Thousands of Fans Set For Madison Regatta
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowAround 50,000 visitors are expected to attend this week's Madison Regatta on the Ohio River. In addition to the boat race, the event includes concerts, a fireworks show and a parade with former Cincinnati Bengals running back Elbert “Ickey” Woods serving as grand marshal.
July 2, 2013
News Release
The weekend of July 5 – 7 marks the 63rd Anniversary of Unlimited Hydroplane Racing in Madison, Indiana and race fans will be here watching ten unlimited hydroplanes vie for the LUCAS OIL Indiana Governor’s Cup, the third stop on the H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Series schedule.
Local fans are eagerly awaiting the battles among these thundering 200-mph-plus competitors to see and cheer on the hometown team (the 2012 National High Points Champion U-1 Oh Boy! Oberto / Miss Madison) against a strong field of contenders. Will there be a new contender that races to the front of the pack? With so many teams within a couple of mph of each other, you never know who might be lifting the Lucas Oil Indiana Governor’s Cup trophy at the end of the weekend. Ten of the world’s fastest race boats are ready to race deck-to-deck along the Bill Cantrell Memorial Race Course with qualifying set for Friday, and multiple heats scheduled for Saturday and Sunday leading up to the coveted LUCAS OIL Indiana Governor’s Cup final heat set for 4:20pm on Sunday, July 7th. Madison is one of eight race sites on the 2013 H1 Unlimited calendar.
Testing and Qualifying occur on Friday, July 5th with the popular “Pole Position” Unlimited Qualifications set between 3:00pm – 5:00pm. Saturday, July 6th brings more testing in the morning with the first sets of heat racing starting at 1:30pm with more heat racing all day Sunday, July 7th, leading up to the final heat for the LUCAS OIL Indiana Governor’s Cup at 4:20 p.m. (EDT). Heat Sponsors for this year’s Madison Regatta include Clifty Engineering & Tool Company, Mercury Marine & Morgan Foods with Official Product Sponsors of the event being Budweiser (Official Beer), Papa John’s Pizza (Official Pizza), Sparkling ICE (Official Sparkling Flavored Water), Thomas Family Winery (Official Wine & Cider Provider), and Toyota (Official Car).
A very popular event occurring at night on Saturday, July 6th is the Fireworks Spectacular, co-sponsored by the American Legion Post No. 9 and Morgan & Nay Funeral Centre. The same company that conducts the world famous “Thunder Over Louisville” will be back and one thing is for sure, music will fill your ears this year!
While talking about entertainment, the Music on the River program kicks-off on Wednesday, July 3 – 8:00pm to 11:00pm, and on Thursday, July 4 – 6:00pm to 11:30pm. Music continues Friday, July 5 – 6:00pm to 11:30pm and also on Saturday, July 6 – 6:00pm to 12:00am. Thursday’s schedule features an array of bands while Friday’s schedule features the Texaco Country Showdown finals featuring the winners from the regional contests. Saturday features a variety of bands playing all night long. The City Stage at Fireman’s Park will be the staging place for all of the music programs. Co-Sponsors of the Music on the River program include Arvin Sango, Big O Tires, Northside Liquors & Riverboat Inn.
The Music on the River program for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday require a Madison Regatta admission wristband or a $5.00 limited-edition, collectible race boat button that can be bought at the gate. Each night includes a different collectible button used for admission (buttons sponsored by Super Shine). Saturday night activities are free of charge.
More activities during Regatta Weekend include the River Valley Financial Bank Madison Regatta Parade with the legendary Cincinnati Bengals running back Elbert “Ickey” Woods serving as Grand Marshall, two days of air shows by aerobatic pilot Brett Hunter sponsored by Grote Industries with an air show Saturday evening before the fireworks, the driver’s autograph sessions on Saturday & Sunday, food and commercial vendors, and much more! Some notable vendor displays will be the Oh Boy! Oberto Beef Jerky, Lucas Oil, Toyota, Sparkling ICE and the Papa John’s Pizza Mobile Kitchen.
Admission Wristbands to the Madison Regatta are $25.00 each and can be purchased by calling the Regatta office at 812-274-0400, visiting www.madisonregatta.com (click on Race Passes), or at any one of the Entrance Gates during the event. A wristband is required for daytime access to Vaughn Drive and the riverfront from 6 a.m. Friday, July 5 until after the final race on Sunday, July 7. Children 10 and under are free.
Special seating for viewing the 2013 LUCAS OIL Madison Regatta includes a VIP Tent area, Hospitality Tent area, Tarp Space areas, and RV Parking to name a few. Pit Tours, sponsored by Comfort Inn of Madison, will be conducted on Friday and Saturday, while Cold Pit Passes can be bought for $20.00. Collector edition 63rd Anniversary Madison Regatta race programs will be available at $6.00 to keep as a souvenir and make sure to get your Official Madison Regatta Merchandise located in front of the Regatta Office all weekend long.
For more information on the activities, race and event schedules, sponsors, merchandise, pricing and ticket information, and much more, call the Regatta office at 812-274-0400 or visit www.madisonregatta.com.
Source: Madison Regatta