Episode 55 - Freedom One Racing Team

In this episode, we're talking with the team behind Freedom One Racing, a new name making waves at this year's Lake of the Ozarks Shootout. The Shootout's loose rules invite wild setups, and Freedom One didn't disappoint, bringing a brand-new 388 Skater powered by twin 4,000-hp 4.9-inch bore, all-aluminum Noonan Hemi Pro Mod drag racing engines.  The boat's engines are a marvel of engineering much of which is familiar to the 1/4 mile crowd, but unconventional to general marine performance guys. Topped by PSI screw blowers, the engines feature dry blocks (no water jackets) and require no cooling system. They employ MoTeC engine management systems and route the power to the surface drives through Coan Turbo 400-style three-speed transmissions.  The Freedom One boat was purpose-built for shootout style events like LOTO and came together just days before hitting the water. While some mechanical hiccups kept them from a full-speed pass, they still managed to hit 170 mph officially (202 mph unofficially). Not bad for their first outing!   We hear from team members Noah and Ryan Ola and Ryan Greco, as they discuss how this project came together, their big plans to break the LOTO top speed record, and why Freedom One is more than just a racing team—it's a philanthropic effort with a mission to give back. Update: Since this episode was recorded, Freedom One Racing suffered a serious crash at the Desert Storm Shootout April 26, 2025 when the boat flipped at over 200 mph. This was the boat's first pass of the weekend and it's first run since the team's debut at the Lake of the Ozark's Shootout. While the boat was heavily damaged, the still unidentified driver and throttleman escaped with only minor injuries. As of now, we have not received an official update from the team regarding their future plans. This episode is brought to you by: SoCal Jet Boats the #1 online performance boating community forum, manufacturers of the coolest River Attire, hosts of the the Summer Tour with 6+ events along the Colorado River, and owners of The SoCal Jet Boat SpeedShop. Visit SoCal Jet Boats at www.socaljetboats.com on Instagram at @SoCalJetBoats and Facebook @SoCal Jet Boats Contact SoCal Jet Boats (702) 970-7252 [email protected] Follow Freedom One Racing on Instagram @freedomon_racing and on Facebook @Freedom One Racing Learn more about the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout at www.lakeoftheozarksshootout.com Visit our website at www.powerboattalk.com  View the video for this episode: www.youtube.com/@powerboat_talk  Follow us on Instagram @powerboattalk and Facebook @Powerboat Talk  Contact me: [email protected]