2025 | Rich Luhrs

Rich Luhrs Inducted into Honor Squadron

The American Power Boat Association is pleased to award Rich Luhrs one of our
highest honors, in recognition of his lifetime achievements in Boat Racing, Race
Boat building, TV Color Commentating, and Officiating, by inducting him into the
our prestigious Honor Squadron. The Honor Squadron recognizes those
individuals who have demonstrated lifelong passion, support, effort, and impact
for the benefit and advancement of the APBA, its members, and the sport of
Powerboat Racing.
Rich is a resident of Granite Quarry, North Carolina , where he currently serves as
an elected Council Member. He and his wife also own Carpe Vinum 121, a
restaurant in Salisbury, NC.
Following is an abbreviated Biography:
RICH LUHRS started boat racing 1n 1959 when he entered small outlaw outboard events in the
northeast. He first joined APBA in 1964 and competed in the OPC division for the following 15
years. During that time, he campaigned successfully in the dual engine classes in such events as
the Albany-NY Marathon, Orange Bowl 9 hour, Around Long Island Marathon, OPC Nationals,
Grand Lake St Mary’s Marathons, Milwaukee-Chicago-Milwaukee marathons, Havasu Outboard
World Championships and many others. Later while competing in the MOD U and S tunnel boat
classes, Rich became a member of Team Mercury Canada. His longtime business partner, Don
Lostumbo, Champion 7 liter, SK, SS, and GP driver, gave him insight and introduction to the
Inboard division as well. Because of his longtime involvement in both the USA and Canadian
races, Rich was chosen as a Charter member of the North American Championship
Commission as an APBA representative along with Bob Nordskog and Charlie Strang.
At the end of his OPC career Rich, Don Lostumbo, Elbie Kronenberg, and George Linder created
the multi time Offshore World Champion and record holding Shadow Cats for Image Boat
company, of which Rich was Managing General Partner. Later Rich, Don, and George, along
with Ken Adams formed Conquest Marine and built a series of one-off World Champion
Offshore Catamarans that are still legendary today.
After the tragic death of World Champion racer Mark Lavin in one of the Conquests, Jesse
James, Rich and George became Founders and Charter members of the Lavin Cockpit Safety
Foundation, whose standards they developed, and which are widely adopted in both the APBA
and UIM Offshore classes. This is his primary passion to this day.

From 1982 through 2001, Rich was the “Video voice of Offshore Racing” doing live to tape
commentary from a helicopter at over 200 races. Later Rich and famed broadcaster, Dick
Crippen, formed an announcing tag team for APBA Offshore and appeared on ESPN, ESPN2,
Prime, MSG, TNN, Speedvision and The Speed Channel. Rich also was the APBA Offshore
Director of Television Broadcasts under Gene Whipp.
Rich campaigns various boats in APBA Vintage and Historic events, and owns a 1961 Switzer
Wooden Shooting Star, a 1968 original wood Eltro, and a 1961 JJ class PowerCat, among others.
He has been a pioneer in bringing Outboards into V&H. He is also on the BOD of the APBA
Vintage and Historic Committee and on the BOD of the Florida Vintage Race Boat Club and
had been a member of the APBA Council for 2 years. Rich is a Member of the NPBA Hall of
Fame, and holder of the Clayton Antique Boat Museum”s “Legends of Vintage” Award.
Rich most recently served as Chairman of the APBA Offshore Committee for 5 years and
oversaw significant growth in that time span. In addition, he has forged a bridge between APBA
Offshore and the UIM (Union International Motonautique) working as a Commissioner in UIM’s
COMINOFF and PLEASURE NAVIGATION Commissions and working closely with Bob Wartinger
and Fred Hauenstein in some of the most critical times in APBA-UIM history.