|
AUGUSTA SOUTHERN NATIONALS, SPEED, SUN, AND FAMILY FUN
7/12/2007
Next weekend’s 22th annual Augusta Southern Nationals Drag boat race isn’t just for all of those motorheads out there, it is for every body. The mid July tradition at the Augusta Riverfront Marina has become an annual family affair for many Georgians. and South Carolinians.
The Augusta Southern Nationals are definitely fan friendly and family friendly, all across the marina blankets are scattered with moms, and kids of all ages. While the boats on the river are the main attraction, the side show is people watching. You can spend all day walking through the grounds looking at the boats, watching the crews work on them and watching the kids be themselves. Its a funny thing about kids, they seem to adapt to any kind of environment, and it doesn’t take much effort to put smiles on their faces and giggles in the air.
One of the most popular spots in the Augusta Riverfront Marina is the sprinkler playground. That’s where all of the children come to gather. While parents keep one eye on the boats flying down the river and an eye on the kids under the
sprinklers, the kids abandon themselves to the simple pleasures of getting wet, splashing each other and generally just having fun. If you stand a watch for a few minutes, it takes all of your control not to jump in the middle of the mist and dance around the cooling spray. Of course, not all of the adults have that control and it doesn’t take long to see some of the parents right in their with their kids.
The International Hot Boat Association’s drivers and crews seem to have a soft spot in their hearts for the kids.
Sure, they are happy to talk with the fans, when they aren’t working on their boats, but when the kids come around, there is an extra gleam in their eyes and they treat the children like royalty. Of course, the guys in the Top
Fuel and Top Alcohol Hydro classes are the busiest guys and have a little less time to spend with the fans, but as you walk southward on the river you can find yourself in the pits of the Eliminator classes, and here it is like a big family picnic.
|
|
Here you can mingle with the crews, the drivers, and their families. They will be happy to show you the boats, give you an up close look at the motors and give you a glimpse into what racing was meant to be, something
that the big leagues of NASCAR and Indy Car Racing has let slip away.
Meanwhile on the banks of the river, while the boats blast by on their qualifying runs or racing side by side down the track children are holding hands with their mother, or sitting on their dad’s shoulders, perched above the heads of the other spectators, taking on the sounds and the sights of International Hot Boat Racing.
The kids are fun to watch. The boats explode off of the starting line and the kids shriek, stick their fingers in their ears and smile all the way through the run. Then they look at their father or mother and their faces beam.
In today’s world, it seems that everyone day is filled with a thousand tasks as we try to makes ends meet and make better lives for our families. Their lives are so busy, there seems to be little time for family activities.
This is one of those times when a weekend outing to the races bring everybody together as one.
The action on the Savannah River begins on Friday, July 20th and continues through Sunday. Spectator gates open at 8AM and the racing begins at 9AM. Fridays admission is free and weekend prices are $15 per day, a
weekend pass can be purchased for $25. Kids, under 10, are, of course, admitted free with an adult admission. Tickets can be ordered from www.tixonline.com., or by calling (803) 278-4TIX |
