Cigarette Racing Sold
May 25, 2021
High-performance stalwart Cigarette Racing has been acquired in a deal brokered by investment firm Lionheart Capital and entrepreneur John H. Ruiz.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The company celebrated 50 years of offshore racing with the launch of the 59-foot Tirranna in 2019.
Founded in 1969 by world champion offshore racer and builder Don Aronow, the company has been owned by Skip Braver since 2002. Braver oversaw the brand’s transformation, inking deals with Mercedes AMG and Ducati motorcycles that expanded the customer base beyond the go-fast, poker run crowd.
“After 20 years of building the Cigarette product line and brand, I look forward to seeing Ophir and John's vision for the company become a reality,” said Braver in a statement. “Lionheart Capital and John H. Ruiz share my commitment to quality and performance, as well as my passion for Cigarette's brand, and I’m confident in their ability to take the company to even greater heights based on their own successful ventures, resources and business knowledge."