FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association
PHONE: 256.350.3500 / 800.648.5381
EMAIL: info@northalabama.org
The World’s Fastest Racing Boat Returns to Lake Guntersville this Summer
Decatur, Ala. (May 16, 2023) – Alabama is known for fast cars and a NASCAR superspeedway, but the southern state has also developed a name for fast boats on a liquid track. Lake Guntersville’s extreme summer event where the fastest boats today race on an oval course at speeds of 200 mph is set to return in June and a street party at Guntersville’s newest addition, City Harbor, has been added to this year’s festivities. Hosted by Marshall County Tourism and Sports, the annual Guntersville Lake HydroFest will take place June 24-25, 2023, offering two days of competitive racing as drivers volley to take home the Southern Cup title.
H1 Unlimited hydroplanes are the fastest, reaching speeds of up to 200 mph, and most powerful, closed-course racing boats in the world. Racing takes place along scenic Sunset Drive in Guntersville. The action-packed event offers three classes of racing: H1 Unlimited, Grand Prix America and Pro-lite series. The state-of-the-art hydroplanes race on a 2 ½-mile oval course and maintain speeds of 130 mph to upwards of 200 mph on the straightaways. More information on these boats is available at https://www.h1unlimited.com/.
Festival organizers have added a new activity for 2023, the Rooster Tail Party Tent. It will be in Zone 3 of the venue and offers great views of turns 3 and 4, as well as the rest of the course. Tickets are $60/person, and grants access both days along with lunch and non-alcoholic beverages. The tent will have a DJ and fun games like cornhole and giant beer pong.
In addition to experiencing the action on the water, there will be entertainment on land including a kid’s area with water slides, sponsors giveaways and food vendors. On Thursday, June 22 beginning at 6 p.m. at City Harbor, located at 301 Scott Street, the public is invited to see the boats and meet the drivers before race weekend gets underway. Boats will be lined up and there will be food, drinks and music. This is free to the public. Also open and free to the public is on the water testing on Friday, June 23 from 2 to 5 p.m. Stay tuned to http://www.guntersvillelakehydrofest.com/ for a schedule of events.
A weekend pass is $20/adult/pre-sale and $10/kids 6 to 12 years old/pre-sale and $30/adult/at gate and $15/kids 6 to 12 years old/at gate. A one-day pass is $15/adult/pre-sale and $5/kids 6 to 12 years old/pre-sale and $20/adult at gate and $10/ages 6 to 12 years old/at gate. Admission is free for children five years old and under and for active-duty military with valid military ID. The Ultimate Weekend Pass is $30/pre-sale and $40/at gate and includes admission into the event, transportation to see the boats at any time throughout the two days of racing and a commemorative program. Club Level is $120/ticket and includes access into a large, private tented area for on-the-water viewing at the start/finish line, transportation to see the boats at any time throughout the two days of racing, lunch and nonalcoholic beverages.
Gates open at 8 a.m. both days with activities taking place at 1500 Sunset Drive on Lake Guntersville in Guntersville, Ala. unless otherwise noted. Parking is $10 per day. All parking for spectators will be offsite with bus transportation running daily from 7:45 a.m. to 7 p.m.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit http://www.guntersvillelakehydrofest.com/.
About Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association (AMLA)
AMLA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion and development of the travel industry within the 16 northernmost counties of the state. It is supported by 500-plus members consisting of chambers of commerce, Convention & Visitors Bureaus, attractions, campgrounds, festivals, communities, counties, golf courses, restaurants, tour operators, accommodations and vendors. Counties included within the AMLA region are Blount, Cherokee, Colbert, Cullman, DeKalb, Etowah, Franklin, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Morgan and Winston. Additional information on North Alabama destinations, accommodations and special events is available by calling 800.648.5381, by visiting www.NorthAlabama.org and by following us on social media @VisitNorthAL.
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