When the green flag waved for the Pro Class 1 race at the 44th annual Race World Offshore world championships on Sunday, Nov. 9, throttleman Billy Moore and driver Mike Falco shot to the lead in their 48-foot Victory, DeFalco Construction. When the Super Cat race started earlier in the day, so did throttleman Bill Pyburn and driver Brit Lilly in the 38-foot Skater, Dirty Money. So did owner/driver Ed Smith and throttleman Jay Wohltman in the 40-foot Fountain, Knucklehead Racing, in Super V.

For the first time in recent memory, the teams that won the final race of the RWO offshore racing world championships won more than a checkered flag and a trophy thanks to the IHRA. Photos by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

It could be argued that they wanted to make statements and earn their place in history as the winners at the event’s biggest turnout in 20 years. Maybe they were going after some cold, hard cash. Also historical at this year’s championship was the presence of the International Hot Rod Association, which announced a $250,000 purse for this year. At stake in Pro Class 1 was a total of $55,000. The Super Cats battled for a $30,000 kitty while the Super Stock teams had $50,000 up for grabs. The Bracket classes were vying for $5,000 each.

When the race week began, 98 registered boats rolled into the southern-most city in the United States for three days of racing. Incidents in the Factory Stock and Super Stock races on Friday cut the fleet for Friday by two and three more boats were taken out by accidents on Friday.

That still left more than 90 boats taking to the 4.5-mile course that starts in Key West Harbor and runs counter-clockwise in a triangle shape, giving thousands of fans that lined the Outer Mole and hotel balconies in the harbor excellent views of the action. While single points were awarded for Wednesday and Friday, teams earned double points for their position in Sunday’s finale. Nothing was decided before the action started.

Defending Their Title

In Pro Class 1, the eight boats that started the week on Wednesday were all still competing on Sunday and at the start, DeFalco roared to the lead followed by owner/throttleman Tyler Miller and driver Myrick Coil in the 43-foot Skater, Monster Energy/M CON, and by owner/driver Willie Cabeza and throttleman Grant Bruggemann in the 48-foot MTI, GC Racing/Marine Technology.

Monster Energy had the points lead coming into Sunday’s 10-lap finale, so Moore knew he had to win to have a chance at claiming DeFalco’s second straight world title. In 2024, Darren Nicholson and Giovanni Carpitella in the 48-foot Victory, Mobile X, won Wednesday and Friday while DeFalco Construction ran second. In the Sunday race last year, it looked like Mobile X was on its way to a second-straight championship until the boat’s escape hatch fell out and the pilots and cockpit were sprayed with salt water. DeFalco Construction was in position to take advantage and led the last lap to claim the championship.

Against strong competition, the Pro Class 1 Defalco successfully defended its 2025 world title.

While the Mobile X team races primarily in its home country in Australia, Moore and the Defalco team were making that boat faster and the Monster Energy/M CON, GC Racing and XINSURANCE crews were all doing the same. The Pro Class 1 races in the U.S. were competitive and any team could win on a given Sunday.

After finishing off the podium on Wednesday with a broken trim ram, DeFalco Construction roared back to take the win on Friday. Sunday brought a hot day with light winds and calmer seas. Moore and Falco had the inside lane and made the most of the advantage, taking the lead before the boats made it to turn one and never looking back. Monster Energy/M CON got within a couple of seconds but not any closer. GC Racing/MTI ran the entirety of the race in third and the race positions were the podium positions during the awards ceremony later that night. For the full results check the RWO website.

“The statement we made today was that we beat ourselves on Wednesday and with the whole world watching we wanted to redeem ourselves Friday and Sunday,” said Moore. “Mike drove a helluva race.”

Always gracious and with a smile on his face, Miller said, “We lost the title by two points. Hats off to DeFalco. I don’t think any adjustments we could have made would have challenged them.”

For Bruggemann, finishing the team’s first season in a new boat on the podium at the world championships was a proud accomplishment. “MTI and the team put a great boat together for Willie and me,” he said. “It’s proven that it can win a Class 1 race convincingly so it’s up to Willie and me to prove ourselves.”

