Scott Free Racing Kicks Off Season Opener in Cocoa Beach, FL
May 24, 2017Scott Free Racing was excited to kick off the 2017 season last weekend in Cocoa Beach, FL. With almost six months off, the team had plenty of time to try new setup changes with the boat coming off the 2nd place finish in the championship in Key West last year. Cocoa Beach usually produces rough racing conditions and takes a major tole on the equipment and crew. On Friday night, the team attended the block party which attracted thousands of race fans to get up and close with teams and get a first hand look at the boats on display. On Saturday the team spent the day getting the boat prepared for race day including making sure the boat meet the minimum weight of 4750lbs and completing a entire systems check throughout the boat. Sunday was race day and conditions were a bit calmer than expected, so the team made some minor setup changes to compensate for the conditions. The green flag dropped and the team was second to the first turn in the seven boat class, but midway through the race they experienced a burning smell inside the cockpit forcing the crew to pull off the course to see what the problem was. "The boat was fast but our handling was a bit off", said Stephen Kildahl, driver of Scott Free Racing. "halfway through the race we smelt burning and did not want to chance damaging the boat". Overall it was a bit disappointing on the finish for the team, but the boat ran good up until then. You will see Scott Free Racing next in Lake of the Ozarks, MO for the Lake Race in two weeks!
