2009 National Championship Forums

[Gootz 142M]

I wanna see how the sharp right hand turn works out for them......

[Kev43V]

LOL we do a right hand turn in our local"time trials" race with hydros.
There is a figure 8 in in the course for lap 2. it is interesting and challenging.
both 26V and 55V are veterans of this right hander. I have the dubious honor of being the only APBA member to have ever dumped it on the right hander in the history of the Chennys Grove Township Power Boat Racing Association

[Kev43V]

would 20 or 30 laps be too many?

[wsmith0607]

As far as a figure 8 course or right hand turns, we will need more input from all drivers interested. I was thinking either 18 or 24 laps, with pit stops. We'll see how it goes and what feedback we get. As I said earlier, this will be "driver driven". Safety is the most important thing to consider. I would be worried with a figure 8, but, we can easily setup Grass Lake for some right handers.

[Kev43V]

the figure 8 only works for us because it is a TIME TRIAL. one boat on the water at a time. I would in no way indorse a figure 8 with multiple boats

LOL i can just imagine the look on the K&K guys face if you showed him the course layout and there would be boats crossing each others path in the middle of the course at speed. plus I think you would have to PAY ME to enter the race LOL

[wsmith0607]

I would make a really good practical joke!

[wagner-racing16-s]

At the springfield race last year when ran a hydro grand prix with a beach start. The course stretched from one side of the lake to the other. I am just guessing but I would say roughly a 3 mile course, which was a huge tri-oval. We ran 20's, C's and 25's. It was a blast. At the end of the race I checked my stock gas tank for my 102 and maybe a half an inch of gas in the bottom of it. Don't know how much further I could have went on that. The major thing to look at would be boats coming in and out of the pits during fueling and the wakes of the boats getting on plane left down the front stretch of the pits during this time. I know that the Y80's and 102 and 302's usually get on plane a heck of a lot faster the 25's and the smokin 25's will get out front after a few laps I know from exp. thanks 59-s but it would be a blast. The major issue I can only see is just going to be the re-fueling stage. What you might people to do is designate a certain class to pit on lap 4 another class lap 6 and then another on lap 8. Like the 25's have an advantage where they have a fuel pump and so do some yamato's so it would not be as big of a deal to put a bigger gas tank in the boat. or you could split the field into 2 or 3 pit groups by a number they draw at the drivers meeting telling them when the need to pit for fuel. I guess some good info would be fuel consumption per mile per class to give a better idea of fuel ratio. For some reason it seems that I use up more fuel in my hydro then runabout. If I am able to make it to the nationals this year, I would be down for a marathon. Just not sure the cost of running a long marathon on race gas prices.

[ryan_4z]

We did a 15 lap one pit stop marathon at Sharptown about 6 years ago. It was a lemans start race that combined CSH, 20ssH, 25ssH. You could pit stop whenever you wanted. You didn't have to refuel, but the driver had to get out of the boat for at least ten seconds if you didn't. There was an 'off-plane' buoy about 100' ft. out. I believe we had another bouy a little further out that marked the 'pit lane.' This made coming in and out of the pits safe and easy.

[wsmith0607]

Just great info guys! Keep 'em coming. I'm going to print off all posts, put them in a binder, and take them to the MHRA meeting this month. Get the word out!

[Hutch06]

No little guys?

Any possibility of allowing A's in the hydro-marathon, or are we too small to run with the 20's, 25's, and C's?

[Kev43V]

At the springfield race last year when ran a hydro grand prix with a beach start. The course stretched from one side of the lake to the other. I am just guessing but I would say roughly a 3 mile course, which was a huge tri-oval. We ran 20's, C's and 25's. It was a blast. At the end of the race I checked my stock gas tank for my 102 and maybe a half an inch of gas in the bottom of it. Don't know how much further I could have went on that. The major thing to look at would be boats coming in and out of the pits during fueling and the wakes of the boats getting on plane left down the front stretch of the pits during this time. I know that the Y80's and 102 and 302's usually get on plane a heck of a lot faster the 25's and the smokin 25's will get out front after a few laps I know from exp. thanks 59-s but it would be a blast. The major issue I can only see is just going to be the re-fueling stage. What you might people to do is designate a certain class to pit on lap 4 another class lap 6 and then another on lap 8. Like the 25's have an advantage where they have a fuel pump and so do some yamato's so it would not be as big of a deal to put a bigger gas tank in the boat. or you could split the field into 2 or 3 pit groups by a number they draw at the drivers meeting telling them when the need to pit for fuel. I guess some good info would be fuel consumption per mile per class to give a better idea of fuel ratio. For some reason it seems that I use up more fuel in my hydro then runabout. If I am able to make it to the nationals this year, I would be down for a marathon. Just not sure the cost of running a long marathon on race gas prices.

it seems to me the cost of the race fuel for a marathon would be negligable compared to the the cost of the fuel Getting to the race.
I think you have somevery good ideas. I just hope we remember to count the laps! so we know what lap to fuel up on

[wagner-racing16-s]

well what you could do is designate a certain color flag to be held up that would be different from actual race flags. Like a neon orange, maybe purple and a neon blue or something and then if you still might get confused the race officials could pass out small color dot stickers to put on your dashboard or something.

[Kev43V]

I too hope A's run
A's, B's, Amods- 1 race?
C's, 20's, 25's - race 2
D's, Fe's and?- Race 3.
will J's get one too?
or where you guys thinking of just one Hydro class?

[wsmith0607]

Great to hear from the A's. We could do a timed marathon (20-25 minutes). That would allow for the smaller classes to also run. I don't know if we want to put the J's out there. We can talk about that. I don't see any reason we can't run mod stuff though, after all, it is for the crowd. Keep comin'.

[Kev43V]

I am not sure you can put J's out with the other classes due to rules. unless they are diff. for marathons. but would it be possible the J's to run by them selves. I do not even have a J driver in the family so it does not impact me either way.