Alton Midwest Nationals F1 Powerboat Championship Launches This Weekend: Racer Shares Strategy

Our Daily Show Interview! Dylan Anderson- Road to Alton Midwest Nationals

ALTON - The Alton Midwest Nationals F1 Powerboat Championship is this weekend from July 18–20, 2025, and racer Dylan Anderson can’t wait.

Anderson finished third at last year’s championship. He hopes to get back on the podium this weekend. As he prepares for the race, he shared his tips for staying calm, controlling the boat, and making sure you’re successful on the water.

“A lot of it just comes down to keeping your head on straight,” he said. “Being inside of the capsule of a Formula 1 boat can get really aggressive really quick. The biggest thing is just, keep yourself calm. Make sure you’re listening to the boat. Make sure you’re listening to what everything is telling you. Don’t let the boat drive you. Make sure you’re in control and along for the ride in a good way.”

Anderson started as a Formula 1 racer in 2016, following in his father’s footsteps. He shared that he made some “pretty hefty mistakes” in the beginning and also experienced a few wrecks, and he is proud of how he has developed since then.

His father still works in “the boat business” and occasionally comes out of retirement to race. When Anderson races, his crew, parents, fiancé and son all come down to help him prepare. For them, it’s a family affair.

“It became our entire lives,” he shared. “I’m really, really thankful to be able to travel with my family and get the advice that I can from my dad, sometimes a little bit more advice than I bargained for. But he’s a wealth of knowledge and I really appreciate being able to travel with my family and just have as good a time as we do while we’re doing this.”

The races can be intense, and there is a real possibility of wrecking. Anderson explained that all racers practice getting out of the capsule until it becomes “muscle memory,” so you know exactly what to do in a wreck. He added that the boat has built-in safety features, like buckets and an airbag, and every race has an “awesome” rescue crew to help out if needed.

But Anderson mostly loves the thrill.

“It’s kind of cliché, but you get in there on the starting line and once the flag goes up, everything slows down,” he explained. “You can hear each individual heartbeat. Your senses heighten for sure. It seems normal while you’re in there, but you kind of think about it, and you’re making a lot of decisions in very little time.”

Those quick decisions are especially important on the Mississippi River, with its fast current and debris. But Anderson is looking forward to racing the Alton Midwest Nationals F1 Powerboat Championship course, which he describes as more like a triangle than the traditional oval course. He noted that it can be difficult, but a lot of fun, and he hopes the community comes out to experience the races for themselves.

“It’s technical. It’s fun. You’ve got to think about it. It’s tough to get around people, but there’s opportunities if you play your cards right,” he added. “I hope they get out of it what I get out of it, and that's a good time. Going racing is my vacation all year long.”

For more information about the Alton Midwest Nationals F1 Powerboat Championship, including how to purchase tickets, visit the official webpage at the Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau website.

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