Bay City River Roar Celebrates 25 Years

ByJason Johnson

Being that it’s the Friday before a holiday weekend (if you can call it that with Independence Day falling on a Wednesday this year), I’m probably like most of you and already halfway out the door, ready to celebrate the Fourth even though it’s still June. So in taking the easy way out today,  I’d like to share a couple of stellar photos from our friend photographer Paul Kemiel of Paul Kemiel Photographics, who shot last weekend’s Bay City River Roar.

The event, which celebrated its 25th anniversary, featured the Formula One PROP Tour with F1, F2 and F-Lights class racing. In a surprise showing, veteran tunnel boat racer Tim Seebold entered his first race in nearly two years.  In the end Terry Rinker, took home the F1 trophy and Donny Lick won the F2 class. Both are captured by Kemiel below (click photos for captions and to enlarge).

Terry Rinker airs out his Lee hull down the front stretch of the Saginaw River en route to winning the F1 class at the DOW Bay City River Roar in Michigan. Rinker earned his fourth Bay City victory in the F1 PROP Tour season opener. Photo by Paul Kemiel/Paul Kemiel Photographics Donny Lick handles his Aero Lee hull on the Saginaw River to win his first major F2 class victory since 2006 at the 25th annual DOW River Roar in Bay City, Mich. Photo by Paul Kemiel/Paul Kemiel Photographics

And rather than duplicate the work of another good friend, Mercury Racing’s Rick Mackie, you can get a rundown of what happened in Bay City in his most recent blog.