Pro Floors Racing Returning To Super Cat Action In 2022

Owned by New Zealand-based offshore racing veteran Wayne Valder, the Super Cat-class Pro Floors Racing team is committed to running a full season this year, as well as competing in the world championships in Key West, Fla., in early November. Pandemic travel restrictions for Valder have kept the team sidelined since the 2019 season when it earned the American Power Boat Association Super Cat National Championship, finished second overall at the world championships in Key West and earned the APBA High Points Championship title.

After a two-year pandemic-forced hiatus, no Super Cat team is more eager to return to competition than Pro Floors Racing. Photo from the 2019 Race World Offshore Key West World Championships by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

“Wayne is thrilled about it,” said Grant Bruggemann of Grant’s Signature Racing, who throttles the team’s MTI catamaran powered by Kasse Racing engines and stores and maintains the boat at his facility in Bradenton, Fla. “When I texted him about it the other day, his response was ‘F … k yeah.’

“We are actually working on the boat as we speak,” said Bruggemann. “We had our Kasse Racing engines refreshed and we are planning on testing after the Miami International Boat show.”

Added Valder, who drives the cat, “We are very excited to get back to the U.S. for some competitive racing. The boat is at Grant’s shop and ready to roll as the class just confirms our race sites.”

In addition to his commitment with the Pro Floors team, Bruggemann will be pulling double duty as a Super Stock-class throttleman this year with driver Darren Kittredge of Massachusetts. In recent years, Kittredge has driven alongside veteran Super Stock-class throttleman Gary Ballough in FJ Propeller, a 32-foot Doug Wright catamaran. (Ballough will be throttling a new 32-foot Doug Wright cat in the Super Stock ranks with Canadian owner/driver Cole Leibel this season.)

Now Kittredge will be fielding a Super Stock-class team of his own.

“Darren has a new 32-foot Doug Wright coming that we are going to power with Mercury Racing 300R outboards,” said Bruggemann. “It should be here in April. So I’m going to be competing in two classes this season.

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