6-2-10 —    Before the racing teams start their engines for the official launch of

the Lake Cumberland Grand Prix 2010 Offshore Super Series (OSS) powerboat

race, they will showcase their boats for all to see in a colorful "Parade of

Boats" June 4 throughout Somerset on the opening day of race weekend.

    The sleek, top performance powerboats‹capable of reaching speeds of up

to 200 mph‹will be on full display to the public in a Friday night "Parade

of Boats" on U.S. 27 to welcome drivers and the racing teams to Somerset and

Pulaski County for the return of OSS powerboat racing on Lake Cumberland.

    As part of the parade, the racing teams will form a caravan of boats

starting at 6 p.m. at Race Village at The Center for Rural Development,

located at Traffic Light 15 just north of the race course site at Waitsboro

Recreation Area.

    The parade will proceed northward up U.S. 27 to the intersection of U.S.

27 and Ogden Street at Traffic Light 4. There, units will turn right onto

Ogden Street, proceed a short distance and turn left on Clifty Street at the

corner of Somerset-Pulaski Convention and Visitors Bureau.

    At the intersection and traffic light ahead on Clifty Street, they will

turn left onto KY 80/Russell S. Dyche Memorial Highway, proceeding ahead and

then turning left back onto U.S. 27 at Traffic Light 3 to travel south back

to Race Village at The Center for a meet-and-greet event with the drivers

and racing teams prior to the Devon Allman's Honeytribe concert at 7 p.m.

    A police escort will temporarily block both intersections at KY 80/U.S.

27 and U.S. 27/Cumberland Parkway for a short time on the day of the parade.

    "We are proud to welcome back the OSS racing team to the Lake Cumberland

area and look forward to a great weekend of racing at Waitsboro Recreation

Area," Jack Keeney, executive director of Somerset-Pulaski County Chamber of

Commerce, said.

    All of Friday's activities for Lake Cumberland Grand Prix will take

place at Race Village at The Center, which will be command central for OSS

racing teams. The teams will set up camp in the south parking lot there,

where racing fans will be able to visit with drivers, see the boats up

close, and check out the assortment of vendors.

    Later in the evening, Devon Allman, son of legendary singer/songwriter

Greg Allman of the Allman Brothers Band, and his band, the Honeytribe, will

present a free Southern rock and blues concert in The Center's Exhibit Hall.

    There is no admission charge to attend Race Village, which opens at 11

a.m. and will continue through 9 p.m. on June 4 with a stellar lineup of

evening entertainment and plenty of opportunities for visitors to

meet-and-greet the racing teams and have photographs taken with their

favorite teams.   

    Parking for the June 4 events will be in and around The Center and on

the North and South Campuses of Somerset Community College. Activities will

move to the race site at Waitsboro Recreation Area on Saturday and remain

there through Sunday for the official start of the Lake Cumberland Grand

Prix at noon. The awards ceremony will be held at 7 p.m. on Sunday at Race

Village.

    For more information, contact Larry Combs at The Center at 606-677-6000

or via e-mail at lrcombs@centertech.com.