Airboat Racing Returns to Eridu

Eridu Racetrack, north of Perry, Florida, has not seen airboat racing since 2004.

- Trisha Stratton-Hoffman

Back in the day, it was a popular place to race. Around 2001, Larry Pitts had a water brake failure survived after he flipped his airboat. Roger Walters and his Swamp Dragon race boat came out and ran the track noting any area to improve it. Despite being fast and a bit dangerous, racing events are always popular, and airboat racing went well at this track.

Over time, the track was modified to extend it, widen it and improve it. However, for many years the track sat empty. Rain and water came and went and Mother Nature moved in. But the roar of the powerful engines still echoed down that watery ditch.

“My son Richard used to watch races at this track when he was seven to nine years old. Now, at age 27, he was eager to see racing here again. For more than a year, we worked to get permits and to improve the track, making it wider, longer and setting up spectator zones and pit areas for the racers to stage.” shared Keith Shiver with Eridu Airboat Raceway.

“Our plan had been to have the races start back in 2024. However, back-to-back hurricanes and a tornado caused some delays,” stated Shiver. “Come 2025, the track was ready, and now it was time to set the date. In February 2025, Bo Hall and Scott Gray tested the track, much like Roger Walters had done twenty years ago. We had originally thought May. However, we did not want to compete with some TNT event in south Florida, so the date was set for June 7.