Wisconsin’s Petenwell Lake may cover more than 20,000 acres, but this weekend, the only place to be is the Lure Bar & Grill as some of the region’s top Watercross athletes roll into Nekoosa for the kickoff of the ProWatercross-sanctioned 2016 Great Lakes Watercross Tour.
Packing two rounds of the tour into one adrenaline-packed weekend, racers in more than 10 divisions will crowd the line, looking for a hole shot and that top step of the podium – not to mention the chance to start the season off on top of the rankings.
The 2016 Tour – six rounds of closed course Watercross racing leading up to the Series Championship Northern Nationals in Milton, Wis. in September – has been a Midwest tradition for more than 20 years, and event organizer Scott Hyke continues to grow the sport and support the fans and athletes through both the fiercely-competitive Race Series as well as dozens of recreational jet ski events throughout the year.
“Regional racing is key to growing Watercross as a sport – it’s the regional events that bring a groundswell of both athletes and fans into the sport, and we’re committed to supporting and partnering with regional PWC tours across the country,” said Pro Watercross CEO AJ Handler. “Scott, and the Great Lakes Watercross Tour, are an important part of the Pro Watercross family, and it is the racers and the fans from regional tours like Scott’s that feed the national tour and help the sport earn the recognition it deserves.”
With two full rounds set for this weekend, racers headed to Petenwell Lake will have a double shot at chalking up a win and twice the chance to boost their series points.
Round 1 of the opening weekend racing will start Saturday, June 11, at 1 p.m., with the last race finishing by 6 p.m. and an awards ceremony to follow. Racer signup on Saturday will open at 11 a.m., with the riders meeting at 12:30 p.m.
On Sunday, the first race will hit the line at 10 a.m., with the last race finishing around 2 p.m., and an awards presentation following.
Lure Bar & Grill at Barnum Bay Marina provides a convenient hub for all the weekend events. Set on the edge of the deep Petenwell Lake shoreline, The Lure’s patio bar will give racers and fans a perfect place to kick back, relax, and compare moto war stories between races while checking out their fan-favorite Double Bacon Whiskey BBQ Burger… and be sure to grab some of the their famous garlic steamed mussels or a Surf and Turf dinner to close out the day. Visit www.barnumbaymarina.com to find out more!
The 2016 Great Lakes Watercross Tour will be back at Petenwell Lake on July 16 and 17 for Rounds 3 & 4. Stay up to date on the tour, the racers and the fun at www.greatlakeswatercross.com and be sure to check out sanctioning body and national tour host Pro Watercross at www.prowatercross.com/