Powerboat Talk

Episode 70 - Ty Newton Flatbottom K-boat Racer

In this episode of Powerboat Talk, we sit down with veteran flatbottom K-boat driver Ty Newton of Phoenix, Arizona, a multi-time national champion and member of the American Power Boat Association Hall of Champions (2009). With more than three decades behind the wheel and 15 years in K-boats, Newton brings a deep well of experience and perspective to the conversation. Newton shares the story of his recent trip to Australia to compete in the BAD Boat Challenge [https://www.facebook.com/BADchallenge?mibextid=wwXIfr&mibextid=wwXIfr], marking his third appearance in the event after first competing in 2019. He breaks down the unique challenges and joys of racing down under. The conversation dives into some of the technical differences between American K-boats and their Australian counterparts. Newton reflects on the harsh realities of competition, recounting a difficult outing at the Australian event with the Mr. Big Stuff [https://www.instagram.com/mrbigstuffracingk640?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==] racing team that began with a violent flip and barrel roll and continued with another spin and multiple DNFs, ultimately falling out of contention. Newton shared his future plans to return to Australia and drive the Mr. Big Stuff K640 looking for some retribution. The boat remains down under in the possession of new co-owner Craig Cook. Newton discusses his new role as crew chief for his son Talon Newton and the challenges and joins of teaching his son. Talon competes in the SA 105mph class in Southern California Speedboat Club [https://www.scscracing.com/] events on the west coast. The Newton's will also be hitting courses on the east coast this year competing in events in Decatur, IL, Hampton, VA, and Cambridge, MD. You can follow Ty Newton on Instagram @tyracer61 [https://www.instagram.com/tyracer61?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==] and Facebook @Ty Newton [https://www.facebook.com/ty.newton.1?mibextid=wwXIfr&mibextid=wwXIfr] You can follow Talon Newton on Instagram @legacy.racing.61 [https://www.instagram.com/legacy.racing.61?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==] and Facebook @Talon Newton [https://www.facebook.com/talon.newton.1?mibextid=wwXIfr&mibextid=wwXIfr] Visit our website at www.powerboattalk.com [https://www.powerboattalk.com/] View the video for this episode: www.youtube.com/@powerboat_talk [https://www.youtube.com/@powerboat_talk] Follow us on Instagram @powerboattalk [https://www.instagram.com/powerboattalk/] and Facebook @Powerboat Talk [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091246566667] Contact me: powerboattalk@gmail.com

Episode 69 - Dave Villwock Unlimited Hydroplane Racing Legend

In this episode, recorded before the 2025 racing season, we sit down with Dave Villwock, the most successful driver in Unlimited Hydroplane [http://www.h1unlimited.com/] racing history. At the time, Villwock had amassed 67 career wins, 10 national championships, 10 APBA Gold Cups, and multiple world speed records. During the 2025 season, he added to that legacy with his 68th career win and 11th Gold Cup at age 71. Villwock's story spans decades, from driving flat bottoms and wrenching in the pits to rising as a crew chief, becoming a dominant driver, and ultimately returning to the cockpit at age 70. His career reached another milestone with his 2025 induction into the Motorsports Hall of Fame [https://www.mshf.com/], joining a select group of boat racers to receive the honor. He retired following the 2025 season. In this episode, Villwock reflects on his relationships with key figures who shaped his career, including owners Bill Bennett (Miss Circus Circus) and Bernie Little (Miss Budweiser), drivers Chip Hanauer and Andrew Tate [https://www.powerboattalk.com/podcast/ep35-andrew-tate], and legendary boat designers Ron Jones and Ron Jones Jr. Whether you're a die-hard racing fan or a curious listener, Dave Villwock's story is built on hard work, perseverance, and a commitment to learning from the best, growing through the relationships that shaped his career. Tune in for an engaging conversation with one of the greatest in the sport. Follow Dave Villwock on Facebook @Dave Villwock [https://www.facebook.com/dave.villwock.2025?mibextid=wwXIfr&mibextid=wwXIfr] Learn more about Unlimited Hydroplane Racing @ www.h1unlimited.com [http://www.h1unlimited.com/] Visit our website at www.powerboattalk.com [https://www.powerboattalk.com/] View the video for this episode: www.youtube.com/@powerboat_talk [https://www.youtube.com/@powerboat_talk] Follow us on Instagram @powerboattalk [https://www.instagram.com/powerboattalk/] and Facebook @Powerboat Talk [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091246566667] Contact me: powerboattalk@gmail.com

Episode 68- Joe Zelinski Founder of Custom Marine, Inc

As the founder of Customer Marine, Inc. (CMI) [https://custommarine.com/], Joe Zelinski stands as a central figure and true innovator in the high-performance marine world. For decades, CMI headers have set the benchmark for performance marine exhaust systems. Raised by a father who was a plumbing contractor, Zelinski developed a strong work ethic early on, along with a natural curiosity for anything mechanical. While spending summers digging ditches for his father's business, he purchased his first boat, a Boston Whaler, at just 12 years old. Not long after, he landed a job at a local boat shop where he was paid in parts, eventually working his way into pit crew duties for the owner's son on the race circuit. It was there that Zelinski developed a passion for racing and began focusing on building components to go faster. After graduating college, Zelinski joined Kiekhaefer Aeromarine, taking on a variety of roles within the company. While observing an effort to duplicate an existing set of stainless steel headers, he proposed that the company manufacture its own. The idea was met with resistance, and Fred Kiekhaefer [https://www.powerboattalk.com/podcast/ep34-fred-kiekhaefer] challenged him directly: "If you want to build headers, go start your own company building headers!" Taking that challenge to heart, Zelinski left the company in 1986 and introduced CMI to the industry at the IMTEC show in Chicago in 1989. In this episode, Zelinski reflects on the path that grew CMI into a dominant name in the marine industry, with its headers becoming standard equipment on Mercury Racing [https://www.mercuryracing.com/engines/sterndrives/700-sci.html] engines and a top choice for leading engine builders such as Sterling [https://sterlingengines.com/], Innovation [https://innovation-marine.com/], and Keith Eickert [https://www.powerboattalk.com/podcast/ep47-keith-eickert]. The conversation also traces Zelinski's later years with the company, including the sale in 2005, the transition into corporate ownership, and his eventual departure in 2012. To learn more about Custom Marine, Inc visit them online @ www.custommarine.com [https://custommarine.com/] Visit our website at www.powerboattalk.com [https://www.powerboattalk.com/] View the video for this episode: www.youtube.com/@powerboat_talk [https://www.youtube.com/@powerboat_talk] Follow us on Instagram @powerboattalk [https://www.instagram.com/powerboattalk/] and Facebook @Powerboat Talk [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091246566667] Contact me: powerboattalk@gmail.com

