The riverfront of Alton, IL, will host the Alton Midwest Nationals Formula 1 (F1) Powerboat Championship races in 2025 and for the two years following, its organizers have announced. The Alton City Council unanimously approved an agreement for the city to host the second annual installment, beginning the weekend of Friday, July 18 to Sunday, July 20, 2025.

Tim Seebold of Seebold Sports Inc., the company producing the race, said the event will include meet-and-greets with the racers on Friday and races throughout Saturday and Sunday showcasing some of the best powerboat racers in North America.

“It's going to be epic, with fast boats racing on the Mississippi River and tons of fun activities for everyone to enjoy," said Seebold, who has been driving competitively in the sport for more that 43 years. "We're extremely excited to come back to Alton for the next three years. It gives the event some stability—not only for helping on price reduction, but also to build the event, rather than starting over each year. It also helps us land multi-year sponsorship deals for the event. I think it's going do a lot to help us build this event on the Mississippi River in Alton."

The venue at Riverfront Park is located right across the river from the metropolitan area of St. Louis, MO. "It's just an absolutely perfect setting," Seebold says. "It's got an amphitheater built into it, and it's got the marina adjacent to it, so it's easily accessible to the fans. It's a great festival with vendors' products on display and great music. Everybody can get a bird's-eye view of powerboat racing."

Going forward, there will be some notable changes from the first Alton Midwest Nationals in 2024. While roughly 2,100 free bleacher seats will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, the main viewing area will now be fenced off and general admission will cost $15. These general admission tickets will now include access to the previously sectioned-off live music area for attendees to enjoy after the races on Saturday. Food and display vendor areas will also be moved to create a clear entry point for fans to move past the vendors into the main event area.

Seebold said that various discounted tickets are also being considered, including those for children and to those who bought tickets to last year’s race.

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Photos courtesy MOTO Marketing Group

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