2012 Summer National Championships for the (Outdoor Drag Boat Association)

Bucksport

Bucksport Plantation recently announced that the 2012 Summer National Championships for the ODBA (Outdoor Drag Boat Association) will be held at Bucksport from June 22-24. They are sponsoring the 2-day racing competition  and hosting over 40 high speed drag boats and drivers for practice runs on Friday the 22nd.

Competitors will drag race along a quarter mile stretch of the Waccamaw River just south of where the river meets the Intracoastal Waterway southwest of Conway. The ODBA recently merged with the East Coast Drag Boat Association under the ODBA charter to form the largest sanctioning body for the fast growing spectator sport.

The ODBA’s Summer Nationals will feature several classes of boats including Pro Gas, Pro Fuel, Pro Mod, and Pro Drag divisions. Competitors will race for cash and championship trophie . The Coast Guard will establish and enforce a safety zone along this stretch of the river from approximately noon to 7 p.m. on each day of the event.

Persons and vessels are prohibited from entering, transiting through, anchoring in, or remaining with the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port of Charleston or a designated representative.

Tickets for this Myrtle Beach area event are $5 for Friday, $10 for Saturday or Sunday (or a 3-day advance-purchase pass for $20). In addition to the drag boat racing competition, a live music festival will be held daily featuring the popular Tim Clark Band on Friday, Tru Sol on Saturday, and an afterglow celebration on Sunday with special guests Buck Cody and the Super Pickers.

Says Bucksport Plantation owner, Ralph Simms, “We’re very excited about having the ODBA and their high performance drag boats for three days of “fast and furious” competition here at Bucksport. Our 35 acre complex with marina, campground, and restaurant/bar along more than 600 feet of dockage on this beautiful river is the perfect place to stage this event. We’ve been looking for a special event to showcase Bucksport Plantation and encourage folk to come out and enjoy our scenic complex…and we feel the ODBA Summer Nationals is just that event. We’re expecting big crowds all weekend and believe that this will be the first of the annual ODBA Summer Nationals!”

Commented ODBA President and competitor, Shane Stovall, “We couldn’t be more pleased to partner with Bucksport Plantation for our Summer Nationals championships. Bucksport has a great facility to host a drag boat competition and our drivers are going to be amped up to perform for the fans. Everywhere we race, the crowds grow each year because we’re delivering exciting entertainment combined with getting out on the water and back to nature. We feel we’re the fastest growing spectator sport in the U.S. and we look forward to a growing relationship with Bucksport.”

For tickets and event details, call Bucksport Plantation at 843 397 5566.