The 2025 season opener for the Columbia Drag Boat Association was held at the Haystack Reservoir Saturday and Sunday, June 14 and 15. Drag boat races have been held at Haystack for 60 years.  This year’s event was titled “High Desert Showdown.”

Haystack is perfectly suited to the event, with two boat ramps:  The west ramp is used for launching and the east ramp at the campground is used for reloading the boat onto the trailer.  It’s a straight shot across the water with spectators at the west camping sites and many more set up on the south shore.  There was little wind, and the water was calm for the weekend event.

Drag boat racing is a high-speed motorsport that involves boats racing down a straight track marked on either side by inflatable buoys. The boats are designed for maximum speed and acceleration, and the races are held over a 1,000-foot course.

Much like a drag strip for sports cars, there are timing lights counting down to the start.  Except the competitors are hanging onto a rope to keep the boat in place until just before the start.  The speeds are impressive.  Showdown driven by Brent Bookhart clocked 149 miles per hour in the Quick Eliminator competition, while Shell Shock driven by Steve Ziebert, of Veneta, clocked 139.3 miles per hour in the Pro Eliminator competition.

Shell Shock is outfitted with a 460-gasoline engine with a blower, and boosted by nitrous oxide. To complete the 1,000-foot course in six seconds.

Viewing the races is a rush, and extremely loud for the few seconds.  Engines can be heard on the other side of the buttes over two miles away.

There are a total of nine classes, which include stock and personal watercraft, with top speeds of 69 to 87 mph. The top alcohol hydroplane class entrant had starter problems, so we had no top speed to compare.

The CDBA is a nonprofit organization that promotes the sport of drag boat racing. It was founded in the 1960s by a group of drag boat enthusiasts to create a safe and organized environment for their sport. They offer one race per year at Haystack and other races at  Dexter Reservoir in Lowell, Oregon. Dexter is located in Lane County about 16 miles southeast of Eugene on the Middle Fork of the Willamette River. For more information on future events, visit www.cdbaracing.com.