Gunnar O’ Farrell took the wheel of an Unlimited hydroplane in racing action for the first time in 2023, but he is no stranger to the sport or to the seat of the U-21. Gunnar began going to races at the age 6 with his family. By 8 years old he was in the hydroplane museum building an outboard boat.  He started in outboard (Stock and pro classes) when he was 9 years old and drove for 6 years.

At 20, he decided to make the next step and move to the inboard class and drove in the 2.5 mod and stock classes. His career really accelerated in the inboard class, where in 2021 he won summer nationals. 

In 2022, the O’Farrell family bought a 2.5 mod and has been restoring it. In 2022, Gunnar was given the opportunity to drive an Unlimited Hydroplane. He completed his 15 laps going over 130 mph and became a qualified Unlimited hydroplane driver. His fastest lap was 145.175 mph. Gunnar’s first race was at the 2023 APBA Gold Cup in Seattle, where he qualified at 145.572 MPH and competed in all four qualifying heats, but did not make the Final Heat.

In Gunnar’s off time he works for his family’s business as a CDL truck driver. He lives in Maple Valley, WA with his girlfriend Marina. In the summer he loves to race his boat and go fishing. In the winter, he enjoys skiing and snowmobiling.