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Friday, August 09, 2002

By Rich Emert , Tri-State Sports & News Service

Boats in the Modified Unlimited class usually have received top billing at the Pittsburgh Three Rivers Regatta Grand Prix in recent years. They are faster than those in the SST 120 or Formula Two class, and speed attracts attention.

	They sound like lawnmowers and spray like fire hoses, but there is no mistaking the Regatta powerboats. (Bob Donaldson, Post-Gazette)

But the Formula Two championship race might be more interesting.

Shaun Torrente of Miami, Fla., is undefeated in Formula Two competition in the Powerboat Super League this summer. The Three Rivers Regatta is the league's fifth stop. "We've been doing pretty well, but now we've also got a mark on us," Torrente said. "Everybody is out to beat us."

The Formula Two race is a 1.1-mile course between The Point and PNC Park. It begins at 1:30 p.m. Sunday.

Powerboat racing again will be a part of the Three Rivers Regatta that began Wednesday and will conclude Sunday. The pit area for boats, racers and their crews, along with the starting area and timing tent, will be at the North Shore Riverfront Park between PNC Park and an area directly across the river from the fountain in Point State Park.

Last year, the pit area, timing tent and starting line were on the Point State Park side of the Allegheny River because of the construction at Heinz Field and in the North Shore Riverfront Park.

There will be test runs for boats in the morning tomorrow and Sunday. Qualifying races will be at 1-2 p.m. for Formula Two boats and 2:45-4 p.m. for Modified Unlimited boats tomorrow. Final races in both classifications are 30 laps. The Formula Two final is at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, and the Modified Unlimited final is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

A field of 15 boats is expected in the Formula Two competition, 18 in the Modified Unlimited. Formula Two boats may also compete in the Modified Unlimited class.

The difference between the two classifications is power. Outboard engines in Formula Two have 2-liter carburetors. Outboard engines in the Modified Unlimited can be fuel-injected. In the Modified Unlimited class last year, winner Todd Beckman had a top speed of 128.4 mph. Nathan Worthy had a top speed of 114.6 in winning the Formula Two race.

There is also a difference in cost between boats and engines in the two classes.

"It cost us $75,000 to $100,000 for the year to compete," Torrente said. "When you get into the Modified Unlimited it's about $350,000."

Paul Pittman is one who will be out to end Torrente's winning streak. A professor in the business department at Indiana University-Southeast in New Albany, Ind., he was second to Torrente in the race at Portsmouth, Ohio, last month and finished fourth at the Three Rivers Regatta last year.

"Different boats do well in different types of water," he said. "The Pittsburgh course tends to have a lot of rough water because of the sea walls on both sides of the river. There are some courses where the water isn't as rough, so what you have to do is kind of set yourself up for the average."

Sharon Winer of the Powerboat Super League said the course on the Allegheny River is more of a driver's course because of the rough water that develops and the fact the course goes under the Fort Duquesne Bridge.

"It helps to be fast, but you can do well there if you're a good driver. That's why you see some of the Formula Two guys getting into the Modified Unlimited race there," she said.

Bill Joule from Tierra Verde, Fla., placed third in the Modified Unlimited class last year. He might be the man to beat in that classification this weekend.

What: Regatta Grand Prix, powerboat racing at the 25th Pittsburgh Three Rivers Regatta.

When: 9:30-11:30 a.m. and 1-4 p.m. Saturday; 9:30-10:30 a.m. and 1:30-5 p.m. Sunday.

Where: On the Allegheny River from Point State Park to PNC Park.

Best vantage points: The Allegheny River side of Point State Park, on the Fort Duquesne Bridge, anywhere along the North Shore Riverfront Park across from the Point and up to PNC Park.

What to look for: There are two classifications of boats -- SST 120, or Formula Two, and the Modified Unlimited. Test runs will be in the mornings both days. At 1-2 p.m. Saturday, the Formula Two boats will have two 15-lap qualifying races. From 2:45-4 p.m., the Modified Unlimited boats will have two 15-lap qualifying races. Final races Sunday are 30 laps with the Formula Two boats on the water from 1:30-2:30 p.m. and the Modified Unlimited boats racing from 3:30-5 p.m.

Cost: Free