Three for Three Means Back to Back

If there was an award for the most dominant three-race campaign in Key West in 2025, it would be hard to pick against the Dirty Money team. Pyburn and Lilly charged to the lead on Sunday in their 38-foot Skater followed by their season-long nemesis, owner/driver Chris Grant and throttleman Jay Muller in the 38-foot Skater, C.J. Grant/Graydel. Having their best run of the year, throttleman Anthony Smith and driver Christian McCauley ran third in the 40-foot MTI, Team Farnsworth Motorsports/Hancock Claims. They were followed by throttleman Casey Boaz and driver Rob Unnerstall in the 38-foot Skater, CR Racing/Southeast Services.

From the shore or a spectator boat, it might have looked like the Dirty Money team was pushing unnecessarily. The boat had a huge lead and averaged about 107 mph for the nine-lap Super Cat Race. After pulling out of Wednesday’s race with significant damage from an incident with Rollin’ Transport, Graydel rode the wave to second place finishes Friday and Sunday to take the runner up for the championship. Win Farnsworth’s team used the double points from Sunday’s third-place finish to claim the same spot in the championship. CR Racing finished two races in a row for the first time this season, taking fourth in the standings.

While most competitors were enjoying a cold beverage after the races, Pyburn was in his hauler watching the playback of the race. “I always critique myself after a race,” he said. As for the big lead that he and Lilly built up, he said, “We were comfortable just running out front.”

Dirty Money Racing is now two-for-two at the annual Key West Worlds.

The championship is the second straight for the boat owned by Beau and Tiffiney Renfroe and the crew led by chief Bobby Adams.

Ever the optimist, even after his boat was hit on Wednesday, Grant stayed on an even keel. “I said, let’s wait and see how bad it is,’” he said. The team worked on it until 8 or 9 Wednesday night repairing the hull and installing a new engine “We were ready. The boat ran great and today, it was amazing.”

McCauley and Smith were happy with third. “The course was tailor-made for a Skater 388 with a wide sponson,” said Smith. “Christian drove a good race to keep us in third.”

Also on the water with the Super Cats were the two Extreme class entries. Throttleman Steve Curtis and driver Sheik Hassan bin Jabor Al Thani took first in the 54-foot MTI, Spirit of Qatar. Second in the championship went to owner/throttleman Mike Knoblock and driver Jeff McCann in the 42-foot Fountain, American Custom Marine.

Goal Achieved
Before running Farnsworth’s MTI in Super Cat, Smith strapped into the team’s 40-foot Fountain with driver Elijah Kingery for the Super V race. They had won Wednesday with owner/driver Ed Smith and throttleman Jay Wohltman taking second in the 40-foot Fountain, Knucklehead Racing. The 40-foot Fountain, Cortez Cove Fountain, with driver Kirk Britto and throttleman Rob Lockyer, just missed passing Knucklehead on Wednesday.

Knucklehead Racing prevailed over the largest registered Super V class in decades.

Knucklehead won on Friday but hurt an engine, so Smith oversaw the replacement process Friday afternoon and evening. Team Farnsworth tossed a propeller blade early in Friday’s race. Cortez Cove finished second in that race followed by throttleman Mike Howe and driver Tim Linden in the 39-foot Outerlimits, DSK Racing.

Wohltman and Smith had the pole position on Sunday and made the most of it, pulling out to an early lead that wouldn’t be challenged for the five-lap race. Team Farnsworth/Hancock Claims held second throughout, but Cortez Cove blew an engine on the first lap. Owner/throttleman Bill McComb and driver Ed Wendt held third in the 39-foot Skater, Dart, followed by DSK Racing.

The positions remained unchanged but things got interesting on the last lap when Dart slowed, but kept running. McComb and Wendt made it across the finish line third, which meant DSK missed the podium by four points in its debut event. In the final standings, Knucklehead Racing won the championship followed by Team Farnsworth/Hancock Claims and Cortez Cove Fountain.

Smith says his “Evil” Ed Smith monicker came from his birthday falling on Oct. 31, when he recently turned 70. “Racing in Key West was my 70^th birthday present from the team,” he said. After carrying the flag for the Super V class for the last five years, often running as the only boat in the category at many races, he said having six of the boats in Key West was a big accomplishment.

“That’s why I’m here and I hope we can continue to have five to six boats at each event,” he said.

After finishing second, Smith and Kingery said they had the right setup following hours of prop testing in Saturday’s sweltering heat. “We just caught up in traffic,” said Kingery.

