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www.pokerrunsamerica.com BUILDING A LEGACY INSIDE JUSTIN WAGNER’S DOUG WRIGHT POWERBOATS INSIDE: SAULT STE. MARIE PRESIDENT’S CUP POKER RUN2026 POKER RUN CALENDAR BIG CHANGES FOR OFFSHORE RACING 242 MPH! RECORD-BREAKER AT LOTO SHOOTOUT NEW MODELS FROM: FORMULA FORMULA HUSTLER HUSTLER TM DEEP IMPACTDEEP IMPACT PLATINUMPLATINUM Cover 29-1.indd 1Cover 29-1.indd 12026-02-05 5:03 PM2026-02-05 5:03 PMTHE MOST TECHNOL OGIC ALLY AD VANCED C A T IN THE W ORLD Unparalleled Performance and Efficiency PLA TINUM PO WERBO A TS 428 C A T AMARAN LENGTH 42’-8” BEAM 10’-8” MERCUR Y 500HP’S WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM/PLATINUMPOWERBOATS • PLATINUMPOWERBOATS@YAHOO.COM Platinum Powerboats.indd 1Platinum Powerboats.indd 12026-02-05 11:34 AM2026-02-05 11:34 AMMMeeddiiuumm DDuuttyy AAllll AAcccceessss CALL 706-733-6271 WWW.EXTREMESUPERTRUCK.COM CHRIS@EXTREMESUPERTRUCK.COM 706-733-6271 CHRIS@EXTREMESUPERTRUCK.COM WWW.EXTREMESUPERTRUCK.COM GGoo aannyywwhheerree yyoouu wwaanntt wwiitthh tthhee aallll nneeww TTCC--1144 44 wwhheeeell ddrriivvee ssyysstteemm.. WWiitthh aapppplliiccaattiioonnss ffoorr mmoosstt mmeeddiiuumm dduuttyy mmaakkeess aanndd mmooddeellss iinncclluuddiinngg FFoorrdd,, IInntteerrnnaattiioonnaall aanndd FFrreeiigghhttlliinneerr uupp ttoo 1144kk ffrroonntt aaxxllee rraattiinnggss.. Supertruck.indd 1Supertruck.indd 12026-02-03 4:54 PM2026-02-03 4:54 PMBill Taylor PUBLISHERS NOTE 4 WWW.POKERRUNSAMERICA.COMWWW.POKERRUNSAMERICA.COM VOLUME TWENTY NINE / NUMBER ONE PUBLISHER William E. Taylor bill@pokerrunsamerica.com EDITOR Gregg Mansfield info@pokerrunsamerica.com TECHNICAL EDITOR Price Turner CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Tim Banse, Zenon Bilas, Bob Brown, Mike Burns Bill Jennings, Bobbye Kenyon, Chris Kourtakis, Gordon Cruise McBride, Mark Rothermal DESIGN ads@pokerrunsamerica.com Tamara Taylor, Giselle Bansal WEB DESIGN Moe Basha mbasha@taylorpublishinggroup.com PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Giselle Bansal giselle@pokerrunsamerica.com VP ADVERTISING & SALES Todd Taylor todd@pokerrunsamerica.com SALES Todd Taylor todd@pokerrunsamerica.com Guice Mercer info@pokerrunsamerica.com FLORIDA SALES Kevin Peterson klpetersonmarketing@gmail.com SPECIAL EVENTS COORDINATORS Nancy Mueller, Melanie Taylor coordinator@pokerrunsamerica.com ADMINISTRATION President William E. Taylor Group Publisher Melanie Taylor-Wallis VP/Special Projects Norm Rosen PHOTOGRAPH/VIDEO Tamara Taylor tmtaylor@taylorpublishinggroup.com Duane C. Adams, Pete Boden, Ken Denardo, Jeff Geradi - FreezeFramevideo.net, Lisa Mazzoni, Guice Mercer, Randy Nuzzo, Kevin Peterson, Tim Sharkey- Sharkeys Images, Todd Taylor OFFICES NEW YORK 777 East Park Drive, Tonawanda, NY 14150 FLORIDA 131 Brandiwood Court, Debary, FL, 32713 Tel: 1-800-354-9145 TORONTO 268 - 44 Crawford Crescent, Campbellville, ON L0P 1B0 905/844-8218 EDITORIAL OFFICES 1-800-354-9145 Subscription inquires call: 1-800-354-9145 Website: www.pokerrunsamerica.com E-mail: info@pokerrunsamerica.com Cover and contents are copyright protected and may not be reproduced in any form without prior written consent from the publisher. Editorial contributions must be accompanied by return postage and will be handled with reasonable care. The publisher assumes no responsibility for return or safety of