Friday, March 29, 2024

Upper Columbia Cup Stage 2 hydros roar at Pateros August 27-28

Chase the Grapes

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Pateros – The second stage of the Upper Columbia Cup four-race Chase the Grapes hydro series will debut in Pateros this Saturday and Sunday, August 27-28.

The series began with the Norm Evans Apple Cup Regatta last April on Lake Chelan. Pateros hosts the second stage, Brewster the third on Sept. 10-11, and Manson the final on Sept, 24-25.

Event promoter and Pateros resident George Pearson explained the series and race format at the April 21 Pateros city council meeting and submitted a Facilities Use Agreement to the city on July 1 for a dinner and live music event from 5-10 p.m. on August 27 at the multi-purpose building stage on Lakeshore Drive.

Tacoma Inboard Racing Association president Tim Hamilton also submitted paperwork indicating that the races and preparation will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday-Sunday August 26-28

Racing points for the winner-take-all series will be accumulated separately from American Power Boat Association (APBA) national points.

Pearson said a separate class of outboards called J Stock Boats that feature young drivers from age nine and up will race at Pateros as they did earlier in Chelan. Pearson said he discussed the J Stock appearance with former Miss Pateros owner/driver Brandon Cushing, now retired, who owns several J Stocks. Cushing’s son is getting his start in J Stocks as a fourth-generation driver in the family.

The racing teams welcome the new events in the Upper Columbia region because the sport is rapidly losing racing venues on the west side of the state.


 

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