NGK F1 Spark Plugs Powerboat Championship Final Race #6 Orange, TX - Showdown on the Sabine

OSAGE BEACH, Mo., Sept. 11, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Fans will find a delightful array of events for the family on-site, including food, drink, as well as fun children's activities for all ages. After the races on Saturday, hang around to catch live entertainment by the popular band Mixx Fixxer beginning at 6:00 P.M.

The NGK F1 series is thrilled to return to support the rejuvenated City of Orange, Texas after Hurricane Harvey ripped through the area just before the 2017 event, causing major damage and displacing many residents. That year, in the aftermath of Harvey, the NGK F1 series was forced to make a quick venue change, with APR Super League inviting the NGK F1 Powerboat Championship to share the water at their RegattaFest race in New Martinsville, WV, resulting in a successful weekend of racing that brought the series to a bona fide finale. "We couldn't just end the series like that," NGK F1 series manager, Tim Seebold, said at the time.

With the retirement of the 2017 NGK Spark Plugs Formula 1 Champion #10 Terry Rinker, a brand-new, 2018 NGK F1 Champion will be crowned at the conclusion of this year's event. The previous three F1 races held at Orange, TX were won by multi-world champion Tim Seebold, who retired on top back in 2016. The competitors this season are so closely matched that each of the first five races have crowned five different winners, and that is in both the F1 and the F-Lights categories. Fans of NGK F1 will not be able to foretell who is going to win the 2018 "The Showdown at the Sabine", as there are many competitors possessing the speed and skill to win it all!

Any seat in the house will give fans a great view of the course, which is shorter than any other on the series. F1 racers will be making sub-30 second laps on the short course, which is as close as NGK F1 comes to having a powerboating version of Bristol, Tennessee. Fans will even be able to sit directly behind the adrenaline-inducing modified Le Mans start!

Coming into Orange as the F1 series points leader is #20 Ashton Rinker of Riverview, FL, who won Round #4 in Pittsburgh and has raced his way to a spot on the podium at each of the first five events in his "Rinker Racing/Lickety Split Ice Cream" Caniff hull. Rinker leads with 1274.5 total points. Trailing Rinker by just 137.5 points is #2 Tracy Hawkins of Willis, Texas in his "Tuttle Enterprises/Palmer Power/CDI/Bel Ray" entry with 1137. Following in third place, is #53 Greg Foster "CB Technologies" with 1049, closely followed by #4 Wesley Cheatham in 4th place with 1030. #9 Johnny Fleming is in 5th with 901 points. Only 244.5 points separates the top four competitors.

But the contest for the overall Champion is not the only award that is being sought. One of the new racers will also be crowned "Rookie of the Year". That battle is being fiercely waged by two strong runners -- #99 Travis Yates of Richmond, Texas and #55 John Edde of Seymour, Indiana ? two new drivers who are scrambling to regroup after experiencing heavily damaged equipment from catastrophic collisions during recent races. At the time of this press release, Yates was ahead of Edde by a margin of just 6 points!

The Tri-hull class will reappear in Orange after a two-event hiatus, completing the assemblage of all the classes that race within the Series; Formula 1, Formula Lights, Tri-Hull and the junior racers of J-Hydro.

#10 Jerry Rinker of Houston, the current Tri-Hull points leader, is expected to arrive in Orange with a brand-new race boat. The fight for the championship crown will be fierce, as only 116 points separate the top 5 Tri-Hull drivers. #5 Jeremiah Mayo of Richmond, Texas sits in second, but the tightest points battle is between 3rd, 4th and 5th ? #110 Darryle Middleton, #54 Darren "Caddy" Ware, and #25 David Wills ? who are separated by a scant 14 points!

The Formula Lights will have fans on the edge of their seats, as the points spread between the top three competitors -- #8 Jeremiah Mayo, #2 Austin Cheatham and fourteen-year-old #13 Grant Schubert -- all hailing from the state of Texas, is a mere 204 points. Come to "Showdown on the Sabine" see if California's female rookie, #01 Kelly Ireland, can work her way up from her current 4th position and get past this trio for a shot at the F-Lights Championship!

The NGK F1 J-Hydro Championship is being waged by a slate of junior drivers who will find out the name of their new 2018 champion at this final battle on the Sabine River. #16 Jack Schubert currently dominates the J-Hydro point standings, winning 2 out of 3 events so far. Last year's Champion was his cousin, Natalie Schubert, who edged-out Jack for the overall title.

For more information, including maps and event times, please visit the Orange Convention & Visitors Bureau at http://www.orangetexas.org or visit the Orange Convention and Visitors Bureau Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/orangecvb.

Don't miss any of Orange Texas "Showdown on the Sabine" NGK F1 Powerboat Championship action by tuning in for our Live Streaming Sunday September 16th, 2018 at https://www.facebook.com/NGKF1PowerboatChampionship.
Find additional information on the NGK Spark Plugs Powerboat Championship on our website, http://www.ngkf1.com.

Greenlight TV will film the NGK Spark Plugs F1 Powerboat Championship racing action, producing a 30-minute show to air on CBS Sports Network. The racing action from Orange, TX will air on Wednesday October 3, 2018 at 9:30 PM EST and three hours later, on October 4, 2018 at 12:30 AM EST. You can also watch the shows on Motor Trend On Demand for a minimal fee. Visit https://www.motortrendondemand.com/show/us-f1-powerboats-championship-/73231972/.

2018 The NGK Spark Plugs Formula 1 Powerboat Championship Schedule:

May 4-6 Port Neches, TX - F1, F-Light, Tri Hull, J-Hydro            
http://pnriverfest.com/
June 1-3 Gulfport, FL - F1, F-Light, Tri Hull
http://www.gulfportgrandprix.com/
June 15-16 Nashville, TN - F1, F-Light, Tri Hull, J-Hydro
http://thunderonthecumberland.com/
Aug. 3-5 Pittsburgh, PA - F1, F-Light
http://yougottaregatta.org/
Aug. 10-12 Springfield, OH - F1, F-Light
http://www.springfieldf1grandprix.com/
Sept. 14-16 Orange, TX - F1, F-Light, Tri Hull, J-Hydro
http://www.orangetexas.org

The NGK Spark Plugs Formula 1 Powerboat Championship is ecstatic to have the strong commitment of title sponsor, NGK Spark Plugs - The Ignition Specialist. Since 1936, NGK Spark Plugs has been the world leader in technology, innovation, and world-class quality in the design of spark plugs and oxygen sensors. Today, NGK manufactures NGK Spark Plugs and NTK Oxygen Sensors for virtually every automotive manufacturer in the world.

NGK has built a reputation for quality and reliability, and a commitment to excellence continues to be the driving force behind the company's advanced research and development programs.

SOURCE Seebold Sports Inc