Bonita Lakes pleases drag boat racers
By By Tony Krausz/assistant sports editor
April 24, 2004
Racers getting their first look at Bonita Lakes' upper lake had nothing but good things to say about the site of the first of seven points races for the Outboard Drag Boat Association on Friday.
About 25 boats hit the water for the test and tune' day for the first Bonita Lake Bud Light Shoot held at the lake. The ODBA is the world's largest boat racing organization.
Following their test runs, the racers gave the lake high-water marks.
Friday's test runs allowed racers and crew members to adjust the boats' engines for the race.
The outboard engines are calibrated to compensate for water, weather and humidity.
The gates will open at 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday for the races, and the first race will be held each day at noon. On Saturday night, the band Southern Drive will hold a concert by the lake after the final race.
The cost of admission is $5 per person, with children under three entering free. The proceeds from the Bud Light Shoot Out will will benefit the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi.
Jasper is the site of ODBA's world title races on Oct. 9.
The Bud Light Shoot Out will have eight races over the two-day event, with four races running each day. The boats will race on a quarter-mile track.
The Pro Gas Class will be the first race held of the weekend at noon on Saturday. Super Stock and Pro Carb classes will be the second and third races held on the opening day.
The Unlimited Class, which in made up of boats that can use a configuration of engine and fuel type, will be the final race of Saturday's competition.
Sunday's races will begin with the Mod Production Class at noon, followed by the Lakeracer Class. Pro Fuel boats will run the third race, and the Sport Racer Class will conclude the weekend's racing.
The races are run in a double-elimination format. Racers are given a number during the morning drivers' meeting, and the numbers are randomly drawn to pair the racers up for the first run.
The winners advance to the winner's bracket, and the losers move into the consolation bracket with the chance to continue racing until losing a race.
The boats keep pairing off against each other on the quarter-mile track until only on racer remains without two losses.
