In the season-opening race of the 2016 P1 SuperStock USA championship, the Welsh duo of James Novill and Christian Parsons-Young started the season exactly where it left off in the Team Barbados boat.

Team Barbados got used to being in the lead on Saturday in Tavares, Fla. Photo courtesy Danielle Gavgni/P1 SuperStock

Winners of three of the five races in 2015 in the GD Environmental boat, Novill and Parsons-Young came out strong in Tavares, Fla., on Saturday and won the first three heat races of the day and finished second and third in the final two races to claim the overall victory.

“It was awesome—that last race especially was the best I’ve had,” Novill said, referring to the battle with the Penthouse Spirits team of Jason Morton and Korey Motsinger that finished one second ahead of Team Barbados. “Deck-to-deck racing with Jason Morton for two laps, we came so close but never touched. I trust Jason and he trusts me, so it was just great racing.”

The Crimeline team of Jeff and Eric Jacobs—winners of the fourth heat race—took second place overall, while the Visit Jacksonville team of George Ivey and Jimmy Hill found its way on to the podium in third.

“It’s great to be running at the front of the pack—we would have been right up there in the last race but we lost a blade on the propeller,” Ivey said. “We’ve made great progress—the hard work over the off season has paid off.”

The newcomers to the series—GEICO, Von Vape and Frank & Al’s Pizza—all struggled to reach the top few spots, but they all showed signs that they could be competitive as the season progresses and they get to know the ins-and-outs of the P1 Panther raceboat.

The next round of P1 SuperStock USA takes place on East Lake Toho in St. Cloud, Fla., on May 21.

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