Miss GEICO’s 2018 Schedule
The most famous team in offshore powerboat racing is campaigning an aggressive schedule in 2018 with the Miss GEICO boat and crew appearing at many events around the country
The 10-time world championship team competed in the Thunder on Cocoa Beach Super Boat Grand Prix May 18-20. Miss GEICO team’s 2018 approach includes an engine and race program with an emphasis on consistency and reliability instead of wringing more and more power out of the boat’s twin engines. Crew Chief, Gary Stray, said Miss GEICO’s season will start with four identical race engines, two on the boat and two as backups. “We want to start the season out strong and in testing our engines are running well.”
On the water, Miss GEICO is under the control of driver, James Sheppard, and throttleman, Steve Curtis, who are still euphoric over last season. They look forward to racing and accumulating points towards another National Championship while preparing and hoping to peak for the World Championships. “Competition from all over the world will be tough and Miss GEICO looks forward to the challenge,” said Curtis.
Curtis began accumulating World UIM Championships in 1985 and has notched victories all over the world. He headed the Spirit of Norway offshore race team from 1996-2007 and from 2008-2105 Steve ran the Spirit of Qatar race team. Curtis has accumulated more than 20 World Championships, European Championships, and Middle East Championships in his storied career racing against the greatest offshore drivers and race teams during this span.
Sheppard began his offshore racing career in 1980 and set his first world speed record in Cowes in 2005. From 2006-2008 Sheppard recorded World Championships while piloting the P1 Evolution race boa and when he came to the U.S. he earned the World Title in the Super Vee Extreme Class. In August 2017 Sheppard won the famous Cowes Torquay Cowes offshore race while racing against the best racers in the world.
World renowned master rigger, Gary Stray, joined the Miss GEICO team in 2009 and made an immediate impact in helping guide the team to another victory. Stray began his career in the racing business in Southampton, England in 1988 with Cougar Marine. In 1994, he signed on with the Victory Team of Dubai, rising to the head of Research & Development and 10 world titles later, he set up his own rigging company in the United States. Stray established Supercat Rigging, Inc. in 2001 and his boats have won multiple championships and set numerous speed records.
