- December 13, 2025
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A loud hum fills the air as high-powered engines rev up. Boats fly at blistering speeds, gliding and bouncing on the water below. Cheers echo across a sunny and sandy shoreline.
Those were the sights and sounds at Lido Beach every July or September. Dating back to 1986, it was a simultaneous dance with danger for competitors and high-octane spectacle for onlookers.
Rather suddenly, though, all of that energy dissipated.
The Powerboat Grand Prix, which celebrated its 40th anniversary in Sarasota Bay back in 2024, was cancelled for 2025. P1 Offshore announced in January that it took the race off this season’s calendar, interrupting a long and illustrious history with the area.
Budget concerns and The Bay’s master plan were the biggest factors in their decision, per the race organizer’s press release. They claimed the quality of the event would be lesser because of ongoing construction at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall parking lot and Centennial Park.
Uncertainty still lingers — 10 months later — about whether the race will even return for 2026.
“In conversations with (P1 Offshore) in the last couple months, it's still up in the air,” said Pete Harvey, director of sports for Visit Sarasota County. “They're talking to the city about where they are in that construction and the possibility of dates.”
Faithful competitors and spectators alike affectionately call the longtime event “The Indy 500 of Powerboat Racing." Upon its 40th anniversary, it ranked as the second longest-running powerboat race in the country.
Sarasota County turned the Grand Prix into more than just a motorsport event, attracting a mix of locals and tourists with a weekend festival. Crowds regularly packed the beach, with some people even showing up early to secure the best viewing spot possible.
A unique combination of history and popularity in recent years made the event a high-priority on Visit Sarasota County’s yearly calendar.
“From a drive market, it probably brings in thousands of people who just enjoy this type of athletic event — and the history of it, and tradition of being here in Sarasota,” Harvey said. “Being on the beach and watching the chase helicopters and the speed of these amazing boats… It's got a huge draw.”
But the outlook for the race’s return appears bleak.
Things are not trending in a positive direction. Traditionally held on the 4th of July weekend, the race was strangely moved to Sept. 13-15 for 2024. That preceded its disappearance entirely.
For the 2025 season, P1 Offshore organized its schedule into a “Triple Crown.” Races held in New Orleans on June 20-22, Sheboygan, Wisconsin on Aug. 8-10 and St. Petersburg on Sept. 5-7.
Clearly, the organization maintains a strong interest in holding races along the Gulf Coast. But they failed to find an alternative site in Sarasota County.
“They hadn't talked about taking the one from Sarasota to anywhere else — that I know of,” Harvey said. “They’ve never mentioned that to me.”
Financial motivations likely played a larger role than P1 Offshore let on. Powerboat racing may be popular in Florida, but has a limited national reach, and finding sponsorships is a struggle.
The sport peaked in popularity during the 1990s with an abundance of attention from the ultra-wealthy. It began to sink, though, with rising costs and safety concerns as auto racing steadily dominated the world of motorsport.
On that front, internal changes happening within P1 Offshore should raise some eyebrows. The race organizer was acquired by the International Hot Rod Association on Oct. 17. In a press release, IHRA claimed the acquisition will ensure a “unified and expanded 2026 racing season.”
Such a move is likely because of P1’s struggles to stay afloat financially on its own. After all, budget concerns were one of the reasons it cited for pulling out of Sarasota.
And it’s not like the county has failed to support the organization. In 2023, the Grand Prix off Lido Beach generated an estimated $5 million in economic impact.
“The number of people that participate … they're coming into town, they're staying in our hotels,” Harvey said. “The fans that come in — whether it's a drive market or from further away — they're staying in our hotels, they're utilizing our restaurants, they're visiting the attractions in the off times of the race. I think it's a great event here in Sarasota.”
There’s also a considerable possibility that construction in The Bay will be unfinished by July or September of 2026.
Of course, that won’t affect boats in the water or the grand prix itself. What it will affect is the accessibility for spectators and the amount of space for an on-land weekend festival.
P1 Offshore may very well need to find a new site in the county to bring a race back to Sarasota. Now that it has financial backing from IHRA and remains partners with Visit Sarasota County, though, there’s reason to believe they can successfully pivot.
Every effort to bring back offshore powerboat racing needs to be made. 40 years of history and a faithful fanbase can’t be left stranded at sea.
