 Older Article (archived) | Newer Article (archived) |
[BOATS] New Sprintec for True Blue Racing
by Shaun Dixon
(Archived)
Dixon/Pretty to debut new Sprintec in Maryborough
25 May, 2009
The second round of the Queensland Championships set down for Maryborough (near Hervey Bay) on June 20th and 21st, will see the introduction of a brand new boat for the popular True Blue Too team of Brooke Dixon and Nathan Pretty.
Modified by five-time world champion Peter Caughey, the new Sprintec is arguably the best Superboat ever built and features a number of new performance enhancing modifications that are unique to this boat. A quick look inside bears witness to just how far Caughey has gone to slimming the hull down to an all new level.
The True Blue team hopes this will provide both world champion Nathan Pretty and Temora winner Brooke Dixon with a boat to take them through to championship victory.
Pretty is still well and truly in the championship hunt, and the new boat will come as a bit of a relief to him as he battles arch-rival Slade Stanley for Group A honours. Pretty has been pushing the current True Blue Too boat to the limit in the opening three rounds of the Continental Tyres Australian Superboat season, the onboard telemetry from MoTeC showing throttle traces of 100%..
“This is the hardest I’ve ever had to drive in my career,” Pretty admitted post-Griffith. “I can’t wait for the new boat..”
Despite his anticipation he will have to wait until later in the year to sample the new boat as it will not be ready for the fourth round of the Continental Tyres Australian Championships, although the team’s ‘A’ driver Brooke Dixon will manage to get some serious laps in prior to Nathan’s debut when she enters the new boat in the second round of the Queensland championships at Maryborough.
Aside from a new hull, the boat will also have a modified Colin Parish built engine which will provide some valuable extra horsepower, but it won’t just be the engine and lightened boat, the package also including a Sprintec modified Scott jet unit, lowered rollcage and much lighter seats, providing a lower centre of gravity and a much lower driver/navigator position.
“I can’t wait to see it on the water,” team-boss Phil Dixon (pictured above alongside wife and Unlimited Superboat AUS#2 Louise) admitted. “There is quite a weight saving over any of the previous Sprintecs that Caughey has developed so it will be interesting to see how it goes on the water. We’d have liked to have had it for Cabarita, but by the same token we don’t want to rush it, so we look forward to having it with us at Maryborough.”
Whilst outwardly the shape of the boat is very similar to her former ride, True Blue Too will make its debut in a stunning deep metallic blue; both hull and cage, prompting a slight revision to team graphics. “It will be stunning,” Brooke Dixon lamented, “I’m really looking forward to getting it on the water.”
For Cabarita though Brooke will be joined by her brother Shaun who will make his debut in Superboats in the boat that took Nathan Pretty to the 2007 Australian title and the 2008 World Championships.
The championship race is really starting to tighten up at the top end of the field where both True Blue Too drivers are situated. Brooke currently sits in sixth position right on the tail of Tremayne Jukes, with Nathan being involved in a tight tussle with former world Champion Slade Stanley which see’s him sitting in second, just five points behind Stanley.
The inclusion of the new boat to the team will not only help the chances of Brooke and Nathan in the national championship, but as we look towards the World Championships in November this boat should really be one to watch.
True Blue Racing are proudly supported by; Auspro Logistics, Parish Automotive, H2O Full Throttle Magazine, Lake Eildon Marina & House Boat Hire, Alexandra Freighters, Mansfield Express, Symes Transport, Action Smash Repairs (Wangaratta), MoTeC, Sprintec, North-East Windscreens, 321Ignition Magazine and SKIN Industries, Powerbond Pulleys, Crow Cams and Speed Flow Hoses & Fittings
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2009 Continental Tyres Australian Superboat Championships
International Group A (points after Rnd#3 of 5)
1. Slade Stanley (140), 2. Nathan Pretty/Lincoln Burns (135), 3. Rohan Smith (116), 4. Ted Sygidus (106), 5. Tremayne Jukes (95), 6. Brooke Dixon/Leanne Rake (91), 7. Greg Mercier (81), 8. Robert Colman (77), 9. Darek Sygidus (48), 10. Daniel Walton (37), 11. Mick Manini (28), 12. Simon Zarb (18), 13. Greg Harriman (17), 14. Tony Whalan (15), 15. Brendan Donnelly (10), 15. Shane Loughnan (10), 15. Darren Watkins (10), 15. Damien O’Leary (10), 19. Rodney Krause (6), 20. Kevin Laugesen (5), 21. Kieran Krause (5)
www.trueblueracing.com
| Older Article (archived) | Newer Article (archived) |
| Browse 'BOATS' | |
| Browse 'BOATS' Archive | |
