By Dave Noury
August 3, 2018
Kyle Lewis of Seattle, WA, fresh off a dominating week at the Nationals, recaps that performance along with other memorable moments from his career in this Q&A with Stock Outboard Scene.
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Q: How did you become interested in Stock Outboard racing?
Lewis: My father, the one and only Carl Lewis, raced outboards in the 1970s. Since I was an infant, he would take me with him every year to Lake Lawrence in Yelm, Washington. We would camp out at the lake and watch the races. I remember being fascinated with the boats from an early age. When I was about five, the crew on the judges stand allowed me to do flags for the first time. That was the moment I became more than just an observer. I felt like I was important, that I was involved. Getting to see the boats from that close-up perspective from the judges stand only added to my curiosity and excitement toward racing. When I was about seven, my Christmas present that year was a shovel-nose hydro. I was ecstatic. My dad and I worked on the boat over the next year preparing it for me to race in J. Since my first ride, I fell in love with racing and haven’t looked back.
Lewis: My father, the one and only Carl Lewis, raced outboards in the 1970s. Since I was an infant, he would take me with him every year to Lake Lawrence in Yelm, Washington. We would camp out at the lake and watch the races. I remember being fascinated with the boats from an early age. When I was about five, the crew on the judges stand allowed me to do flags for the first time. That was the moment I became more than just an observer. I felt like I was important, that I was involved. Getting to see the boats from that close-up perspective from the judges stand only added to my curiosity and excitement toward racing. When I was about seven, my Christmas present that year was a shovel-nose hydro. I was ecstatic. My dad and I worked on the boat over the next year preparing it for me to race in J. Since my first ride, I fell in love with racing and haven’t looked back.
Q: Where did your first ever race take place? As your career has progressed, which drivers have had the biggest influence on you?
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Lewis: My first ever race was on Loutsis Lake in Duvall, Washington. The race was conducted by a small local club, the Whidbey Island Roostertails and the race was known as the Duvall Nationals. I remember my first ride being a wild one. From what I remember, I squeezed the throttle as tight as I could, and I loved it. The boat, however, packed A LOT of air and would not settle down. I didn’t seem to mind, but my dad was concerned that the boat was not race worthy.
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Kyle Lewis
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Patrick Gleason offered one of his boats for the actual race since my dad felt mine would not be safe. Jerzee Holman was the only other kid about my age, and he and I raced side by side. It was a fun experience.
As a young driver, I had a lot of people that I looked up to. My dad was one of them. He got me started and always told me to have fun. I remember one driver in particular that raced what seemed like every class, and would often win every race he entered. His name was J. Michael Kelly. I wanted to be just like Michael. The guy was, and still is, a rock star in a boat. He was a good role model, because he won with pride and lost with dignity and respect. Other drivers that stood out to me were (the late) Roy Blackwell, who was an early mentor and he sold me his boat so I could get my start in the Yamato classes. Jason Williams, who had this bright yellow D Mod Hydro that was screaming fast and loud. Kyle Hannon, who was seemingly unstoppable in the J classes. Kyle Bahl and Mike Perman were the tough drivers-to-beat when I began racing 20 Super Stock and C Stock Hydro. These drivers won a lot of races, are tough competitors, and fun to be around.
The last five years, I've been driving for one of the greatest outboard hydroplane, runabout and tunnel boat drivers of all time: Lee Sutter. Lee called me sometime during the 2012 race season and we discussed his plans for purchasing a C stock runabout and he was seeking someone who would: drive the rig, work together as a team, develop a race program, and compete at the highest potential. I must have left a good impression as he invited me to drive the boat not long after our first discussion! Lee has been a coach, a mentor, a fierce competitor, and a great friend. He has helped me to develop and master my own style of driving boats. He encourages me to make positive life choices and has helped me to understand and respect the sport through his vision. I've never met another person as dedicated to boat racing as Lee. We've worked together tirelessly, happily pouring thousands of hours into the race program. We've logged well over 1,000 test and race runs in the boats. Working with Lee is an honor, and I can state with absolute certainty that all of my accomplishments in boat racing are because of his coaching. I look forward to what we can accomplish next!
As a young driver, I had a lot of people that I looked up to. My dad was one of them. He got me started and always told me to have fun. I remember one driver in particular that raced what seemed like every class, and would often win every race he entered. His name was J. Michael Kelly. I wanted to be just like Michael. The guy was, and still is, a rock star in a boat. He was a good role model, because he won with pride and lost with dignity and respect. Other drivers that stood out to me were (the late) Roy Blackwell, who was an early mentor and he sold me his boat so I could get my start in the Yamato classes. Jason Williams, who had this bright yellow D Mod Hydro that was screaming fast and loud. Kyle Hannon, who was seemingly unstoppable in the J classes. Kyle Bahl and Mike Perman were the tough drivers-to-beat when I began racing 20 Super Stock and C Stock Hydro. These drivers won a lot of races, are tough competitors, and fun to be around.
