Sprint boats hit Webb's Slough

ST.JOHN – First-time sprint boat racers were among the top competitors Saturday, Jun 18, at Webb's Slough.

Jason Perkins of Cheney drover the No. 145 Pour Decision boat to first place in the Modified class. Meanwhile, Clint O'Keefe of St. John drove the Dangerous Curves boat to a third-place finish in the class.

Perkins' boat was navigated by Eli Gurske of Spangle and O'Keefe's boat was navigated by Mike Thomas of St. John.

"This was my first time racing and I was nervous, still am," Perkins said late in the action Saturday afternoon. "I just wanna put the boat on the podium."

Sprint boat racing pits a driver and navigator against the time clock on a small maze-like course of islands.

Those vessels that veer off course or end up on islands are disqualified.

Course marshals called "Island Hoppers" are on hand to help vessels that sink or flip, and drag grounded boats back into the water.

"The goal is always to win," Perkins said. "I won't be happy with anything but first."

He didn't have to settle for anything less than the top of the podium.

Perkins said that out of his friends, he is the craziest, so he was asked to drive.

The Pour Decision would mark its first highlight before the "4-Cut" when Perkins drove the vessel to a lap time of less than 50 seconds.

The "4-Cut" is the final round in a class when only the four fastest boats remain.

O'Keefe got into the race because another local needed a driver.

"It looked like a lot of fun and finally found someone who wanted to go into it with me," O'Keefe said. "I like just going fast. The people are really nice in this sport."

Before the "4-Cut," the St. John-based Dangerous Curves boat was in fourth-place.

"Our biggest concern is making the one corner," he said, while awaiting his turn. "The 4 into 11 is the hairpin you gotta come back from."

Having never raced before, O'Keefe was happy to have met his goal of making it into the "8-Cut."

"We definitely plan to race again next year," he noted.

Along with the races, visitors had the opportunity to buy boat merchandise, fly in a helicopter, try deep-fried Oreos, and view the races at their leisure from the beer garden or a large field.

Drivers were also able to meet with the crowd and speak in between heats.

Formerly retired but now returning racer Scott Ackerman of Colfax drove the Spokane Valley-based Hammertime (No. 29), one of last year's fastest overall boats.

He didn't make it into the Top 3 racing in the Modified Class.

Regardless, Ackerman was just happy to race after a seven-year driving hiatus.

"I was asked if I would be willing to drive his boat. I said 'yeah, but I have to ask my wife' and now here we are having fun," Ackerman said. "My wife and I raced for 10 years and we have been out for 6-7 years. It was just time to retire.

"I thought I was done, but you can never get it out of your system."

Before the 4-Cut, Hammertime sat with the fastest time in the modified class.

Owned by Rick Phillips of Spokane Valley, Hammertime featured Webb Slough's mascot – the Slough Beaver – atop the vessel.

"The boat handles very well," Ackerman said. "So, we just want to keep it in the water and keep it smooth. I came out of retirement for Rick and didn't know I was racing until 6:30 last night."

Samantha Hughes of Spokane Valley was the navigator for Ackerman.

Last year, Dennis Hughes and Jen McClelland, both of Spokane Valley, raced the Hammertime to third- and second-place finishes in the June and August Webb's Slough events, respectfully. And Samantha Hughes and her father Dennis Hughes, both of Spokane Valley, drove the overtime to first-place in the Unlimited class at Webb's Slough in both races.

"I gave Sam her first ride when she was 14 years old," Ackerman said. "Our goal is to just keep it in the water. The boat handles very well so we just want to keep it in the water and keep it smooth.

Hughes and her father won the Unlimited class again this year.

Webb's Slough will host its next race Aug. 27.