Photos by RonnyMac and David Lando

It was a full house on Florida’s Atlantic coast with the top riders competing full on for the P1 AquaX National Championships. P1 SBT AquaX Daytona event has always been challenging one way or another. The water has never let us down as it is always lively and sometimes formidable.

This past weekend was deceptive. From the shore, it did not seem to be bad, however, on the water it was testing enough to launch some riders and watercraft 15ft plus into the air.

The Daytona Grand Prix was the second round of the Pro Enduro national championship that comprises a total of four venues in Florida and Indiana. For the Am Enduro riders it will be their third race event of the year before heading to Kissimmee/St. Cloud next month for the season finale. Short Block Technologies (SBT), the largest PWC aftermarket parts company in the world, is the title sponsor of the race series, which receives national television coverage on Bally Sports Regional Networks. Apart from 2020 when Covid prevented any racing, Daytona Beach has been a stop on the P1 AquaX tour every year since the inaugural event in 2013. “It’s hard to believe that 10 years ago P1 AquaX USA was launched at Daytona Beach with just seven riders showing up to race a new endurance format,” said Michelle Petro, P1 USA Championship Manager speaking from the AquaX race headquarters in Orlando. “That year the series grew tremendously, with the number of competitors doubling in number each round.”

The event was supported by Jeep Beach, one of the largest jeep exclusive events in the world that attracts more than 200,00 fans and 20,000 jeeps to Daytona Beach in April each year. Volunteers from the organization assisted racers during the weekend, including helping launch the skis, and Charlene Greer, CEO of Jeep Beach Inc, commented: “Both ourselves and P1 AquaX reach an audience of outdoor enthusiasts that enjoy the thrill of extreme sports, and we are excited to be partnering for this event.”

Racing could not have been more on the edge than it was in Daytona. Following his success in 2022, Dustin Farthing again took the top spot in PRO Enduro after two firsts and a second place. Camden Powell is coming in hot with an impressive season so far. He managed to hold on to second place overall after battling Daytona’s brutal conditions.
The current reigning Champion, Tory Snyder, rounded out the podium for the weekend. Eric Lagopoulos rode consistently through each race and for his efforts, he tied for third place points with Snyder for the weekend. Equally as impressive, Sophie Francis finished 5th overall, behind Lagopolous. Francis has consistently improved each race and has worked her way up the pack as the season progressed.

 

The Amateur Enduro unfortunately suffered a postponed race as conditions took its toll. That did not dampen any efforts put forth by the 300 Enduro as the Cayman Island rider, Cline Glidden took another weekend win. Glidden was followed by Eric Diaz and Carlos Rios respectively.

Puerto Rico was number 1 in the 200 Amateur Enduro as Melvin Canals continued his winning streak along with Andrew Ray followed by Yuniel Santana.

The next round for the SBT AquaX Pro Enduro will be Labor Day weekend at the Monster Energy St Petersburg P1 Powerboat Grand Prix. It will be an action-packed weekend with the return of Travis Pastrana racing in the Class 1 Offshore powerboat race and Freestyle MotoX as a part of the Saturday night action during the Monster Energy Pit Party. Racing will be in front of the St Pete Pier.

The final round for the season will be in Kissimmee / St Cloud East Lake Toho. The track will be newly designed and will feature a technical section to keep the race challenging. The Amateurs will be making up a Daytona race and will be racing a total of four races over the weekend.

 

Visit P1AquaX.com for more information