Episode 67- Tyler Speer Drag Boat Racer (Part 2)

In this episode, the 2nd of two parts, we talk with racer Tyler Speer [https://www.tylerspeer.com/] following the 2025 drag boat racing season as he breaks down the continued progress of his A Fuel Nitro Hydro, Georgia Outlaw, through the 2025 season and his plans heading into 2026. Speer, who works in the family boat business Proboat [https://www.facebook.com/ProboatInc/] in Woodstock, GA with his father Tim, talks about an early-season change to a different clutch program that required the team to re-establish their baseline setup, which slowed progress as they worked through the learning curve and adjusted to the new combination. We talk about his results competing in both the Southern Drag Boat Association [https://ihra.com/boating] and the Kentucky Drag Boat Association [https://www.kydragboat.com/], where he finished second and third in season points, respectively. The conversation also covers the final race in Wheatland, Texas, where Speer and his team put things together to run a 4.22-second elapsed time, setting a class record and winning the event. For 2026, Speer will continue to be the only naturally aspirated, nitro-burning boat on the circuit and will continue to work with A Fuel drag racing standout Randy Meyer [https://randymeyerracing.com/]. He will again rely on his FuelTech [https://www.fueltech.net/] system for fuel management and data logging, using expanded data to evaluate clutch performance, fuel delivery, and run-to-run consistency. Speer will continue to focus on the current A Fuel boat and resist the move back to Top Fuel. He also outlines plans to build two additional Warhawk hulls to serve as backup boats and support ongoing testing and development. We also discuss expectations for the International Hot Rod Association [https://ihra.com/boating] and its involvement in drag boat racing, along with how that could impact participation and event structure moving forward. Finally, we talk about the usefulness of running a marine engine on a dyno, as well as availability and quality control issues with high-performance racing parts. Follow Tyler Speer on Instagram @TylerSpeerRacer [https://www.instagram.com/tylerspeerracer/] on Facebook @Tyler Speer [https://www.facebook.com/tylerspeerracer?mibextid=wwXIfr&mibextid=wwXIfr] on Youtube @TylerSpeerRacer [https://www.youtube.com/@TylerSpeerRacer] Visit Tyler online @www.tylerspeer.com [https://www.tylerspeer.com/] Visit our website at www.powerboattalk.com [https://www.powerboattalk.com/] View the video for this episode: www.youtube.com/@powerboat_talk https://www.youtube.com/@powerboat_talk Follow us on Instagram @powerboattalk [https://www.instagram.com/powerboattalk/] and Facebook @Powerboat Talk [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091246566667] Contact me: powerboattalk@gmail.com

Episode 66- Tyler Speer Drag Boat Racer

Tyler Speer is one of the most versatile racers in modern drag boat competition and a rising force in nitro-powered hydro racing. Today he campaigns an Injected Nitro Hydro in the Top Alcohol Hydro class, pushing the limits of performance while developing one of the most demanding boats in the sport. Speer began racing motocross at age five, later moving through go-karts, the Allison Legacy Series, and stock cars, before making his ARCA Racing Series [https://www.arcaracing.com/] debut in 2010. After transitioning to drag boats in 2014, he quickly made his mark by winning the 2016 Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing Series Pro Modified World Championship and the 2018 Pro Outlaw World Championship. Off the water, Tyler works alongside his father Tim, at Proboat [https://www.facebook.com/ProboatInc/] in Woodstock, Georgia, the family's boat shop, building boats and tuning engines while developing their own race program. In this episode, Tyler discusses the team's conversion from a single-prop to dual-prop set up in the hydro, the challenges of tuning an injected nitro boat, and working with NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster champion Randy Meyer to refine their program. Look for our next episode where Tyler returns as he prepares for the 2026 IHRA Drag Boat [https://ihra.com/boating] season. You can follow Tyler on Instagram @tylerspeerracer [https://www.instagram.com/tylerspeerracer/] on Facebook @Tyler Speer [https://www.facebook.com/tylerspeerracer?mibextid=wwXIfr&mibextid=wwXIfr] and on you tube @tylerspeerracer [https://www.youtube.com/@TylerSpeerRacer] Visit Tyler online at www.tylerspeer.com [https://www.tylerspeer.com/] Visit our website at www.powerboattalk.com [https://www.powerboattalk.com] View the video for this episode: www.youtube.com/@powerboat_talk [https://www.youtube.com/@powerboat_talk] Follow us on Instagram @powerboattalk [https://www.instagram.com/powerboattalk/] and Facebook @Powerboat Talk [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091246566667] Contact me: powerboattalk@gmail.com