29yrswithaGApass Posted May 29, 2012 Report Share Posted May 29, 2012 Does anyone have any knowledge about the Great Adventure speedboat that was operated by the park in racing competitions during the mid 1970's? The boat registration number was NJ1128Z but I haven't been able to track down any information on the vessel. We would love to hear from a former Great Adventure racing team member! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlumeOp1974 Posted May 30, 2012 Report Share Posted May 30, 2012 I remember them from the 1974 and 1975-76 seasons. But never heared of them in actual races. If you look close at the picture the three guys in the middle holding the banmner are all wearing the Orginal logo tees and one on the left the block logo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafreak Posted May 31, 2012 Report Share Posted May 31, 2012 Here's some info of someone who was involved in team GREAT ADVENTURE, his name was Doug Lewis and he died in July 04. For those who weren't lucky enough to meet him, here is a story that was done back in 1997 on Doug: INDUSTRY PROFILE - Doug Lewis, Professional Marine RacingOffshore Racing Magazine - 1997 An international household name, Professional Marine Racing, PMR, is one of the foremost custom marine engine builders in the world. Bearing the name Pro 1 engines, their motors are designed to withstand the most grueling uses under extreme conditions using the most modern technology available. "Our slogan Miles Ahead of the Competition has quickly become an offshore racing standard. Racing isn't just our sideline but the basis upon which our reputation has been founded," stated Douglas Lewis, owner of Professional Marine Racing. "Believe it or not, not too long ago (within the past year) we tallied up all the boats that raced the USORA circuit only and discovered that of the 100 boats that were registered, we had something to do with 75 of them at one time or another - ie, rigging/re-rigging, engine, maintenance, troubleshooting, team member etcetera," continued Lewis. Some of the boats running out of PMR include: FOUNTAIN (IN CONTEMPT), TEAM FOUNTAIN, BUCKSHOT, GREAT ADVENTURE, TERMINATOR, INSANITY, TEAM PROGRESSION, LIGHTNING JACK'S and PRIORITY. Amongst PMR's most recent achievements, two of their boats, LIGHTNING JACK'S and IN CONTEMPT, competed in the SBIP Argentina Extravaganza in January. "LIGHTNING JACK'S finished first in Open class and IN CONTEMPT, raced by Lewis along with Patrick Patel, was leading the Modified class until they were sideswiped sustaining a hit bad enough to break a gas tank and force them out of the race. After coming home from Argentina, Lewis left for North Carolina to participate in the APBA Kilo Runs held at the Fountain factory in February. He and Patel joined forces again setting a kilo record of 107+ mph in Manufacturers V in a 42-foot Fountain powered by PMR's Pro 1 engines. The following Sunday, Lewis was off again, this time to Dubai where PMR has another shop that maintains several race boats in the Middle East. Here he raced the boat SAFEENAT NOOH, translated NOAH'S ARK, which is the name of their client's company, an international Mercedes-Benz dealer. After placing second in a field of 25, Lewis is looking forward to the UIM championship. Lewis first become involved in offshore powerboat racing in 1975 when he did research and development on a 24-foot Superboat with Gale Banks turbo-charged motors and sterndrives. Because money was an object, and there was not enough to support his hobby and his new family, Lewis decided to leave offshore and try his luck on the more affordable drag boat racing circuit. During his dragboat racing years, he designed, built, and maintained his own small block, alcohol injected engine and set the fastest small block record of 129 mph with 8.31 second et. in the quarter-mile using an 18-foot flat bottom boat. Today, that same 129 mph is used as the East Coast Standard. In 1987, Lewis again got involved in offshore powerboat racing as a throttleman/driver/crew chief. When the dry spells came in between races, he officiated as a certified APBA referee and inspector where needed. Lewis and team KONKRETE KAT won the 1988 World Championship in Pro Stock during their first year on the circuit. In 1990, after two years of offshore racing experience, Lewis decided to take his knowledge, love of boats and racing, and form Professional Marine Racing so his skills could be utilized by all types of boating enthusiasts. Lewis subsequently amassed five world, six national, five North American, and five Northeast division championship titles in offshore racing during the past nine years in four different classes. His list of achievements has generated so many new ideas in boat rigging technology that it has caught the attention of Mercury Marine, Sutphen Marine and Douglas Marine. Lewis has done extensive research and development since 1990 on the Mercury Bravo sterndrive and is highly respected in the boating industry and sought after for consultation and troubleshooting purposes. He is widely known on the race circuit for his innovative rigging and engine building designs and techniques. A close knit, five man team, PMR operates out of a new 20,000 square foot marina on Route 70 East in Brick, NJ. Their expertise includes services ranging from custom boat rigging/re-rigging and marine engine building/modifications for both inboard or outboard engines to lab analysis of fuel and oil for internal engine troubleshooting, and from custom part design/fabrications and complete dyno and flowbench services to in-water testing, winterization and storage. Next time I am in Brick I'll pop into Lightning Jacks and see if i can find out any more info... There were quite a few Great Adventure race boats. I'll post pics of them all in action here shortly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafreak Posted May 31, 2012 Report Share Posted May 31, 2012 all of the boats were named after the park, all are different classes and all were top performing boats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafreak Posted May 31, 2012 Report Share Posted May 31, 2012 the Great Adventure boat that harry has a pic of to open the thread was eventually renamed Berks Law... all the other boats that are pictured were all decentenst of the original boat, i havbe some more pics that you can see that great adventure was written the same as the park was written Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafreak Posted June 1, 2012 Report Share Posted June 1, 2012 Good news, i found the throttle man for the GREAT ADVENTURE boats, he has registered as a member and will be giving us all the history on the boat shortly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted June 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2012 That is great news Neil! We look forward to hearing from him! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Berk Posted June 1, 2012 Report Share Posted June 1, 2012 Hi guys My name is Steve Berk. I was the throttle man on Great Adventure for a few years. The 1s GA was a 28' Cigarette which is the 1st photo. I bought the boat from my friend & changer the name to Berks Law when he ordered the second GA which was a 30' Blue Sutphen. " After racing the Sutphen for two years the team built the black GA. which was a 32' Viper. I then sold the Cigarette to a guy in Connecticut who used it as a pleasure boat. I bought the Sutphen & repainted it as you can see a different paint scheme from the photos, it was 1980 . We raced the Black boat in the A..P.B.A. that year which was about 15 races all around the country, California being the furthest. I raced the Blue boat in all the local club races that year with my team & Bill raced the black boat. There were about 20 local club races in the north east. .The blue boat was about 4 mph faster with the same power. But when the water was very rough the black Viper dominated, it was 2 feet longer & heavier. The white GA was a 1988 31' Sutphen that was raced for a few years. I own it today & we use it as a pleasure boat.. It has won many National & World chanpionships. It also holds the kilo record in its class. It won the 2004 National championship in S.B.I. also. That was the last year the boat was raced. I now have it up 4 sale. It needs to be in the park in Jackson NJ If you go to my dealerships website there are some pics. of it how it looks today. www.mercedeshowroom.com. Look under non mercedes. Well that's pretty much the story on all the boats pictured in this thread , My wife took most of those pics. from a helicopter in the races. I hope I have answered your questions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daved Thomson Posted June 1, 2012 Report Share Posted June 1, 2012 After reading this thread and considering the photos, I get the impression that the boat was not connected to Great Adventure in any way (that is, the park was not, in any way, an official sponsor of the vessel)? The boat simply utilized the same generic name "GreatAdventure?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Berk Posted June 1, 2012 Report Share Posted June 1, 2012 Dave The first 28 Cigarette got sponsor money from the park.. I don't think, but don't remember if six flags even owned the park in 1977. If you notice the name on the boat & the tow truck doesn't say six flags like your avatar does Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted June 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2012 Steve, thanks for the information! Do you happen to know how the speedboat/Great Adventure relationship got started? Was it the idea of someone at the park or one of the crew members? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Berk Posted June 2, 2012 Report Share Posted June 2, 2012 It got started by two people Phil Lewis & Bill Gazell. Bill owned Countyline Sunoco on county line Rd in Jackson & did the towing for the park. Bill bought the Cigarette & some how got them to give him money to put the GA name on the boat. The boat originally was called ""FREEDOM". I don't know how much $ he got or for how long. He put the name on all of the boats he owned. The "Great Adventure" team has racked up more wins & championships over a 30 year span than any other offshore team in the history of the sport. 2004 the boat I own was brought out of retirement an won the S.B.I. national championship. That was the last year any of the above boats raced. The boat is still awesome & my family has used it as a pleasure boat for years. It has a back seat for passengers that is removable for racing. When we go to the restaurants here in Ft Laudale on the water people are always asking questions about it.& it's history It's quite an attention getter. As I said you can go to my website & see what it looks like today www.mercedeshowroom.com. under non mercedes. If you go to u tube look up GA boat race team there are a few short clips of my boat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafreak Posted June 3, 2012 Report Share Posted June 3, 2012 Steve, just wanted to thank you again for responding to my message on the other forum and coming over to give us info on the boats, everyone on this site truly enjoys the history of anything connected to the park in any way, thanks for all the info! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Berk Posted June 3, 2012 Report Share Posted June 3, 2012 My pleasure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Berk Posted June 3, 2012 Report Share Posted June 3, 2012 (edited) I'm not 100% sure how to upload pics so I copied the links from another board I have posted pics on of the white, 31' Sutphen "Great Adventure" as it looks today, as well as another boat that was named from a ride at the Great Adventure park called "Rolling Thunder." It belongs to Arnold @ Arnold's Yacht Basin in Point Pleasant, NJ who is my son's godfather. Click on the links below and that wil show you the pics of the boats. Great Adventure Sutphen Rolling Thunder Rolling Thunder Jaguar Edited June 3, 2012 by Steve Berk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted June 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2012 Thanks for all the info and great pictures Steve! Here are the photos from the post above: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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