5th Annual Super Boat Great Lakes Grand Prix - Michigan City, Indiana - August 1-4

[Serious News]

Super Boats Headed to Indiana Coast of Lake Michigan
By SBI on July 25, 2013

Michigan City, IN (July 25, 2013) – The next stop for Super Boat International is the 5th Annual Super Boat Great Lakes Grand Prix on Lake Michigan in Michigan City, Indiana, August 1-4. The 2012 Grand Prix Event brought in an estimated 100,000 people and nearly 7 million dollars to the community. As reported by the NWI Times, this year should even be better, as last year’s racing action never happened due to high seas. The crowds enjoyed sunny skies and a beautiful day, however the lake had 8-10 foot waves which made it unsafe to race and unsafe for the medical rescue teams.

Super Boat teams have been racing hard all season, which started in April, and they are prepared for another exciting race in Michigan City. Along with the teams, the president of Super Boat International, John Carbonell, believes it will be a great event. “Last year was very unfortunate and something no one could have predicted. That was the first race we have had to cancel due to weather in over 500 races. The previous 3 races [4 events] have been fantastic and have been gaining momentum every year. In the event there is a threat of severe weather for Sunday, the decision will be made well in advance to run on Saturday. The LaPorte County team with Jack Arnett and Jason Miller and their entire group of volunteers make this a great event. We are proud to be the show that everyone recognizes as the area’s biggest draw and most rewarding for economic stimulus in surrounding counties.

Teams in the Superboat, Super Stock and SuperVee have been real crowd pleasers this season and that’s not to dismiss the other classes who just rip up the racecourse. The previous race in Sarasota, Florida was flanked by 1000’s of spectator boats on a beautiful sunny day. Super Boat is hoping to see the spectator fleet line the course from the lighthouse all the way down the 2-mile course.

In the Super Vee Class, one boat looking to make their season debut is the Snowy Mountain Brewery #14 Outerlimit. Owner / throttleman, Doctor Mike Janssen, is looking forward to the race. “It’s been such a very busy year with my practice and I haven’t had the opportunity to race. However, I was able to make it to the first race of the season and support the team who purchased my Fountain ‘Watch Your Back’ Vee bottom. The people there are very nice and the town is really getting behind the event.”

There are a lot of great racers and teams this year and the race for the National Title is very close. As teams close in on the later half of the year, the boat setup and managing to make it to the end of the race is becoming some of the highest goals for teams. Making to the end of an 80-mile race might not seem like a lot, but the races this year have been in rough seas and it has been very tough on equipment. The 2013 season has seen very little of equipment failure from teams and it has proven to be a very exciting season of racing.

Teams will be arriving Friday, August 2, for the dry pits to set up their equipment. This is where fans can get an up-close look at all the boats and can get a chance to talk to their favorite teams. Teams and drivers always encourage the fans to come down and spend time in the pits, where they can get a chance to swap racing (boating) stories.

This year, our Sunday races will be streamed on https://new.livestream.com/sbi/michigancity2013 so you won’t miss any of the action, if you can’t make it to the beaches. Or if you’re on the beach, you can watch and listen to it on your smartphone. On the Livestream page, listen to the race, see the interviews, chat live and watch all the action as it happens. Fans can stay connected with us at superboat.com and Like Us on Facebook for all this year’s news. The Super Boat schedule is posted through 2013 & 2014 with races coming up in New York, NY; Clearwater and Key West, FL.

[Serious News]

Event - 5th Annual Super Boat Great Lakes Grand Prix
Dry Pits - Washington Park
Location - 200 Heisman Harbor, Michigan City, IN


Thursday • August 1, 2013
Boats Arrive at Washington Park
5:00pm Opening ceremonies, Washington Park
7:00 pm - 10:00 pm VIP / Meet The Racers party at Clubhouse Bar & Grill US 20 Michigan City


Friday • August 2, 2013
9:00 am - 5:00 pm Dry Pit/ Race Village open to public – Washington Park- #6 On the Lake – 200 Heisman Harbor Drive
9:00 am - 5:00 pm Registration: Washington Park- #6 On the Lake – 200 Heisman Harbor Drive
9:00 am - 5:00 pm Inspection: Washington Park
11:00 am - 11:00 pm Vendors and beer Garden open
4:00 pm - 10:00 pm First Friday Art Walk & Taste of Michigan City, Downtown
7:00 pm VIP/ Meet the Racers party at Matey’s
8:00 pm 11:00 pm Roster McCabe Live at Jaycee Pavilion, Washington Park


Saturday • August 3, 2013
8:30 am Mandatory Drivers Meeting: Washington Park
9:00 am - 5:00 pm Meet the Racers: Washington Park Dry Pits Open to public
9:00 am 11:00 pm Vendors and Beer Garden Open
10:00 am - 5:00 pm Registration: Washington Park
10:00 am - 5:00 pm Inspection: Washington Park
12:00 pm - 5:00 pm Testing: As per the SBIP Rulebook
12:00 pm - 5:00 pm Launching: Washington Park
10:00 pm - 4:00 pm Classic Car Show: Presented by 4-A’s Car Club Inc. Washington Park
12:00 pm - 10:00 pm Taste of Michigan City, Downtown
6:00 pm Boat Parade and Block Party Downtown Michigan City
8:00 pm - 11:00 pm Keith Scott Blues Band, Jaycee’s Pavilion Washington Park


Sunday • August 4, 2013 – Race Day
7:30 am - 8:30 am Physicals: Washington Park
8:00 am - 4:00 pm Launching: Washington Park
8:30 am Mandatory Drivers Meeting: Washington Park
9:00 am Dry Pits / Race Village Open to Public : Washington Park
9:00 am - 5:00 pm Vendors and Beer Garden Open
10:00 am FAA pilots meeting: Memorial Hospital Property
11:00 am - 12:30 pm VIP tented Brunch, catered by Great Lakes Catering
10:45 am Boats Parade to Mill Area
11:00 am Start of 1st Race: Washington Park
12:45 pm Boats Parade to Mill Area
1:00 pm Start of 2nd Race: Washington Park
5:00 pm - Awards Ceremony / Banquet:Stardust Event Center, Blue Chip Casino, Hotel and Spa. VIP’s and Public welcome

[Ratickle]

On my way.

[Ratickle]

First race is over. Nice run between Stihl, By rider, and WHM.