TRORA returns to Springfield Lake in Lakemore, OH (just south east of Akron, OH) for the first time since 1994. This was a priemere race site for TRORA throughout most of the 1980’s and early 1990’s. In its peak, this site was host to both a Merc. Challenge Series Race and a Records Run Race. This year’s race will be held July 19-20 with testing available, at your own risk, on Friday the 18th. We are listing all Stock and all Mod classes on the sanction as well as a Special Event which will be a 20SSH, 25SSH, and CSH Gran Prix. This event will consist of 3-5 laps raced on a tri-oval race course with a lemans start and it will be run at the end of the day Saturday. The prize for this event is still being determined. This race is in conjunction with the Lakemore & Springfield town days they are calling “Rock the Docks”, which will feature a car show, live bands, small carnival rides and food venders throughout the weekend. The two cities are really excited to have us back and are working hard at finding sponsorship to provide "show money" for each registered driver. Finally, the cities are working on a possible deal with SportsTime Ohio, a Northeast Ohio tv channel, to come and film the race, which would then be aired at a later date. A lot of work has gone into this race and a lot more work still has to be done but TRORA extends an open invitation to ALL in hopes to have a nice showing of boat to put on a GREAT race.
Click HERE to see this race sites location.
Click on the link to the right to visit the Town Festival's own Website rockthedocks.org
Post-Race Article
Racing Returns to Springfield Lake
“You can never go home again”. It’s a cliché often used in our society and many times rings true. Once you move on from something in life, going back is never quite as good as it was originally. Fortunately for the Three Rivers Outboard Racing Association, that old cliché was shattered on the weekend of July 19-20, as racing made a triumphant return to Springfield Lake in Lakemore, Ohio.
TRORA first raced in Lakemore in the early 1980’s and continued through 1994. Highlights in those years included a Mercury Challenge race in 1987 and a Record Runs event in the final year of 1994. Political issues forced an end to racing and it appeared the club would never return to what is an absolutely ideal site not for just Stock, Mod and J racing, but boat racing in general.
The groundwork for a return to Springfield Lake was laid in February of this year. Through the efforts of the Mayor of Lakemore and TRORA club members Rick Wagner, Sr., Rick Wagner, Jr., Jeff Brewster and others, the event was put in motion. What started as just a boat race blossomed into the 2008 Rock the Docks Regatta, a joint effort between two communities joined by Springfield Lake. Headlining the event were bands, a carnival, a motorcycle stunt show, fireworks, plenty of food and drinks and APBA boat racing.
Calm winds and scorching heat greeted 85 Stock, Mod and J boats in attendance. 20ssH and CSH were the two largest classes, with 11 boats each. In 20ssH, Matt D’Agostino drove all the way from Maryland to revisit the site where he once competed in the 1987 Merc Challenge. Captain America nailed the starts on Saturday, but was edged out by Dana Holt for the win. On Sunday, Canadian driver Mike Locke employed some smart starting to win his first ever race in the U.S. Making a comeback in 20ssH after a nearly three year hiatus was former TRORA Commodore Jerry Brewster. Jerry debuted a brand new Brewster build hydro at the event and was very pleased with the results, as he claimed a 2nd on Sunday. In CSH, Joel Wiegel made the trip from Franklin, Pa. worthwhile as he captured both heats on Saturday for the win. On Sunday, Wiegel won the first heat but jumped the gun in the second, giving the win to Michigan’s Tom Johnston.
While several drivers continued their history of winning, others made history of their own, by winning the first race of their career at the Rock the Docks Regatta. In AMH, Michigan’s Ian Duggan outgunned former AMH National Champion Tom Sutherland and captured the first win of his career. Just a few moments later, another Michigan driver claimed his first ever win. Ryan Wellings, a rookie J Hydro pilot, battled veteran Jake Alkema and the surprisingly rough water to win his first race. What made the win even sweeter was the final result came down to a tie, with the winner determined on overall elapsed time. Both Duggan and Wellings received the ceremonial dunking in Springfield Lake.
Another driver made a bit of history of his own during this return to racing at Springfield Lake. Rick Wagner, Sr., who was so instrumental in putting the race together, outfoxed three other CSR drivers and took the win on Sunday. This season marks Rick’s comeback to racing after retiring from the sport in the mid 80’s. Making the win even more memorable was the fact that one of the drivers he beat was his own son, Rick Wagner, Jr.
Capping off a remarkable return to Springfield Lake was the Hydro Grand Prix on Saturday. The race was open to drivers in 20ssH, CSH and 25ssH. Eleven competitors lined the shore in Springfield. At the drop of the green flag, they streaked across the lake to the Lakemore side, then proceeded to run a massive tri-oval course, which gave both communities a great view of the action. Indiana’s Brent Simmons led the field into the first turn in his recently purchased Silvestri lay down CSH. By the end of the first lap of the two lap race, Rick Wagner, Jr. grabbed the lead in his Roper 16-S. Wagner led until the final turn, when Jeff Brewster’s 25ssH took the lead and the win. Brewster made a victory lap across the lake, checkered flag waving proudly in the breeze. The crowds on both sides of the lake were on their feet with appreciation.
TRORA thanks everyone who pitched in to make this event far better than we could have ever expected. The communities of Springfield and Lakemore went above and beyond to make this race a huge success. See you in 2009!
