'It just works': 2022 St. Clair River Classic ends with excitement and a local winner

ST. CLAIR — Everything on land went according to plan. While the water was a different story, it wasn't the story. 

The 2022 St. Clair River Classic concluded Sunday. Sixty-seven teams from across the country competed in four offshore powerboat races.

"St. Clair is built for boat racing," said Ed Smith, the president of the Offshore Powerboat Association, which sanctioned the River Classic. "This is almost a stadium-style event. The city is very gracious by closing the street down and giving us a good area to work here. It just works."

Thousands of people convened in downtown St. Clair. Palmer Park was filled with tents, chairs and blankets. Some stood and watched from Riverside Avenue, where vendors, racers and fans were all mixed together.

Kevin Rodriguez drove from Clarkston with his wife to catch the action. They were sitting in folding chairs under a tree in Palmer Park.

"I came out here today thinking that I missed the races," Rodriguez said. "But come to find out, I made it just in time for the finale."

It was only his second time at the River Classic. But after Rodriguez's wife took him last year, he knew he'd be back.

"There's a beautiful breeze," Rodriguez said. "It feels awesome. We always look for a spot in the shade of course. You can see the blue water and we've got a beautiful view of the race."

The conditions on the course were just as ideal. 

"It was good in the water," said Ed Smith, the driver for the Knucklehead Racing team. "It wasn't flat flat, it had a little ripple to it. So the boat would break loose. It wasn't really that windy. I mean it was good weather for racing."

And it turned out to be a great day for the Port Huron native, as Knucklehead Racing finished first in its class.

"I'm just ecstatic," driver Ed Smith said. "When you turn around, all the people are happy. We're happy. It's a great feeling." 

Many in attendance were rooting for him and his team. Fans lined up afterwards to take pictures in front of his boat.

"Normally, I break something at (my home race)," driver Ed Smith said. "Because I don't prep. I'm busy doing everything else. So I normally screw something up. Today, everything went absolutely perfect."

Stephen Kildahl of Florida-based Scott Free Racing didn't have the same luck. The driver and his team finished fourth in their class. After the boat was taken out of the water, they noticed a bent propeller blade.

"It's a little frustrating, but that's racing," Kildahl said. "(The river) is different compared to any other bodies of water you race. But we've been up here a lot and that was just typical St. Clair water. It's flat but you get a lot of boat wakes coming off the sea wall. So it's a little choppy out there especially in that south turn. But that's just typical in St. Clair."

Despite the bad break, Kildahl and his wife, Jessica, were in good spirits. They watched the remaining races, caught up with friends and kept their boat on Riverside Avenue for fans to take pictures.

"This is a nice community," Jessica Kildahl said. "A lot of people come out who are from the local area."

"We love coming here," Stephen Kildahl said. "There is no downside to ever coming here. You've got to wait for the crowds a little bit to get the boat in (the water). But that's a good problem to have. So we're very happy to come here and the town is very supportive."

The final race ended just before 5:30 p.m. While some fans headed for their cars, others gathered in front of the stage near Riverside Plaza. An awards ceremony was held to commemorate the top three finishers in each class. Finally, a local band played into the night as St. Clair gradually returned to normal.

"They've got it down pat," OPA president Ed Smith said of the city. "We're the organization. We just bring the race. But they're the ones that do the heavy lifting. The Blue Water Offshore Racing Association spends the whole year putting this together. We have the easy job. We just come in and put a boat race on during the weekend. It was awesome."

Contact Brenden Welper at bwelper@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrendenWelper.