| 7/15/2006 9:00:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article | FOX Sports to broadcast ABRA racing
EnviroPly signs as series sponsor
Courier Sports Staff
The American Boat Racing Association announced two major corporate deals Friday, unveiling a national television package and a national sponsor at the APBA Gold Cup in Detroit.
FOX Sports Net, one of the nation's biggest players in sports broadcasting with multiple networks in every region of the country, has agreed to air the final four races of the 2006 ABRA season starting with this weekend's Gold Cup in Detroit. The deal could bring hydroplane racing into as many as 80 million homes.
In addition, the ABRA has signed EnviroPly of Lakeland, Fla. as the series sponsor for the rest of the season and the circuit will now be called the EnviroPly Unlimited Hydroplane Series.
Both signings were high on ABRA Chairman Sam Cole's priority list.
"We are very excited to have EnviroPly and FOX Sports join the sport in 2006," Cole said in a statement. "Placing ABRA on FOX Sports Net during its national time allotment gives us more national exposure than we have had in years."
FOX Sports Net will carry all four races during the national time slot with specific times and dates to be announced later. All races will be shown during the late afternoon time slot during the week when FOX Sports Net has its national coverage.
The races will be broadcast in a four-week period, giving the sport the opportunity to have one full month of hydroplane racing on FOX.
EnviroPly is a manufacturer of permanent construction material located in Lakeland, Fla. According to the release, the product is a cement-type board which is waterproof, termite-proof, mold-proof and fireproof. The modern substance incorporates an age old technology, using Portland cement - the same substance used to build the Roman Coliseum.
The twin announcements came on the eve of the sport's biggest race, the 102nd APBA Gold Cup in Detroit.
"We have eleven boats for the Gold Cup and could have 15 boats for the three races on the West Coast," Cole said. "The racing has been outstanding and adding both of these companies to our circuit is a great addition to unlimited hydroplane racing."
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Reader Comments
Posted: Monday, July 31, 2006
Article comment by:
Roger Hooks
Just like Henry Velasco I am one of the hundreds if not thoursands of die hard fans that has spent hundreds of hours studying, researching, building, painting and racing 1/8th Scale replicas of these full size water rockets dating back to the early sixties. I have been a fan since I was 7 years old. Now at the age of 35 I am happy to see the full size series getting back to where it deserves to be.
Posted: Thursday, July 20, 2006
Article comment by:
Henry Velasco
I am very happy that airing of Hydro plane racing is in the future again -- thank you
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