Boat Races Return With Big Beach Crowd

In what would normally be an extremely slow weekend on Fort Myers Beach, the ROAR Offshore Powerboat Races brought big crowds and big business to the island to see an extraordinary weekend of racing.

With boats strategically placed all around the downtown area, residents and visitors got a chance to see the boats up close and spend time with the drivers and their crews. The races included practice runs and qualifying Friday and Saturday and the final race Sunday afternoon followed by an awards ceremony on the terrace at Margaritaville.

The ROAR Offshore Powerboat races had been absent from the beach since COVID and the hurricanes. Shaun Torrente Racing purchased the brand from Tim and Cyndi Hill a few months ago and worked feverishly to pull the event off in just a few months. It was a joint effort involving Torrent, local business owners, the Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce, What’s Up FMB, and the Town of Fort Myers Beach.

Fort Myers Beach Mayor Dan Allers said, “Bringing this event back is about more than just having another event on the calendar. It’s about bringing our community together again and restoring some of the traditions and experiences that make Fort Myers Beach such a special place. After everything our island has been through, opportunities like this give residents, businesses and visitors a chance to reconnect, celebrate our progress and simply enjoy being together. I’m excited to see it return and hope it’s something our community can look forward to for many years to come.”

New ROAR Offshore owner Shaun Torrente was very excited that Fort Myers Beach was packed over the weekend. ”Our class put on an amazing show, especially Sunday and I’m so thankful for our little town and our little beach. It’s one of the most beautiful places on earth. I’m glad that the beach was packed and glad there were people everywhere. Hopefully this is the first of many.”

Margaritaville was a $50,000 sponsor of the event. TPI’s Tom Torgerson said the event was an amazing example of what can happen on Fort Myers Beach when everyone pulls in the same direction. “The recipe started with a competent and community focused promoter of the event. Add to that the quick response from influential and impacted governmental jurisdictions and non-profits. And complete that motivated and focused recipe with a united business community. ROAR has a tremendous future for our island, right when we need it most, mid-September.”

The race winners on Sunday were:
1st Place: Team Bermuda/GL Construction – Steven Bridges and David Selley
2nd Place: Allen Lawn Care – Billy Allen and Sabrina Kawilik
3rd Place: Wozencraft – Julian Maldonado and Jeremy Tschida

The Alex King Group was a $25,000 sponsor. King told Beach Talk Radio the races were an incredible event and a huge success for Fort Myers Beach. “Having an event of this magnitude back on our island at Margaritaville  helping to bring the energy and excitement to our beachfront, is a tremendous boost for our community, our local businesses, and everyone who loves Fort Myers Beach. The Alex King Group and King Family Foundation were incredibly proud to serve as a Platinum Sponsor and help bring this iconic tradition back to our community.”

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