off the point of Tiki Lee’s Dock Bar on Saturday as part of the inaugural Tiki Lee’s Shootout On The River. The Offshore Powerboat Association/American Power Boat Association-sanctioned race is the first such event of this scale since kilo records were hosted in Sarasota, Fla., as part of the Suncoast Powerboat Grand Prix festivals almost two decades ago.

Like many year first-year events, Saturday’s Tiki Lee’s Shootout On The River kilo run in Maryland had its hiccups but, in the end, the OPA/APBA-sanctioned event saw several records set. Photos by Tim Sharkey/Sharkey Images.

“As a first-time learning experience, I think everything went pretty well,” said Ted Ginnity, the director of the Chesapeake Bay Power Boat Association who went on to explain that there are several technical requirements to a kilo event. “The biggest thing to manage is that the APBA has very specific rules as to how a kilo record can be set. Given that you need to have timing devices, and that the boats go back and forth within 15 minutes, certainly makes it more challenging and time-consuming, which doesn’t necessarily make it the best show for the spectators, who aren’t familiar with the concept.”

According to Ginnity, the APBA-sanctioned kilo records require a boat to pass the one-kilometer course in both directions, averaging the speed of each run to produce the record. As opposed to shootouts, kilo runs have no limit to how far back boats can run up their speed before entering the “kilo trap,” as it’s often called.

Among the firsts for the weekend, the father-and-daughter team at MTI, Randy and Taylor Scism, brought its 450R Factory Stock-class 390X raceboat powered by twin Mercury Racing 450R engines to set a speed, being the first such boat to do so in the class.

Check out the slideshow above for more images from the kilo runs on Saturday.

“To see a brand new boat in a brand new class with Taylor setting a world record, is absolutely fantastic,” Ginnity said. “Having four world records set was crazy cool. We certainly look forward to the second annual event.”

Taylor Scism, who was buzzing when she came off the water with a recorded speed of 121.81 mph, said it is pretty cool to say that she now owns a world record. She also got the chance to “race” a stunt plane as part of an air show exhibition during a break in the action, which she called an incredible experience.

“It was a lot of fun,” she exclaimed with enthusiasm. “Although we only ran twice, we had two really good runs. To have set the record with my dad was special.”

In the TS Motorsports MTI 390X raceboat, Taylor and Randy Scism raced a high-performance biplane during a break in the kilo run action on Saturday.

According to OPA officials, Team Punisher set the kilo record in the Modified-V carbureted class with a speed of 96.09 mph, followed by LSB Racing/Hurricane of Awesomeness. The Knucklehead Racing team of driver/owner Ed Smith and throttleman Anthony Smith—the lone V-Extreme class entry—laid down a 122.84-mph pass to set a record.

The Pro Stock V class—which was labeled a draw at the awards ceremony due to ongoing protests according to Ed “Smitty” Smith, president of OPA—ended up going to the Relentless team with a top speed of 88.73 mph.

“The results are unofficial at this point,” Smith said. “We are working through the process with each team.”

When asked to speak to the nature or substance of the protests, Smith simply added, “We will clarify the results once that process has completed.”

Records Set, Ongoing Protests in V-Class at First Tiki Lee’s Shootout On The River Kilo Event

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