For one weekend in September, Evansville became a meeting place for remote-control boat racers from across the United States and around the world.
Deaconess Sports Park hosted the Indy Masters September 11-13, bringing more than 350 boats and more than 100 drivers to Evansville for one of the area's biggest RC boat racing events. Racers representing 19 states and three countries traveled to the city to take part in the three-day competition.
The turnout included racers from as far away as Germany and Bermuda, along with competitors who made their way to Evansville from communities across the United States.
For Andy Norris, president of the River City Racing Club, seeing racers travel such long distances — including some returning to racing after retirement — has been one of the highlights of bringing the event back to Evansville.
“There are guys coming out of retirement to come to this race,” Norris said.
The Indy Masters is a collaboration between the Indy Model Boat Club, the River City Racing Club and Deaconess Sports Park, with support from Explore Evansville. Together, the organizations helped bring the event to a larger lake and create a weekend that attracted a national and international field.
“There are guys coming from Germany, Bermuda, and guys driving from all over to come race in Evansville,” Norris said.
The racing itself kept the lake busy throughout the weekend. Friday featured three rounds of hydro races, followed by a mix of hydro racing and District 14 series classes on Saturday and Sunday. With dozens of heats scheduled each day, competition continued from 8 a.m. until approximately sundown.
For spectators, the event offered a chance to see a side of racing that they may not encounter every day. The Indy Masters featured a variety of RC boats, models and setups, all competing on the water at Deaconess Sports Park.
But the most notable part of the weekend may have been where everyone came from to be there. Nineteen states. Three countries. More than 350 boats. More than 100 drivers. Those numbers tell the story of how far the Indy Masters has reached.
What has long been a sport with a strong local following in Evansville is now drawing competitors from across the country and internationally. For the racers who traveled hundreds — or even thousands — of miles to get here, Evansville was more than just the location on the race schedule. It was where they came to race.
