Not much can stop a powerboat traveling 120 mph, including the city of Pittsburgh, which originally cancelled the annual tunnel boat-racing event because of recent financial problems. Rossyln Farms resident Joe Martelli, president and owner of Back Room Productions LLC, located in Thornburg, revived the once extinguished powerboats race. The boats will rev up their engines along the Allegheny River today and Sunday in an event called Pittsburgh's Summer Regatta Festival at the Boardwalk in the Strip District. The fact the boats will be back in the water is good news to drivers who need this race to earn points in the standings. "Pittsburgh is one of my favorite races," said Knoxville, Tenn., resident Gary Pugh, who is the Formula 2 class points leader. "I would hate to see the tradition of this race go away. I would come to this race whether or not I was in the points lead." Louisville, Ky., resident Doug Young, who's second in the standings, is expected to give Pugh some competition. Young said he is glad to come back to Pittsburgh, especially after last year's event was cut short following a storm that left major debris in the river. That's not a concern this year, with forecasts calling for mid-70s temperatures and sunshine this weekend. Pugh hopes to shine once again in the event, so he can add to his lead in the faster class of boat, which can reach speeds of 120 mph. Michael Floyd,of Savannah, Ga., leads the Formula 3 class, which runs at 99 mph. He has won his past eight races. "We are having a great year and are excited to be in Pittsburgh," Floyd said. "This is an important race." The event certainly means a lot to New Brighton resident Kevin Margetic, who most likely would not have raced at all this year if the Pittsburgh event wasn't held. "I just got a promotion at work, so I haven't been able to get to races," Margetic said. "This is great, because it keeps up the interest in Pittsburgh." After this weekend, only two races remain in the circuit run by Sam Winer, owner of Powerboat Superleague. He said he's thankful the event is being held, even if it had to be moved from the North Shore to the Strip District. "We are pleased with the decision to do this," Winer said. "We wanted to keep it going, and I think the new location will be a different ambiance. It is more of a European look." Additional Information:

Race schedule

Where: Along the Boardwalk in the Strip District Today: 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Time Trials and Qualifying for Formula 3 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Time Trials and Qualifying for Formula 2 Sunday: Noon to 1:30 p.m. Racing for Formula 3 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Racing for Formula 2

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