The Reinvention Of Gary Stray

Long before Gary Stray arrived at MTI in the mid-2000s as the Wentzville, Mo., company’s head-rigger and resident creative genius, he worked for the Dubai-based, Class 1 Victory team. So, too, did MTI founder Randy Scism, a creative powerhouse in his own right, and they got to know each other through the shared Victory team experience.

One of the best offshore raceboat riggers in the world, Gary Stray is a gifted photographer to boot. Photo by Gary Stray.

Stray and Scism parted ways long ago, but not before Stray had added custom MTI creations such as Speed Racer and Mercedes to his rigging-and-build-out résumé. Scism continued to build MTI to its current juggernaut status, while Stray returned to offshore raceboat rigging, setup and renovation, as well as team management. He handled that role for the Miss GEICO offshore racing team for more than 10 years ago, and became a member of its ownership group.

The insurance company exited the sport in 2021, but Stray, now 55 years old, never missed a beat. He handled two raceboats during the Powerboat P1-driven Class 1 resurgence for the next several years. And now he manages the Pro Class 1 Alegra Motorsports team of owner/driver Carlos de Quesada and throttleman John Tomlinson.

Captured here with multi-time world champion Steve Curtis (right), Gary Stray has worked alongside some of the most talented men in the sport.

This week, he’s finishing up the total reinvention of the team’s 45-foot Victory catamaran. Testing begins next week.

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