Point Pleasant Beach Offshore Grand Prix Is Postponed

POINT PLEASANT BEACH – The boat race that's biggest among Point Pleasant Beach's biggest events has been postponed until 2021.

The New Jersey Offshore Powerboat Racing Association announced this weekend that the race will be postpone until June 2021.

"2020 has turned into a year like no other. Businesses have been busy helping the community and emergency essential employees by getting food to them and keeping their staff employed," the organization said in a press release.

The association said the situation has made finding title sponsorship for this year’s event "impossible."

"All involved in the planning of the 2020 Point Pleasant Beach Offshore Grand Prix
have decided that the best thing to do is to postpone the race until 2021," the association said. "The scheduled dates for 2021 are June 11, 12, 13."

The event is basically a descendant of The Benihana Offshore Grand Prix. This race was known as the Indy 500 of Offshore Racing and was held in Point Pleasant Beach during the 1970s.

The New Jersey Offshore Powerboat Racing Association has been the host club since racing started in Point Pleasant Beach more than 40 years ago.

Over the years, the name of the Point Pleasant Beach race has been changed each time a new sponsor was obtained. It's been called: The Hennessey Offshore Grand Prix, The Benihana Offshore Grand Prix, The Ray Catena Offshore Grand Prix, The New Jersey Offshore Grand Prix, The War at the Shore, the Jenkinson's Offshore Grand Prix and The Jersey Boyz Offshore Grand Prix.