There is no question that offshore boat racers are one of a kind. But when those people align to select just one of their own to represent the entire group––then you are truly a standout.

Last month, the American Power Boat Association gathered in Seattle, Wash. to honor the racers and their teams. It was at this event that the inaugural APBA Offshore Sportsmanship Trophy was awarded and the APBA selected veteran offshore racer Micheal Stancombe as their very first recipient.

"I honestly had no idea! But it was certainly not just for me. It was a group effort but to get the award was just... beautiful," said a humbled, and honored Stancombe.

Micheal was recognized not only for his heroics and success on the liquid race course, pulling double duty in Class 1's JBS Racing MTI with owner/driver Jeff Stevenson and Bracket Class 500's Team Woody Racing / Golf n' Gator opposite driver JJ Turk, who claimed the coveted US-1 championship title in 2022, but also for his humanitarian efforts in the wake of Florida's devastating Hurricane Ian––the third costliest weather disaster on record, totaling greater than $113 billion in damages.

"We were sitting down (at the banquet) and they started talking about our efforts in Fort Myers and Arcadia in Southwest Florida. But it was not just me. It was all of Team Woody––JJ, Billy Shipley and his wife Madison, Chad (Woody) and his girlfriend and JBS with Jeff too... we were all down there doing what we could to help people, at their homes. Not in a parking lot," Stancombe told Speedboat. "So for me to get the Sportsman of the Year, this was not just for me. It was for everyone that donated, to help out in our efforts. I told everybody, we've got an Army coming!'" A reference to the Offshore Army, a social media group that Stancombe started with his girlfriend Julie Lahr, to unite the community to help aid those affected by Hurricane Ian.

"I couldn't do it without Julie, of course, who supports everything I do in racing and outside the racing," he continued. "My dad too! (George Stancombe, whom Micheal also raced with) is a big part of where I am in racing today." Their family racing tradition continues with Micheal's son, Dominic (15), already with a few offshore races under his belt.

Stancombe's love for racing began 1977 when he started with the kneel-down outboard boats and then fine tuned his skills with motocross, racing for Kawasaki in the early '80's. But his passion was with the boats, scouring through the pages of Powerboat magazine. He took jobs at Florida marine facilities just to be near the boats. This was when he met Brett and Craig Archer, who put Stancombe into his first offshore race boat in 1988 as a navigator and to work on the crew. Since then, he's driven and/or throttled for such teams as Priority One, Team Donzi, Team Peppers, and more.

Most recently, Jeff Stevenson and Stancombe are building a brand-new 46' Skater that they'll be campaigning in the Unlimited Class, once it's finished. It is still undecided which engines they'll put into the new race boat but most likely XVI Power, based on Stevenson's major investment into the company, with Mercury Racing 1100s being a close second.

"It's been a lifelong dream, being a poor kid from Greenwood, Indiana to grow up and be a Class 1 throttleman," said Stancombe.