Two Texas teams and the Hot Springs Fire Department cleaned up Saturday during the 17th edition of the Stueart Pennington World Championship Running of the Tubs in downtown Hot Springs.
Bath Bombs Away, crewed by the team of Twisted Fork of Texarkana, Texas, took home the coveted Traditional World Champion trophy, while the Hot Springs Fire Department was crowned both the Modified World Champion and the winner of the Battle of the Badge.
According to Visit Hot Springs, the race's sponsor, the winners included the following:
Traditional World Champion -- Bath Bombs Away, Twisted Fork of Texarkana, Texas.
Modified World Champion -- Hot Springs Fire Department.
Best Overall Tub -- Flavortub, Austin Weirdos.
Stock Tub World Champion -- Spa Pacers.
Battle of the Badge -- Hot Springs Fire Department.
Rookie of the Year -- Caleb with Visit Hot Springs.
Tub With a Heart -- OzMosis, Princess Nora's Warrior Foundation.
Best Bet Award -- Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort.
World Champion Fan-Tastic Bath-Tastic Fan Award -- Sterling Dilks
Most Original -- Hot Springs National Park.
Spirit Award -- Lake Ouachita Rangers.
Bill Solleder, director of marketing for Visit Hot Springs, told The Sentinel-Record prior to the start of the race in front of the Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa that the temperature at race time was "perfect" and the skies were clear. And while the competition "is fun," Solleder noted, "you can tell people are really itching to win."
A record four out-of-state teams, including three from Texas, were among the 18 teams total that competed Saturday. Including the preliminaries, the semis and the world championship final races, there were about 16 races total on Saturday.
For Twisted Fork, represented by Twisted Fork Grill & Lounge of Texarkana, Texas, the second year was the charm for the team, according to Gary Gathright, crew chief.
"This is our second year back for the race ... we did fairly well for our first run last year -- a second out of eight in the world -- so we decided to come back and do it again. Our theme is based on a World War II aircraft and our driver is Rosie the Riveter, so we're kind of a hats off to ... our military and love to support them," Gathright said.
The team members also "love the support we get ... from our local restaurant, Twisted Fork, and other companies in Texarkana," he said.
The victory by Flavortub ended a dry spell for the Austin Weirdos, who have been in the tub races for the past five years, according to tub runner Brett Beeler.
"I kind of bring new people every time. I don't know how I found out about this; a while ago, I was just like looking for some fun small-town things and I saw this and I entered and we were the first like out-of-state-team, and I really thought the people here would be like, 'Wait, what are you doing in our like local contest?', but then they were like so warm and friendly and hospitable that we ... really loved it, so we just keep coming back and every year we're something different," Beeler said.
"This year, we are the Power Rangers and ... we won in 2019 but it's been a bit of a dry spell since then, so we're really amped to try to win this thing again," he said.
Dylan Taylor, tub runner for the Hot Springs Fire Department, said the department's team "put our heart and soul in it and we won, we won it all."
"It was a good time. It was hard, but it was nice to have everyone spraying water on us and stuff so it was fun," Taylor said.
Bath Bombs Away, an entry in the Traditional Cast Iron Tubs division by Twisted Fork of Texarkana, Texas, won the coveted Traditional World Champion trophy during the running of the Stueart Pennington World Championship Running of the Tubs on Saturday, June 3, 2023, in downtown Hot Springs. VHS Special Events Manager Alexis Hampo, striped shirt, announced the win. (Photo by Lance Porter of The Sentinel-Record)
The Hot Springs Fire Department team cleaned up Saturday, June 3, 2023, winning the Battle of the Badge and the trophy in the Modified Fiberglass or Plastic Tubs division in the Stueart Pennington World Championship Running of the Tubs in Hot Springs, Ark. (Photo by Lance Porter of The Sentinel-Record)