Founded in 2005, the Upper Midwest Powerboat Association (UMPBA) was created by a group of drag boat racers and high-performance boating enthusiasts seeking to chart their own course in the world of high-speed powerboat racing. 

“The original intent of the UMPBA was to provide a fun, safe and family-friendly environment where boat racers of all types could come together and run side-by-side down a racecourse,” said club president Brett Seubert. “While this still holds true today, the club has adapted and evolved to become the largest drag boat club in the upper Midwest.”

One significant difference between the UMPBA and other drag boat racing clubs is its race bracket system. UMPBA race classes are bracketed by maximum speed in miles per hour rather than by engine size, boat weight or propulsion type. Race brackets start at 65 mph and increase in 10 mph increments up to the Unlimited class for boats over 105 mph. A GPS-based transponder system ensures racers stay within their bracket speed range. This format accommodates many different types of boats, ranging from 14-foot V-hull Hydrostreams to 21-foot Eliminator jet boats. 

Racecourse distances at the beginning were 1,320 feet, or a quarter-mile. As race boats became lighter and faster, UMPBA implemented changes to improve driver safety. The course distance was reduced to 1,000 feet in 2010, and again to 800 feet in 2018. These changes were made for safety reasons and to align with other drag boat race clubs around the country, allowing members to easily travel to race with other clubs, Seubert said.

Over the years, the UMPBA has continued to grow. Its largest race turnout to date was in 2022 at the Bullheads Bar & Grill Drag Race in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, which attracted more than 60 entrants from Canada, New York, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa and Ohio. In recent years, attendance has fluctuated but is expected to continue to grow into 2025, according to Seubert.

As part of its efforts to increase the popularity of grassroots drag boat racing, the UMPBA is creating a youth racing class for its 2025 season. 

“We’re still ironing out some details, but we hope this new class will help bring more young people and new boat racers into the sport of drag boat racing,” said Seubert.

Learn more about the Upper Midwest Powerboat Association at umpba.org.