Compressing Classes

[jphii]

Why don't the Florida races that have a low turnout try to combine an event with the FBI drag races? Ron & Jan Baker are having a hard time keeping a site for the drags. If the two organizations could fill a weekend with different kinds of racing, giving a better show and more participation while keeping costs down, wouldn't we all be better off? Doing something like that will bring a lot of different racers together, and may just convince me to buy a hydro I've been looking at!!!

Just a thought.

[win-or-flip]

Another super idea i got from my coffee trip

this is a message i sent to my dad who is trying to sell his 20ss/C rig.But nobody wants to buy it so i sent this to him.....


You should let me bring a rig to the race and sell tickets to spectators for boat rides at 10 bucks a piece and donate the money to the club. we could use that white boat because its safe and give them a crash course on driving like you would a J driver and let em loose after they sign the waiver. or we could take them for a ride like we do with hunter. But once they ride they'll be hooked and you can say well if you wanna start racing this rigs for sale for x amount of dollars. im serious. After i get my truck i can haul it to some of the bigger races like Inverness or Hollingsworth. Let me know what you think.

[AOFoffice]

Nick,
Don't shut up. If I have to, I will buy your coffee, just to keep you on this track! Your attitude is what this sport needs. Your age makes it even better.
If I were you I would also go personally to those 16 J drivers, the USTS drivers, and the AOF drivers who don't show at your races. Find out WHY they don't attend. You don't have to force them to come, but maybe you can put some stats together to see what you might need to change or enhance to get them there.
And, I was going to say, "beter yet, get new people involved,". I don't need to say that to you because you already have a plan for that by taking your Dad's boat and offering rides.
Way to go! Right along with Amy, Allie, Betz and Booga, you have been added to my hero list.
Connie

[HRTV]

The key here is new young blood, thats what the sport needs to get a jump start. Out with the same old boring old timers and in with the new !

Nick, Amy, Allie, Betz and Booga these young folks are the future of region 5 and should be listen to! the same theroy should be true for all regions across the country.

In my mind who cares if you have been racing for 30 years, this sport needs a face lift and it needs a fresh new look and fresh young ideas to boot. These are smart kids and they can attract other young kids. Whats the draw of a 65 year old man in dirty cut off short and a potbelly to a young 14 or 15 year old kid that might want to go racing ?

[jsilvestri]

Nick,

I applaud your enthusiasm. And, these ideas you’ve come up with are the same ideas many of us have thought of too. I’m sure some racers have even tried to apply their ideas with both success and no success. Keep throwing your ideas out to the masses until the majority latches onto one of your ideas and run with it.

Dana brings up the one factor that always gets in the way of implementing ideas of compressing the class list at a race site, paying the bills. One way you can overcome this, is by conducting three races over two days. It allows you to compress the class list because those drivers, who race, say CSH and OSY-400 an opportunity to gets more laps in their boat with having only one of these classes on the class list. At TRORA’s Alexandria, KY race, the class list is limited to the classes that have shown a good turnout of boats and three days of racing is held over two days for the 7 classes with the most entries on that weekend. This may not work for every region but its another idea and it has worked for this one particular race site. Unfortunately, there are always a few drivers who race a class that does not have many boats and they are left off the schedule. This isn’t fair to them, so what do we do for those racers? That is always the question without a good answer. We certainly do not want to alienate our fellow racers.

Dana is absolutely correct in saying that now is the time to try to make a change. If you are able to get new racers, make sure they buy equipment for a class that is strong in the region so they can join in on the fun. Also, make sure they are purchasing good equipment so they are safe and competitive right out of the box.

Lastly, when I looked at how many races your region had scheduled, I couldn’t believe it. Sometimes to much of a good thing isn’t necessarily good. Talk to current racers in the region and determine how many races they would attend each year and only hold that many races. When to many races are scheduled, racers have to start picking and choosing which races they will attend, therefore creating small turnouts of boats at all of the races.

[BratChild]

I also am a pretty big fan of the USTS. They are very organized, and they know what they're doing.
There are a few tweeks that need to be worked out, but other than that, it is probably the best organization that PRO ever has had!
If the races in Region 5 were to combine or eliminate a few of the classes it never runs, the day would go by smoother and we would look more organized. When spectators see officials and drivers and pit crews running around and being very unprofessional, they aren't going to like that! We should have classes that are going to have high turnouts on the schedule, and at the drivers meeting we need everyone paying attention. Changes should be made at the drivers meeting if someone has a problem with the schedule, etc. Everyone needs to know when they need to be to the water, in the water, and the classes need to go in order as they were scheduled at the meeting.
No offense to OPC and Inflatable drivers, but you guys are also included in this. There have been many times just this year I can recall you all coming out and starting your hot laps when there is still one heat until you run. Maybe we need to have better communication down in your pits, I don't know, but something has to be done.
Sure, we're not going to have 1,000,000 spectators at every race; we may not ever have 50, but we need to be organized so the day goes smoothly and everyone stays happy and knowing what's going on. Also, if we're organized and professional when nobody's around, we're more than likely to be organized and professional when there are a lot of people around, and when people see that we run a great schedule with a large field of competitive boats, they are going to want to come back again and again.
And Nick; I like your idea about you dad's boat. Although I think it wouldn't be very smart to let them go out on their own, race boats being much different than anything else IN THE WORLD I believe it would be a smart way to go. We get more money, and we get more drivers. So it's a win/win situation. Or, we could let people put money down that want to test it, and then pick maybe a few of them and they all will be hooked, and then you could basically get the highest price for the boat, and maybe even use that to something faster and more competitive!
Just a though!!

