Tunnel Vision: Checking In With Throttleman Mike Stancombe

ByJason Johnson

Micheal Stancombe stands with fellow offshore racer Stan Ware at the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout in Missouri. Photo by Robert Brown

After reading Matt Trulio’s OffshoreOnly.com column yesterday on Scott Begovich, the Teddy Bear of the Miss GEICO Offshore Racing team, I was reminded to check in with another throttleman who was inspired to race boats because of his father.

Micheal Stancombe is his name. If you’ve met him once, you know who is. Much like his father, George, he is an unforgettable character in the offshore racing world. The two teamed up to race their Skater Powerboats catamaran Peppers—named after their sports bars in the Indianapolis area—for many years and many victories.

Micheal Stancombe and Paul Boudreaux rolled Boudreaux’s 44-foot Marine Technology Inc. catamaran, Rick’s Collision, during the SBI Thunder on the Gulf Grand Prix in Orange Beach, Ala.Micheal Stancombe and Paul Boudreaux rolled Boudreaux’s 44-foot Marine Technology Inc. catamaran, Rick’s Collision, during the SBI Thunder on the Gulf Grand Prix in Orange Beach, Ala.Most recently, Stancombe teamed up with Paul Boudreaux for the Super Boat International (SBI) Thunder on the Gulf Grand Prix in Orange Beach, Ala. Unfortunately the teammates, who were racing together for the first time, rolled Boudreaux’s 44-foot Marine Technology Inc. catamaran Rick’s Collision during the Superboat class race on Sunday, June 2.

Less than two weeks later and Stancombe said he is just starting to feel normal again. He admits he’s replayed the accident over and over again in his head, wondering what he could have done differently to avoid it, but he realizes what’s most important—that he and Boudreaux escaped unharmed.

“I haven’t really stopped processing it, and my dad told me I may never stop,” said Stancombe, who thanked all of the racers and friends who checked up on him after the crash. “The good thing was that everything came natural to me. I didn’t panic and I did everything I was supposed to do. I think it was the world’s fastest self-extraction.

“I was very apologetic to Paul, I just feel bad that it happened,” he continued. “I’ve only been wet once so I guess there are people who have been over a lot more than I have. I still feel bad. I could have slowed down I guess, but that’s not racing, is it?”

Assuming the re-rig goes smoothly and the MTI is ready for the SBI Sarasota Grand Prix (July 5-7), Stancombe hopes Boudreaux invites him back to throttle alongside him in the competitive 700-hp Superboat class. He’d also like to get back in the boat and put his first rollover behind him.

Stancombe recently bought a tunnel boat to 'play around with.'Stancombe recently bought a tunnel boat to “play around with.”In the meantime, Stancombe is looking forward to playing around with his new toy—a tunnel boat. That’s right, he bought a boat from Mercury a couple weeks ago and is considering getting his feet wet in the competitive outboard-powered sport.

“I don’t know anything about the boat yet, I just know that it’s setup and ready to race—all I need is the power,” said Stancombe, who calls legendary Tim Seebold a friend. “I did some kneel-down outboard racing when I was a kid, but I’ve never driven an F1 boat. It looks fun though and I know it’s a lot cheaper than offshore racing.”

Unsure if he’s really going to race the boat, Stancombe said he’s going to try to check out the next US F1 Powerboat Tour stop in Bay City, Mich., next weekend (June 21-23). He does know one thing—he’s going to have fun learning to drive the boat.