Legendary offshore throttleman Steve Curtis and International Hot Rod Association owner Darryl Cuttell will join forces at the next IHRA race in Cocoa Beach, FL, driving former Spirit of Qatar 96 catamaran, rebranded as IHRA.

Last season, Curtis raced the boat with Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al-Thani in Extreme Class, winning the World Championship in the class. Previously, Curtis and Cuttell enjoyed a high-profile partnership centered on the 50' Mystic catamaran Darana Hybrid, whose 8,800-hp turbine engines helped push the boat to a scorching 242 mph on the current three-quarter-mile course at last year's Lake of the Ozarks Shootout, earning them the Top Gun award.

Curtis’s background is pure offshore/Class 1 racing (Miss GEICO, Huski, etc.), while Cuttell comes from drag racing via IHRA ownership and his high-tech contracting business.

"I was talking with Darryl and asked him if he wanted to do some racing," Curtis told Speedboat. "The Qatar deal with Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al-Thani obviously didn't happen because of the war, so I was available to put a deal together."

Thunder on Cocoa Beach (May 15-17, held on Florida’s Space Coast) is one of the key stops in the 2026 schedule. Curtis said he and Cuttell will pilot the boat as a way of "putting their foot in the water," and if Cuttell enjoys the experience, they may continue racing together the rest of the season.

"He and the IHRA have put a great deal of money into the sport, so he might as well enjoy a bit of it," Curtis laughed. "Hopefully, something comes of it, but I think it'll be good for the sport. He's obviously doing a hell of a lot for the sport right now."

Curtis added that he hopes to see more competitors join the ranks of Extreme class: "We're hoping that Micheal Stancombe comes out, as well as a few other teams. We just have to wait and see."

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