U.S. Championship Power Boat Racing Comes To Chattanooga This Weekend

Championship racing comes to Chattanooga this weekend, but the top speeds wont be logged on a track.  They'll be clocked in the water.

Chickamauga Lake lays claims to the inaugural U.S. Power Boat Championship.  The country's top offshore race teams will battle it out for the title.

Speed run's tomorrow and Saturday lead up to Sunday's Championship event.

Also, the powerboat speed record holder will make his final run here before retiring.  Ken Warby says "its only going to be a demonstration run, we're not going to break records the record of 317 stood for a long time, there is no one on this earth at the moment that can break it and I've been waiting 30 years for someone to do it and it hasn't happened. Now's the time to quit."

A special boat, commemorating the upcoming 50th running of the Daytona 500, serves as the pace boat.

Admission Friday is free, with part of the proceeds from a $10 gate pass for Saturday and Sunday going to the "Make A Wish" Foundation.  They've selection a young man who wishes to go snowboarding.

Here's the schedule:

OCTOBER 13, 2006 (Fri.)
8:00am - 4:00pm    Registration & Inspections: Open on Site
8:00am -                 Mandatory Drivers Meeting - VIP Tent
9:00am                   Gates Open
9:30am - 1:30pm    "The Chattanooga Mile" Speed Runs
2:30pm - 4:00pm    Closed Course Testing
6:00pm - 11:00pm  Boats Display Downtown - Photo and Autograph
                               Session

OCTOBER 15, 2006 (Sun.)
9:00am                   Racers Physicals - VIP Tent
9:30am                   Mandatory Drivers Meeting - VIP Tent
10:00am                 Gates Open
10:30 - 11:30am    Autograph Session
12:00pm                 Opening Ceremony
1:00pm                   1st Divisional Championship Race
2:30pm                   2nd Divisional Championship Race
5:00pm                   Awards Ceremony - VIP Tent