artwork, photographs, or manuscripts. Poker Runs America reserves the right to refuse any and all advertising and disclaims all responsibilities for claims or statement of facts made by its advertisers or independent columnists Regular subscription rates are 4 issues: $19 US. 8 issues: $32 US. Canadian subscribers add $10. Single copy price is $5.95 US and $8.50 Cdn. POSTMASTER Send all returns to Poker Runs America, 777 East Park Drive, Tonawanda, NY 14150 POKER RUNS AMERICA | Volume 29 Number 1 REMEMBERING A RACING LEGEND William E. Taylor, Publisher bill@pokerrunsamerica.com Younger boaters may not recognize Bill Seebold Sr.’s name, but they know his legacy. Today’s performance boats are faster and handle better because of his work. The marine industry lost a giant in October 2025 when Seebold Sr. passed away at age 84. From testing to building boats, the 1999 Motorsports Hall of Fame inductee is regarded as the greatest tunnel boat racer ever. Seebold was part of the vaunted Mercury Racing factory team that included Reggie Fountain, founder of Fountain Powerboats, and Earl Bentz, CEO of Caymas Boats. The team raced in the 1970s and early 1980s, serving as a proving ground and promotional powerhouse for Mercury’s high-performance outboards. “They don’t give those guys the recognition for all the innovation that went on in those years,” said offshore championship racer Ben Robertson Jr., who raced tunnel boats against Seebold. “Propellers, gear cases and the outboard motor were developed by those three guys. They did all the testing. They’re the ones that took all the chances and got hurt. “These guys that run these offshore boats and the drag boats don’t know where all that design came from.” Before computer modeling, Seebold was out on the water testing and provided feedback to Mercury Marine’s engineers. Seebold designed and built his own tunnel-hull racing boats, constantly tinkering to improve performance. He also considered radical marine concepts such as brakes on the transom. On the water, Seebold was as competitive as they come in his 46-year racing career. Seebold won more than 900 races and 69 national and world championships. Those stats will likely never be duplicated. Robertson, who owns BAR Marine Group in Jacksonboro, S.C., was a young tunnel boat driver racing against Seebold. It was a special day when you beat the sport’s legend, Robertson said. “He’d make you earn that win,” Robertson said. “If you got around him, it’s because you worked your butt off. He’d use every inch of the racecourse to keep you behind him, but in a clean way. We called it a Seebold lane. If your boat was 7 feet wide, he gave you 6.5 feet.” Many of Seebold’s greatest accomplishments came after age 40. “My longevity had a lot to do with the love of the sport,” he said during his Motorsports Hall of Fame acceptance speech. “That kept me physically and mentally in shape.” After retiring from racing in 1997, Seebold took over as the team manager for his sons Mike and Tim. The team would win 19 national and world titles running under the Bud Light banner. Robertson last saw the elder Seebold in February 2025 when they went to dinner in Charleston. ALS had taken Seebold’s voice, and Robertson’s father, Ben Sr., had lost his hearing, so they used a whiteboard to communicate. Both men were great friends and competitors. “He was an