First Time Champs
After scoring their first win in the Factory Stock class during Wednesday’s race and finishing second on Friday, owner/driver Chad Rudesil and throttleman Rusty Williams in the 39-foot MTI, Say Less MF, were looking strong for a podium finish on Sunday. They had some strong competition in another 39-foot MTI, GC Marine, with Bruggemann and Cabeza. They had gotten a bad start on Friday and worked their way through the fleet to take the win on the last lap.

With a Factory Stock-class world title in its first season, the Say Less MF team is off to a strong start. Photo by Jeff Helmkamp copyright Helmkamp Photos.

The third spot on the championship podium was up for grabs because of attrition on Wednesday and a consistent performance by the class’ newest team, throttleman Garrett Coonrod and driver Joe Spoloric in the 38-foot Doug Wright, LWR, that finished fourth both days.

On Sunday, the team that led most of the laps in the class on Wednesday and Friday, driver Logan Adan and throttleman Carpitella in the 38-foot Doug Wright, Montlick Injury Attorneys, moved to the front again. They were chased by the 2024 world champs, owner/throttleman Michel Karsenti and driver Ervin Grant in the 38-foot Doug Wright, Heritage-Canados.

On the fifth of eight laps, Heritage-Canados slowed with what were likely issues with the Mercury guardian engine protection system on one of the boat’s 500R outboards. The team dropped from second to seventh. That moved throttleman Julian Maldonado and driver Reese Langheim in the 38-foot Valor cat, Jackhammer, up to second and Say Less MF to third. GC Racing was running fourth until the final lap when Jackhammer dropped out with a problem. Montlick took the win followed by Say Less MF and GC Racing.

In the final standings, Say Less MF captured the championship followed by GC Racing. After suggesting that his team scratch on Sunday following the mechanical breakdowns on Wednesday and Friday, Adan claimed the bronze spot along with Carpitella.

“We knew the competition was tough and we just wanted to make sure we put ourselves in a good position,” said Williams.

Added Rudesil, “The difference from Friday to Sunday was the setup.”

After finishing third on Sunday and second in the standings, Bruggemann said, “We basically lost that race on the prop call we made. We went too big on wheel thinking it was flatter than it was. We couldn’t accelerate with the fleet and we couldn’t accelerate with Say Less out of the harbor turn.”

Luck is a Matter of Perspective
In the Super Stock class, the battle for the championship looked to come down to the two favorites, owner/driver Cole Leibel and throttleman Gary Ballough in the 32-foot Victory, Raymarine, and owner/throttleman Shaun Torrente and driver Matt Jamniczky in the 32-foot STR, Team Nautical Ventures.

With strong results heading into Key West, Team Nautical Ventures peaked at the perfect time. Photo by Jeff Helmkamp copyright Helmkamp Photos.

At the start, Raymarine roared to the lead, which the boat held when it crossed the finish line off the Outer Mole. When the boat exited the turn in Key West Harbor, it slowed with a failed sensor on one of its Mercury Racing 300R outboards and was out for the day. That moved Team Nautical Ventures to first followed by Pete and A.J. Bogino in the 32-foot Doug Wright, CoCo’s Monkey, and throttleman Nick Imprescia and driver Luis Martens in the 32-foot Doug Wright, Nuff Said. Julian Maldonado and driver Jeremy Tschida quietly held fourth in the 31-foot Victory, Wozencraft.

On lap five of seven, Nuff Said made its move around CoCo’s Monkey for second place. When the checkers flew, Team Nautical Ventures took the win and the championship followed by Nuff Said on the water and the podium. Third in the final standings went to CoCo’s Monkey.

“We ran Raymarine down and tried to get inside him,” said Torrente. “As soon as I said we’re not going to make it, I saw Raymarine back up. We ran a crappy corner on turn one and then I just told Matt, ‘Run your race.’”

After finishing second, Imprescia said, “Nuff Said already had a winning combination. We had a little bit of luck and managed risks and driving as smart as we could to learn.”

Playing it Smart
After dominating the Mod-V races Wednesday and Friday, throttleman Steve and driver Stephen Kildahl in the 29-foot Extreme, Boatfloater.com, were the favorites for the world championship for the class. But they still had to run the race.

