For many reasons, the five-boat Supercat class stood out at last weekend’s Offshore Powerboat Association-sanctioned Lake Race on Lake of the Ozarks in Central Missouri. For one, joining the locally based Performance Boat Center/Jimmy John’s team—the defending Super Boat International national and world champions in the Superboat class—were two teams loaded with veteran racers—the WHM Motorsports team of Billy Mauff and Jay Muller, and the Cleveland Construction team of Ed Smith and Bob Teague. Add in the competitive local father-and-son team H.P. Mafia, plus the newest team to the class, M CON, which is the former WHM Skater campaigned by rookie racers and cousins Tyler Miller and Brett Miller, and the class was one of the most fun to watch.

Billy Mauff and Jay Muller won the Supercat class in their first trip to the Lake Race in Missouri. All photos by Pete Boden/Shoot 2 Thrill Pix

Finishing at the top of the podium in their first time at the fifth annual Lake Race, Mauff and Muller had a great time at Lake of the Ozarks, especially because they were able to compete against (and assist) the M CON team in their previous boat.

Mauff, who said he wouldn’t have attended the race if it wasn’t for a gentleman’s agreement between Mark Smalls, the owner of Cleveland Construction, and Mark Waddington, the owner of Performance Boat Center, to make sure their boats were committed to both the Lake Race and the 33rd annual Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix coming up in early July on the West coast of Florida, seemed to enjoy himself at the event.

For more images and a look at all five entries in the Supercat class race, check out the slideshow above.

“We had a lot of fun—the group was very friendly and the racing was competitive,” said Mauff, who celebrated his 60th birthday at the race and also gave back his $10,000 prize to be donated to charity. “We were happy to go there and win in everyone’s backyard. We know we can’t win every race, I’m the first to admit that, it’s really about the fun. I care more about being safe than winning. I also don’t do this for the money. Any money I’ve ever won I’ve donated back to the event. It’s just what I do, and I’m not the only one who does that.”

Mauff added that he’s looking forward to a competitive season as the team prepares for the Sarasota race and the Mentor Superboat Grand Prix presented by Cleveland Construction in Mentor, Ohio, a few weeks later.

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