Super Boat Great Lakes Grand Prix ready for Michigan City action

by Super Boat International on 26 Jul 2013 The next stop for Super Boat International is the fifth 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 seven 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 three races [four 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 latter 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) Super Boat website