Corporate name added to powerboat race

BY STAN MADDUX

Acorporate sponsor has been added to the annual power boat racing along the Lake Michigan shoreline in Michigan City.

XINSURANCE is the title sponsor of the Great Lakes Grand Prix through 2027.

During the announcement Monday, April 10, at Blue Chip Casino, the development was hailed as a way to better promote the event, which has drawn more than 200,000 people over a several days period for racing and related events.

La Porte County Convention and Visitors Bureau Chief Executive Officer Jack Arnett called the agreement a “perfect fit.”

Arnett said the multi-year sponsorship will provide time for an extensive long term branding of the event.

“They bring so much to the partnership from an added-value marketing perspective,” he said.

Michigan City Mayor Duane Parry said he believes the deal will significantly enhance what’s already a great event.

“I applaud this amazing accomplishment of bringing them on as a much valued partner,” he said.

For the past 13 years, racing teams from multiple continents participate in time trials and competitions in boats that can top 150 miles per hour.

The Great Lakes Grand Prix has been awarded the Best Event in Indiana by the Indiana Tourism Association.

It’s on the schedule of races sanctioned by the American Power Boat Association based in Florida.

APBA has races in Florida and others state like Michigan, Wisconsin, West Virginia and locations as far away as California and Maine.

The 2023 XINSURANCE Great Lakes Grand Prix is scheduled at Washington Park Aug. 2-6. For more information and to purchase VIP tickets, go to www.greatlakesgrandprix.com.