River Racing Returns: HydroFair making waves this weekend with 60 boats; 20,000 to 25,000 fans expected
Aug. 20—The airplanes are gone, but the hydroplanes are on their way this weekend.
The first Owensboro HydroFair since 1978 will crank up on the Ohio River, starting Friday afternoon, Aug. 20, and continuing through Sunday.
And this time, it's all free.
Randy Lientz, race director, said that's a big deal in hydroplane racing because tickets at Madison, Indiana, are $50 each.
Tim Ross, the city's public events director, said he's anticipating 20,000 to 25,000 people will see the boats over the three days.
And Lientz said the American Power Boat Association would be happy with those numbers.
The docks and cranes were set up in English Park on Wednesday.
And the 60 or more hydroplanes will begin testing at 1 p.m. on Friday.
Racing is on Saturday and Sunday.
Lientz said each team has between five and 20 crew members.
That's a lot of people coming in from out of town, helping hotels and restaurants.
River conditions are perfect for racing this week, Lientz said.
He said boats from as far away as Seattle, Maryland, Florida and upstate New York have registered.
Boats from Canada won't be able to travel to the United States because of COVID-19, Lientz said.
At least three of the Grand Prix boats — the sport's fastest — will bear local names.
Lientz's company, AXIOM of Evansville, will sponsor the GP-777 Steeler Grand Prix boat as "AXIOM presents Miss Owensboro."
That's a throw-back to several boats that bore that name at various times during the 1970s.
And Homes By Benny Clark and Jagoe Homes are also sponsoring Grand Prix boats, Lientz said.
Seven classes of boats are scheduled to race this weekend.
Time trials will last until 5:30 p.m. on Friday, so people coming to Friday After 5 can watch, Lientz said.
He said the best places to watch the boats are between the Holiday Inn and the Glover H. Cary Bridge downtown.
But fans who want to see the boats enter and exit the pits and see the pit action may want to watch from English Park, which can hold several thousand people.
The start-finish line will be the Kentucky Legend Pier behind the Owensboro Convention Center.
No place like here
Lientz said racing officials have told him that no place in North America has an area equal to Owensboro's for watching the boats race.
He said from the time the boats leave the pits until they return after the race is about 12 minutes.
"There is continuous action," Lientz said. "People today want quick entertainment."
Fans will see 40 heats of racing on Saturday and Sunday — 20 heats each day.
"If you just come for an hour, you'll see four races," Lientz said.
The boats are very loud, he said, people should wear ear plugs.
Lientz said this HydroFair is not like the ones the city saw in the 1970s.
"Everything has changed in hydroplane racing since then," he said. "And in dramatic fashion. The only thing remaining constant is someone wins and someone loses."
The unlimiteds — the big hydroplanes with up to 3,000 horsepower and speeds approaching 200 mph — won't be back.
But the smaller boats are even more exciting, Lientz said.
"The Grand Prix class is the loudest, fastest, most impressive," he said.
Grand Prix boats are a minimum of 23 feet long, have 1,500 horsepower and hit speeds of about 170 mph, the American Power Boat Association says.
In the '70s, most races featured a dozen or fewer — usually fewer — boats.
This weekend's races will feature more than 60, Lientz said.
And most years, at least a couple of the unlimiteds had engine problems.
Lientz said modern boats rarely break down.
Friday, Aug. 20—River closed to boat traffic from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
—Hydroplane testing 1 to 5:30 p.m.
Saturday—River closed to boat traffic from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
—Opening ceremonies 9:30 a.m.
—Preliminary racing heats 10 a.m. to noon
—Lunch break noon to 1 p.m.
—Preliminary racing heats 1 to 5 p.m.
Sunday—River closed to boat traffic from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
—Opening ceremonies 9:30 a.m.
—Preliminary racing heats 10 a.m. to noon
—Lunch break noon to 1 p.m.
—Championship racing heats 1 to 5 p.m.
—Awards ceremony in English Park 5:30 p.m.
Keith Lawrence, 270-691-7301 klawrence@messenger-inquirer.com
Keith Lawrence, 270-691-7301
