Mid-day on Lake Havasu, with the sun high overhead reflecting off the shimmering water, Freedom One Racing’s bold venture into uncharted territory faced a heart-stopping moment. With twin screw-blown Noonan-powered Hemis roaring, the team’s 38-foot “America One” Skater catamaran surged forward in a violent display of raw power, chasing down the Desert Storm Shootout title. Seconds later, the boat spectacularly blew over, launching more than 60 feet into the air in a harrowing scene that quickly went viral across motorsports circles.
“Everything was absolutely screaming. We were on a pass,” said Ryan Olah, who along with his brother Noah serves as a core member of the Kansas City-based Freedom One Racing team. Their ambitious project, founded in 2022, blends drag racing principles with powerboat technology to achieve unprecedented speeds—”Pro Mod on water,” as they’ve dubbed it.
This run marked only their fifth pass, the first time all the boat’s various systems worked as planned, leveraging every ounce of horsepower the twin Hemis could produce.
“We added about 600 horsepower per engine over the winter,” Ryan explained on The Wes Buck Show. “The speed from about 100 to 200 mph was absolutely insane. That kind of acceleration on the water is unreal.”
Cockpit footage vividly captured the moment just seconds before liftoff, with the speedometer ticking past 210 mph, showcasing the razor-thin margin between speed and disaster in extreme powerboat racing.
“The wind was tricky all morning,” Ryan admitted. “Right as we approached peak speed, a gust caught us. It lifted the nose and we went airborne.”
Despite the intensity of the crash, the Freedom One team was fortunate. Both drivers walked away, bruised but unbroken, and the boat, while heavily damaged, retained its fundamental integrity thanks to the boat’s safety capsule.
“Pete at Skater built us one hell of a boat,” Noah emphasized. “They’ve been doing it for 50 years and a boat like this is absolutely built to take punishment, and that’s what saved us.”
Victory was the last thing on their minds as their 8,000-horsepower boat took flight, but incredibly, they still managed to win the Desert Storm Shootout. “We did win this race, we took home the trophy, we got the hardware,” Ryan confirmed.
Freedom One’s bold gamble—to transplant essentially outlaw Pro Mod drag racing power directly onto the water—comes with inherent risks. But it’s precisely that audacity that’s fueling the team’s vision.
“We’re out here to push limits,” said Ryan. “We want to take the world record back to the U.S., and we know we have the boat, the motors, and the team to do it.”
The Freedom One Racing program was originally inspired by a desire among locals to reclaim the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout record from international competition.
“When the Spirit of Qatar turbine-powered boat came to the Lake of the Ozarks a few years ago and reset the record at 244 mph, back when they still ran a full mile, it just kind of ate at us as a group of locals, and we wanted to bring the record back to America,” Ryan explained. “Then when they switched the Shootout to three-quarters of a mile, the American Ethanol team came out and set that record at 221. That’s what we’re shooting for. We want to set the three-quarter mile record, and we think we can beat Spirit of Qatar’s 244 in that distance.”
Yet beyond record-breaking ambitions, Freedom One Racing is deeply rooted in charitable endeavors, using their high-speed pursuits as a platform to raise funds and awareness for various charities. Every dollar they raise—from race winnings, merchandise sales, and sponsorships—is donated to charity. This past weekend alone, the team raised $20,000 during the Arizona race and immediately gave it back to the local community.
“Our primary goal, aside from setting records, is to raise money and drive awareness for some incredible charities,” Ryan emphasized.
Data retrieved from their MoTeC systems suggests the boat is capable of exceeding 250 mph in a three-quarter mile stretch—a staggering feat considering the current record sits at 221 mph.
“We absolutely have more in the tank,” Ryan confidently stated. “This was just a small setback in the grand scheme.”
Beyond sheer performance, Freedom One Racing’s effort stands apart due to its clear drag racing roots: Noonan dry-block Hemis, PSI screw blowers, and high-end drag racing components packaged into a marine environment. They even tow their boat into position like a purpose-built drag car, underlining their racing pedigree.
“Our roots are in drag racing,” Noah explained. “Everything we’ve learned there, from fabrication and tuning to the work ethic and effort required translates directly to what we’re doing on the water.”
As the viral crash fades into recent memory, the Freedom One Racing crew is already looking forward. Teardown is underway, strategy adjustments are being mapped out, and their eyes are firmly set on returning stronger, faster, and smarter. Their goal remains clear: break records, showcase American ingenuity, support their charitable causes, and continue pushing the envelope.
“We’re just getting started,” Ryan concluded, the determination unmistakable in his voice. “This crash won’t define us. It’s just another chapter in a much bigger story. When you’re doing what we’re doing, it’s not a matter of if something like this is going to happen, it’s when. We don’t know if it’ll be six months, twelve or what at this point, but we’ll have the boat back to Skater very soon and get an idea on what it’s going to take to get back on the water.”
This story was originally published on May 5, 2025. 
