Serious News
12-19-2014, 09:29 PM
By Brandon Messick Parker Pioneer
The April 2015 Lucas Oil drag boat race has been moved to Parker after more than a year and three races in Lake Havasu City. Havasu’s seasonal wind has taken the wind out of the city’s sails.
Lake Havasu City Fire Marshal Chip Shilosky, who serves as the chairman of the Convention and Visitors Bureau’s event committee, oversaw the approval process for the previous races. “Wind is always a continual problem here,” he said. “Last year, they couldn’t commence the race in a timely fashion because of the wind. We’d have liked to have kept the event here, but we understand that it’s a big commitment for Lucas Oil, and they’d rather not fight the weather.”
Parker Mayor Dan Beaver said there were once many motorboat races that were hosted in Parker, but have since gone elsewhere. In fact, Beaver’s father, Marion, was a world champion boat racer who was largely responsible for bringing boat races to Parker starting in the late 1940s.
“Any event we can have here is a big thing for this community,” Beaver said. “For Parker, it will be a big economic event for the community. I didn’t know, but I’m happy they’re coming. It sounds like a win-win for Parker.”
La Paz County District 2 Supervisor King Clapperton said he was supportive of the move.
"Historically, drag boat races have been a draw to the Parker Strip. No reason to see why this wouldn't happen."
Parker Tourism Coordinator Josh Savino said he’s excited about the new event.
“Whenever a race series chooses Parker as a venue, it’s good for everybody,” Savino said. “The people, the businesses, and the sport itself.”
“It will be a great way to start the spring and head into summer,” Savino added.
La Paz County Sheriff’s Lt. Alan Nelson, the department’s boating safety officer, gave this statement to the Pioneer:
“We don't have the USCG Marine Event Permit application information as of yet, so I don't really know what this Event will entail. However, Parker and La Paz (formerly Yuma) County have a long history of boat races, particularly drag boat races, going back at least 50 years. Any event that brings or introduces people to the Parker area is beneficial to the area and its businesses. As a matter of fact, there is currently a drag boat race (Southwest Shootout 4) permitted for Parker in late February. The Sheriff's Office supports those permitted events which bring exposure
and tourism to the area.”
The bi-annual races began in October 2013, but high winds in Havasu caused complications and potential safety hazards for racers this April. The October races will continue to take place in Havasu, when the region’s winds are relatively calmer.
Kenny Lowry, a Havasu native, has been a volunteer coordinator for the event since its beginning. “People will generally line up all along Rotary Park, down to Body Beach, and even on the Island. People will get on their boats and go out beyond the safety zone to watch. (The races) are good for the city and everyone who lives here.”
Lowry is optimistic about the change in venue, however, and acknowledges the risks of racing under Havasu’s high winds. “Wind has a lot to do with drag boating. You can generally race if the wind is blowing to the south, because that’s the direction of the course. But if it’s not, the safety factor becomes an issue. These boats are very temperamental. Wind can create a series of wakes and create a hazard. If it’s blowing faster than 15-20 miles per hour, we just won’t race.”
Less wind in Parker’s valleys will mean less time to prepare, and less waiting. “Parker is really nice,” Lowry said. “It’s a lot different from (Havasu). It takes a lot less to get it going. It’s going to be really nice.”
The races will return to Havasu on Oct. 2-4, but the loss of the April races in Havasu will mean a loss to the Havasu community, according to CVB Director Doug Traub. The CVB expects a financial loss of approximately $500,000, but the loss is by no means catastrophic.
“When we first approached Lucas Oil to host these events, we only wanted to do the fall season’s races,” Traub said. “We have a very positive relationship with Lucas Oil, and we’re still where we want to be.”
An average of 8,000-10,000 people attend the drag boat races over the course of a weekend, Traub says, and even with the April races’ relocation to Parker, there will be more than enough revenue to go around in the form of food and lodging in Havasu that Parker may not be able to accommodate.
“(Havasu’s) been wonderful,” said Lucas Oil Motorsports Operations Director Mike Chastain. “We want to keep the economic impact up for Havasu, and I think we will, with people traveling to Havasu for food and lodging they can’t get in Parker.”
Chastain estimates that 60 percent - 65 percent of spectators for the races are visiting from outside of the region, bringing new money into the community with every race.
“The thing about Parker is that it’s protected from the wind. If you invested $300,000 on one of these drag boats, you’d want to be cautious. It’s a roll of the dice if we want to do one in April. We’ve had a couple of meetings with the BlueWater Casino, and they’ve been really excited. Everyone seems really geared up and ready to go.”
Lucas Oil has used motorsports as a springboard for selling its products for years, according to Chastain. In a region known for its tourism and its enthusiasm for motorsports, Lucas Oil sees the races in April and October as a partnership with the Parker and Havasu communities to market its products and to provide a show for the region’s motorsports fans.
The Lucas Oil jet boat race will be held April 10-12, in front of Parker’s BlueWater Casino.
