Celebrating its 16th year of attracting performance boat enthusiasts from around the country to the Lone Star State, the Texas Outlaw Challenge, set for June 21-25, opened registration yesterday. The host cities of Kemah and Seabrook are already gearing up for the action, most of which happens on Clear Lake and Galveston Bay.
The Texas Outlaw Challenge never fails to attract wild high-performance powerboat hardware from around the country. Photo courtesy/copyright Todd Taylor.
The four-day happening kicks off with a Thursday night welcome party followed by a top-speed shootout on Friday. In 2022, Gary Smith and his now fiancé Patty Rich of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., took top honors with a 175-mph pass on the three-quarter-mile course in Predator III, his Skater 388 catamaran powered by twin 2,000-plus-hp turbocharged engines from Brummett Marine in Southern California.
As previously reported on speedonthewater.com, Smith laid down a 204.1-mph run a week ago today during the Desert Storm Poker Run top-speed contest. He informed speedonthewater.com that he would be returning to the the Texas event to defending his title in June. Would-be Texas Outlaw Challenge speed contest participants by clicking here.
Last year’s Texas Outlaw Challenge top-speed event was a hit with fans and competitors. Photos courtesy/copyright Michael Moss.
“This is our ‘Sweet 16’ anniversary,” said Paul Robinson, the event’s primary organizer. “We are bringing back a lot of the most popular aspects of our event and bringing in some new ones, such as the ‘100-Plus-Mile-Per-Hour Club’ for our top 25 boats in the shootout. Competitors will fall off the list as faster speeds are added throughout the day. At the end of the day, our list for this year will be final.”
Following the top-speed happening, Texas-based MTI catamaran owner and general bon vivant Kenny Armstrong will host his traditional pool party at his expansive waterfront home. Said Robinson, “Kenny just called me last week from Thailand and said, “I’m all in. Let’s go.”
The Gunslinger Poker Run is set for Saturday, starting at 10 a.m. Among the stops during the day is the Gunslinger Pool Party at Harborwalk sponsored by Legend Marine Group, a Nor-Tech Hi-Performance Boats, Statement Marine and Eliminator Boats based in Carrollton. The weekend festivities conclude that night with the Outlaws To The Max Gala And Awards celebration at the MarineMax facility in Seabrook.
“We have a new awards program called the Legend Awards—for sponsor Legend Marine Group—participants will earn for best paint, best crew, best trailer and that sort of thing,” Robinson said. “We will be auctioning off a custom, man or woman’s Rolex watch to raise money for charities at the Outlaws To The Max Gala.”
Registration closes June 19 at midnight. On-site sign-ups will not be accepted.
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