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SAN ANGELO, Texas - More than 100 boats will speed across Lake Nasworthy this weekend when San Angelo hosts the ninth annual Showdown in San Angelo drag boat races.
Beginning Thursday about 11,000 spectators from across the country will come to the lake to see the races, said Pamela Miller, of the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce. http://www.sanangelo.org/showdown/
Spectators can look at boats and meet drivers during the "Show and Shine" on Thursday, see drivers test their boats on Friday, and cap off the event by watching races on Saturday and Sunday.
The races are "going to be a battle," said Ken Dollar, director of the Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing Series. "Just to experience one top fuel (boat) going from start to finish in 3½ seconds is pretty intense. You can feel it as much as you can hear it."
The Showdown in San Angelo is one of the nine national events in the series, which runs from April to November and culminates when the overall top-scoring boat wins the High Points Championship.
In total, about 110 boats across 13 classes, from top fuel hydro to personal water craft, will zoom down the 1,000-foot track this weekend, said Jenni Campbell, director of sales and serving with the chamber.
Winning is often a matter of hundredths of seconds. Times are measured by a computerized system, then posted on a billboard seconds after the boats pass the finish line. Drivers sometimes carry radios in their boats so their teams can report their scores immediately, said Dave Mulvey, who has volunteered at the races since he relocated to San Angelo from the Dallas area.
Mulvey has worked in the water, helping unload and reload boats, and saw the expressions on the drivers' faces as they returned from the race.
Already an auto racing enthusiast, Mulvey enjoyed volunteering at the drag boat races so much he set out to look for a boat of his own.
But "since I haven't bought a race boat yet, I'll keep volunteering," Mulvey said. "It's a chance to be part of the action."
Most volunteers help because they want to get closer to the "fun, crazy, wild loudness" of the races, said Lana Arrott, who works at the San Angelo Convention and Visitors Bureau and is organizing volunteers for the races.
About 350 people have signed up to volunteer so far, Arrott said, and she is still looking for more. Volunteers work in three- to four-hour shifts, recycling, selling T-shirts and even driving tractors. When not working, volunteers can attend that day's events for free.
Beyond making for an exciting weekend, the races boost San Angelo's economy. More than half of the 11,000 spectators will be visitors to San Angelo, said Miller. Those visitors are expected to bring in close to $4 million in revenue for hotels, restaurants and gas stations, Miller said.
http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/local-news/boat-races_81008411
Beginning Thursday about 11,000 spectators from across the country will come to the lake to see the races, said Pamela Miller, of the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce. http://www.sanangelo.org/showdown/
Spectators can look at boats and meet drivers during the "Show and Shine" on Thursday, see drivers test their boats on Friday, and cap off the event by watching races on Saturday and Sunday.
The races are "going to be a battle," said Ken Dollar, director of the Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing Series. "Just to experience one top fuel (boat) going from start to finish in 3½ seconds is pretty intense. You can feel it as much as you can hear it."
The Showdown in San Angelo is one of the nine national events in the series, which runs from April to November and culminates when the overall top-scoring boat wins the High Points Championship.
In total, about 110 boats across 13 classes, from top fuel hydro to personal water craft, will zoom down the 1,000-foot track this weekend, said Jenni Campbell, director of sales and serving with the chamber.
Winning is often a matter of hundredths of seconds. Times are measured by a computerized system, then posted on a billboard seconds after the boats pass the finish line. Drivers sometimes carry radios in their boats so their teams can report their scores immediately, said Dave Mulvey, who has volunteered at the races since he relocated to San Angelo from the Dallas area.
Mulvey has worked in the water, helping unload and reload boats, and saw the expressions on the drivers' faces as they returned from the race.
Already an auto racing enthusiast, Mulvey enjoyed volunteering at the drag boat races so much he set out to look for a boat of his own.
But "since I haven't bought a race boat yet, I'll keep volunteering," Mulvey said. "It's a chance to be part of the action."
Most volunteers help because they want to get closer to the "fun, crazy, wild loudness" of the races, said Lana Arrott, who works at the San Angelo Convention and Visitors Bureau and is organizing volunteers for the races.
About 350 people have signed up to volunteer so far, Arrott said, and she is still looking for more. Volunteers work in three- to four-hour shifts, recycling, selling T-shirts and even driving tractors. When not working, volunteers can attend that day's events for free.
Beyond making for an exciting weekend, the races boost San Angelo's economy. More than half of the 11,000 spectators will be visitors to San Angelo, said Miller. Those visitors are expected to bring in close to $4 million in revenue for hotels, restaurants and gas stations, Miller said.
http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/local-news/boat-races_81008411
