Serious News
03-31-2016, 08:18 PM
Key players in talks to revive H1 Unlimited in Evansville
By STUART HAMMER
Life moves fast in downtown Evansville, but the thousands who occupy Riverside Drive every day pale in comparison to the speed that could come thundering on the Ohio once more.
Remember the race, rooster tails and roar of the engines?
A small group is running after a realistic chance to revive H1 racing.
It's a 30 year tradition in the River City, but it has been years since the last hydroplane boat bounced across the river. The last large-scale H1 event was 2008.
The race was called off because of waning interest and high costs, but officials say now there are new faces involved.
Eyewitness News has learned a few key players are now in talks to make the big show happen once more.
Chairman of H1, Steve David says his focus is opening doors. “Evansville has such a rich history in the sport.”
He says he's in talks with an Evansville car dealer to bring Thunder on the Ohio back.
An exciting thought for folks in the city.
“It was a lot of fun,” Roxy Sheckells says, “the roar of the engine, you could just feel, it was exciting.”
Cierra Smith says, “There's so much going on, you people watch, I love doing that.”
Race leaders say they need support from the city, Coast Guard, and local sponsors to make it happen.
If all falls into place, David says boats could be in the water as soon as June.
“The good news with Evansville is we're got infrastructure there, we've got volunteers from past years, so it's much easier than starting in a city that's never had the race before.”
Racers call it the fastest 2 mile course on the circuit, and a favorite among pilots.
A perfect fit for a comeback to Dress Plaza.
“They built that beautiful facility down on the waterfront that just seems kind of empty without having the boat races there,” David says.
While life moves fast in the city, it could soon move even faster.
http://www.tristatehomepage.com/news/local-news/hydroplane-racing-could-come-roaring-back-to-river-city
By STUART HAMMER
Life moves fast in downtown Evansville, but the thousands who occupy Riverside Drive every day pale in comparison to the speed that could come thundering on the Ohio once more.
Remember the race, rooster tails and roar of the engines?
A small group is running after a realistic chance to revive H1 racing.
It's a 30 year tradition in the River City, but it has been years since the last hydroplane boat bounced across the river. The last large-scale H1 event was 2008.
The race was called off because of waning interest and high costs, but officials say now there are new faces involved.
Eyewitness News has learned a few key players are now in talks to make the big show happen once more.
Chairman of H1, Steve David says his focus is opening doors. “Evansville has such a rich history in the sport.”
He says he's in talks with an Evansville car dealer to bring Thunder on the Ohio back.
An exciting thought for folks in the city.
“It was a lot of fun,” Roxy Sheckells says, “the roar of the engine, you could just feel, it was exciting.”
Cierra Smith says, “There's so much going on, you people watch, I love doing that.”
Race leaders say they need support from the city, Coast Guard, and local sponsors to make it happen.
If all falls into place, David says boats could be in the water as soon as June.
“The good news with Evansville is we're got infrastructure there, we've got volunteers from past years, so it's much easier than starting in a city that's never had the race before.”
Racers call it the fastest 2 mile course on the circuit, and a favorite among pilots.
A perfect fit for a comeback to Dress Plaza.
“They built that beautiful facility down on the waterfront that just seems kind of empty without having the boat races there,” David says.
While life moves fast in the city, it could soon move even faster.
http://www.tristatehomepage.com/news/local-news/hydroplane-racing-could-come-roaring-back-to-river-city