VENTURA, Calif.—Ten-time world champion throttleman John Tomlinson is joining Powerboat magazine's Test Team as a second test driver for the upcoming 2005 Performance Trials.

Tomlinson and chief tester Bob Teague will each evaluate the boats brought by manufacturers to the testing program. The test results determine which boatbuilders will receive the magazine's coveted Awards for Product Excellence.

"He brings skills and talent to our testing program, a perfect complement to our chief test driver Bob Teague," said Powerboat magazine publisher Jerry Nordskog. "John is a gentleman and a professional, and his boating expertise will round out the best boating test team anywhere in the world."

Teague, a 30-plus year racing veteran, with World Championships in offshore and grand national classes, and a member of the APBA Hall of Champions, has led the Performance Trials testing for more than a decade and also serves as the magazine's technical editor. He was personally mentored by the magazine's founder Bob Nordskog to take over the program. Teague owns Teague Custom Marine in Valencia, Calif., one of the country's top engine and rigging shops.

Tomlinson is one of the sport's premier throttleman, who led the Bacardi Silver and Drambuie on Ice teams to world championships in recent years. Last year he set a 202.9 mph one-way speed record in a catamaran. He also co-owns TNT Custom Marine, an elite rigging and repair shop in Miami.

Tomlinson has read Powerboat since he was a youth, and still keeps a collection of old issues. "I've followed Powerboat since I was 11 or 12 years old," he said. "I'm happy to become part of the team."

Powerboat's Performance Trials will take place in San Diego, Calif., Sarasota, Fla., and Parker, Ariz., during the months of September and October.

The magazine was founded in 1968 and is published 11 times a year.