HISTORIC EVENTS

The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. 

It is dubbed "The Run for the Roses", stemming from the blanket of roses draped over the winner. It is also known in the United States as "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports" or "The Fastest Two Minutes in Sports" because of its approximate duration. It is the first leg of the American Triple Crown, followed by the Preakness Steakes, and then the Belmont Stakes. Of the three Triple Crown races, the Kentucky Derby has the distinction of having been run uninterrupted since its inaugural race in 1875. The Derby, Preakness, and Belmont took place during the Great Depression and both World Wars.

Between 2009 and 2011, Weppner partnered with MISS GEICO RACING and executed several events in and around the Kentucky Derby. These included meet & greet opportunities at Kentucky Derby Festival events, live displays at local venues, and even putting the famed MISS GEICO Raceboat on display in the infield of the first turn at Kentucky Derby!

Thunder Over Louisville, the annual kickoff event of the Kentucky Derby Festival, is an airshow and fireworks display in Louisville, Kentucky. It is generally held each April, about two weeks before the first Saturday in May, or Derby Day. It is the largest annual fireworks display in North America and began as part of an opening ceremonies event in 1989 with daytime fireworks. It officially began in its current location along the Ohio River in 1991 with fireworks, and an annual air show was added in 1992.

An average of 625,000 people have attended each year since 1997, lining the banks of the Ohio River in Louisville, and across the river in Jeffersonville and Clarksville, Indiana.

In mid 2009, Weppner met with Wayne Hettinger, the Founder, or as most like to say “The Father” of Thunder over Louisville. Brandon & Wayne would talk about the idea of adding one of the worlds fastest race boats to one of the largest events in North America. Over the next four years, Weppner performed speed exhibitions with three teams as a finale to the air show before the fireworks would begin. These teams included MISS GEICO RACING, JBS Offshore Racing, and Nor-Tech Powerboats. During the 2011 show, Jeff Stevenson, Brandon Weppner, and Michael Stancombe exceeded 200 MPH in the 50 plus foot Turbine Powered JBS Offshore Race Boat.

A Poker Run is an event where boat enthusiast ride to multiple checkpoints to collect Poker cards. In the meantime, it is time to show off your boats speed, aesthetic, and overall performance.

Weppner has always been a Poker Run fanatic. In the early 2000’s, Brandon became a sponsor of the annual Lake Cumberland Poker Run for several years. Having grown up on Lake Cumberland and by then fully immersed in the offshore racing industry, Brandon wanted to share his love for the sport with those close to home. Each year, he brought a fleet of some of the largest and fast offshore powerboats to the event.

Around 2013, Weppner had moved full time to Southwest Florida. He continued to frequent the Lake Cumberland Poker Run and added a few new venues to his calendar as well that all centered around Florida. These included Miami, Key West, and Destin. Outside of Lake Cumberland, Brandons favorite Poker Run event is the annual Miami to Key West Poker Run hosted by Florida Powerboat Club.

Weppner not shows his support for the Poker Run industry by frequenting many of the events and promoting Hiatus Tequila, whom he is a partner in.