Teamwork Needed for New Hydroplane Race Sites

Editor’s note: the message below from Frantz came into Unlimited Hydroplane Racing on July 18, but is just now being published.  We apologize for the delay. Frantz visited Detroit to learn firsthand, additional details surrounding what it takes to bring a race to Dardenelle Lake in Arkansas.  As you are about to read, not only is teamwork needed to establish a race, the Unlimited Hydroplane Racing family stepped up and delivered.  On behalf of all of us who are pulling for Frantz to succeed, thank you!

Please note that after Frantz submitted his message, it was announced that the Coeur d’Alene race is being postponed until 2013 to give organizers more time to develop a deeper pool of sponsors.  It is intended to be a full H1 points race at that time.  Look for a new topic on Unlimited Hydroplane Racing soon devoted to this very topic. For all of you who are keeping up with this story, please let me get off of selecting a race site for just a moment.

I went to Detroit last weekend on the advice of H1 and the race promoter to give me an inside feel of doing one of these races. This was my first live Unlimited event. Folks, I can’t stress enough – if you have never been to one of these events, PLEASE GO! It’s something you will have wonderful memories of for a long time.

On that subject, there was a comment I observed more than once over the weekend. The comment was an observation about the declining number of spectators because of the age of those who have been watching these races for so many years can’t go anymore. For all the young people, please do support this venue. I have been around other types of racing all my adult life, and this was the most family-friendly, and affordable of any I have been to.

Back to Detroit.

I can’t give thanks enough to H1, the promotions people, Bob, and Jim for what they did for my wife and me. They rolled out the red carpet for us, and treated us almost like royalty.

For three days, it was “I want you to meet the people from Arkansas.” We met Doug who got the Idaho race back, and he has offered me his help to get my race going. We met with team owners, drivers, and almost everyone who had anything to do with a race.


I gained a wealth of information to apply to my rookie year at promoting, and bringing a race to a new place. To see what these people have to do to make this event a success was invaluable.

For the people in the Arkansas area who might be reading this forum, I am going to need to put together a team when I get a little farther down the road. I’ll try to get contact information out to everyone. Yesterday, the district manager for the Corps of Engineers who oversees Lake Dardanelle called me. He gave me the information he needs from me to get the ball rolling on getting the approval from them. He was excited at the possibility, and hopes he can get it pushed through with his people as soon as possible. When that is done, then we can start rolling with all else that has to be done.

If I may add, if there are people reading this who themselves or knows of others that would like to sponsor this new race, and possibility a boat, let Dave know, and he will get the info to me.

Thanks everyone for your interest and support. It’s because of you and your love for these boats that keeps me excited to make my dream come true to bring a race to this part of the country. It’s for all of you who can’t make the long trips to the existing venues.

Let’s start our own tradition!

Frantz


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