Power boat races roar into Lake County as Race Village

Powerboat race events, Headlands BeachFest happening this weekend

Get a close-up view and rub elbows with power boat racers at public “Dry Pits” at Great Lakes Mall and Willoughby.

A full slate of festivities are scheduled this weekend as part of two big summer attractions in Lake County.

It all starts at 9 a.m. July 20 when Race World Offshore’s Race Village opens outside Great Lakes Mall. Known as the “Dry Pits,” the Race Village gives visitors a chance to check out the powerboats competing July 22 in the Mentor Offshore Grand Prix, beginning at noon at Headlands Beach State Park.

The weekend-long Roar Off the Shore event continues July 21 with Race Village from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., followed by activities in Downtown Willoughby.

Powerboats depart the mall for Willoughby at 7 p.m., and a block party is planned from 7:30 to 10 p.m. on Erie Street.

“This is a local community event and not just a city of Mentor event,” said Mark Small, CFO of race presenter Cleveland Construction Inc. “This is the third year we have hosted the Offshore Powerboat race at Headlands State Park. We have traveled to other venues and it is typical that a boat parade is done. This type of exposure lets the fans interact with not only the racers, but also come up close to boats that one would never see cruising on the Great Lakes.”

On July 22, the Beer Garden tent opens at the beach at 11 a.m. Food and entertainment also will be on hand.

More than 20 world-class powerboats will duel headto-head at speeds approaching 180 mph. The 4.1-mile race course will be setup directly in front of Headlands Beach. An announcer will provide a play-by-play of the action.

Admission is free, but parking will be $10 per car to help support the event. Parking passes may be purchased at the Dry Pits July 20.

This year, the grand prix will be nationally televised. CBS Sports will feature a one-hour post event special airing at 10 a.m., Jan. 22. The show will be shown in all 50 states with a reach of 65 million households.

“This unique event provides a great opportunity for Lake County to shine,” said Mentor Community Relations Administrator Ante Logarusic. “Visitors come in for the race and

also get a chance to see all of the other great attractions we have to offer.”

The economic impact extends beyond the host communities, Small noted.

“We will have teams from all over the world attending this event as well as fans that travel just to see offshore racing,” he said. “Virtually all hotels

are already booked to capacity race weekend. Last year, we had an estimated head count on the beach of 10,000, plus over 500 spectator boats, with an average head count of 10 people on each boat watching the race.”

Along with Cleveland Construction, presenting race sponsors are the Lake County Visitors Bureau and K&D Group. Major sponsors include Huntington National Bank, the city of Mentor, Skoda Minotti, Great Lakes Mall and LBL Printing.

Also on July 21, the city of Mentor is holding its annual Headlands BeachFest from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The “ultimate beach party,” begun in 2013, offers kite flying, kids arts and crafts, sand castle contests, craft vendors, food trucks and beach music all day, plus the Master Sand Sculpting competition.

For more Roar Off the Shore information, visit offshoreracingmentor.com or raceworldoffshore.global. For BeachFest details, go to headlandsbeachfest.com.

It all starts at 9 a.m. July 20 when Race World Offshore’s Race Village opens outside Great Lakes Mall. Known as the “Dry Pits,” the Race Village gives visitors a chance to check out the powerboats competing July 22 in the Mentor Offshore Grand Prix, beginning at noon at Headlands Beach State Park.