Hydrofest Returning to Detroit River Aug. 24-25, to Include International President’s Cup Race

Hydroplane races will return to the Detroit River Aug. 24-25 as part of the Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Hydrofest. Participants will compete for the American Power Boat Association’s President’s Cup.
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Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Hydrofest will return with international competitors Aug. 24-25. // Photo by Robert Peters, courtesy of Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Hydrofest

Hydroplane races will return to the Detroit River Aug. 24-25 as part of the Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Hydrofest. Participants will compete for the American Power Boat Association’s President’s Cup.

Detroit secured the rights to host the President’s Cup for three years. Andrew Tate, national champion and Detroit-area native, won the last race for the cup in 2017, which was run in Detroit.

The Spirit of Detroit Silver Cup, unique to Detroit, also will be introduced at this year’s race and will commemorate the history and importance of the Detroit River to hydroplane racing.

Both cups will be determined in the now-exclusive, 103-year-old Hydroplane Racing League race. The league is based in Quebec, Canada, and the competition will include the U.S., Ontario, and Quebec.

In an attempt to host the race in Detroit in the future, organizers opted for a race organized by the league, which features Grand Prix, H-350, and Jersey Skiff classes, all of which are Chevy powered.

“Our goal for this year and the future is non-stop action from start to finish,” says Mark Weber, president of Detroit Riverfront Events Inc. “We want to deliver a race to Detroiters that will be exciting and fit modern lifestyles. Racing fans do not have the same viewing styles they did 20 years ago or free time to spend an entire day to watch one or two races.”

The league will host 15 heat races on Saturday and 14 heat races on Sunday. Three exhibitions will feature vintage Unlimited hydroplanes on each day. Race fans also will have access to food, live music, and hot-rod cars.

The automotive-powered hydroplanes will compete on a 1.25-mile course every 15 minutes, and the Hydrofest will be an all-piston-powered event. The league is bringing a dozen Grand Prix boats from Canada, New Zealand, and the U.S. to headline the event. The 24-foot boats produce as much as 1,500 horsepower and reach speeds of 160 mph. Also, 20-22 H-350 hydroplanes (top speed 120 mph) and the Jersey Speed Skiff (top speed 80 mph) flat-bottom from the league will join the show.

The top contenders in the big-block V8 Grand Prix class are Valleyfield (QC) Grand Prix winner, Jimmy King (MI), Brandon Kennedy (DE), and Doug Rapp, who is from New Hampshire with a Detroit-based race team. In the H-350 class, there will be six Americans and 10 Canadians, most of whom are from Quebec. The top contender is Dylan Runne (NJ), followed by Nicolas Rousse (QBC), and former Detroiter Donny Allen (WI). Defending local President’s Cup champion Andrew Tate sits way down in the standings in eighth place.

Tickets to the event and more information are available here.

The Spirit of Detroit Hydrofest first took place in 1916. The race is managed by Detroit Riverfront Events and gives to charitable organizations. Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers is the event’s title sponsor for the third consecutive year.