Backstreet Boy Carter Enters Power Boat Circuit

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (Reuters) - Backstreet Boy Nick Carter said on Thursday he has bought a 43-foot offshore racing boat and will enter it in the American Power Boat Association's 2002 circuit with races in the United States and Canada.

But the pop music heartthrob, 22, will not actually race in the vessel, which has two 750 horsepower engines. His father, Bob Carter, will pilot the boat, which is capable of speeds up to 130 mph, in the APBA's Super Vee class competition, he said.

"One of the main reasons I am getting into this is my father," Nick Carter told a news conference at the Miami International Boat Show in Miami Beach. "It's a dream come true for him."

The Carter family, which lives in the Florida Keys, was introduced to high-speed offshore powerboat racing during November's Offshore World Championships in Key West.

Following an April 28 debut in Daytona Beach, Florida, Nick Carter Racing will make its first hometown appearance at the Marathon Offshore Grand Prix May 17-19.

"It's going to be a little difficult getting respect, because I am an entertainer," he said. "But we're going out there to win, not just to show off.

Carter said he has recruited Lee Murray, an experienced Key West racer regarded for aggressive racing tactics, to be the boat's throttleman.

"I wanted to put together a very competitive team," he said. "You need to have some people with cojones."

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