‘Every class is wide open’ at DePue boat races

DePue native Paul Bosnich III will have a different role this year at the U.S. Title Series and APBA Pro National Championships on Lake DePue.

After having shoulder surgery in April, the hometown favorite won’t be racing this weekend when the national championship boat races are underway.

Racing begins at noon Friday and Saturday and 12:30 p.m. Sunday. Testing is noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday.

Instead, he’ll be the crew chief for Prop Riders Racing.

“It’s different, that’s for sure,” Bosnich said about not racing. “[Last weekend at] Constantine [Michigan] was the first time in 26 years I haven’t been in a boat at a boat race. It’s a different feeling. It’s a different hat to wear. I probably worked harder because I wanted my stuff to run for someone else. You’re just trying to get stuff for everybody.

“I’m probably more nervous than when I was racing. It’s an uneasy feeling a little bit because you want you’re stuff to run well and you want it to be competitive and you don’t have any control over it. You put it on the water, hope it’s good and let [the driver] take it from there.”

Bosnich’s brother-in-law, Jason Sailer, will be racing in his boat this weekend in the 250cc Runabout on Saturday and the 350 Runabout on Sunday.

Sailer won three national championships last summer in DePue.

“He was our first choice,” Bosnich said. “He’s family and in our opinion one of the better drivers out there. We knew if we give him the equipment that’s capable of winning, he can put it out front and win for us.”

Along with trying to help Sailer win titles as part of the crew, Bosnich has several other family members racing, including son Rayce.

Rayce Bosnich will compete in K-Pro Runabout on Friday and K-Pro Hydro on Saturday.

“He’s running really well,” Bosnich III said. “He won up in Constantine in the K-Pro Hydro. We’ve given him equipment that’s capable of winning, and it’s up to him to put it on the race course and do what it can do. As a parent, I want to give equipment that’s capable of doing it and let him go out there and have fun and do his thing.”

Bosnich III’s cousin, Jake Quesse, will race in 350 Hydro on Saturday; his cousin, Joseph Perez, will defend his 125 Runabout title Friday; and his nephew, Ethan Fox, will compete in the 175 Hydro on Friday and 125 Hydro on Sunday. His cousin, Morgan Bosnich, may make her racing debut in the 125 Runabout.

“They’re all capable of winning national championships,” Bosnich III said. “In 26 years, one thing I’ve learned is you have to have everything go right to have a chance to win a national championship.”

DePue race director and Prop Riders Racing crew member Paul Bosnich Jr. said Quesse is in a tough field in the 350 Hydro.

“Jake had struggles in Michigan a couple weeks ago,” Bosnich Jr. said. “He’ll have a different motor for him to run. He’s capable of running in the top seven. In that class, he runs against the three Nydahls – Pete, Amy and Kurt – to contend with along with John Palmquist and Gary Merkel, from Arlington, who’s been running well.

“He has his hands full. It’s going to be a good class to watch.”

The Bosnichs said all the usual suspects will be competing this weekend, including Andrew Thirlby, Mike Krier, the Nydahls, Kevin Ellison, Palmquist and Brian Payn, among others.

“There’s no one class you can look at and say, ‘Yep, there’s the guy who’s going to win this year,’ because every class is wide open,” Bosnich III said. “We have a ton of competition that is capable of going out and winning a national championship. That’s what you want.”

Bosnich Jr. said the weekend won’t be the same without Rich Krier, who died after a racing accident in Jacksonville, Illinois, last fall.

“We’re going to miss Rich Krier,” Bosnich Jr. said. “It’s going to be a tough weekend with him not around. Everybody has X51 stickers on their boats in honor of him. We have an article in the program honoring him by his friend Brian Payn. He would want us to go on racing, so we are, but that’s going to be a tough pill to swallow without him here.”

Racing schedule

Friday

(Starts at noon)

First session: C-Service Runabout, 125 Runabout, OSY-400, 500 Hydro

Second session: K-Pro Runabout, 175 Hydro, C-Racing Hydro, 500 Runabout

Saturday

(Starts at noon)

First session: C-Racing Runabout, 700 Hydro, 250 Runabout

Second session: C-Service Hydro, 350 Hydro, 700 Runabout, K-Pro Hydro

Sunday

(Starts at 12:30 p.m.)

First session: 1100 Runabout, 125 Hydro

Second session: 250 Hydro, 350 Runabout, 1100 Hydro