Y-16 UpdateFirst launch and testing completed at Hydrobowl on October 3.See the milestone →
Y-NOTRACING

Meet the boat and driver

Y-16 is where the dream gets real.

Y-16 turns years on the shoreline into a hands-on race program—with its first launch and testing session now complete.

See the JourneyRead Updates
Boat
Y-NOT
Number
Y-16
Class
Y Class
Driver
Kyle Martin
Status
Launched & testing
Driver · Y-16

Kyle Martin

A lifelong fan taking the wheel.

Meet the driver

The fan taking the wheel.

Kyle Martin is making the leap familiar to every fan who has watched from shore and wondered what it feels like inside the cockpit. Y-16 is the answer: commit to the work, learn the boat and go racing.

Kyle and the team are leaning on experienced racers, building sound habits and earning every milestone together—from the first shop night to the first green flag.

For Kyle, this is bigger than a seat in a race boat. It is a chance to bring family, friends and new fans closer to the sport that inspired the whole team.

The first launch is complete. Y-16 reached the water at Hydrobowl on October 3, 2026. The team is carrying those first testing lessons into the next round of preparation.

The team behind Y-16

Working people building something together.

Y-NOT Racing is family, friends and newcomers—truck drivers, nurses, parents, working people and fans—bringing different skills to one shared obsession.

Race day starts long before the green flag. It is loading, cleaning, wrenching, asking for help, solving problems and sharing the work. Those nights in the shop are where this team is made.

Everyone has a place in the story, whether they are turning a wrench, towing the trailer, helping in the pits or cheering from the shoreline.

From Beaches to Buoys

The Y-16 journey.

Follow the steps from a longtime dream to a race-ready Y-16—and the people doing the work along the way.

  1. The dream takes shape.

    Years of watching become a decision to stop waiting and start building a team.

    Complete

  2. Y-16 becomes the plan.

    A boat number, driver and identity give the dream a direction.

    Complete

  3. Y-16 comes home.

    Y-16 is home. With the boat here, the team can begin getting to know it firsthand.

    Complete

  4. Shop preparation.

    Work through safety, mechanical, trailer, equipment and team-readiness details.

    Complete

  5. First launch.

    Y-16 reached the water at Hydrobowl on October 3, 2026.

    Complete

  6. First test.

    The team completed Y-16’s first testing session at Hydrobowl on October 3, 2026.

    Complete

  7. First race weekend.

    Build on the Hydrobowl test and write the team’s first racing chapter.

    Up next

Inside the build

From first wake to first green flag.

The first launch is complete. Follow Y-16 through continued testing and every milestone on the road to race day.

Read the Current Chapter