Powerboat Talk

Fred Inman is the owner and founder of Inman Marine Corporation (IMCO), one of the largest and most respected performance aftermarket marine manufacturers in the world. Like many entrepreneurs, Inman, a metal fabricator by trade, began his career in the marine industry by making parts in his garage for his flatbottoms in the 1960s.

After gaining experience at a similar company, Inman partnered with a frien...

In this episode, I sit down with Chris Davidson, longtime publisher of Hot Boat Magazine and current publisher of Speedboat Magazine, to reflect on nearly four decades in the performance boating industry. Chris shares his unique journey—from collecting Elvis memorabilia to shaping the voice of high-performance boating media.

He discusses the early days of Hot Boat, his family's deep roots in the boating wo...

Reality and YouTube star Mike Finnegan returns on this episode of Powerboat Talk. Finnegan fills us in on his new role as a full-time YouTuber following MotorTrend’s recent shutdown of all its TV shows. He also gives an update on his carbon fiber Cheyenne drag boat, Side Chick, sharing some of the challenges with its injury-plagued 632 cu. in. Chevy engine and the success of a recent dyno session. Finnegan offers advice on what mak...

In this episode, we’re talking with the team behind Freedom One Racing, a new name making waves at this year’s Lake of the Ozarks Shootout. The Shootout’s loose rules invite wild setups, and Freedom One didn’t disappoint, bringing a brand-new 388 Skater powered by twin 4,000-hp 4.9-inch bore, all-aluminum Noonan Hemi Pro Mod drag racing engines. 

The boat’s engines are a marvel of engineering much of which...

Slug Hefner’s Dirty Duck Racing team made history at the 2024 Lake of the Ozarks Shootout (LOTO), breaking the 200 mph barrier for the first time. After falling just short of the milestone in 2023, Hefner’s 438 Skater—powered by twin-turbocharged 557-cubic-inch engines—received a performance boost from a custom nitrous system designed by engine builder Carson Brummett. This upgrade propelled the boat to 202 mph, settin...

Billy Moore stands as one of the most successful offshore powerboat racers competing today. Following in the footsteps of his father, Bobby Moore—widely considered the first throttle man in offshore racing—Billy “works the sticks” in both Class 1 and Super Cat.

I spoke with Moore recently, just as his Defalco Racing Class 1 team celebrated back-to-back wins at Mercury Racing’s Midwest Challenge in Sheboyga...

Warren Kosikov is the Vice President of Sales for the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), an organization that represents the automotive and marine aftermarket industries while advocating for the interests of both manufacturers and consumers.

Before joining SEMA, Kosikov held executive sales management roles at Source Interlink Media, Buckaroo Communications, Petersen Publishing, and Nordskog Pu...

Shane Westerfield is a versatile and accomplished racer with a rich history in both drag boat and car racing. Along with his father, Steve, he owns Westerfield Motorsports, a shop specializing in supercharged engines, components, and high-performance flat bottom boats.

Westerfield’s 15-year drag racing career began by helping his father with his Top Alcohol flatbottom and reached a peak in 2017 when he won...

Ron Gordon, General Manager and Vice President, founded American Turbine with his boyhood friend, Bruce Simmons, in 1989, bringing decades of experience in the jet drive industry. Ron’s first encounter with a jet pump dates back to 1968, when he began working on his family’s Glastron V174 jet boat.

Gordon’s career in the industry officially began in 1976 when he and Simmons founded Dominator Jet in Lubbock...

Tres Martin is the owner of Tres Martin Performance and Tres Martin Performance Boat School, where he offers advanced, hands-on, skill-based training for performance boat owners. Martin grew up working with his father, Ralph Martin, at Everglades Marina in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Ralph Martin is credited with organizing the first poker run for boats in 1985.

In 1986, Martin began racing offshore powerboa...

Gordy Jennings is one of the most decorated circle boat racers in history, particularly noted for his excellence in driving blown boats in the K-boat division.

While his boat racing career is remarkable, Jennings is perhaps best known for his expertise in performance engine building, a skill he honed while working for his stepfather, Paul Pfaff, at Paul Pfaff Racing Engines. During his time at Pfaff, the c...

Chuck Stearns and Mike Avila are two of Water Ski Racing's most successul competitors. Stearns, who is often regarded as the greatest water skier in history having won National and World Championships in tournament skiing, won his first Catalina Ski Race in 1955 at the age of 16. Stearns went on to dominate the international race winning an unprecendented (at the time) 11th title in 1982 at the age of 44. Stearns also ...

Keith Eickert is one of the most recognized and successful high-performance engine builders in offshore racing history. With a career that began at Mercury Racing in 1972, Eickert went on to create power for 37 World, International, and National Champions. 

Eickert was recruited to Mercury by his childhood friend Gary Garbrecht, who was the head of Mercury Racing. Eickert graduated from working on cylinder...

Jerry Gilbreath has made a career out of designing, building, and racing some of the most exotic and well-known boats in the world. His journey began in the 1960s, driving flat-bottom endurance boats in races like the Salton Sea 500 and the Parker Enduro. Gilbreath’s father, Jake, founded Gil Marine, which started as a gas tank manufacturer and grew into one of the largest aftermarket performance marine companies in th...

Bob Brown is widely regarded as one of the leading authorities on performance boating, having reported on and participated in every facet of the industry over the last 50 years. Growing up as an avid boat racer, Brown became the editor of Powerboat Magazine in 1973 through his affiliation with fellow racer Bob Nordskog.

After leaving Powerboat in 1979 to start his own public relations agency, Media Directi...

Nathan Eller, owner of East Coast Squirt Boats, discusses his passion for jet boats and LS Chevy engine swaps. He shares how he got into jet boating and the progression of his business, which now specializes in LS swaps. Nathan talks about the challenges and rewards of starting his own company and the freedom it gives him. He also explains the appeal and benefits of LS engines and discusses the various options and accessories that ...

This episode features a talk with Ron Lund. Lund is not a household name in the boating industry, he’s a cabinet maker by trade, but Lund recently bought two of the old Rogers jet boat molds so now he is a boat builder. I thought it was an interesting story when I stumbled onto it on Facebook so I decided to to talk to Lund to get the full story on what it took to get the molds and how he plans to bring the boats to market. Lund an...

Welcome to my new podcast where we talk everything, performance boats! I have been boating my entire life and have spent over 30 years in the performance marine aftermarket. But, I still have a lot to learn and many people in the fast boat world that I want to get to know. I created this podcast so that I can share my experiences and knowledge with others who enjoy performance powerboats.

Visit our website at www.power...

Lorne Leibel is a three-time US and three-time world champion offshore racer who has driven boats with Bob Latham, John Tomlinson, Richie Powers, Ryan Beckley, Bob Idoni, and Bob Morgan, among others.

After a decades-long retirement, Leibel, a homebuilder from Canada, is back in the saddle again with old mate Latham, conquering the open seas in the Ocean Cup series competition in his vintage triple-engine...