The city council recently approved an $8,000 contract between Claremore and the Oklahoma Boat Racing Association to host a national boat race in August.

“Bringing a group in of this size it is a great way to showcase Claremore, Claremore Lake Park and the entire region. It also has a very positive impact on the community by visitors spending their dollars here,” said Tanya Andrews, executive director of Claremore Expo and Tourism Development.

The $8,000 bid fee will cover competitors’ travel expenses.

“The competitors will be arriving from all over the United States,” said Andrews.

As part of the contract, the Oklahoma Boat Racing Association will provide $1 million in liability insurance for the event.

“They (the Oklahoma Boat Racing Association) are co-hosting it with us. They are designated as the host club. They will provide certified officials for the races, and they will provide a watercraft team just in case a boat dies in the water or a driver tips the boat over and falls into the lake,” said Andrews.

Visit Claremore will work to secure food trucks for the event, create a cooling station, provide welcome bags for competitors and provide a children’s activity area.

“Visit Claremore has already sent a Claremore Visitor’s Guide to every member of the National Boating Association so they can plan their time in Claremore. For a lot of these guys, this is their vacation and family time. They want to see the sights, eat at the local restaurants, shop the local shops and visit the museums while they are here,” Andrews said.

This is the first year for Claremore to host the two-day national event.

“It was a special recruiting effort between Jim Thomas, myself and Joe Kays,” said Andrews. “The community should know that this is going to be a free event, which will give them an opportunity to see the races, meet the drivers and look at the boats.”

Claremore is also partnering with several area emergency responders to ensure safety throughout the event.

“This event is collaborative among many different agencies,” said Andrews.

According to Andrews, the potential economic impact of the event is $500,000. The competitors will return for a three-day conference in November, and it is expected to have a $100,000 economic impact.

The event will have over 200 competitors, and Andrews is expecting nearly 5,000 attendees each day of the two-day event.

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