Specific Systems Team Aiming To Win Tulsa’s Great Raft Race

It’s time once again for Tulsa's Great Raft Race. This is year number four of the revival of the Labor Day event.

As in years past, there will be hundreds of people and rafts on the river. Some will be there just for fun, but others, like the Specific Systems team, is there to win it all.

Rick: "And you're gonna win this?”
John Young: "We are definitely gonna win this year."

Young, the CEO of Specific Systems, is feeling confident about their design for this year’s Great Raft Race.

Jason Brazeal did the design work, and once that was done, it was up to the folks in the shop to put the pieces together.

"What's different primarily, is that last year we only had one set of wheels," Young said.

They used a bicycle chain and sprocket set up last year, but it wasn’t quite good enough, so this year it's direct drive – pedals to the axle to the wheels; if the legs hold up, they’ll make it to the finish.

And, as is needed for a raft, it floats. They said on a rainy day during construction they flooded the loading dock area and dropped the raft in the water.

"It's been a really fun project for us to work on together," Young said.

They're giving a shout out to the Alzheimer’s Association and their walk coming up in a couple of weeks.

They said they'll be in the river around 8:00 Monday morning.

Rick: "Who's the big competition?"
Young: "Probably Zeeco ‘cause they won last year. We're coming for 'em."