F1 ChampBoat Races to Return to Connecticut Riverfront this August

HARTFORD, CONN., April 15, 2008 – Riverfront Grand Prix, part of the F1 ChampBoat Series, will bring two days of high speed boat racing to the Hartford and East Hartford, Conn. Riverfront on Saturday, August 16 and Sunday, August 17, 2008. The competition, part of a national series of races, will be hosted by the Greater Hartford Convention and Visitors Bureau (GHCVB) and produced by Riverfront Recapture.

“We’re excited about returning to Hartford since the Riverfront venue is such an outstanding location for people to watch the most exciting spectator sport on water,” says Michael Schriefer, President of F1 ChampBoat Series. “We’re looking for the Hartford Riverfront Grand Prix to become a mainstay on the F1 ChampBoat series that now includes stops in 10 cities.” Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, St. Louis, San Diego, and Tempe, Ariz. are among some of the race sites for 2008.

Wyatt Nelson - Second Place - Hartford 2006 

The Greater Hartford Convention and Visitors Bureau is providing funding to Riverfront Recapture to cover logistical costs such as sound, tents, and security. “The F1 ChampBoat races, held on the Riverfront in 2006, demonstrated that this is a popular crowd-pleasing event with the potential to grow bigger and bigger,” explains H. Scott Phelps, President of the GHCVB. “Since this is the only high speed boat racing event of its kind in the Northeast, we hope to attract out-of-state racing fans for a fun weekend in Hartford and East Hartford.”

Four-time national champion Tim Seebold of the famed Bud Light Racing Team will highlight an international field of the world’s best powerboat racers and teams. Approximately 30 teams, representing 18 states and four countries, are expected to compete in the August event.

“We have worked with the City of Hartford and the Town of East Hartford to create a race course that will give larger numbers of spectators a better view of the action,” says Joe Marfuggi, Riverfront Recapture’s President and CEO. “Boats will launch from East Hartford’s Great River Park and will race toward Founders Bridge – where they will turn and head south toward Charter Oak Landing before turning and heading back toward the Founders Bridge again – creating a natural marine stadium second to none for fans.”

“The Hartford race course will provide some of the best viewing sites of any of our races on the tour,” Schriefer adds. Spectators will gather on the East Hartford Riverfront, on the terraces at Mortensen Riverfront Plaza in Downtown Hartford, and on the Founders Bridge promenade over the river. Like most other events on the Riverfront, the Riverfront Grand Prix races will be open to the public at no charge – it will be one of the few events in the entire F1 ChampBoat Series with no admission fee.

“This event is a wonderful way to celebrate one of the region’s greatest assets, the Connecticut River,” states Hartford Mayor Eddie A. Perez. “It is also a way to showcase the positive momentum in the Capital City and East Hartford. Once again, this is a choice destination for families and sports fans. We are proud to roll out a warm welcome and invite folks to experience the culture and diversity that makes Hartford and Greater Hartford so unique!”

“We’re looking forward to working with Riverfront Recapture and the Convention and Visitors Bureau to make the ChampBoat races one of the highlights of the summer,” says East Hartford Mayor Melody Currey. “We welcome the return of these colorful, fast-paced races and will help to make our Riverfront event one of the best stops on the national tour for drivers and spectators alike.”

“This world-class event is often compared to Formula One on water,” Schriefer notes. “It has become the top spectator sport for powerboat racing in North America and we’re thrilled to bring it back to the Riverfront in August.”

The event will be taped for delayed broadcast on Speed Channel.

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MEDIA CONTACTS:
    Laura Soll, Public Relations - Greater Hartford Convention & Visitors Bureau 860-688-4499
    H. Scott Phelps, President - Greater Hartford Convention & Visitors Bureau 860-728-6789 ext. 222
    Joe Marfuggi, President & CEO - Riverfront Recapture 860-713-3131 ext. 331
    Mike Schriefer, President/Executive Producer - F1 ChampBoat Series 704-987-5044 ext. 11