Crowds flock to Blarney Island on Thursday nights throughout the summer to watch drag boat races, but Northern Illinois Drag Boat Association Vice President Dave Lester wants to see the sport become even more popular.
To give the weekend crowd a chance to see the boats, the Grass Lake bar and drag boat association are hosting a Race Boat and Hot Boat Show-n-Shine from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday. Though the boats will not be racing as they do on Thursday nights, they will be docked at Blarney Island, which has been hosting drag boat races since 1979.
“(The sport) has not been promoted or advertised for years, so participation over the last decade has fallen off from what it was in its heyday in the ’90s,” Lester said.
Race boats are illegal to operate on the Chain O’Lakes, but special permits have been obtained for the event. Lester anticipates about 35 race boats, some which can hit 180 mph, will participate.
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“I’m really looking forward to seeing how many vintage race boats show up,” Lester said.
Boats will be stationed at the island’s docks, allowing visitors to see them up close. The association plans to raffle off up to a dozen rides, giving some attendees the chance to ride in a race boat.
Even those who are not lucky enough to win a ride will have the opportunity to hear the loud engines and smell the race fuel that characterize a typical race night at the island.
“It’s just a lot of fun,” Lester said. “It’s something the racers certainly love, and anybody who’s seen it is absolutely amazed.”
One raffle winner will receive a helicopter ride over Grass Lake with Lakeshore Helicopter, LLC. Those who do not win the raffle can still see the Chain O’Lakes from above, though, at the cost of $40 per person.
People who need a ride to Blarney Island can pick up a shuttle from Port of Blarney on the mainland in Antioch. The shuttle runs about every half hour and costs $8 on most days, according to Blarney Island’s website.
For people who have never attended a race night at Blarney Island, Lester said the Show-n-Shine is an opportunity to see something they have never experienced before.
“To see something they did not know even existed right here in their backyard on the Fox chain,” Lester said.
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