GT Pro in Trenton ??

[Chairman]

There is an effort afoot to add GT Pro to the schedule at the F1 Prop Tour race in Trenton, MI, July 20-22. This is the brainchild of our fearless Region 8 Chairman, Donny Lick, and is strongly supported by Fred Miller, who runs Trenton, and OPC Chairman Adam Allen.

So it appears the key ingredient needed is for GT Pro drivers to step up and commit to this race. I have been sending emails to my list of drivers, and have heard back from a few. But there may be some I've missed. And there may be some out there with suitable boats that would like to jump in. I'd love to hear from all of you.

Currently on the schedule for Trenton: SST 45 and SST 200.

GT Pro is tunnelboats and v-bottoms with stock 35hp OMC motors. It is currently a sportman class run in Twin City Powerboat races in Minnesota. We also ran an exhibition race at the Nationals in Kankakee last September. There are also known pockets of interest in this class elsewhere in the Upper Midwest, plus in Florida and Louisiana. We're hoping to bring them all together in Trenton this July (and maybe again in Kankakee). More about GT Pro, including the rules, HERE (http://www.dillon-racing.com/gt-pro/index.htm).

More about F1 Prop Tour HERE (http://www.f1prop.com/).

I currently have six drivers ready to go, and two more maybes. Hoping for an 8-12 boat race.

Bob Dillon
GT Pro Class Captain

[MN1]

Wow, 650 lbs seems like a lot of weight. The GT-30 class in Europe is only 550 lbs and that's on a fiberglass V bottom with a four stroke motor. Do you have to add a lot of weight?
Mark N

[Jeff Larson]

I weigh 165# and only add about 20-25 pounds...usually come in right around 655-660 in a Dillon Pro Tunnel

[Chairman]

650 is heavy. Our Mini GT class (25hp, aluminum props) is 600 lbs. GT Pro was created as a modification of MGT: increase to 35hp; any prop; trim. A trim pump and cylinder adds about 20 lbs. The decision was made to increase the minimum weight so that adults would stand a chance -- this class was not intended just for kids.

You can argue the weight issue either way: heavy to include more sizes of drivers; light for performance reasons. Fact is, it is what it is.

I had 50 lbs. of lead in my Mini Vee last season (I'm about 175 lbs). My new EZ Tunnel comes in just about right on weight -- I added 5 lbs. just to be sure.

[Chairman]

A little taste of GT Pro. From the 2011 Nationals in Kankakee, courtesy of jshirley78.

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