Speed Racer Pumping Up for 2010 Season

Had dinner last night with Bob Christie, the owner of Typhoon  Service Center in Tom’s River, N.J. Christie is a perennial figure on the poker-run scene—at least in the Islamorada and Atlantic City runs—and a very good friend. He also owns the hard-to-miss 44-foot-long Marine Technology, Inc., catamaran called Speed Racer, which he runs with his longtime throttleman and mechanic, Chuck Burke.

Without question, Speed Racer, which currently runs in the 150-mph range, will get a lot speedier in 2010, thanks to a pair of supercharged 1,200-hp engines from Ron Potter of Potter Performance Engines in Bradenton, Fla.

“The engines are getting painted now and will be at Typhoon in three weeks,” said Christie. “So they’ll be in the boat in three weeks—and a day.”

To make sure Speed Racer’s drive train can handle the new power, Christie had TNT Custom Marine in North Miami rebuild the boat’s BPM drives and inspect its BAM transmissions.

“John Tomlinson and his guys at TNT really did a nice job,” said Christie.

Speed Racer also will sport a slightly different look in 2010, thanks to a new wraparound half-canopy windshield from MTI.