Ocean City, MD - OPA Race Draws Large Boat Count and Huge Spectator Base
June 19, 2007 : Supported by a major offshore racing sponsorship from Geico Insurance, and racing under the John Haggin ( AMF Offshore Racing ) “United We Race “ banner, 42 boats showed up to do battle at the OPA ,Ocean City, Maryland Offshore Grand Prix race on June 17th.
As thousands of fans watched the action from their vantage points on the beach and from the waterfront hotels and restaurants that line the Ocean City shores, the “big cats” on the Pro-Series Tour put on both a Super Cat and Cat Lite race on Sunday’s OPA program. With excellent water conditions, easy access to wet and dry pit areas and a spirit of camaraderie amongst all the racers, the event, which was covered by the Fox Sports Network, was a huge success. JD Byrider claimed the checkered flag in Super Cat Class and Motley Crew earned first place honors in the Cat Lite Division.
Ed “Smitty” Smith President of OPA said, “We are delighted, that the Pro-Series included Ocean City on their 2007 Tour. The synergies of our organizations and the positive attitudes displayed by all of the teams over the weekend make a great statement for the sport of offshore.” Smitty added, “We are pleased to see that corporate America (i.e. Geico), sees the value in the offshore product and we hope that through our continued efforts to professionalize the sport along with quality media coverage other businesses will follow.”
The Ocean City, Maryland race is expected to air on the Fox Sports Network in July. Fox Sports will also be covering the OPA St. Clair, Michigan race in late July.
With less than two weeks to fine tune their equipment, the next stop for the Pro-Series Tour is the SBI – 23rd Annual Suncoast Offshore Super Boat Grand Prix in Sarasota, Florida, June 29 – July 1.
The Offshore Pro-Series Tour is comprised of a consortium of professional offshore powerboat racing teams that compete on a nationwide circuit of powerboat races, sanctioned by OSS, SBI, OPA, and POPRA. In 2007 the Tour includes the following scheduled races:
St. Cloud, Florida (SBI) March 30 - April 1
Ocean City, Maryland (OPA) June 15 - June 17
Sarasota, Florida (SBI) June 29 - July 1
Detroit, Michigan (DRRA) July 13 - July 15
St. Clair, Michigan (OPA) July 27 - July 29
Orange Beach, Alabama (OSS) August 17 - August 19
Pittsburg, California (POPRA) September 7 - September 9
Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri (OSS) September 28 - September 30
Deerfield Beach, Florida (SBI) October 5 - October 7
Key West, Florida (SBI) (World Championships) November 4 - November 11 |
