A LONG-STANDING member of the Carr Mill Dam-based Lancashire Powerboat Racing Club will return to international competitive racing after a seven-year break.
Kingfisher Fire and Security Powerboat Racing Team have announced that after a seven-year hiatus, Matthew Palfreyman will be driving for the Kingfisher Team this season.
Palfreyman will be back for round one of the Formula 2 World Powerboat Series, being held in Brindisi, Italy later this month, on the weekend of June 28 and 29.
The 32-year-old is a long-standing member of Lancashire Powerboat Racing Club (LPRC), based at Carr Mill Dam, where his powerboat racing career started at the age of just 12.
When asked about his racing career, Palfreyman said: “Powerboat racing is a brilliant sport to get involved with, we joined LPRC as a family interested in learning to waterski back in 2004 and then I experienced racing, and I have never looked back. Getting involved in the sport has opened up so many opportunities for me, through my links I’ve raced and travelled the world meeting lots of very interesting people, and learning so much.”
Since winning his first junior LPRC Club Championship in 2005, Palfreyman then went on to race Formula 4 catamaran boats, locally, nationally and internationally. In 2010 he very much became part of the international powerboat race scene by competing in races around the world in the F4-s series run by the sport promoter F1H2o.
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In his time with F4-s Palfreyman won races in many exotic and far afield places such as UAE, China, Ukraine, France and Italy to name but a few. He won the overall championship in 2011, and was then placed second in 2012.
In 2013 he moved up to racing the much faster F2 catamaran boats, capable of reaching speeds of up to 120mph. He successfully competed in the UK Championship, then in 2015 he once again travelled around the world and gained second overall the F2 World Championship Series, and in 2016 he achieved a second in the European F2 Championship.
In recent years, although very much still involved in powerboat racing, Palfreyman has been out of the spotlight. He has been a mentor to many other up and coming powerboat racing drivers, whilst also concentrating and growing his own software support and technology business, Blowfish Technology, and becoming a father to his son Arthur, who is aged just 20 months.
Palfreyman’s close involvement in the sport, has meant that he has regularly driven the 2-seater hospitality boat at F1H2o events across the globe and he has performed other important race critical duties such as mechanic, jetty crew and radioman assisting other teams and drivers in both F1 and F2 powerboat series’ around the world.
After also being radioman for the Kingfisher Team last year, over recent weeks Matthew has successfully participated in some test sessions and impressed when he got behind the wheel of the high specification Formula 2, DAC boat.
On his return, Palfreyman said: “The Kingfisher DAC boat is of the highest calibre and is already proved to be a championship winning boat. Ian (Blacker) has already put the boat through its paces and done a great job securing the 2023 British Championship last season, and also started the season well by doing the same in opening round the 2024 British Championship last month.”
He added: “For me, now feels like it’s the right time to get back behind the wheel and take on the challenge of powerboat racing again. I’m excited to see what I, the team and the boat can do together, on the extremely competitive and prestigious F2 World Series.”
Team Kingfisher also have George Elmore, who is new to the Formula 4 this season, and Ian in his own Formula 2, who both did an impressive job in the first round of the CPA British Championship held in Lowestoft, Suffolk. Both drivers secured the top spot on the podium and claimed the win for their class and Team Kingfisher. Now it is Palfreyman’s turn to see what he can do, and see if he can maintain the winning streak.
When asked about the challenge ahead Palfreyman, from Aughton, said, “We know the boat is fast, and it’s a pleasure to have been given the opportunity to drive it. Team Kingfisher has given me the upmost support. This is a great opportunity for us to work together and see if we can try and make our mark on the prestigious F2 World Series. We’re not overly confident, although we know we have a good chance if we work together as a team and things go our way, and to plan. I’m very much looking forward challenge.”
After the latest test sessions at Carr Mill and then at Stewartby Water Sports Club, in Bedfordshire on Sunday, June 9, Ian Blacker, team manager said: “The team has spent a lot of time getting the boat set-up and it’s now running really well. We’ve already proved the boat and team are capable of winning races, with our 2023 British Championship title and the win in Lowestoft just a few weeks ago.
"The boat is different to what Matthew has driven in the past, we’re aware he is still learning what it can do and getting to grips with it. Although that said, with his aggressive driving style and the maturity he’s gained in recent years we’re hoping we may be able to achieve good things in the international series for us and the whole team this year, only time will tell.”
- See facebook.com/kingfisher.race.team for more.
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