The San Angelo Boat Races Ready to Rev

This morning at 9 a.m., the Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing competitors started their engines and began racing. The Top Fuel Hydro is the fastest watercraft, reaching speeds of 250 miles per hour in less than 3.5 seconds. The roar of the engines vibrates the chests of the visitors ready to enjoy their fun-filled weekend.

This year is the 10^th Annual San Angelo Lucas Oil Drag Boat Races. Last year’s attendance reached over 13,000 spectators from all over the country. This event, promoted and made possible by the Chamber of Commerce, has continuously grown in numbers every year for the 10 years it has been in San Angelo. Due to the growth, this year the race has been extended to a three-day event, whereas in the past, it was only a two-day event.

The public is able to view the races on either side of Grassy Meadows and Spring Creek Marina, and ticket prices for Saturday and Sunday are $25 a person. Children 12 and under are free. Cooler passes are available for $20.

Additionally, a chapel service will be free and available to the public at 8 a.m. Sunday morning, and people who attend this weekend can enjoy lots of good food and vendors.

Jenni Campbell, Event Coordinator and Director of Sales and Servicing for the Chamber of Commerce, had much to say about the Showdown in San Angelo. She explained that there are 13 different racing classes within the race itself.

“[There is] your personal water craft all the way up to your Top Fuel Hydro’s,” said Campbell. Personal water crafts are usually younger kids getting started in the drag boat racing world."

Pamela Miller, Vice President of Convention and Visitors Bureau for the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce, also explained th economic impact the races have on San Angelo. She said there is a $4.5 million economic impact based on our estimated crowd numbers. This figure does not include a multiplier, and uses out-of-town attendance for room, food and gas only. If visitors shop or buy groceries, or go to a club, that impact is even higher.

"Sales tax goes hand in hand with tourism to a community,” Miller said.

Miller also said that the “Lucas Oil name [is] on a San Angelo event; other cities would beg for that.”

Also during the Boat Races, over 400 volunteers give their time to help support the event. These volunteers are appreciated, and the public is always encouraged to come lend a helping hand. Quite a few of the volunteers are employees from the Goodfellow Air Force Base.

“[The GAFB volunteers] have been a constant help to us every year," said Miller. "Everything from picking up trash to helping with the ramps, they, like the rest of the community volunteers, are extremely supportive of this event because they want it to be a long-term event in San Angelo.”

Historically, there have been 100-120 race teams. For each team, there are roughly 6-17 people. This Boat Race consists of teams from almost every state in the U.S.

Kyle Brawley, a boat driver, has been participating in boat races his entire life. He bought his first boat 12 years ago. Brawley said, “[My dad] gave me the bug, and I’ve always wanted to do it so I never stopped.” He added, “This is one of those sports that once you see it for the first time, you’ll come back every year.”

Marty Logan, a boat driver for the Livin' Tha Dream team, is known as a ‘season veteran’. He participates in all of the races for the Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing Circuit. Logan won the San Angelo race two years ago.

“This is our favorite race," he said. "The people here are great!”

With the excitement of the races and all they have to offer, these participants encourage San Angeloans to get out to the lake and enjoy a weekend of fun in the sun.