Doug Pace: Fastest sprint boats descend on Webb’s Slough for final race of season

The world’s fastest sprint boat teams arrive in St. John on Saturday for the final racing event of the season at Webb’s Slough.

Built into a Palouse hillside, the racecourse is known for its challenging twists and turns. Sightlines were important to the development of the site, with several options available including terrace-style grass sections.

American Sprint Boat Racing teams in the Modified, 400 and Unlimited divisions will run separate races throughout the day. Speed is the name if the game in all three divisions as competitors can cover the course in less than a minute.

Sprint boat racing pits a driver and navigator against the course. No side-by-side competition takes place. The winning team is the one that can run the course in the shortest amount of time.

The boats produce more than 1,000 horsepower and come complete with a roll bar over the driver and navigator.

What makes sprint boat racing successful at Webb’s Slough is the tremendous amount of volunteer support and regional businesses, according to owners Matt and Amanda Webb.

Local service organizations help with a only a small fee charged that provides a return to various groups. Volunteers take tickets, work the gates and assist with the downtown activities.

Festivities begin at 4 p.m. Friday with safety inspections and the show-and-shine event on Front Street in St. John. Spectator gates open at 9 a.m. Saturday with qualifying at 10.

For those interested in spending the weekend on the Palouse, camping is available at Webb’s Slough without a reservation, beginning Friday night and running through Saturday. A free shuttle bus will be provided for those camping who would like to take in the Show and Shine event on Friday.

Spectator passes can be purchased online at BrownPaperTickets.com or by calling 800-838-3006.

For a complete weekend schedule: webbsslough.com.

Garber gives South Sound a try

Stateline Speedway’s defending late model champion, David Garber, looks to September as a time to shine in the hunt for back-to-back titles.

With an off weekend prior to the championship event in two weeks, Garber isn’t looking to head to the lake or camp in the hills. Instead, he ventures to South Sound Speedway, located in Rochester, Washington, for that track’s late model division’s championship on Saturday night

“I’ve never raced there during my career, so I was given a chance to go out to South Sound and give a go,” Garber said. “It’s a neat track with a lot of history and I thought with a weekend off here at home, why not try something new?”

This season, Garber’s racing efforts have received a boost from a local business, Western Rail, which has sponsored his team in several events. Owner Todd Havens, who also owns the Killer “B” Racing Team, opened the door for the South Sound trip.

“Todd and his company have been a big help to what we’re doing this year, that’s for sure,” Garber said. “I’ve been able to run one of his cars in a few races, had him help get my car on the track and he’s been supportive of me when the times have been tough during the season. When he offered to load my car into their hauler and take it to South Sound if I’d come run the race, I couldn’t past it up.”

Garber will team with Braeden Havens as a 1-2 punch at South Sound, a facility that features a mix of high speed and tricky corners with plenty of talented drivers in their late model division.

“South Sound’s local show has some tough drivers out there including Wade Bland, who just won the track’s big Miller 200 race,” Garber said. “Having someone (like Havens) to bounce some ideas off of when we’re working on set-ups and the right gearing will be a big help.”