​After a five-year absence, ROAR Offshore returns to Fort Myers Beach this weekend for the first time since before Hurricane Ian, and there are some big changes. Perhaps the biggest: Super Stock powerboat racers Shaun Torrente and Cole Leibel now own and operate the event.World-champion racer Torrente calls it a rare opportunity to both add to the sport he loves and help the community where he lives, works and sometimes races.“You get to do both of those things at the same time, which means a lot for me and for my family,” the Fort Myers resident says. “So the fact that I get to give something back to it is awesome.”The races haven’t been held on Fort Myers Beach since 2021.Everything is free: ROAR Offshore returns with four days of races, concerts and moreROAR is back on Fort Myers Beach from Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 10-13. Most of the on-land activities can be found in the area surrounding Margaritaville Beach Resort at 251 Crescent St., Fort Myers Beach.Organizers expect the event to attract tens of thousands of spectators and many of the world’s top Super Stock-class offshore racing teams.And Torrente wants people to know this: Everything is free.People can just come, hang out, watch the races and spend time at Fort Myers Beach restaurants and businesses, he says. “You can just show up. The only thing we ask is just go to the restaurants and bars. They’re all open. They’re all supportive. That’s it: Have a good time.”There’re more to do at ROAR Offshore than just watch the races, he says. There are concerts, custom boats on display, meet-and-greets with ROAR racers, a Times Square “pit party” and lots more.“The race is the main event … but we’re trying to keep it short and sweet on the water — so an hour, two hours on the water,” says Torrente, owner of Fort Myers boat-component manufacturer Shaun Torrente Racing, which also builds the boats they race. “And then you can come back, hang out at the pools, hang out at the restaurants.”Scaled-down ROAR Offshore focuses on one powerboat class, Super Stock This scaled-down version of ROAR Offshore focuses on just one class of powerboats, Super Stock, compared to the approximately nine classes at previous events. And Torrente — a Super Stock and Formula One racer who will also compete at this year’s ROAR — says that translates into a better experience for spectators.Instead of the usual 60-70 boats, he says, there will only be 18 Super Stock powerboats. The American Power Boat Association’s fast-growing Super Stock class features 32-foot catamarans with twin Mercury 300-horsepower outboard motors. The boats are controlled by a two-person team in the cockpit: A driver who steers and navigates, and a throttleman who manages the engines.The smaller scale means an easier-to-manage experience for spectators, Torrente says. Fewer boats make its easier to follow and keep track of the individual racing teams.In previous years, since there were so many boat clas