Super Stock Class Going With Drop-Race Format For 2022 Season

With no less than three new Super Stock teams and the return of the existing fleet, the class is likely to have as many as 15 boats—and perhaps even more—by the end of the 2022 season. In the meantime, with the eight-race American Power Boat Association Offshore National Championship Series set to kick off May 19-22 in Cocoa Beach, Fla., Super Stock-class team owners have agreed upon—and the APBA has approved—a drop-race format in which teams will be scored on their best seven results.

With a bounty of returning and new teams, competition in offshore racing’s Super Stock class will be ferocious this season. Photo by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

“We had a drop-race format last year, too,” said Ryan Beckley, the Super Stock-class representative, who is running with a new team this year. “And everyone still did all eight races in the series anyway.”

The Super Stock-class owners are not alone in adopting a drop-race format. In early February, the Super Cat-class owners group announced it would use a drop-race structure this season. That move also was approved by the APBA. But Super Cat teams will use their best six results from seven races—rather than the best seven out of eight races in the Super Stock format—on their internal schedule to determine their national championships.

As previously reported on speedonthewater.com, off-season movement in the Super Stock ranks has been significant. Here are some of the highlights so far:

• Canadian Cole Leibel is fielding a team with veteran throttleman Gary Ballough and has a new 32-footer coming from Doug Wright Designs, which is slated to be a Cigarette Racing Team property by the end of the month.
• Former Bracket 700-class racers Julian Maldonado and Brian Guy plan to field a new 32-foot Victory raceboat in the Super Stock ranks this season.
• Tanner Lewis has purchased the former 32-foot CMR Roofing and Construction Doug Wright.
• After competing in just a few races last year, Phase 5 owner/driver Albert Penta and throttleman Jay Muller are planning to run a full season—sponsorship permitting—in Penta’s renovated 32-foot Doug Wright cat.

Asked about the potentially grueling nature of a second consecutive eight-race APBA Offshore National Championship Series and drop-race format, Beckley laughed.

“These guys are getting soft,” he said. “The national championships used to have 10 races.”

Super Stock Class Going With Drop-Race Format For 2022 Season

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