THE FOLLOWING IS A NEWS-GAZETTE STORY BY JENNIFER BAILEY
‘Thunder on the Vermilion’
ABOVE: Buddy Freed talking about the expanded pit area for the boats at the Gao Grotto.
DANVILLE — The sights and sounds of boat races will return to Lake Vermilion this weekend, including a national race for kids.
Organizer Buddy Freed said this will be the fifth year that Danville fraternal organization Gao Grotto will host the “Thunder on the Vermilion” event, and the fourth with its co-host, the Marine Racing Club of Illinois.
The club, which conducts races under the aegis of the American Power Boat Association, the largest sanctioning body for power-boat racing in the country, is expected to bring about 90 racers again this year.
As an added bonus, the club won the rights to the host the North American championship for junior hydroplane races at the association’s national meeting in January.
FOR MORE FROM THIS STORY PLEASE GO TO https://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/community-events/danville-boat-races-include-national-junior-championship-this-year/article_e436a46c-1c35-489b-aea9-013b440c3f96.html