Amy

[Lights]

this is a message i sent to my dad who is trying to sell his 20ss/C rig.But nobody wants to buy it so i sent this to him.....


You should let me bring a rig to the race and sell tickets to spectators for boat rides at 10 bucks a piece and donate the money to the club. we could use that white boat because its safe and give them a crash course on driving like you would a J driver and let em loose after they sign the waiver. or we could take them for a ride like we do with hunter. But once they ride they'll be hooked and you can say well if you wanna start racing this rigs for sale for x amount of dollars. im serious. After i get my truck i can haul it to some of the bigger races like Inverness or Hollingsworth. Let me know what you think.

Thats a great idea Nick All clubs need a rig or two to do this with. I think we will have one in region 8 soon.

I wish we lived a bit closer. So we could promot the sport together. If you think racing in FL is dead. Come on up here where it was ounce great. We will be lucky to have a race or two. Or I need to travel 6- 12 hrs to a Race in WI or MI.

[win-or-flip]

Lets Band Together

i know region 5 isn't the only region struggling so lets get all of the regions talking to one another to brainstorm ideas on how to promote boatracing.tomorrow morning ill put on another big pot of coffee and get bored again and see what i can come up with. . so help me out here guys and gals.

Thanks for everything

[888race]

Little help

not sure where you are getting your #'s sounds like you have been hagging out with the pro guys to much
kpro 2-3 boats
125cch / r 3 boats
250cch / r 3 boats
500ccr 0
1100cch 4 boats
osy-400 5 boats

this is what we usally have at region 5 races , sometimes if we are lucky but mostly just 1100cch and osy-400, I hear what you are saying but wrong classes no support from these classes except osy-400


I would say more like this
axsh 5
csh/20ssh/osy-400 5
125/250 h 4
500 700 1100 h 4
45ssh 6
60ssh 6
inflatables 6
total 36 boats divided by $5000.00 cost of race entry $70.00 per day or get a sponsor for the race

we had 98 entries at Avon Park with the way we are doing it now

[Kristi Ellison]

Usts

Dana

We do have more than DePue and Constantine as staple races. Hammond and Omaha have been on the schedule for the past 4 or 5 years. Why do we bounce sometimes? For one water levels....Omaha only has 3.5 feet of water on the backstretch this year not very safe...but the City wants us back and they are making plans to revitalize the park and we have some growing interest in sponsorship. Cambridge, dam problems and no water....they called me today asking if we will come back...Hammond political conflict etc...When I am looking at race schedules I look at public interest, sponsor money and racer interest. If the site is crappy no one is going to show up.
As far as class numbers goes it can vary but we have a very consistent core group that ALWAYS shows up no matter what and those core teams keep us going. You did not mention 125H which usually has about 14 show up and 125R which has been consistently growing every year.

Mark
I have explained the OSY thing so many times I could go blind. If you would like read the by-laws...it is just that simple. To me it is no different than calling up the APR Super Leaque and asking to put on 125H cause we have so many. There answer would be NO run with us or not. We put OSY on 3X a year and we appreciate the show they put on. If you can make KPH run on alcohol great but I don't think that would work and besides having KPro fuel in the trailer is nice when you run out of gas in the mountains.

Nick
I am with Connie...keep throwing it out there. You are doing well and your ideas are all very good. A good place to start is talking to the drivers and fiquring out why they do not come and what would interest them in showing up for a race. Remember most people only get 2-3 weeks vacation time per year. They are going to plan racing into that and whomever said too much of a good thing can also hurt in an earlier post has a very good point.

My 5 cents
Kristi

[Kristi Ellison]

One more thought ( I must have had some of Nick's coffee ) Maybe you should put a woman in charge down there in Region 5 . I bet Connie would agree with that suggestion!!!

Kristi

[888race]

Give me a name

Kristi and Connie great minds think alike when are ya'll moving to region 5

[Kristi Ellison]

That is up to Uncle Sam!!! Not much Army for Richard down there.

Kristi

[888race]

Why don't the Florida races that have a low turnout try to combine an event with the FBI drag races? Ron & Jan Baker are having a hard time keeping a site for the drags. If the two organizations could fill a weekend with different kinds of racing, giving a better show and more participation while keeping costs down, wouldn't we all be better off? Doing something like that will bring a lot of different racers together, and may just convince me to buy a hydro I've been looking at!!!

Just a thought.

call me 863-294-2066

[joelbrown]

nick u missed a show at bithilo tonight street bike went over backwards because he doesnt know that if ur doin a wheelie and hit the nos button ur not comin back down.