hey’re the best show in boat racing. They rocket off the beach hurling 100-foot rooster tails. They

accelerate from zero to 120 mph in less than a quarter mile. Then they turn left like slot cars and race down the next straightaway inches apart, locked gunnel to gunnel. And they do it again and again and again, until somebody gets a checkered flag.

U.S. Formula One-style outboard-tunnel-boat racing is a little over 20 years old. During that time the Formula One tour has seen several different owners, a bunch of format changes, a ton of rule revisions and a revolving door of host race sites. And although this evolutionary process has had its share of bumps along the way, one thing has never changed: the intensity of the competition and the ability to

please spectators.

Formula One outboard- tunnel drivers race like a pack of hungry jackals. That buddy-buddy demeanor in the pits and on the launch ramp disappears the instant the green flag drops. And although their numbers are not as many nor as deep as

a decade ago, the Formula One talent pooi is still pretty awesome.

Brothers Seebold are still the pair to beat now that dad Bill has vacated the driver’s seat after a long and illustrious hall-of-fame career. Veterans Terry Rinker and Greg Foster are always in the hunt. And the names Beckman, Fairchild, Toler, Jensen, Bowden, Thornton, Campbell, Lane and Nelson are like Broadway understudies just waiting for their moment in this watery limelight.

The 2001 Laughlin Formula One PROP Tour presented by Bud Light opened its road show along the banks of the Colorado River, in that not-so-sleepy casino- laden desert recreation paradise of Laughlin, Nevada. Nestled on the banks of the Colorado River in the Nevada desert— a mere 90 miles southeast of Las Vegas and just a few hours from Southern California and Arizona’s major population

area—lies Laughlin, a resort destination that boasts a

muttitude of unspoiled attractions and abundant sports and recreation activities, It’s a small town with big-city amenities and near-perfect weather, attracting nearly five million visitors every year. Laughlin was a savvy choice for the kickoff of the tunnel-boat race season: The city offers affordable first-class accommodations, great dining, exciting shopping and 24-hour casino gaming.

Not only was this the season debut, but it was also Formula One’s coming-out party for the newly combined