(MyBayCity File Photos) Dow River Roar Schedule
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It's the 24th Annual Dow River Roar June 24-26, 2011 in Bay City. It is the kick-off of summer events!
Part of the Champ Boat Racing Series run by PROP Bay City is the second oldest, toughest and longest tunnel boat race in the sport. Inaugurated in 1981, F1 powerboat racing is a Grand Prix style event, similar to Formula One automobile racing, in which teams compete in 13 venues around the world each season. The races are longer than most powerboat races at approximately 45 minutes, but still shorter than most automobile races.
11 different Formula One winners over the years. Starting in 1990, River Roar became a volunteer-run, non-profit event. $100,000 has been distributed to charities in the past two years, led by The Boys and Girls Club and the Just For Kids Foundation.
Course is run between the bridges in downtown Bay City. 1-1/4-mile oval around 4 buoys, 700 feet wide.
That's wide enough for racing, and narrow enough that spectators are so close they can feel the spray. Bay City is considered the best viewing of all the race locations.
There are four classes racing at Bay City, with about 50 competitors expected to travel here. This year Bay City will be hosting the Formula Two and Formula Three US Divisional Championships.
The biggest are called Formula One (also called Champ boats). They are 16 feet long with a 350 horse power, 6 cylinder outboard that can be modified. They can hit 125 mph on a long straightaway. In Bay City they peak between 105-110 mph.
Formula Two boats (also called SST 120) use the same hulls, but the outboard is stock and runs about 200 horsepower at 95-105 mph.
Formula Three ( or SST 45's) are smaller, 13 feet long with a 2 cylinder, 5 horsepower outboard. They run 80-85 mph, but can be the most fun to watch.
Super Lights: Campaigning a Formula One boat can run $250,00 dollars, and race fuel runs $7 a gallon.
Although F1 boats have not changed much in appearance since the start of the event, the construction and safety has been dramatically improved from the original open-cockpit boats.
The first major development was the hard cockpit capsule designed to break away from the rest of the boat in a crash. This also inaugurated the practice of securing the drivers to their seats with a harness. First developed by designer and racer Chris Hodges, this system was optional for a time due to the opposition of the drivers but, after it saved several drivers in major crashes, the UIM mandated it for all boats. In the early 1990s F1 boat builder Dave Burgess introduced a canopy that fully enclosed the cockpit to protect the driver from the full force of water in a nose-dive. In the late 1990s boat builder DAC introduced an airbag situated behind the driver that prevents the cockpit from completely submerging if the boat flips.
These specific changes in safety features were also accompanied by a progression of lighter and stronger composite hulls that also reduced the hazards of racing. F1 drivers now also wear a Hans Head and Neck device similar to that worn by their Formula One automobile racing counterparts to combat head and neck injuries.
As of the 2007 season, all boats are required to have a protective crash box installed. Potential future safety features include collapsible bows that would deform rather than penetrate another hull.
West Side: Entry with a canned food item. Last year Dow employees collected 25 hundred pounds of food for Hidden Harvest. Bleachers, Pit area, Food vendors, exhibitors and the Kroger Kid Zone
East Side: VIP sponsor tents, Food, Kroger Kids Zone (kid zones on both sides of the river)
(no cans, bottles or coolers. Leave the dog at home. No viewing from bridges)
SATURDAY NIGHT CONCERT IS STYX, WITH FINDING CLYDE AS OPENING ACT. All schedule, ticket and race information is posted on RIVERROAR.COM
Bay City River Roar 2011 Schedule
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
River Roar is a 501.C3 status non-profit organization - P.O. 2133 Bay City, Michigan 48707 - 1-866-287-ROAR (7627) on the web at www.riverroar.com and at www.f1.prop.com
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Julie McCallum, Entertainment Editor |
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