More Texans Coming to America’s Spa For World Championship Running of the Tubs Bathtub Races, Joining Austin Weirdos and Tennessee Shake & Bathe
HOT SPRINGS NATIONAL PARK, Arkansas — More Texans are coming!
A team from Carollton, Texas, has entered the 2023 Stueart Pennington World Championship Running of the Tubs bathtub races to be held in downtown Hot Springs June 3.
“This makes three out-of-state teams entered for this year’s races, the most ever,” said Alexis Hampo, special events manager for Visit Hot Springs. “They’ll join the returning out-of-state team, the Austin Weirdos, and the Shake & Bathe team from Memphis in this year’s races.
“We’re really pleased that word about our fun-filled event is attracting more entries from outside Arkansas to compete along Bathhouse Row with our local and regional teams. We know from the increasing media coverage from all over the country that the bathtub races are bringing attention to Hot Springs and our reputation as the place that once had the motto ‘We Bathe the World’ with our thermal waters.”
Hampo said VHS received an entry from Aaron Smith, who is with Smith Offroad & Performance in Carrollton, announcing that he and some friends plan to enter a tub under the name of the Texas Tubsters in this year’s races.
Smith told Hampo, “Our team is a group of eight friends from the Dallas area. We rented a loft in downtown Hot Springs last year to watch the bathtub races and had so much fun seeing the races and enjoying downtown Hot Springs that we decided to participate this year.”
Smith said his group has “an old cast iron tub we pulled out of an old house a couple of weekends ago” to use in the June 3 races.
"We have found a broken four-wheeler that we are going to use to supply the wheels and suspension for our tub,” he said. “We are going for a very classic claw-tub look with an offroad-looking suspension and tires.
“We are in the early stages of developing our costumes, and are leaning toward a mobster look with a cowboy twist. We are going for fun but plan on being competitive and would love to win.”
“These folks sound like they perfectly understand the spirit of wacky fun and competition that make our Running of the Tubs a unique event,” said Bill Solleder, marketing director for VHS. “With three out-of-state teams competing this year, the races will be even more fun than ever.”
The bathtub races, which began in 2005, were canceled in 2020 because of the COVID pandemic. This year’s event will be the 17th running of the event.
The races will begin at 9 a.m. June 3 from the starting line in front of the Arlington Resort Hotel and Spa at the north end of the famed bathhouses along Central Avenue.
Bathtub racers compete in three divisions: Traditional Division (cast iron tubs); the Modified Division (fiberglass or plastic tubs); the Stock Tub Division (for teams from nonprofit organizations). Solleder said slots remain open for entries in all three divisions. For information on entries call Bill Solleder or Alexis Hampo at 501-321-2027.
The Hot Springs Fire Department and the Hot Springs Police Department will renew their no-holds-barred rivalry in the Battle of the Badge.
The Running of the Tubs is named in honor of the late Hot Springs businessman Stueart Pennington, who advocated tirelessly for the establishment of bathtub races to emphasize Hot Springs’ reputation as a thermal bathing mecca.
The annual Judging of the Tubs will be held Friday, June 2, at, 6 p.m. at Hill Wheatley Plaza.
“The Running of the Tubs is another of the great family-friendly celebrations that are so popular with our residents and visitors,” Solleder said. “The crowds lining Bathhouse Row and joining in the wacky fun by shooting Super Soakers at the racers have been growing every year as word spreads about this super free event.”
For information contact Bill Solleder at 501-321-2027.