YAKIMA, Wash. – The city’s fairgrounds came alive with excitement as Yakima hosted its first-ever sprint boat racing competition. Over 30 boats participated in this two-day event, drawing spectators from across the Pacific Northwest.
Boats zoomed across the water at speeds up to 90 miles per hour on the first day of racing. Kathy Kramer, State Fair President and CEO, shared her thoughts on the event’s significance.
“It’s about the boats. It’s about the spectator. I step back and look at it, and for two and a half years, we’ve been working to make this a reality. So this is a really special day for all of us,” she said.
The fairgrounds joined the American Sprint Boat Racing (ASBR) circuit, expecting nearly 5,000 spectators for the weekend’s inaugural race. Two well-known racers from New Zealand, Dave Eliason and Richard Murray, competed in the unlimited class with their Meaner Machine boat. The duo, who have been racing together for over 20 years, shared their thoughts on the sport.
“You live a moment the boat will slap, and you’ll fly a little bit. And fortunately, you know, we’ve had a pretty good run up here,” Eliason said.
In their second run, Eliason and Murray held the fastest heat for their class.
“We’ve qualified now because we’ve got a time, which is good. We need to sort of improve on that and then try and get to their top two tomorrow,” Murray stated.
Kramer emphasized the long-term benefits of this event for Yakima.
“We know this community has been a racing community of all kinds…And this is one of the newest sports that’s coming on market. We just knew this was the perfect location and the property right behind us was really underutilized,” she said.
The event continues with championship races scheduled for the following day. The excitement is set to increase, with drivers hinting at even faster speeds.