The last five years, I've been driving for one of the greatest outboard hydroplane, runabout and tunnel boat drivers of all time: Lee Sutter. Lee called me sometime during the 2012 race season and we discussed his plans for purchasing a C stock runabout and he was seeking someone who would: drive the rig, work together as a team, develop a race program, and compete at the highest potential. I must have left a good impression as he invited me to drive the boat not long after our first discussion! Lee has been a coach, a mentor, a fierce competitor, and a great friend. He has helped me to develop and master my own style of driving boats. He encourages me to make positive life choices and has helped me to understand and respect the sport through his vision. I've never met another person as dedicated to boat racing as Lee. We've worked together tirelessly, happily pouring thousands of hours into the race program. We've logged well over 1,000 test and race runs in the boats. Working with Lee is an honor, and I can state with absolute certainty that all of my accomplishments in boat racing are because of his coaching. I look forward to what we can accomplish next!
Q: What advice would you give to a young driver just starting out in Stock Outboard racing?
Lewis: Practice, practice, practice! Spend as much time in the boat as you can. Go testing and get familiar with your ride. Take good care of it. Duct tape does fix everything, but always fix anything that is broken or worn out on the boat. If you take good care of your equipment, it will take care of you. But most of all: have fun!
Q: The Stock/Mod/J Nationals were held on July 16-22 in Moses Lake, WA, and you had a very dominating week with wins in 20SSH, CSH, CSR, and 500CCMR. How does this performance rank compared to other memorable moments from your career?
Lewis: Winning four championships at Moses Lake was by far the highest-ranking performance of my racing career. I’ve been racing since 1999 and last year at Grass Lake I won my first National Championship in 25 Super Stock Runabout. There is nothing like the emotional fulfillment of winning the nationals for the first time. Once I earned that first title, I could race with a ‘sigh of relief’ because I no longer had that intrinsic pressure and that nagging reminder that I hadn’t yet won a nationals. In my mind, winning the nationals is the reason I work hard and race. It is the ultimate victory. Following my first win with four more is simply unreal. I’m still in awe that I had performed so well, and with such consistency where the wins came one after another. I spoke with my friend Andrew Tate in the days following the race, and I was telling him it felt surreal. He told me it would get real when I am up on stage at the Hall of Champions. I think he’s right.
Q: What are your plans for the rest of the 2018 season, and which event on the schedule are you looking forward to the most?
Lewis: For the remainder of the season, I plan to focus on two classes: 20 Super Stock Hydro and 25 Super Stock Runabout. If I race well, and maximize my potential to earn points, I have a decent shot to win National High Points in those two classes. In Region 10, we have three events left and each are unique and have their own challenges. I love racing at Lake Lawrence, and this year the club has committed to run the three-quarter mile record course (3-mile 4-lap). I am looking forward to taking the rigs and racing my best on this course.
Lewis: Practice, practice, practice! Spend as much time in the boat as you can. Go testing and get familiar with your ride. Take good care of it. Duct tape does fix everything, but always fix anything that is broken or worn out on the boat. If you take good care of your equipment, it will take care of you. But most of all: have fun!
Q: The Stock/Mod/J Nationals were held on July 16-22 in Moses Lake, WA, and you had a very dominating week with wins in 20SSH, CSH, CSR, and 500CCMR. How does this performance rank compared to other memorable moments from your career?
Lewis: Winning four championships at Moses Lake was by far the highest-ranking performance of my racing career. I’ve been racing since 1999 and last year at Grass Lake I won my first National Championship in 25 Super Stock Runabout. There is nothing like the emotional fulfillment of winning the nationals for the first time. Once I earned that first title, I could race with a ‘sigh of relief’ because I no longer had that intrinsic pressure and that nagging reminder that I hadn’t yet won a nationals. In my mind, winning the nationals is the reason I work hard and race. It is the ultimate victory. Following my first win with four more is simply unreal. I’m still in awe that I had performed so well, and with such consistency where the wins came one after another. I spoke with my friend Andrew Tate in the days following the race, and I was telling him it felt surreal. He told me it would get real when I am up on stage at the Hall of Champions. I think he’s right.
Q: What are your plans for the rest of the 2018 season, and which event on the schedule are you looking forward to the most?
Lewis: For the remainder of the season, I plan to focus on two classes: 20 Super Stock Hydro and 25 Super Stock Runabout. If I race well, and maximize my potential to earn points, I have a decent shot to win National High Points in those two classes. In Region 10, we have three events left and each are unique and have their own challenges. I love racing at Lake Lawrence, and this year the club has committed to run the three-quarter mile record course (3-mile 4-lap). I am looking forward to taking the rigs and racing my best on this course.
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