(Michigan City, IN) - In the wake of another successful Great Lakes Grand Prix this summer, event organizers are stepping up in class with an agreement with a new racing series.
This week, The La Porte County Convention and Visitors Bureau signed with Race World Offshore (RWO), which is part of the American Powerboat Association (APBA). With 116 years of experience organizing boat racing competitions, RWO bills themselves as the oldest governing body in motorsports. Their world championship race is held in Key West, Florida. The Michigan City event will be a qualifying event in their championship series. The Great Lakes Grand Prix now has a five-year agreement with RWO and he APBA.
At a meeting of the Convention and Visitors Bureau on Tuesday, group CEO Jack Arnett explained the process. “At the conclusion of last year, we got to a place where we felt that we needed to go a different direction. We need to be part of the APBA series,” he said. “We made the tough decision to change operators.” Recently the Michigan City race had been affiliated with the Offshore Powerboat Association. “We got a hold of APBA, and got put on their calendar,” Arnett said. “That was the first step.” Arnett explained that they received proposals from several racing organizers and decided that RWO was the best fit.
He says the move will make a great event even better. “This is a huge step forward for Michigan City,” Arnett said, “not only from an industry standpoint but this also adds great value for our many visitors and race fans. We are proud to be in partnership with APBA and RWO as we continue to make the Michigan City Offshore race site the most racer friendly site on the circuit.”
RWO President Larry Bleil agreed that the partnership will be good for both sides. “We are excited to be associated with the 16th Annual XINSURANCE Great Lakes Grand Prix,” he said. “Michigan City is a marquee power boat race site in the United States and XINSURANCE is a great partner. All the teams look forward to being at Michigan City and we are looking forward to putting on a great race.”
Next year’s event will run from July 28-August 3. Organizers are planning to expand the powerboat extravaganza to a week-long event, culminating with the weekend races.
The Convention and Visitors Bureau released statistics from last year’s race to emphasize its economic impact. Last year’s race brought in over $23.5 million of benefit, up over $4 million from the previous year. According Arnett, $1.2 million of that went back into the coffers of local government; and the races generated $5.3 million in local wages. 46% of visitors stayed overnight, and 20% of visitors were first-timers.
Organizers hope a higher-profile race will bring in more people who stay longer. The Visitors and Convention Bureau is working with a consultant, Planning Next, to maximize opportunities for public events in the future.
