By Rick Stoff
RICHMOND, TEXAS (January 31) - The Champ Boat Series has been signed to sanction the 2003 Dobson Industrial River Roar on the Saginaw River at Bay City, Mich., on June 20-22. Champ Boat will conduct competition in the Champ, SST-120 and SST-45 classes at the sixteenth annual running of the prestigious event.
"The race has been going really well the past couple of years," said Rick Nelsen, president of Bay City River Roar Inc., a volunteer organization that conducts the race. "We are looking forward to putting on another really good event and are fired up about having Champ Boat on board."
Dobson Industrial is returning as title sponsor of the event, which will include the UIM World Championships for the SST-120 class. The race weekend will include a golf tournament on Thursday and a street party Thursday night. A live concert featuring a national touring group will be held on Friday night.
The Bay City River Roar is the second-oldest race in North America for tunnel-hull outboards, second only to the St. Louis Championship Grand Prix, which will be run for the 32nd time in 2003.
The River Roar was founded to bring tourism to Bay City and to raise money for area charities, Nelsen said. "We're totally a volunteer organization. Our primary focus is to raise money for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Bay City. In the last two years we have been fortunate enough to be able to donate $27,000 to various Bay City charities."
The addition of the Dobson Industrial River Roar brings the 2003 schedule for the Champ Boat Series to eight events.
"We couldn't be more happy to have Bay City on our schedule," said Champ Boat Series executive Greg Jacobsen. "This is one of the premier boat races in all of the world. We are looking forward to working with all the great people who have been involved with the race all the years that we have been going there."
Champ Boat has brought four new sites into Champ-class boat racing in its first two seasons. The Advocate's False River Powerboat Championships in New Roads, La., served as the first Champ Boat Series race last year and returns this June. New races will be held this season in Tampico, Mexico, Niagara Falls, N.Y., and Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
Bob Schubert, also a Champ Boat executive, has been visiting Bay City for years as a race official and boat owner. "This is one of a boat racer's favorite places on earth," he said. "They have a race site that is perfectly suited for spectators, and the rough water makes it a real challenge for drivers. The River Roar committee puts on a totally first-class event and gives us one of the biggest audiences we see all year. When we come back every summer, it's like returning home to visit our friends."
Mercury Racing returns as presenting sponsor of Champ Boat in 2003. Other sponsors returning to the series are Telmex, Polaris Personal Watercraft, Sunoco Racing Fuels, XG-Ad, Craftsmen Industries and Racing Communications. Sea-Way Marine and Hydro-Tec are joining the series in 2003 as new sponsors of the SST-120 class.
Additional information can be found at the series web site: www.champboatracing.com.
Champ Boat Series 2003
May 16-18 Tampico, Mexico Champ & SST-120
June 7-8 New Roads, Louisiana Champ & SST-120
June 20-22 Bay City, Michigan Champ, SST-120 & SST-45
July 18-20 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Champ
August 2-3 Niagara Falls, New York Champ & SST-120
August 15-17 St. Louis, Missouri Champ & SST-120
August 23-24 Windsor, Colorado Champ & SST-120
September 6-7 Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan Champ & SST-120
RICHMOND, TEXAS (January 31) - The Champ Boat Series has been signed to sanction the 2003 Dobson Industrial River Roar on the Saginaw River at Bay City, Mich., on June 20-22. Champ Boat will conduct competition in the Champ, SST-120 and SST-45 classes at the sixteenth annual running of the prestigious event.
"The race has been going really well the past couple of years," said Rick Nelsen, president of Bay City River Roar Inc., a volunteer organization that conducts the race. "We are looking forward to putting on another really good event and are fired up about having Champ Boat on board."
Dobson Industrial is returning as title sponsor of the event, which will include the UIM World Championships for the SST-120 class. The race weekend will include a golf tournament on Thursday and a street party Thursday night. A live concert featuring a national touring group will be held on Friday night.
The Bay City River Roar is the second-oldest race in North America for tunnel-hull outboards, second only to the St. Louis Championship Grand Prix, which will be run for the 32nd time in 2003.
The River Roar was founded to bring tourism to Bay City and to raise money for area charities, Nelsen said. "We're totally a volunteer organization. Our primary focus is to raise money for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Bay City. In the last two years we have been fortunate enough to be able to donate $27,000 to various Bay City charities."
The addition of the Dobson Industrial River Roar brings the 2003 schedule for the Champ Boat Series to eight events.
"We couldn't be more happy to have Bay City on our schedule," said Champ Boat Series executive Greg Jacobsen. "This is one of the premier boat races in all of the world. We are looking forward to working with all the great people who have been involved with the race all the years that we have been going there."
Champ Boat has brought four new sites into Champ-class boat racing in its first two seasons. The Advocate's False River Powerboat Championships in New Roads, La., served as the first Champ Boat Series race last year and returns this June. New races will be held this season in Tampico, Mexico, Niagara Falls, N.Y., and Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
Bob Schubert, also a Champ Boat executive, has been visiting Bay City for years as a race official and boat owner. "This is one of a boat racer's favorite places on earth," he said. "They have a race site that is perfectly suited for spectators, and the rough water makes it a real challenge for drivers. The River Roar committee puts on a totally first-class event and gives us one of the biggest audiences we see all year. When we come back every summer, it's like returning home to visit our friends."
Mercury Racing returns as presenting sponsor of Champ Boat in 2003. Other sponsors returning to the series are Telmex, Polaris Personal Watercraft, Sunoco Racing Fuels, XG-Ad, Craftsmen Industries and Racing Communications. Sea-Way Marine and Hydro-Tec are joining the series in 2003 as new sponsors of the SST-120 class.
Additional information can be found at the series web site: www.champboatracing.com.
Champ Boat Series 2003
May 16-18 Tampico, Mexico Champ & SST-120
June 7-8 New Roads, Louisiana Champ & SST-120
June 20-22 Bay City, Michigan Champ, SST-120 & SST-45
July 18-20 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Champ
August 2-3 Niagara Falls, New York Champ & SST-120
August 15-17 St. Louis, Missouri Champ & SST-120
August 23-24 Windsor, Colorado Champ & SST-120
September 6-7 Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan Champ & SST-120
