Gibraltar, MI – Ultra Team Racing’s Fountain of Youth race boat will
be retrofitted with Konrad 540 PRS (Performance Replacement System) stern
drives and taking part in the APBA Offshore GMC Pro Grade National Series by
competing for the APBA Offshore Racing Central Division Tri-State Cup Series
Competition. The Konrad 540 PRS replaces the outdated TRSs without extensive
modification. Konrad Marine will be supplying drives and expedited support
for the Fountain of Youth boat for a 2-year period.
The Fountain of Youth race boat will
undergo a transom lift and transom assemblies. The old drives are removed,
and Konrad’s 540 PRS is simply bolted on. The 540 PRS enhances performance
and eliminates frequent drive failures.
Brian Bunch of Ultra Team Racing states, "Many
performance boaters are in the same situation I was; running TRS hardware
that has reached end-of-life. The drive ended production in 1994, and parts
supplies are getting low.
"Konrad Marine introduced me to their 540
Performance Replacement System where they are able to swap out my TRS drives
with their 540 Performance Stern Drives in a matter of a couple of days. No
transom work was necessary, it was simply a bolt-on operation.
"We actually have to "de-tune" the drive system
to remain competitive in P4-class, as the performance increases gained as a
result of newer 540 gear case and driveline technology would have bumped me
over the top of my 70-79.9mph speed bracket.
"There is no comparison between the obsolete TRS
technology and Konrad Marine's 540 Performance drives. Investment security
with modern technology, significant performance gains, and a commercially
proven reliable package are what keeps the Fountain of Youth on the
race course."
Driven by Jim Lijana of Harrison Twp, MI, Brian
Bunch of Gibraltar, MI, on the throttles, and Jerry Majeske from Plymouth,
MI, as Navigator, the team made their APBA National Series debut in Port
Huron, MI, running the Fountain of Youth, a 10-Meter Fountain
Powerboats vee-bottom hull, powered by twin Mercury Racing HP500 engines.
They are competing in Outlaw Performance Class level 4, with a top speed of
79.9mph.
The Fountain of Youth competed in the
APBA Central Division during the 2003 season, winning 3 races of the
six-race tour, finishing in second place in points for the circuit.
Look for the Fountain of Youth to race
for their share of the $30,000 Tri State Cup purse. The Port Huron Offshore
Gran Prix kicked off the series opener, and will be followed by the
Cincinnati (Ohio) Offshore Gran Prix, June 18th, the Milwaukee (Wisconsin)
Offshore Gran Prix, July 30th, and the Richmond (Ohio) Offshore Gran Prix,
August 6th. They will also be appearing in Sarasota, FL for the first
jointly sanctioned event with teams representing both APBA Offshore and
Superboat International on July 4th.
The Fountain of Youth P4-33 team is
sponsored by Konrad Marine, Majeske Machine, Flow Technologies, and Fountain
Powerboats, Inc..
The APBA Offshore GMC Pro Grade National Series
is sponsored by GMC Professional Grade Trucks. The APBA Offshore Central
Division Tri-State Cup Series is sponsored by Miller Lite® beer and Reindl
Powerboats.
For all information on the Series, visit
www.apbaoffshoreracing.com. For all information on the Fountain of Youth
Team, contact Brian Bunch, equipment owner and throttleman, at 313 283-8148,
via email at p4-33@comcast.net or visit the team’s website at
