Late in 2017, Steve Huff of Seattle based Huff Motorsports, burst onto the hydroplane racing scene after purchasing Wally Johnston’s record setting E350 hydroplane, Agitator e98. The Huff Motorsports team has had some ups and downs over the last 2 years, including an engine fire in Lake Chelan, but finishes on the podium more often than not. In 2018, Huff drove the twin carb GP-18 for Hopp Racing while also bringing on 2 major series sponsors, Jet Chevrolet & Destination Harley-Davidson, to create the Northwest Pro-Lite Series with a whopping $10,000 purse for the 5L/E350 class that continued in 2019. In preparation for 2020 racing season, the Huff Motorsports team completed a major hull repair and countless other projects just waiting for the race season to resume in the Northwest with title sponsor The Flood Guys on the bright orange Agitator e98.
Huff says, “Over the last few years, I’ve achieved many of my childhood dreams. That includes having the most fun racing hydroplanes and competing at Seafair. Hearing my name called out by the voice of Seafair, Brad Luce, brings out the goosebumps on my arms every time.”
What many hydroplane racing fans do not know is that 20-year veteran racer and 15-time speed record setting Steve Huff was also developing an electric dragster over the last 3 years in the Quest for 200mph. This quest to be first to 200mph in the 1/4mile with an electric car includes legendary drag racer Don “Big Daddy” Garlits, along with corporate and private teams from around the world. Steve’s innovative new dragster design, under his e-Spec Racecars division of Huff Motorsports, was originally designed to work with transverse mounted crate internal combustion engines and used in driver development. Early in 2017, Huff heard about the Quest for 200. He, and partner Larry Carrell of Montana, decided to shift focus to an electric power supply for the dragster. It was Don Garlits himself that inspired Huff & Carrell after appearing on Good Morning America with the blanket statement that 1/4mile 200mph in an electric car was not achievable with current technology. Huff’s electric dragster “Current Technology” was born. After bringing on top battery builder Derek Barger of High Tech Systems LLC, Team Carrell, Huff and Barger was formed.
In racing, especially in pursuit of speed records, Huff will tell you, “If you just repeat what the last record setting team did, you will only match their speed. You have to rethink the problem and try something new to break records.” First up, Huff decided to depart from the norm and use an AC motor, even while other top competitors continued to stay with direct current. This war of currents harkens back to the original Tesla vs Edison, AC vs DC, and now Huff vs Garlits. It goes without saying, no elephants were harmed in the Quest for 200 electric drag racing title.
After setting their first EV record for unlimited volt AC motors at just over 180mph in the summer of 2017, Huff and the team went back to the drawing board, realizing they needed more launching power from the line and more power overall to achieve the ultimate goal of 200mph. A flywheel, 2 different custom clutch baskets, and Owens Racing transmission were added and the record was still out of reach after testing in October 2019 at Fontana Raceway. It was ack to the shop to remove the clutch and transmission and double down on power for Huff Motorsports. “It was time to throw the kitchen sink at it” jokes Huff.
“Records are borrowed not owned, but there can only be one first,” says Huff. Don Garlits was the first 1/4mile 200mph internal combustion dragster in 1964, at a time when it was said to be mathematically impossible. Garlits has been a hero to drag racers over the last 6 decades, and now Team Carrell, Huff and Barger join him in the history books. Shortly after midnight on May 14th, 2020, Team Carrell, Huff and Barger at Tucson Dragway broke the 200mph barrier and made history at 201.07mph in the 1/4mile. This was achieved with an 800v/2000 amp lithium polymer battery that stores 1.6 million watts of energy (enough to power 2,400 homes for 20 seconds), 2 dual core axial flux motors, and 4 controllers/inverters putting out 2400hp and 2000 lb/ft of torque. Huff and the team also attribute ultimate success to the addition of AEM Performance Electronics and their new EV CAN system and dash, eliminating thousands of feet of wire from the electric dragster.
Not one to rest on his laurels, Huff is already planning to take Current Technology back to the track to up the record and become the first electric car to break into the 6 second zone. Current Technology is just 3/10th of a mile off of the overall EV record held by Larry “Spiderman” McBride on the Lawless electric motorcycle.
In the current shut down, Huff is reconfiguring the Agitator e98 with an electric motor to pursue the overall electric boat record.
Ultimately Huff would like to expand on his long time hero Eddie Hill’s achievements becoming the only racers in history to set records at over 200mph on 2 wheels, 4 wheels, and no wheels (boats) by including all surfaces to the title; dirt, asphalt, salt and water. “All we have left is water,” says Huff.
Does this mean H1 is in his sights? Huff grins, “Absolutely”.
www.SteveHuffMotorsports.com
Previous
Next
