Powerboat owner-driver Darren Nicholson and his team have rocketed through a hat-trick of victories after clinching the UIM Class 1 championships in Sheboygan, Michigan City and Sarasota in the US this season, and spent the weekend chasing their fourth-straight win on the water at Florida for the offshore powerboat season finale.
Nicholson, who holds the most wins of any Australian in the Class One Championships in Europe and the Middle East, is the driver at the helm of the recognisable 222 offshore powerboat alongside throttleman Giovanni Carpitella.
"Having absolute faith in Giovanni on the throttles is a rare gift I appreciate very much, when driving a Class 1 at 150 mph coming into the corner - it is not for the meek," Nicholson said in the lead-up to the weekend's competition at St Petersburg, Florida.
The Hunter racer, and former champion sailor, posted a daylight-second performance at the UIM race round at Sheboygan in mid-August, finishing a full six points ahead of second-placed US racer Hugh Fuller and securing the team's third-straight victory going into the season finale at the weekend.
Nicholson, the first Australian to win the Class 1 title, has been quick to heap praise on his Italian throttleman Carpitella and team.
"Because I came to powerboat racing quite late in life, I figured I definitely needed a red-hot crew to make up for my inexperience, or otherwise I'd never achieve anything," he said.
After the weekend's test overseas, the team will return home to Lake Macquarie for a final race of the season looking to secure the Australian title to add to their success on the world's stage.
"All in all, 2023 has been a huge year of racing for our team and I couldn't be prouder of all that we've achieved," Nicholson said, "It will be great to head into that race knowing we've sealed the World Championship in the USA and we'll be looking to hopefully seal the Australian title."
UIM secretary general, Thomas Kurth, said the Australian team had added "spice to the series, which has found a resounding welcome in the US."
By attracting new boats and teams for 2024, our promoter partner Azam Rangoonwala at Powerboat P1 is keeping up the pace of taking the UIM Class 1 back to the top of offshore powerboat racing," he said.
Nicholson and Carpitella have been the class act in a brilliant championship campaign against world-class opposition all running the Mercury 1100 competition engine, in a season that has seen three different race winners, six teams and four manufacturers on the podium as the UIM Class 1 World Championship gathers pace and goes from strength-to-strength since its relaunch last year.
