Two racers were injured in Sunday’s finale of the Key West Super Boat World Championships — capping offshore powerboat racing’s deadliest week in memory. But neither of the injuries is believed to be life-threatening.

Following three fatalities in two separate accidents Wednesday and Friday, Warpaint owner/driver Bob Vesper of Somers Point, N.J., and throttleman Danny Crank of Hammonton smacked into a wave in their 38-foot boat with twin 750-horsepower engines during Sunday’s final race.

Vesper was treated at Lower Keys Medical Center while Crank was evacuated to Miami’s Jackson Memorial Hospital with a torn ear and possible concussion, according to race spokesman Rodrick Cox of Super Boat International Productions.

Crank reportedly was conscious and talking to rescuers, according to Cox.

The accident happened as world championships in 12 classes were being decided and tributes were paid to the three men who died during competition earlier in the week.

Big Thunder Marine owner/throttleman Bob Morgan and driver Jeffrey Tillman, both of Missouri, were killed in Wednesday’s opener when their 46-foot catamaran with four 1,200-horsepower engines suddenly leapt high into the air and flipped upside down in front of Mallory Square.

On Friday, Page Motorsports throttleman Joey Gratton of University Park was fatally injured when his 28-foot Skater with twin 850-horsepower engines rolled near an offshore turn. Gratton died early Saturday at Miami’s Jackson Memorial Hospital. Page owner/driver Stephen Page of Fort Myers sustained minor injuries and was released from Lower Keys Medical Center.

DIFFICULT DAY

The fatalities were much on the minds of racers Sunday — even as they tried to outrun each other on the bumpy, 6 1/2-mile course.

“It was hard,” said Randy Scism, throttleman on CMS — the Superboat Unlimited world champion owned and driven by Bob Bull.

“There were a lot of things on our minds besides boat racing. But we did it, and we’re happy. It was a great victory for Bob and the team, and we’re all excited about it. But we’re also sad at the same time for our buddies and their families.”

For Team CRC, which finished second overall in the Superboat 850 class, racing without Page was hard.

“It was tough for all of us, really, to get in the boats,” Team CRC throttleman Mike DeFrees said. “But at the end of the day, I think as a group everybody felt that’s what they would have wanted, was for us to go race. That’s really kind of a celebration for them.”

Tearing up, DeFrees added: “And you know they’re running Godspeed up in heaven.”

Throughout Sunday’s race, a plane circled above the course pulling a banner that read: “In Memory of Three Great Racers.”

The Page Motorsports boat, sitting on a trailer in the race pits at the Truman Waterfront, bore a message board in memory of Gratton. The board was filled with tributes.

IN MEMORY

Many of the Sunday’s contenders bore the race numbers of Big Thunder (100) and Page Motorsports (31) on their sides or transoms. A flotilla of speedboats that were not in competition tried to hold an impromptu requiem in the infield between races, but were escorted away by Coast Guard boats.

The only two teams in the Super Cat class — Stihl and Motley Crew — decided to honor their fallen comrades in their own way: by completing only three laps of the 10-lap race — one lap for each of the departed racers. Then the two rivals motored slowly up and down the infield, waving to spectators.

Said Motley Crew driver Scott Roman: “It made everybody forget for a brief moment all the horror of this week.”

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