Ocean City Race in the News
09-08-2006 | 09:57 AM
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Ocean City Race in the News
Full throttle on the high seas
Powerboat Racing comes to Ocean City, the second to last stop of the season
OCEAN CITY -- What some have called the NASCAR of the water will come to Ocean City's waters this weekend, bringing a thrill to drivers and spectators.
"With NASCAR you have a hard surface, but with offshore racing you have whatever mother nature is going to give you," said Phil Houck, owner of Bull on the Beach and a sponsor of the event.
Ocean City will be the racers' second to last stop for the summer before their last race of the year at the World Championship races in Florida in November. Ocean City's race is offering a $25,000 purse.
"The purse attracts boaters," said Ron Polli, an organizer from the Offshore Performance Association. "Sometimes we'll even put up a $50,000 purse."
He said he expects about 35 boats to participate.
Unlike NASCAR, these racers aren't famous but they are into the race professionally.
"There are no prima donnas," Polli said. "They're doing this because they enjoy it."
Polli can understand, he said he's a racer himself and even claimed the win in Ocean City in 1996.
Growing up in Point Pleasant, N.J., where the OPA is stationed, he said the race was always a big part of his childhood.
"Everyone has their passion for poison in one way or another," he said. "Some guys like NASCAR, some like drag racing, for me it's powerboat racing and it always has been since I was little."
He said it was the biggest race of the year when he was a child.
"I've been running races now since 1983, I took two years off to race," he said.
Resort residents might remember the powerboats from when they came to town a couple years in a row in the 1990s and for the last time in 2000. Difficulty finding sponsorship in the area has kept them at other arenas.
"It's always a challenge to get race sites because it's not just a place to hold a race, it's money," Polli said.
The boats do make it to the Hyatt in Cambridge every year, usually as the last stop on their race tour before their finale in November. Last year, local Rob Asner attended the race and wondered why it never came to Ocean City anymore.
"I met the president of the race association and we casually started talking," Asner said. "I asked him had he ever thought about coming back to Ocean City and he said there was nobody to help. That's I guess when the light bulb went off in my head."
Asner rallied friends and local businesses together to get sponsorship for the event. He asked the owner of Sunset Marina if the race could be hosted there.
"They were more or less happy to open up the doors for us," Asner said. "They've allowed us to use the whole marina as a staging."
Houck, who was involved with the races from 1992 to 1999, will host an arrival party for the racers at his restaurant Friday at 8 p.m. at its West Ocean City location. On Sunday, all the boats will be at Sunset Marina and the public is invited to come meet drivers and check out their boats.
"The boats are really large and colorful, it's something people really enjoy, it's really family friendly," Asner said.
The racers will run their course in a rectangle from Fifth to 45th streets beginning at 1 p.m. on Sunday. The race can be viewed from anywhere on the beach or at the Commander Hotel, which will have a viewing balcony.
2006 Ocean City Offshore Grand Prix Schedule of Events
Friday, Sept. 8
All day. Arrival of race boats
1-4 p.m. Inspections at dry pits at Sunset Marina in West Ocean City
8-11 p.m. Meet the racers party at Bull on the Beach on Route 50.
Saturday, Sept. 9
All day. Boats on display in dry pits at Sunset Marina in West Ocean City
Noon to 4 p.m. Crane in operation
8-11 p.m. Racer party at Commander Hotel, back deck
Sunday, Sept. 10
All day. Race boats on display in dry pits
10:30 a.m. Course bouys set
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Crane in operation
Noon. Course support fleet on station
1 p.m. Start of Offshore Grand Prix
2:30 p.m. Course shut down
6 p.m. Awards ceremony at Sunset Bar & Grille, Sunset Marina in West Ocean City.
Link to Article and Pictures
Powerboat Racing comes to Ocean City, the second to last stop of the season
OCEAN CITY -- What some have called the NASCAR of the water will come to Ocean City's waters this weekend, bringing a thrill to drivers and spectators.
"With NASCAR you have a hard surface, but with offshore racing you have whatever mother nature is going to give you," said Phil Houck, owner of Bull on the Beach and a sponsor of the event.
Ocean City will be the racers' second to last stop for the summer before their last race of the year at the World Championship races in Florida in November. Ocean City's race is offering a $25,000 purse.
"The purse attracts boaters," said Ron Polli, an organizer from the Offshore Performance Association. "Sometimes we'll even put up a $50,000 purse."
He said he expects about 35 boats to participate.
Unlike NASCAR, these racers aren't famous but they are into the race professionally.
"There are no prima donnas," Polli said. "They're doing this because they enjoy it."
Polli can understand, he said he's a racer himself and even claimed the win in Ocean City in 1996.
Growing up in Point Pleasant, N.J., where the OPA is stationed, he said the race was always a big part of his childhood.
"Everyone has their passion for poison in one way or another," he said. "Some guys like NASCAR, some like drag racing, for me it's powerboat racing and it always has been since I was little."
He said it was the biggest race of the year when he was a child.
"I've been running races now since 1983, I took two years off to race," he said.
Resort residents might remember the powerboats from when they came to town a couple years in a row in the 1990s and for the last time in 2000. Difficulty finding sponsorship in the area has kept them at other arenas.
"It's always a challenge to get race sites because it's not just a place to hold a race, it's money," Polli said.
The boats do make it to the Hyatt in Cambridge every year, usually as the last stop on their race tour before their finale in November. Last year, local Rob Asner attended the race and wondered why it never came to Ocean City anymore.
"I met the president of the race association and we casually started talking," Asner said. "I asked him had he ever thought about coming back to Ocean City and he said there was nobody to help. That's I guess when the light bulb went off in my head."
Asner rallied friends and local businesses together to get sponsorship for the event. He asked the owner of Sunset Marina if the race could be hosted there.
"They were more or less happy to open up the doors for us," Asner said. "They've allowed us to use the whole marina as a staging."
Houck, who was involved with the races from 1992 to 1999, will host an arrival party for the racers at his restaurant Friday at 8 p.m. at its West Ocean City location. On Sunday, all the boats will be at Sunset Marina and the public is invited to come meet drivers and check out their boats.
"The boats are really large and colorful, it's something people really enjoy, it's really family friendly," Asner said.
The racers will run their course in a rectangle from Fifth to 45th streets beginning at 1 p.m. on Sunday. The race can be viewed from anywhere on the beach or at the Commander Hotel, which will have a viewing balcony.
2006 Ocean City Offshore Grand Prix Schedule of Events
Friday, Sept. 8
All day. Arrival of race boats
1-4 p.m. Inspections at dry pits at Sunset Marina in West Ocean City
8-11 p.m. Meet the racers party at Bull on the Beach on Route 50.
Saturday, Sept. 9
All day. Boats on display in dry pits at Sunset Marina in West Ocean City
Noon to 4 p.m. Crane in operation
8-11 p.m. Racer party at Commander Hotel, back deck
Sunday, Sept. 10
All day. Race boats on display in dry pits
10:30 a.m. Course bouys set
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Crane in operation
Noon. Course support fleet on station
1 p.m. Start of Offshore Grand Prix
2:30 p.m. Course shut down
6 p.m. Awards ceremony at Sunset Bar & Grille, Sunset Marina in West Ocean City.
Link to Article and Pictures
