Brodie: 'Thunder' Grand Prix to be white hot

Article and Photo by Karen Carr Keefe

Senior Contributing Writer

Veteran hydroplane racer Ken Brodie II has viewed this year’s field of Grand Prix entrants and come to a conclusion: The Thunder on the Niagara match-ups will be fierce, fast and more plentiful than ever.

“By far we will have the best Grand Prix fleet in attendance than we’ve ever had in probably at least over eight, 10 years,” Brodie said.

The 2025 Thunder on the Niagara takes place this Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 2-3, at Gratwick Park in North Tonawanda.

Brodie, part of Grand Island’s CentsLess Racing team, is co-chairing the event this year with John Krebs. He will compete in the Grand Prix event in the GP-50 Freedom, and his son, Ken Brodie III, will compete in Formula 2500 class, driving F-50 CentsLess 16.

“One of the biggest races of our year is up in Quebec … so it only gives teams two weeks off before our event. So, quite a bit of the time, since it’s a tough race, there’s a lot of attrition. Well, this year, there wasn’t. The boats are getting more resilient and they’re just not breaking,” he said.

“I’m happy to say that we’ll have the strongest fleet that we’ve ever had.”

NFP interviewed Ken Brodie II for a preview of the upcoming races that attract crowds to the shores of the Niagara River for the thrills, the action and the family fun.

Grand Prix boats bring the Thunder

“We call this event the Thunder on the Niagara, and the thunder is really brought by the Grand Prix boats. Not only do we have seven coming, but we’ve basically got six that could win it. And that’s going to mean a lot of deck-to-deck racing, a lot of noise – and really what the fans want to see is those big boats,” Brodie said.

“The next class, the H350s, they’re a nice addition, and you’ve got to have the smaller classes for people to grow into, and we have those as well. But fans really want to see those Grand Prixes – and I am really thrilled to be able to present that to the fans this year.”

The triumvirate of this year’s Thunder management is made up of three Grand Island residents – Brodie, the vice commodore; Krebs; and Gary Roesch, the organization’s treasurer.

“Basically, it’s a bunch of volunteers that have been doing racing and have racing in their blood – and are really just too stupid to do something else,” Brodie quipped.

“It’s a passion. It’s funny because it’s a lot of work at some points, and then we’ve done such a good job of some of it that there’s a lot of people that want to be involved, and we don’t see them except for a couple times of year – which is kind of nice. They all come out to support the races. We’re very fortunate to have the group.”

The North Tonawanda race is part of the Hydroplane Racing League (HRL), a six-race circuit that also includes Cambridge, Maryland; Sorel-Tracy, Quebec; Brockville, Ontario; Valleyfield, Quebec; and the finale at Beauharnois, Quebec, on Aug. 22 and 23.

Participants earn points in each race, giving them a cumulative ranking as the competition progresses through the season.

Grand Island has a large and competitive presence at Thunder on the Niagara, with hometown boat owners, race drivers and crew who are fan favorites at the event.

Hydroplane racing a family tradition

Brodie is the middle part of a three-generation family of hydroplane racers that began with his dad, Ken Brodie I. He grew up racing as a kid. He graduated from high school, had a taste of college and began working.

“By ’93, I had my own boat and was running my own circuit,” he said. “In 2007, my father and I got together. He retired from what he was doing and became my full-time engine guy, and we raced up until he passed away in 2020.”

Brodie said, “My son, basically not much different. His grandfather, Don Less, is very involved. Got a boat for him. So, he’s been racing now three years. It’s a family sport, and if you talk about the CentsLess Team – which, basically this year, it’s five boats that will have the CentsLess color. My GP-50 Freedom – it’s still part of the group. We run the signature Polish Falcon on it, but I also run my dad and my colors on it, the Freedom boat. But it’s still part of the CentsLess group. Every one of us has a father-son, basically, on the team.

“That’s probably the biggest thing, and it is a family sport. There’s a lot of things you give up. Some of your vacations are wrapped around boat racing. You’re not playing a lot of golf. You’re not going to as many concerts because what people don’t really see is the work that goes behind the scenes. There’s a lot of work that goes on these boats at home. There’s a lot of nights in the garages. It’s a lot of time spent trying to make these things go fast. You know, it’s a hobby sport. We’re not making any money at it. You know, it’s a labor of love.”

The sport has changed, the technology has changed, but the love of racing and family is the continuous thread and what means the most to the practitioners.

“We’ll have 60 to 70 boats here from Canada, the U.S., and then we’ve got a couple from New Zealand that basically bring their boats over and leave them for the summer,” Brodie said. He noted most boats are from the Northeast, with some from the Midwest and some from the South.

GP:50 an active supporter

The GP:50 company has been a force on the Western New York hydroplane racing scene for decades. GP:50 is a world-class leader in quality pressure and temperature sensors. Its website is www.gp50.com.

Don Less is the original owner. Brodie recently acquired the business from him, while Less remains a minority shareholder.

“I guess it’s now my turn to kind of lead the charge,” Brodie said.

“GP:50 has been involved with Niagara Frontier putting on a race since its inception – has always been involved in some way, shape or form – and for the last three years, we have been the title sponsor” of Thunder on the Niagara.

“It is tough to get sponsors. But Don before me – and now me, I feel very drawn to trying to keep this sport alive here in Western New York. But for this year, all the credit still goes to Don, as it was under his direction that we sponsored this.”