Back in November 2024, the Sierra Racing Club announced its official entry into the UIM E1 World Championship presented by PIF and this weekend will make its first competitive appearance at the E1 Jeddah GP, as the championship returns to the Red Sea for the opening race of the 2026 season.
The team’s pilot line-up features two of the most dynamic competitors in the E1 paddock, Erik Stark, and Catie Munnings.
Stark previously competed for E1 Team Miami for two seasons where he enjoyed podium success in the inaugural E1 season taking second overall in Jeddah before delivering his team’s first top-podium spot at the Puerto Banús GP. Team Miami would eventually finish the season third overall and Stark was voted Driver of the Year.
When I spoke to him before the final E1 Grand Prix last year Stark spoke about the really difficult season they were having especially with technical issues at almost every race.
We tried changing things but were struggling to solve the problem with an obvious lack of speed and control of the boat.
For a driver of his experience having secured six world championships across multiple classes—including four in UIM F2, one in UIM Offshore 3C, and one in UIM Thundercat P750, it became apparent that a change of ‘scenery’ was what was needed.
After two seasons in the championship, I know what it takes to compete at the front. I see the same focus and determination here which is why I joined Team Sierra because I believe in the people, the performance, and the ambition behind the team.
The Sierra Racing Club is majority-owned by the Ozmen family and is led by Kerem Özmen, CEO of Sierra Defense, a global leader in advanced defence and security technologies. Under Özmen’s leadership, Sierra Defense has built a reputation for innovation, engineering excellence, and operational performance, values that now extend into the world of electric motorsport through Sierra Racing Club. Co-owner Dominik Madani brings additional entrepreneurial vision and strategic insight as the team establishes its presence on the international racing stage.
Joining Stark in the team will be the British racer Catie Munnings, who previously competed for Team Brazil and Team AlUla, reaching the podium in Venice, Puerto Banús, Lake Como, and Dubrovnik. When it was announced that she would partner Stark in the new team she said,
I’m confident that by teaming up with Erik, one of the best powerboat racers in the world, we can fight for a lot of podiums this year.
In response Stark commented that it was great to now start this new chapter together.
Her positive energy and wonderful personality bring a strong dynamic to the team and make this project even more enjoyable. Together, our goal is clear: to be consistently competitive and fight for podiums throughout the season.
The name Sierra originates from the Spanish language, meaning mountain and Stark now believes that he has the tools to make that climb an easier one in 2026.
If it happened in powerboat racing during the last forty years the chances are that Chris Davies was there either photographing it or writing about it.
During that time, he has travelled the globe covering both offshore and circuit racing for series promotors, race teams, PR companies, and a whole raft of publications.
