By Jim Bloch
Loud, fast and under control.
That might be the motto of the Blue Water Offshore Racing Association, which is producing the 32nd annual St. Clair River Classic beginning July 22 in downtown St. Clair and continuing through July 26.
Normally, Saturday is reserved for testing runs on the St. Clair River with Sunday serving as race day. This year, for the first time in 26 years, there will be official races held both days.
“We’re going to have testing on Saturday, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.,” race director Bob Currier told Paul Dingeman on the CTV-Channel 6 Focus Show, July 19. “Then we’re going to run three races on Saturday afternoon … for the first time since 2000.”
The reason? A huge field of race teams.
“This year, we’re expecting 50-60 race teams,” said Currier. “The last few years we’ve had 24-30 boats – and that had to do with what was going on in the race sanctioning world.”
At 1:15 p.m. Saturday, the first race will feature Super Stock qualifying. At 2:30 p.m., Race #2 will feature boats in Classes 300, 400, 500 and Vee Limited. At 3:45 p.m., Classes 600 and 700 take to the river.
“Then on Sunday, we’ll have the Clash of the Titans,” said Currier. “These are the classic racing boats.”
The Clash will begin at noon, preceded by the invocation, national anthems of the U.S. and Canada, and the Flag Float Down.
The boats in the Modified Vee class race at 1:15 p.m. Sunday. Factory Stock boats load into the river at 2:30 p.m. The Super Stocks square off at 3:45 p.m. followed at 5 p.m. by the Super Cat, Extreme and Super Vee classes.
The award ceremony will be at 7 p.m. in the courtyard of Riverview Plaza.
For fans of offshore boat racing, St. Clair offers a unique opportunity.
“We are the only offshore race going now in the state of Michigan,” said Butch Kindsvater, president of BWORA, on the Focus Show.
M-29 – N. Riverside Ave. – will close to through traffic at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 21 and turn into the dry pits, dubbed Race Village. Race boat teams arrive Wednesday-Friday and are open for viewing by visitors. By Friday, expect concessionaires to dot the roadway, selling souvenirs and carnival fare.
The Family Fun Zone, an activity area for children, which includes bounce houses, games and slides, will be open Saturday-Sunday in front of Palmer Park Manor, sponsored by Wellington Financial and the St. Clair Recreation Dept.
“We’re celebrating the St. Clair River and our beautiful park that sits right on it,” said Mayor Bill Cedar on the show.
That’s the tree-studded Palmer Park, which offers prime viewing for the races.
Admission is free.
Music
BWORA has partnered with the St. Clair Chamber of Commerce’s Rockin’ the Plaza to provide live music for race weekend.
Friday, Los Gringos play 5-8:30 p.m. with The Gobies taking the stage 8:30 p.m.-midnight in the courtyard of the plaza.
On Saturday, noon-midnight, catch Flip N Nipsy, the Motor City Mob and the Meldrum Brothers.
On Sunday, noon-9 p.m., DJ Kenny Love and the band Blender play the plaza.
Sponsors
It’s expensive to stage a five-day event. Sponsors include Raymond Excavating, which is providing two cranes to lift boats in and out of the Pine River at Pine Shore Golf Course; Cargill Salt; Biewer Lumber; St. Clair Embroidery; Super 8 Motel, Marysville; B&B Construction; Thorpe Printing; St. Clair Chamber of Commerce; city of St. Clair; War Water Brewery; LaFontaine auto sales; Coughlin Jewelers; Anchor Point Bistro; Westhaven Builders; Coca Bella Bakery; LaCroix Riverside Pub; Wellington Financial; MGM Dumpster; Hamlin Pub; The Voyageur; St. Clair Inn; Mashburn Motors; River’s Bend Marina; Huffmaster Insurance; Pepper Joe’s; and Murphy Inn.
Jim Bloch is a freelance writer based in St. Clair, Michigan. Contact him at bloch.jim@gmail.com.