At the start, Charlie McCarthy and throttleman Tony Silveira took the lead in the 29-foot Spartan, Punisher. They led for two laps before dropping back to third. That left the door open for Wohltman and owner/driver Kyle Miller to take the point in the 29-foot Extreme, Speed Marine. They were followed by owner/driver Kirk Hana and throttleman Mark Rinda in the 29-foot Extreme, nmbrvresort.com. The Kildahls ran fourth.

The positions held that way until the final lap, which was eventful. The 29-foot Spartan, Relentless, with driver Travis Pettko and throttleman Robert Bryan, spun in turn two. That was followed by the 29-foot Fountain, Irish Kevin’s, rolling in Key West Harbor. Driver Dante Napoli and throttleman Larry Fontecha escaped the incident without injury.

When the spray literally settled, the Kildahls had won the championship with Speed Marine in second and nmbrvresort.com in third.

“We had a little more challenge today,” said Stephen Kildahl. “We knew where we had to be to win it all and didn’t need to take any unnecessary risks. It put us in a great spot to not have to push so hard. For me, this is my second Key West world championships, it’s awesome to get your first one, but to get your second…”

After a collision in Key West last year, Speed Marine had to be de-rigged and sent to Lilly Sport Boats for hull repairs. Then the boat was basically rebuilt. “We haven’t even begun to make the boat fast,” said Miller. We’re just trying to make it run.”

After running third in the 2025 championship, Hana said, “We’re happy with how we finished Key West. It could have been a lot less.”

The Unsung Heroes

In Bracket 200, attrition from previous days left owner/driver Joey Olivieri and throttleman Billy Glueck running unopposed on Sunday in the 39-foot Phantom, OC Racing, handing the dedicated duo the 2025 world championship in the class.

OC Racing owner driver Joey Olivieri and throttleman Billy Glueck put on a fine show despite running unopposed.

Driver Billy Shipley teamed up with two different throttleman throughout the week in the 35-foot Fountain, Team Woody in Bracket 300, and in the end, he and Chad Woody took home the Bracket 300 world championship. They were followed by Keith and Cade Herbott in their 38-foot Fountain, Herbott Racing, and throttleman Michael Odgen and driver Nick Fanelle in the 38-foot, Bad Boy, Wehaulboats.com.

Team Woody took home the Bracket 300-class world title.

Driver Johnny Saris previously said it was “a dream” for him to win a Bracket 400 world championship with his father Jason Saris and navigator Verne French in the 33-foot Cobra, Saris Racing. They would claim the title after finishing behind throttleman Chris Colson and driver Ray Evans in the 37-foot, 2-inch Fountain, Shocker Racing. Third in the Bracket 400 world championships would go to driver Jake Coons and throttleman Jason Zolecki in the 34-foot Phantom, Simmons Marine.

The father-and-son team of Jason and Johnny Saris, the Key West result was a dream come true.

Domination was the theme for the final three bracket classes. In Bracket 500, owner/throttleman Fran Vellutato and driver Tom Crowley in the 26-foot Scarab, Rum Runners, continued their torrid assault on the class, claiming the 2025 world championship. They were followed by the Marottas, Damon Sr. and Jr., in the 29-foot Warlock, Fuel1team.com, and throttleman Eddie Simmons and driver John Coen III in the 30-foot Superboat, Agora Day Spa.

Bracket 600 saw throttleman Jason Govatos and driver Mike McColgan in the 26-foot Protector, MDG Offshore Racing, continue its reign over the class, completing the Wednesday, Friday, Sunday sweep. Second went to Johnny Saris and owner/driver Michael Lange in the 26-foot Modern Marine, Moderation.

MGD claimed victory in the hotly contested Bracket 600 class.

Unofficially, the 24-foot Magnum, Logan’s Heroes, with driver Pat Marlow and throttleman Steve Lapinta, came in third. Picking up where they left off after virtually every previous race in 2025, throttleman Connor Langheim and driver Brad Christopher in their 22-foot Velocity, Dirt Legal Velocity Factory Racing ran to the flag-to-flag win in Bracket 700. Second went to throttleman Anthony Cruz and throttleman Bobby Barneschi in the 22-foot Progression, Redrum. The new team of driver Max Zeldich and throttleman Craig Chiddenton took third in the 21-foot Shadow, Maximum Fire Escapes/Proven Marine.