Building a Winning Team: Jamey Stallard on Life in UIM F2

Veteran racer Jamey Stallard returned to the pits in 2016 and has since built one of the most respected teams in UIM F2.

Powerboat News sat down with him to talk about how it all started, the drivers he’s worked with, the state of the sport, and his plans for the future.

John Moore: Jamey, you made a return to powerboat racing when?
Jamey Stallard: Back in 2016, 2017 – around that era.

JM: And you’ve been running a Formula 2 team since?
JS: Yes, that’s correct.

JM: Tell us how that came about.
JS: I first walked back into the pits in Campione in 2016. I met Mette and her father. They asked me to help them out for the weekend, which I did – and I enjoyed it. From there I became more involved with Mette on the water, and things developed. When Morten retired, we brought all of Mette’s equipment over to the UK, set up workshops in Cheltenham, and here we are a few years later.

JM: You started out running a two-boat team, originally with Brent Dillard?
JS: Yes, that’s right. Brent came to us through David Moore. He saw how we presented ourselves – we like to run the team professionally, not just focusing on performance but on the way we operate. Brent liked that approach. Eventually, he was offered a drive in F1, so he went that way.

JM: And the second boat was then replaced by Ian Blacker’s DAC?
JS: Correct. Ian runs a very successful business in the UK, which takes a lot of his time, as does racing. He was towing his boat across Europe himself, which was very demanding. He saw that we had space in the back of our truck and made me an offer. We struck a deal: we now transport his boat and most of his equipment, set everything up in the pits, and have it ready so he can arrive at the last moment.

JM: And then Ian brought Matt Palfreyman out of racing retirement?
JS: Yes, that’s right.

JM: This season, Palfreyman is challenging for the Championship.
JS: Yes, it’s brilliant. Great to have them in the team too. It raises the standards on the performance side, which is ultimately what we’re striving for.

JM: Formula 2 is a pretty exciting powerboat racing series. What would you like to see in terms of promotion?
JS: We need a lot more media coverage, full stop. Media opens doors to finance, venues, opportunities – the more coverage we get, the better.

JM: And how should that coverage work – mainly social media?
JS: A combination of things. Social media is important, but TV coverage is key. I remember when I raced in Formula 3, there was a programme presented by Peter Butler. A simple monthly show, but the exposure was fantastic. That’s the sort of thing I’d like to see with Formula 2.

JM: That was Watersports World on Sky Sports.
JS: Exactly. Lots of people I knew in England watched it, even if they weren’t hardcore powerboat fans.

JM: And before satellite TV, we had the BBC covering Bristol Live with Murray Walker.
JS: That’s right – it really got the sport across.

JM: Why do you think television isn’t covering it now?
JS: First of all, we need to improve our own media coverage. We should be putting together presentations after each race, documenting what we’re doing, and then presenting that to broadcasters. I hear there’s interest from a company in Lithuania at the moment, but ultimately the responsibility lies with F2. We need a strong media team covering events, updating websites, pushing content worldwide. When you look for sponsorship, people always ask: “Where can we see it?” If you can’t answer, you hit a dead end.

JM: Finally, your plans for next year?
JS: Much the same as this season. Ian is still keen to come with us. We’ve been discussing the new APX engines this morning. Our truck was built with Optimax in mind, and we can carry the wider boats – we designed it right to the legal limit. I’ve checked the calculations and two APXs will fit without changing the set-up, which is good news. So yes, we’re looking forward to running again next year.

JM: Fantastic. Thanks very much, and all the best for the final races of the season.
JS: Thanks ever so much, John.