Pioneer reporter John Gutekunst contributed to this story.
http://www.parkerpioneer.net/news/article_4caa4dc6-7fd0-11e4-a908-83fa634d6125.html
The April 2015 Lucas Oil drag boat race has been moved to Parker after more than a year and three races in Lake Havasu City. Havasu’s seasonal wind has taken the wind out of the city’s sails.
Lake Havasu City Fire Marshal Chip Shilosky, who serves as the chairman of the Convention and Visitors Bureau’s event committee, oversaw the approval process for the previous races. “Wind is always a continual problem here,” he said. “Last year, they couldn’t commence the race in a timely fashion because of the wind. We’d have liked to have kept the event here, but we understand that it’s a big commitment for Lucas Oil, and they’d rather not fight the weather.”
Parker Mayor Dan Beaver said there were once many motorboat races that were hosted in Parker, but have since gone elsewhere. In fact, Beaver’s father, Marion, was a world champion boat racer who was largely responsible for bringing boat races to Parker starting in the late 1940s.
“Any event we can have here is a big thing for this community,” Beaver said. “For Parker, it will be a big economic event for the community. I didn’t know, but I’m happy they’re coming. It sounds like a win-win for Parker.”
La Paz County District 2 Supervisor King Clapperton said he was supportive of the move.
"Historically, drag boat races have been a draw to the Parker Strip. No reason to see why this wouldn't happen."
Parker Tourism Coordinator Josh Savino said he’s excited about the new event.
“Whenever a race series chooses Parker as a venue, it’s good for everybody,” Savino said. “The people, the businesses, and the sport itself.”
“It will be a great way to start the spring and head into summer,” Savino added.
La Paz County Sheriff’s Lt. Alan Nelson, the department’s boating safety officer, gave this statement to the Pioneer:
“We don't have the USCG Marine Event Permit application information as of yet, so I don't really know what this Event will entail. However, Parker and La Paz (formerly Yuma) County have a long history of boat races, particularly drag boat races, going back at least 50 years. Any event that brings or introduces people to the Parker area is beneficial to the area and its businesses. As a matter of fact, there is currently a drag boat race (Southwest Shootout 4) permitted for Parker in late February. The Sheriff's Office supports those permitted events which bring exposure
and tourism to the area.”
The bi-annual races began in October 2013, but high winds in Havasu caused complications and potential safety hazards for racers this April. The October races will continue to take place in Havasu, when the region’s winds are relatively calmer.
Kenny Lowry, a Havasu native, has been a volunteer coordinator for the event since its beginning. “People will generally line up all along Rotary Park, down to Body Beach, and even on the Island. People will get on their boats and go out beyond the safety zone to watch. (The races) are good for the city and everyone who lives here.”
Lowry is optimistic about the change in venue, however, and acknowledges the risks of racing under Havasu’s high winds. “Wind has a lot to do with drag boating. You can generally race if the wind is blowing to the south, because that’s the direction of the course. But if it’s not, the safety factor becomes an issue. These boats are very temperamental. Wind can create a series of wakes and create a hazard. If it’s blowing faster than 15-20 miles per hour, we just won’t race.”
Less wind in Parker’s valleys will mean less time to prepare, and less waiting. “Parker is really nice,” Lowry said. “It’s a lot different from (Havasu). It takes a lot less to get it going. It’s going to be really nice.”
The races will return to Havasu on Oct. 2-4, but the loss of the April races in Havasu will mean a loss to the Havasu community, according to CVB Director Doug Traub. The CVB expects a financial loss of approximately $500,000, but the loss is by no means catastrophic.
“When we first approached Lucas Oil to host these events, we only wanted to do the fall season’s races,” Traub said. “We have a very positive relationship with Lucas Oil, and we’re still where we want to be.”
An average of 8,000-10,000 people attend the drag boat races over the course of a weekend, Traub says, and even with the April races’ relocation to Parker, there will be more than enough revenue to go around in the form of food and lodging in Havasu that Parker may not be able to accommodate.
“(Havasu’s) been wonderful,” said Lucas Oil Motorsports Operations Director Mike Chastain. “We want to keep the economic impact up for Havasu, and I think we will, with people traveling to Havasu for food and lodging they can’t get in Parker.”
Chastain estimates that 60 percent - 65 percent of spectators for the races are visiting from outside of the region, bringing new money into the community with every race.
“The thing about Parker is that it’s protected from the wind. If you invested $300,000 on one of these drag boats, you’d want to be cautious. It’s a roll of the dice if we want to do one in April. We’ve had a couple of meetings with the BlueWater Casino, and they’ve been really excited. Everyone seems really geared up and ready to go.”
Lucas Oil has used motorsports as a springboard for selling its products for years, according to Chastain. In a region known for its tourism and its enthusiasm for motorsports, Lucas Oil sees the races in April and October as a partnership with the Parker and Havasu communities to market its products and to provide a show for the region’s motorsports fans.
The Lucas Oil jet boat race will be held April 10-12, in front of Parker’s BlueWater Casino.
Pioneer reporter John Gutekunst contributed to this story.
http://www.parkerpioneer.net/news/article_4caa4dc6-7fd0-11e4-a908-83fa634d6125.html