BURLEY, Idaho — As of June 27, it's day two of the Idaho Regatta in Burley, and racers are gearing up for one of the biggest regattas yet.
From small boats to medium boats to… whoa, what is that?
The 2025 Idaho Regatta will feature over 100 speedboats in 15 different categories.
WATCH: Check out the horsepower!
"We've got guys from Florida, Arizona, California, Washington, and New Mexico. Just pick a state; we probably have someone here from there," said Louis Schindler, the Idaho Regatta chairman.
Arizona resident Mark Zimmerman is the owner and driver of the P-2 Matchbox, and this is his first Idaho Regatta.
"It's a crackerbox, P-class—the oldest class in the APBA [American Power Boat Association]," said Mark Zimmerman.
The crackerbox class is one of the largest this year, topping speeds of 90 to 100 miles per hour.
"The crackerbox class keeps getting bigger; it's the largest class here. I know a lot of people think it's the worst class to run, but once you get into it, it's kind of addicting," Mark added.
For more horsepower…
"This is a blown-alcohol K-boat, and this is the fastest class that our sanctioning body allows. This boat can reach speeds of up to 150 miles per hour," said Corey Ferguson of Bucks Up Racing.
Idaho News 6 Reporter Joey Martin asked Ferguson what it's like in this "fighter jet" of a speedboat.
"I wish I could put it into words; it is just absolutely incredible. The amount of horsepower we have, which is about 2,500, sets you in the seat so hard as we hit those turns quickly. It's just such an amazing adrenaline rush," Corey replied.
The Idaho Regatta is one of the smaller events sanctioned by the American Power Boat Association, but it's also one of the most cherished.
"This is the one race that the racers absolutely look forward to attending," said Louis Schindler.
"They try as hard as they can throughout the year to make it to Burley because we have a great venue, a wonderful city that takes care of us, and all of the sponsors who help put the event on—they take care of everybody."
The Idaho Regatta features a full schedule of races throughout Saturday and Sunday. Gates open at 8 a.m., and racing will end around 6 p.m.
For ticket information and racing schedules, visit the Idaho Regatta website.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
