After four action-packed days, Visit Michigan City LaPorte’s 14th Annual XINSURANCE Great Lakes Grand Prix came to an unforgettable close on Sunday, August 6 with countless exciting boat races, a delicious VIP brunch, and live music. The rain stood in no one’s way as thousands of people camped out on the beach, eager to see their favorite boat speed on by.
“The folks in our community have been waiting a long time to see boats out on the water, and so to finally get them out there and see how excited everyone is is really rewarding. I’m super excited,” said Jack Arnett, CEO of Visit Michigan City LaPorte.
The XINSURANCE Great Lakes Grand Prix has always been a big hit, but this year was one of the largest events yet.
“We’re running out of space,” laughed Arnett. “It’s a great problem to have. In the first year, we only had about 15 boats or so and every year it’s just gotten bigger. Now we’re at about 72 race teams and fitting them everywhere we can.”
Along with the record number of racers, this year’s Grand Prix was particularly exciting because Michigan City was able to welcome several racers from around the world. G.C. Racing S450 class racer Willy Cabeza came all the way from Miami to take part in the Grand Prix. Not only did the Grand Prix give him the opportunity to race in Lake Michigan for the first time, but it was also his first time visiting Indiana.
Cabeza was impressed by how beautiful Lake Michigan was--he couldn’t wait to get out on the water and put his skills to the test.
“My first time racing on freshwater was only a couple of months ago, and this is my first time ever racing on Lake Michigan. I’ve been warned that when you’re racing on Lake Michigan it’s either really smooth or crazy choppy and there’s no in-between. Yesterday was a bit rough with the weather, but it’s been a lot of fun so far,” said Cabeza.
This year’s Grand Prix was also impactful because it had an invaluable impact on our community’s economy. Hotels have been booked out for months across the entire Region. In years past, the Grand Prix has brought over $18 million to the community through business alone. The generosity of the racers has also gone a long way--over the last several years, racer Billy Moff has donated over $60,000 to the Washington Park Zoo. This year he made sure to make another considerable donation.
“Even if there’s a bit of rain out here today, the hotels around here are still jammed, and that’s what really matters: helping bring some good economics to the Michigan City community,” said Randy Scism, world champion powerboat racer.
Lastly, not only did the Grand Prix bring in all kinds of interesting people and help boost the local economy, but it also helped show how passionate the Region community is about the place they call home.
“One year when I raced here I was out on my boat and I looked over at the beach and saw close to 63,000 people. I had to stop and take a picture--I almost missed the start of my race because of it. I just couldn’t believe how many people were on that beach ready to cheer us on,” said Gary Ballough, racer for G.C Racing.
Ultimately, the 14th annual XINSURANCE Great Lakes Grand Prix proved that nothing can come between the community and its love for boat racing and the beauty of our Great Lake--not even a little rain. This year’s Grand Prix truly wouldn’t have been possible without the community’s support.
“I just want to thank the community for welcoming us with such open arms and for showing up and supporting us with so much enthusiasm. We do get a chance to look over at the beach while we’re racing and seeing so many people get so excited really makes us feel that we’re giving back in some way,” said Ballough.
This year’s XINSURANCE Great Lakes Grand Prix also wouldn’t have been possible without all the amazing sponsors who worked hard to bring all the festivities together. Some of this year’s top sponsors included XINSURANCE, NIPSCO, 1st Source Bank, Horizon Bank, Sunset Grille, and Patrick's Grille.
As another successful XINSURANCE Great Lakes Grand Prix comes to a close, the Visit Michigan City LaPorte team can’t help but look to the future, eager to create even more wonderful opportunities for our community.
“We just want to continue to create a safe, fun environment for our race teams, and keep changing things and adding stuff to make it even better. We can’t wait for next year,” said Arnett.
To learn more about Visit Michigan City LaPorte, visit michigancitylaporte.com.
