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HIGH POINT -- You've heard of "Thrilla in Manila." Well get ready for "Thunder in Oak Hollow." One hundred boaters are battling it out at Oak Hollow Lake as the Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing Series gets into gear.

“Very exciting when these boats get rolling they run extremely fast," said racer Bryan Sanders.

Series Director Ken Dollar said racing fans would love the sport. "We do quarter of a mile drags," he said. "It's heads up, two competitors from a standing start running 1320, the quickest guy gets there comes back for another round, the slowest guy he's done."

Sanders and his team called the "Hydrochondriacs" drove in from Houston, Texas. to compete. He and his crew spent most of the morning tuning up their boat for the Saturday's qualifier.

"We won the last two races in a row so we're looking for a three-peat," said Sanders. "It's not easy it's very hard, these guys are extremely tough. This is the most competitive class out here."

Dollar agreed. "It's just very exciting," he said. "You can't imagine what it feels like take a top fuel hydro these guys are putting out 8,000 horsepower on these motors. You don't necessarily hear 'em you feel 'em."

Twelve classes are competing for purses worth a couple of hundred dollars to hundreds of thousands, everything from jet ski's to top fuel hydros.

To give you a sense of just how fast these boats can go, a Pro Modified Hydro can hit speeds up to 200 miles per hour.

But Dollar admits it's not without risk. Last week a driver in Augusta crashed at 200 miles an hour. He walked away with only minor injuries.

"It is extremely dangerous, no doubt about it, fortunately in the last 10 or 12 years we've made huge strides in the safety arena," said Dollar. "With the advent of the safety capsule and the drivers equipment and helmets and breathing systems."

It's an industry that's come a long way in the past 15 years, and one promoters hope will continue to take off in the future.

The Lucas Oil Boat Drag runs through Sunday at Oak Hollow Lake. That's just off Highway 68 in High Point. Tickets are $15 on Saturday and $20 on Sunday. You can buy a weekend pass for $30. Kids 12 and under get in free with a paying adult.