Thanks to a handful of returning primary sponsors, including Shugrue’s Family of Fine Restaurants, Spectre Powerboats, the Lake Havasu Convention and Visitors Bureau, DCB Performance Boats and Teague Custom Marine, the organizers behind the Desert Storm Poker Run and Shootout in Lake Havasu City, Ariz., are expecting another amazing year, according to a recent press release.

This year the Desert Storm Poker Run in Lake Havasu City, Ariz., is taking place in early May. Photo by Jeff Helmkamp

Along with the new dates (May 2-6)—the event was pushed back a week from it usual late April date to early May—the largest performance boat event out west is moving its headquarters and its Power in the Park powersports festival to Windsor Beach at the Arizona State Park to better serve participants.

The newly renovated Windsor Beach—the home of the upcoming Lake Havasu Boat Show (read the story)—is located on London Bridge Road and fronts on the north end of the Bridgewater Channel where an imported sand beach is available for participant boats. This park affords prime viewing of the KNTR Parade of Power as the boats cruise past Friday morning on their way to the start of the poker run. According to the release, parking for participants’ rigs and spectators alike at the venue is unparalleled in Havasu—and it’s free.

And, thanks to Arizona State Park, Desert Storm participants are going to have full use of the park’s new boat launch ramp included in their registration. The ramp features six 15-foot-wide launch lanes leading to more than 10,000 square feet of ramp underwater especially made for big boats.

According to longtime organizer Jim Nichols of LakeRacer LLC, sponsor and vendor opportunities still exist for the giant Power in the Park and for Thursday’s Sunrise Rotary Street Party, which is always a highlight of the event. You can email him at [email protected] for more information.

Nichols added that participant check in and registration is going to be at the VIP tent at the Street Party on Springberg/McAndrew Park on McCulloch Blvd. He said free participant parking is available there as well. Also for participants, a 5,000-square-foot tent at Windsor Beach serves as VIP headquarters for the event with Friday’s card turn-in beach party and the Saturday Shugrue’s banquet and awards presentation.

Along with the Power in the Park, which promises to be action-packed on both Friday and Saturday with the Big O Burnout Contest, CarQuest Hot Hundred car show, Flying X & KJJJ stage shows, Quality Inn PWC freestyle show, Nitro Cackle Cars, GN boat race and more, Saturday’s festivities include the DCB-sponsored Shootout top-speed runs along a two-mile course off Site Six.

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