St. John race boat flips

Driver, pit crew rebuild and finish in Top 8

Roger Harnack, Whitman County Gazette | Jun 24, 20210

Roger Harnack | Whitman County Gazette count

The boat of driver Skylar Smith and navigator Marshall Bafus overturns and rolls across one of the "islands" in Webb's Slough. Both Smith and Bafus are from St. John.

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ST. JOHN - A local sprint boat race team ended a qualifying run upside down in Webb's Slough, rebuilt the motor, and finished inside the Top 8.

More than two dozen North American Sprint Boat Association teams entered three classes at the Webb's Slough race on June 19. It was the first to take place since August 2019.

Sprint boat racing pits a driver and navigator against a maze of channels. At speeds reaching more than 80 mph, the driver concentrates on making turns as the navigator memorizes the course and directs the driver using hand motions.

Despite hot weather, race fans from all over the...