inspiration to the sport, and I’m very fortunate to have had that last dinner with he and his family,” Robertson said. Seebold is survived by his wife, Lynne; four children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Seebold once said he could kick your butt on the water and then share a beer with you afterward. And you would leave, enjoying both experiences. Few racers ever defined a sport. Bill Seebold did. PRA Pub Page 28-2.indd 4Pub Page 28-2.indd 42026-02-04 1:07 PM2026-02-04 1:07 PMVELOCITYBOATS.COM INTRODUCING THE ALL-NEW HEAD-TURNING VELOCITY 330CC For dealer inquires or to order a new boat call 877-354-1159 or email sales@velocityboats.com THE FUTURE IS HERE THE FUTURE IS HERE Velocity.indd 1Velocity.indd 12025-04-14 4:23 PM2025-04-14 4:23 PM WWW.VELOCITYBOATS.COM THE ALL-NEW HEAD-TURNING VELOCITY 330CC THE BIGGEST, FASTEST, AND SAFEST BOAT IN ITS CLASS — AND THE WORLD’S FASTEST PRODUCTION CENTER CONSOLE. 108 MPH LAKE OF THE OZARKS CHAMPION For dealer inquires or to order a new boat call 877-354-1159 or email sales@velocityboats.com THE FUTURE IS HERE THE FUTURE IS HERE 227 Power Court Unit 101, Sanford FL 32771 Velocity 2026.indd 1Velocity 2026.indd 12026-02-04 12:25 PM2026-02-04 12:25 PM6 POKER RUNS AMERICA | Volume 29 Number 1WWW.POKERRUNSAMERICA.COM FEATURES 18 18 PITCH PERFECT Doug Wright Powerboats’ Justin Wagner is hitting the right note. 24 NEXT GENERATION The all-new 360 Crossover Bowrider marks a new era for Formula Boats. 28 THE PLATINUM STANDARD Newcomer Platinum Powerboats launches tech-filled 428 Platinum. 32 BORN TO RUN Deep Impact’s new 499 Sport is a 3,000-horsepower center console beast. 38 RECORD BREAKER! Darana Hybrid’s 242-mph pass electrifies the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout. 44 CENTER OF ATTENTION Hustler Powerboats launches its first true center console, the 344 CC. 4 PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE Remembering a legend 10 THE BIG TICKET Performance Cycling, Practice Makes Perfect 12 FAST FACTS Industry Mourns Eliminator’s Bob Leach, Hot Rod Organization Acquires Offshore Tour, Former Boatbuilders Get Lengthy Prison Sentence, H1 Unlimited Racing Great Announces Retirements, Velocity Acquires Checkmate, Waves and Wheels Acquires Doug Wright 56 MEET THE RACER Brad Christopher 58 POWER PLAY Tickfaw Poker Run 62 POWER PLAY Kuttawa Poker Run 64 POWER PLAY Texas Outlaw Challenge DEPARTMENTS pra vol. 29-1 CONTENTS speedzone 28-2.indd 6speedzone 28-2.indd 62026-02-05 4:24 PM2026-02-05 4:24 PM7 Volume 29 Number 1 | POKER RUNS AMERICAWWW.POKERRUNSAMERICA.COM 38 28 24 32 RECORD BREAKER! Darana Hybrid’s 242-mph pass electrifies the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout. speedzone 28-2.indd 7speedzone 28-2.indd 72026-02-04 12:24 PM2026-02-04 12:24 PMSPEED ZONE 8 WWW.POKERRUNSAMERICA.COMPOKER RUNS AMERICA | Volume 29 Number 1 speedzone 28-2.indd 8speedzone 28-2.indd 82026-02-04 12:24 PM2026-02-04 12:24 PM34MIKALYZED Big changes are coming to offshore racing after the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) acquired Powerboat P1 USA/P1 Offshore. Find out what that means for Super Stock teams, including Mikalyzed heading into the 2026 season. Photo by Erick Bryner 9 WWW.POKERRUNSAMERICA.COM Volume 29 Number 1 | POKER RUNS AMERICA speedzone 28-2.indd 9speedzone 28-2.indd 92026-02-04 12:24 PM2026-02-04 12:24 PMNext >