Team Profile: Precision Performance Engineering Racing

After sponsoring Chad Sanderson’s U-5 as the Formulaboats.com in 2005, Ted  Porter decided to step up to team owner and purchased the hulls known as T-5 & T-6 from Hydroplanes, Inc. and formed Precision Performance Engineering, LLC to campaign one boat as the U-5 Formulaboats.com and the second as U-7 Formulaboats.com II.

The U-7 Formulaboats.com II quickly became a contender winning the Regates de Valleyfield event and capturing the 2006 H1 Unlimited High Points Championship.  This was quite an accomplishment for the first year team led by rookie Crew Chief Brooke Tyler IV and rookie driver Mike Allen.

In 2009 U-7 driving duties shifted to J. Michael Kelly and Graham Trucking came onboard as sponsor.  The team concluded the 2009 season with a victory in the U.I.M. World Championship Oryx Cup in the inaugural race in Doha, Qatar.  In 2010 the team did not find the winners circle but put in a solid season with 5 podium finishes.  The entire team was thrilled to support our military and honored to have Air National Guard as sponsor of the U-7 for the San Diego race.

For 2011 the U-7 welcomes driver Scott Liddycoat to the team.

Highlights:

 

2006: Winner Regates de Valleyfield (Mike Allen) and H1 Unlimited High Points Champion

2009: Competed deck-to-deck with and ultimately finished 2^nd to teammate Jeff Bernard in the U-5 Formulaboats.com in the final heat of Thunder on the Ohio in Evansville, Indiana

2009: Winner U.I.M. World Championship Oryx Cup (J. Michael Kelly), Doha Qatar

Owner: Ted Porter

Ted Porter entered the sport of unlimited hydroplane racing as a sponsor of Chad Sanderson’s U-5 in 2005.  In 2006, Ted stepped up to owner in a big way by purchasing all the assets of U-5 Racing as well as 2 championship hydroplanes and much of the remaining Miss Budweiser equipment from the family of Bernie Little.  Precision Performance Engineering, LLC was formed as the parent company for the race team based in Ted’s hometown of Decatur, Indiana.  Ted made the decision to campaign both boats numbering them U-5 and U-7 with both carrying the Formulaboats.com name.

Born in Decatur, Indiana and a lifelong resident, Ted grew up around boats in the family boat manufacturing business, Formula Boats by Thunderbird Products, and boating remains an important part of his life. Ted is active in the family business as part owner and VP Human Resources. His love of water and water born sports is what drew him to Unlimited Hydroplane racing.  Ted lives on the family’s horse farm near Decatur with his wife Emily and their sons Danny 23, Chris 21, and Josh 15.  Most family weekends are occupied with horseback riding, lake boating, or boat racing related activities.

THE TEAM:

The U-5/U-7 Racing team won the National High Points Championship in their first year of competition.  Never before in the history of the sport had a rookie team, rookie driver, and a rookie crew chief won this highest honor.  In 2008 the U-5/U-7 Racing team won more races and heats than any other team on the unlimited hydroplane racing circuit.  In 2009, the U-7 captured the U.I.M. World Championship for the team.  In 2010, the team expanded to 3 with the addition of the U-57, becoming the first team to enter and place 3 boats in a final heat in San Diego, California.

For 2011, the team is with preparing for a successful season with a truly powerful force of drivers, new additions to the crew, fresh turbines, gearboxes and propellers.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

2006 Regates de Valleyfield winner (U-7, Mike Allen)

2006 National High Points Champion (U-7)

2008 Indiana Governors Cup winner & 2008 Bill Muncey Cup winner (U-5, Jeff Bernard)

2009 Thunder on the Ohio winner and 2^nd place (U-5, Jeff Bernard; U-7 J. Michael Kelly)

2009 Oryx Cup & UIM World Champion (U-7, J. Michael Kelly)

2010 Owner of the Year

Crew Chief: Bob Catipovic

Bob Catipovic has been involved in boat racing for many years as the owner of the K238 Fission in the APBA K Racing Runabout Class.  Bob joined the unlimited racing class as a member of the U-7 crew in 2008 primarily as a turbine mechanic. Bob stepped into the role of acting Crew Chief for the 2010 race in Doha, Qatar leading the team to 3 firsts and 1 second in heat racing on the way to a 2nd place finish in the UIM World Championship Oryx Cup and was named Crew Chief for the U-7 for the 2011 season.

Professionally, Bob is a Certified Orthotist & Prosthetist and owner of Tonawanda Limb & Brace. His daughter Rachel also has an interest in unlimited racing and will work with her father as a member of the U-7 crew.

Bob resides in Grand Island, New York with his wife Pam and daughters Rachel and Emma.