COCOA BEACH, Fla. — It’s going to be loud on the Space Coast this weekend, and not because of a rocket launch.

Instead, the sound is going to be the roar of speed boats competing in Thunder on Cocoa Beach Super Boat Grand Prix. The race started Thursday and will run through Sunday.

What started as a handful of race teams back in 2011 has grown to 40 teams who are competing this year.

One of the teams is Dirty Money, composed of members from Georgia and Maryland.

“Since I was a little kid, I’ve been making cardboard boxes pretending I was racing boats,” says Brit Lilly, the driver who learned from his world champion father. “It’s in the family. We have a full-service boat shop in Annapolis, Md. We work on all these cool things, so I’m just following in his footsteps, glad to be here racing.”

The majority of the race teams are from out of state, and an estimated 100,000 fans who will come watch the boats reach speeds of 140 mph.

“The community is geared up, the hotels are almost full, the restaurants are packed, it’s going to be a great weekend, the weather is perfect,” says TOCB founder Kerry Bartlet.

In 2024, the race generated an estimated $12 million in economic impact to the area.

Bartlet said when the race teams come back into town each year, it’s like a family reunion.

“They miss us, they love us, they hug us, glad to be here, glad to be in our city,” he said.

And he’s hoping to continue his family’s legacy of winning on the water.

“Hopefully, we’ll put the Dirty Money on top of the podium," he said. "That’s the plan."

Money raised from Thunder goes to I Am a Freedom Fighter, a nonprofit dedicated to helping combat human trafficking.