Thunder on Cocoa Beach Race Postponed to Aug. 27-30
Organizers of Thunder on Cocoa Beach offshore race—originally scheduled for the weekend of May 15-17—have postponed the event until Aug. 27-30.
The decision was made earlier than planned as a result of the recent guideline updates issued by
The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and a discussion with Port Canaveral authorities, according to Race Chairman Kerry Bartlett.
“Our entire race committee remained optimistic that our race could go ahead as scheduled, but right now we are dealing with a situation that is out of our control and is changing daily,” Bartlett explained. “Safety is our number one concern, and we are confident that Thunder On Cocoa Beach will be bigger than ever in August.”
OPA President Roland “Smitty” Smith also announced that the Solomons Island Grand Prix will not take place as originally scheduled on Aug. 28-30 and may be rescheduled sometime in September, pending permit
approval. This decision was made in order to make room for the rescheduling necessary within the six-race APBA Offshore series. Powerboat P1 CEO Azam Rangoonwala and the OPA President both expressed their full understanding of the need for race site promoters to seriously consider postponing their scheduled events to allow sufficient recovery time from the Coronavirus pandemic.
Mike Shepherd, Board Chairman of the Lake Race in Lake Ozark, MO indicated that their race site remains on schedule. “We will continue to monitor CDC updates and make a final decision within a few weeks,” Shepherd said.
The Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix Festival has made a decision to hold a contingency race date of Aug. 14-16 and will announce a final decision on April 10. Festival Director Lucy Nicandri explained: “With a non-profit organizer (Suncoast Charities for Children) of the Sarasota Grand Prix, having a contingency race date in place is critical. Like so many other non-profits, we are facing the need to maintain the financial flexibility to respond and continue supporting critical programs and services for those in need.”
For more updates on this year’s race schedule visit P1offshore.com and Oparacing.org.
2020 APBA Offshore National Championship Race Calendar
Lake of the Ozarks, MO May 28-30
Sarasota, FL June 26-28
*Contingency Race Date Held: August 14-16
St. Clair, MI July 24-26
Michigan City, IN July 31-August 2
Cocoa Beach, FL August 27-30
Fort Myers Beach, FL October 8-10
