Tom Roberts Donates Race Gear
	Photo By RAP :: Race Action Photography

Lakefest, the season opener for the IHBA Lucas Oil Series is starting off on a new foot in more ways than one.

The season opener is kicking off with a program to help new racers join the track.

According to John Flores, often times a new race registrant will show up with a boat and the passion but not necessarily the right racing gear. Sometimes dreams of drag boat racing are stopped dead when the safety gear is missing, and the candidate racers budget did not allow for the expense of a certified helmet or other mandatory safety gear.

Tom Roberts is one of the first racers to donate good quality gear to the IHBA. Gear that will be loaned out to a new racer. Flores states, "There is nothing more dampening to the spirit than to decide to race, show up and be turned away due to lack of proper equipment. Our goal is to not send these guys away. If they come unprepared, we want to be in the position to lend them the gear they lack, so they can race and not be turned away".

The brainchild of the gear recycle program, Charlie Fegan, IHBA president, started out as a river racer and progressed to a triple back to back Top Fuel Hydro Championship. He believes the core of the drag boat industry is the river racers, who are not always prepared. His gear recycle program will help alleviate some the financial restrictions that would otherwise restrict and prohibit new participants from entering the sport.

Tom Roberts bought a boat. The boat came with safety gear. Tom was in a position to buy new gear and donated his unused gear to the IHBA Race Gear Recycle Program.

If you have unused gear, you can help another racer race by donating yours today.