The NGK Spark Plugs Formula One Powerboat Championship is proud to announce the long-awaited return of boat racing to downtown Toledo, Ohio on June 28-29, 2019 for its second stop of the six-race 2019 season. Boat racing fans on the banks of the Maumee River at Promenade Park will feel their hearts pound as they watch these lightning-fast, 17-foot, 120-mph Formula One boats blast off from the dock at 0 to 100 mph in 5 seconds to wage battle with more than 20 other tunnel boats as they execute mind-blowing 6.5-G turns!

The free, 2-day event “Rock the River Toledo”, hosted by ProMedica and sponsored by iHeartRadio, will also give fans plenty of other activities, such as live bands, VIP areas, boat displays, a 3-story jumbotron, live on-stage racer interviews, water demonstrations and food vendors. After Friday’s races, the highlight of the evening will be found right around the corner at the Mud Hen Minor League’s Fifth Third Field, where 2018 NGK Formula One Champion and current series points leader, Ashton Rinker, will be throwing the first pitch! On Saturday, the nearby children’s museum, Imagination Station, will be hosting a free boat-building competition for kids!

The lightning fast NGK F1 racing action begins on Friday at noon with the test and tune sessions followed by the first set of preliminary heats at 3:00pm. The F1 drivers return to the river on Saturday at 12:00 pm, where the sharply-honed cornering skills of the pilots will wow the crowd with four intense heat races. Then look for even more excitement as you get the opportunity to meet your favorite F1 drivers during the autograph session at the Promenade Park stage! The autograph session will be immediately followed by the adrenaline-packed Formula One Final, where the 2019 “Rock the River” victor will be crowned!

Points leader and reigning 2018 NGK F1 Champion, #20 Ashton Rinker of Riverview, Florida, will arrive in Toledo carrying a 21 series points lead over second place #62 Chris Fairchild of Paw Paw, IL. Two California drivers, #93 RJ West and #53 Greg Foster, round out the top 4, with #94 Rusty Wyatt of Ontario, Canada sitting in 5th place on the leaderboard — all 5 drivers are within 50 points of the leader, Rinker.

Tim Seebold, NGK F1 Managing Director, feels Toledo is a perfect venue for NGK F1 Powerboat racing. “Getting the Formula One race boats back to Toledo is great after a hiatus of 15 years. We are very excited with the turnout and support for our drivers. Moving into a large market like Toledo is exactly the direction we need to take the sport.”

Race Promoter Dana Potts is also thrilled with the energy and enthusiasm that is bringing the racers back to Toledo. “We are excited to have the race back in Toledo. I can’t thank ProMedica enough for investing in the riverfront and also investing in us.”

Greenlight TV will again be filming the NGK Spark Plugs F1 Powerboat Championship racing action all season long, producing an exciting 30-minute show of each event to air on CBS Sports Network. “Rock the River Toledo” will air on Sunday, July 14, 2019 at 12:30 PM ET.

You will also be able to watch all the shows on Motor Trend On Demand for a minimal fee. To view the shows on-demand, visit: https://www.motortrendondemand.com/show/us-f1-powerboats-championship-/73231972/.

Live-Streamed racing action will also be produced by Greenlight TV to air on the NGK Series and NGK’s Facebook pages: https://www.facebook.com/NGKF1PowerboatChampionship. Find additional information on the NGK Spark Plugs Powerboat Championship on our website, www.NGKF1Powerboatchampionship.com.

The upcoming races for the 2019 NGK Spark Plugs F1 Powerboat Championship season:

Jun 28-29: Toledo, OH – F1 https://www.facebook.com/events/1210955359029299/

Jul 12-14: Bay City, MI – F1, F-Light, Tri Hull, J-Hydro www.rockintheriver.com

Aug 2-4: Pittsburgh, PA – F1, F-Light http://yougottaregatta.org

Aug 9-11: Springfield, OH – F1, F-Light, J-Hydro http://www.springfieldf1grandprix.com

Aug 31-Sep 1: Windsor, CO – F1, F-Light, Tri Hull, J-Hydro www.roaroftherockies.com

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.