Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Kyle Davenport enters 2025 APBA season as defending National Champion

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CASHMERE – The next time Cashmere’s Kyle Davenport grips the steering wheel of his 2.5 stock hydro, Bantam, the boat will be sporting a new number and his right hand a National Championship ring. 

It has taken just six years for Bantam owner-driver Davenport to make the leap from 2018 race crew member to American Powerboat Association (APBA) 2024 National Champion. That became official on January 22-25 at the APBA National Meeting in Reno, where Davenport and crew picked up their award, capping a neck-and-neck competitive season that came down to the final race of the season.

Rookie of the Year

It should come as no surprise that Davenport was on a fast track to the winner’s circle. In his first year of racing in 2019, he was named APBA West Coast Rookie of the Year, a frequent occasion that introduces new faces as the ones to watch ascend racing’s ladder of achievement. That said, Davenport had a formidable contender all season in the person of Monkey Business driver J. Michael Kelly, who diverged from the 2.5 stock circuit long enough to drive the H1 Unlimited U-1 Miss Beacon Electric to the coveted Gold Cup title at Seattle Seafair. 

For much of the 2024 season, the Monkey Business Race Team led the points race up to the Sept. 21-22 Hampton Cup Regatta in Hampton, Virginia, where Davenport emerged with a slim three-point lead. The following weekend at the Manson Hydrofest, Davenport increased his lead to 13 points.

Hurricane finish

The final showdown involved a 6,000-mile round trip to the Orange Cup Regatta on Lake Hollingsworth in Lakeland, Florida, on Oct. 19-20. The weather forecaster, however, had other plans.

Hurricane Milton made landfall on Oct. 9 and devastated much of central Florida, including Lakeland, canceling the scheduled regatta and ending the racing season. Davenport had the title.

“To be clear, I would rather have gone down there and raced,” said Davenport at the time. “Nature had other designs on it, but it certainly would have been fun to go out and race for it.”

As the man to catch on the circuit this year, Davenport, 54, said he has no plans to hang up his racing gear anytime soon.

“I have no intention of really ever quitting,” said Davenport. “I’d like to be able to continue to stay in the competition at least into my 70’s if my body and mind allow it. I hope to be racing for another 20 years or so.”

Dirt bike to hydro

Prior to switching to hydros, Davenport tried bike racing in 2014.

“I’ve had the competitive side of me my whole life,” said Davenport. “I did the Dirty Face motorcycle ride out of Lake Wenatchee.”

The Dirty Face is an American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) sanctioned event covering about 100 miles within the public lands in the Lake Wenatchee/Entiat area. 

“Then I did the whole Hare Scramble series in 2015-16 in the over-40 beginner group,” Davenport said.

The AMA website describes a hare scramble as mass-start races with all riders in a single class starting on the same row and then racing all-out to the finish. 

Davenport soon realized that being competitive in that sport came with inevitable physical cost.

“For the guys that were good it was not a matter of if I was going to get injured it was a matter of when.”

In preparation for the coming season Davenport is having a backup engine built by Blockhead Marine in Auburn. Toward the end of the 2024 season Bantam’s Pinto powerplant was running with a warped head, increasing the risk of major damage. Davenport had to finish the Manson heats by changing engine oil after each race to compensate for water buildup in the oil pan. 

When he is not behind the wheel of a hydro, Davenport is the chief hydro operator at Rocky Reach Dam. A position he had held since 2018.

Ride along – with popcorn

Viewers can log on to Davenport’s YouTube channel, BozGoz (youtube.com/@BozGozRacing) to virtually ride along in the cockpit with the reigning champion driver. A GoPro camera mounted behind the driver provides an armchair and popcorn safe view of the racecourse as Davenport guides his fire engine red No. 6 Bantam around the buoys at speeds near or beyond 100 mph. 

The APBA gives one ring out free with the option to purchase more. Davenport bought one for crew chief Tony Paraisi. Davenport’s engine builder, Marty Haack at Blockhead Machine also purchased one. 

The Bantam crew members include Matt Otulo of Wenatchee, Azura Dugger of Cashmere, her grandfather Randy Ogle of Wenatchee, and Chris and JoAnne Carson of Hoodsport, Washington.

Tentative 2025 race schedule

April 26-27 Yelm - Lake Lawrence

May 3-4 Chelan

June 7-8 Decatur, Illinois -Eastern Division

June 14-15 Richland

July 4-6 Madison, Indiana

July 12-13 Olympia - Black Lake- Summer National

July 27-29 Kennewick – Columbia Cup

August 9-10 Pateros – Western Division

August 16-17 Oak Harbor

Sept. 6-7 Brewster

Sept. 27-28 Manson

Mike Maltais: 360-333-8483 or michael@ward.media

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