PORT ANGELES, Washington (July 14, 2011) — The newest, greatest Sprint Boat track to hold the National Finals for the USSBA Racing Series is being dug and manicured nearly as we speak.

I am being told a 30-foot berm around the track is complete. This is not just a track, this is sports arena!

Though this writer has yet to witness even the first inklings of this track, even as I was chatting with Dan Morrison, owner of the Sprint Boat Arena track within the Extreme Sports Park (names could change), during the race at Thunder Swamp, he was taking calls from his workers at Port Angeles that were in the process of digging this track.

If anyone had ANY doubt that Port Angeles was going to happen, and didn't make plans...Then you're going to miss the party of the year.

We have our USSBA/Alaskan Airlines pilot that flies over the track on nearly a daily basis. What more would anyone need?

We're working on getting some photos. The workers have been so, so busy with the whacky weather issues that they have not had time to shoot many photos.

UPDATE:

Here are the latest photos from the Sprint Boat track at the Extreme Sports Park. Amazing! The berm is 30 feet high and will encircle a majority of the track. There will not be a bad seat in the house!

And speaking of seats, there will also be bleachers with a seating capacity for 500!

Enjoy the photos!

(CLICK ON ANY PHOTO FOR A LARGER VERSION)

PASCO, Washington (June 9, 2011) — Lucas Oil's "On The Edge" show was at Webb's Slough August 2010 and recorded the entire event. Up until now we have only seen the Super Boat segment that has been repeatedly broadcasted since January.

Group A-400: June 18th 4:30pm PT and again on June 20 at 12:30pm PT

Super-Modified: July 16th at 12:30pm PT

Note that all shows will be re-re-repeated so don't freak out if you miss one. There is a rumor that DVD's will appear from the heavens.

East Wenatchee, Washington (July 3, 2011) — Dawn Collings, Events Coordinator for East Wenatchee, has been seen around town on a daily basis carrying around a 5-foot, green plastic alligator. This creature has also been spied stuck to the top of Eric Granstrom's (Wenatchee Valley Sports Council Marketing Director) truck and Dawn's Jeep. Not sure if that's cruel and unusual, but the gator seems to enjoy the fresh air.

He appears at meetings, hands out business cards and keeps watch at the office. This gator wears many hats as Dawn and Eric go about their business.

Yeah. Maybe a little weird. But there is a method to the madness.

The gator (which can be seen in several iterations) has now become the official Thunder Swamp mascot. The community recently held a name-the-gator contest on FaceBook and the plastic reptile is now known as Turbo. Turbo now appears on all the flyers and other promotional material for the track and its two races this year and is a prominent graphic on their website as they prepare for the July 9th race.

For complete information on the race, ticket availability, where to purchase, parking, pit passes, directions to the track, directions and times of the show and shine on Friday evening, go to the Thunder Swamp website.

Last year's race was a wild one with 62 DNFs on the brand new, super-tight course. Some of the turns have been "loosened up" for this season so the boats should be able to maneuver a little better. This is definitely a driver's course that requires precise, technical driving. Most tracks are higher speed, put the pedal-to-the-floor type courses so coming to a course this tight is fairly new to the majority of the drivers.

But, as a prelude to the Thunder Swamp race, the first race at Webb's Slough in St. John, Washington was a very tight rotation that caused several of the drivers fits as they tried to make it through the tight, twisty corners. I have spoken with several of the teams since that event and they are trying several methods to try and get around Thunder Swamp more efficiently.

The weather is currently forecasted to be in the mid 80's and (cross your fingers) a light breeze. So, it will be a perfect day for racing and for some of the teams, will be a perfect day of racing.

So come out out this Friday evening to the show and shine. Meet the drivers and teams. Get autographs and see the boats up close and few lucky ones might even get a picture of themselves sitting in a boat!!

Seeya all at the track!

PORTLAND, Oregon (May 1, 2011) — With both Wicked Racing boats revealing the Baxter Auto Parts livery, in a quest to garner them as a series sponsor, new and old fans are excited about the 2011 season.

Wicked Racing drivers, Dan Morrison and Doug Hendrickson, along with sponsor Randy Alderson, showed off the boats on Friday and Saturday at the Portland Exposition Center. I was also there to share with fans and record the event.

We all talked with a myriad of fans both old and new as the SPEED channel video blared in the background. As usual, who will become new fans were blown away by the video and were making plans to attend a race or three as the scoured the schedule on the business cards that were passed out.

A group associated with the Hydros were making their plans to attend the new Port Angeles facility while others were contemplating Albany, St. John and East Wenatchee, seemingly making their motel reservations and travel plans in their heads as they discussed this amazing sport among themselves.

We chatted with many seasoned fans that have attended Albany, several that wondered what happened to the Woodland track, a couple that remembered some kind of racing "like this awhile back in the Lewiston area."

The river jet boat races in Riggins also entered the "general" boat racing discussions along with drag boat racing, of course.

All in all a great two day show exposing our sport to a large group of people, including some very interested vendors at the show and of course, Baxter Auto Parts.