The sprint is on

Published 10:14 am Wednesday, August 19, 2015

American Sprint Boat Racing

When: Saturday, Aug. 22

Where: Extreme Sports Park, 2917 W. Edgewood Drive, Port Angeles

Featuring: Three classifications of sprint boats, food vendors, Kid’s Zone, more

Tickets: Adults (15+), $25; military (with ID) and seniors (55+), $20; children (6-15), $10; under 6, free (tickets include parking on-site and pit passes)

On the web: asbracing.com

The races have got it all — roaring engines, fast and furious finishes, the occasional crash — and even a celebrity.

The first of two weekends of the American Sprint Boat Racing World Championships is set for Saturday, Aug. 22, bringing teams from across the region and thousands of race fans to Port Angeles’ Extreme Sports Park.

It’s the second race at the Port Angeles Park and third overall in the series. It finishes Aug. 29 at Webb’s Slough in St. John’s.

Local teams in this year’s race series include Sequim’s TNT Live Wire (Paul Gahr Jr./Taylor Gahr), TNT Jeepers Creepers (Dillon Cummings/Teri Cummings) and Port Angeles’ Wicked Racing (Dan Morrison/Cara McGuire, Doug Hendrickson/Cassie Beaudry).

But this one will have a distinctly Seahawk flavor, says Sequim competitor Teri Cummings. Cummings, Jeepers Creepers’ navigator, and event organizers are bringing Mama Lynch — Delisa Lynch, outspoken mother of Seahawk running back Marshawn Lynch and a media sensation in her own right — to the races.

Cummings said Delisa Lynch will come with an entourage and get an escorted ride on the racetrack before interview on 92.9 KISM’s Brad and John Show.

But the main event is still the main event: a sprint boat track that’s designed to take boats to speeds up to 90 miles per hour around turns in just three feet of water.

There are three boat classifications for racing: modified, with engines sizes up to 368 cubic inches; 400, with engines up to 412 cubic inches, and unlimited, which is, as the name implies, unrestricted.

While engine issues plagued several local racers, a cracked cylinder killed any chance for the Cummings duo at the July 25 races at ESP. The pair failed to qualify in two early runs and found they hadn’t turned on the water valve.

“Very disappointing,” Cummings said of their afternoon. “When you have two boats running at one time (along with the Gahr’s Live Wire), some of your crew members are not at the pits. We didn’t have a lot of people to go through the checklist. We knew there was something was wrong, with oil on the bottom (of the boat). Now that’s my job.”

Hopefully that will change this coming Saturday, Cummings said.

“I’m very confident,” Cummings said. “I love the track layout (at ESP). All my sponsors are there, my boss from work is there, my friends are there. I want them to root on the Sequim team. We’ve got a big following, too. I want to make them proud.”

At the track

The gate opens at 8:30 a.m. and races start at 10 a.m. and go until 5 p.m.

To enhance the “family friendly” nature of the sprint boat races, no outside alcohol is allowed in Extreme Sports Park, though there is a beer garden for those who are 21 and older.

New this year is the Extreme Sports Park Kid’s Zone. A $5 entry fee gets youths into a specialized area that will keep them entertained for hours while you enjoy the races. The Kid’s Zone is located near several Sani-Cans.

Race attendees may bring in food, picnic baskets, coolers and bags, but all these items will be searched at the gate.

Local businesses and restaurants offer concessions, and nearby vendors are vendors selling race team apparel.

Two sides of the track are terraced grass for general seating. Arena bleachers can hold 500 spectators while the grass seating can hold an another 6,000 people. Spectators may bring camp chairs or blankets for sitting on grassy areas. There are safety fences all around the track.

Onsite camping is available for tents, campers and RVs at $30 for the weekend. Camping is open at noon Thursday, Aug. 20, through Sunday, Aug. 23.

Get tickets in Sequim at Doghouse Powder Coating, 503 S. Third Ave., at several Port Angeles locations (see www.extremesportspark.net) or at the door.