2011 Stock Winter Nationals Info Please

[johnml390]

Seems like the most logical place to have the event is either Rainbow City, Alabama or Pineville, Lousiana.

Both places are basically racing (PROVEN) facilities and don't get to much adverse weather in the spring.

For us in the east (Maryland) it is 26 hours to Pineville and 20 hours to Alabama.

I suspect Indio, Ca will draw very few east coast boats...........

Just a thought!

I totally agree about Pineville. Not just being biased because it's our home lake. But it IS fairly centrally located. Yet far enough south to still have warm weather in the earlier months (minus 2006 haha) Not to mention it's the fastest lake in the country. Could you imagine it being a set thing to know that every year you get to go race your nationals at the fastest lake in the country. I like how the Pro guys have their stuff set. There nationals is central and is set at the same site every year. But yeh. I know this is coming from a mostly NBRA racer. But we have been giving great thought to making more APBA events. Now that Rainbow City has been APBA proven and Pineville also APBA proven. Maybe we could start getting some regular apba races from time to time in the future. Even thinking about trying out some of the Florida races as well. Going to start small but we hope to in a few years be regulars at all APBA Nationals Stock or Mod. (maybe even pro). So I certainly look forward to starting to see more of you guys more often.

[chicagopaul]

Firebird Lake? Neat facility. Totally unprotected on all 4 sides. Maybe there are days when it is calm, but I have never seen without chop and small white caps. It is manmade and the shore line is not gentle enough to disperse wake. My opinion is that it is not suitable for Kneelers. Seems suitable for everything else

[chicagopaul]

It's not as much that folks don't want to drive that far. Many companies are so thin that it is hard for folks to take that kind of time off in addition other time they take off with their families. North, East, South, West does not matter.

I was on the committee that talked about a Single Nationals site similar to what the PROS have accomplished at DePue and OPC at Kankakee. (We did not discuss the Winter Nationals)
We concluded:
The PRO's and OPC have evolved into Series Races. Their Nationals is just another stop in their series.

Stock is many local races with a Nationals that rotates locations.

Local economies rely on us to come to their little city once in a while.

Local clubs rely on the income to help them coast through tough times and losses at local races.

Moving the Nationals reminds folks across the country that we exist. And exist in large numbers.

A TRUE Central location would be hard to do, and would harm the local clubs that have come to rely on the income to survive 2, 3, 4 years until they host the next Nationals. It woudl also reduce National exposure unless we found MEGABUCKS for TV.

I did propose that we rotate to 4 specific areas and try to keep the same race sites at each area.
Locations:
One East or North East "Whitney Point?"
One West or North West (California / Washington?)
One South or South Central (AL, LA, KY?)
And One Central (Grass Lake? DePue?)

We did not make any reccomendations, just presented what we discovered.

[Racing Fan]

Racer Fan- I hope you have a speedy recover I know what your going through as I had the same in June not fun

Todd[/QUOTE]


Thanks Todd!

[AZ Outlaw]

Firebird is plenty big enough for SO-MOD-PRO racing..1 1/4 mile course around the island that provides excellent racing conditions. Firebird Lake is expensive to obtain. No on site camping, no shade, no grass, no trees in the pits, is a bummer. Nice permanent shaded grandstands are a plus though. More importantly..the water..it has a high volume of alkalinity/salt content that makes it one of the nastiest bodies of water in North America to get wet in, let alone if a motor goes swimming. Just ask any drag boat racer, they will tell you WD-40 is their best friend at Firebird. The Arizona Navy was the only APBA club in AZ, and the last to have outboards on a Firebird sanction in 1992.

[bill van steenwyk]

When I went out there in the 70's for the UIM race that Baldy Baldwin promoted, there was sort of a central "island" that ran almost the whole length of the facility. I seem to remember that there was a motorized "trolley" of some sort on the island, that would pull a water skier without use of a boat. Is that still in operation? The posted pictures would seem to indicate the island is not there anymore or underwater now.

Now that it is mentioned, I do remember that the water was very brackish, and also the land so porous that as the water came from the wells and went into the depression gouged out of the land to form the lake, that a plastic "liner" had to be made to cover the bottom of the lake so as to keep the water from just draining back to wherever it was being pumped from with the deep well. The liner was very obvious when you waded out in the water. Best I also remember was the whole lake/facility was built with Government money as an economic benefit for the Indian tribe that owned the land.

When we were there in that time frame, it was great as far as water conditions for boat racing. I don't remember any problems with rough water or wind. I was just watching some video that was transferred from Super 8 movie film of Billy Jack Rucker, Hans Krage, and others racing for the OF Championship. That was the first time I saw the Konig 6 cylinder and the "electric start" procedure Hans used to come down on the clock. The proprider Han's drove there ran so high off the water, you could throw a hog under the sponsons. Looks as thought he is controlling the attitude of the boat with the throttle. The more throttle, the higher off the water. He was both an amazing person as well as quite a driver.

[Jack Stotts]

Daren, us folks in the West are just tougher! I thought you knew that. Jack

[columbia]

Less than 30% of stock drivers live on the West Coast. That being said, the remaining 70% of the category should not have to drive 30 hours everyother year for a national. The West Coast should get a national once every 5 years, which is comparable to their representation in the category.

As far as a centrally located nationals, Kansas City, MO area would be the best bet. KC is 26 hours from Seattle, 20 hours from Jersey, 19 hours from Orlando, and even 12 hours from Detroit, meaning that even the midwest would have a bit of a drive. Personally, I think that Wakefield should host the nationals every year, but thats a seperate convo.

[Racerkyle20]

Less than 30% of stock drivers live on the West Coast. That being said, the remaining 70% of the category should not have to drive 30 hours everyother year for a national. The West Coast should get a national once every 5 years, which is comparable to their representation in the category.

As far as a centrally located nationals, Kansas City, MO area would be the best bet. KC is 26 hours from Seattle, 20 hours from Jersey, 19 hours from Orlando, and even 12 hours from Detroit, meaning that even the midwest would have a bit of a drive. Personally, I think that Wakefield should host the nationals every year, but thats a seperate convo.

Never said the East had to drive out west every other year...a west coast nationals in the 15 years i've been racing has been on a 3-4 year rotation. 5 years is too long. Right now as things stand 2014 would be the next opportunity for a west coast nationals. that's 4 years from now, i find that ok, i'd rather it be 3 years like the last 2 west coast nats (2007 and 2010). But at this point i'll take what we can get. I'd be fine with KC as a midwest natioanls race site on it's rotation, but if i had to drive every year 26 hours to nationals, i'd need to be working for microsoft....lol.

[John C167]

Chicago Paul hits it on the head, we need to spread it to every region willing to put on a Nationals ! There are alot of towns that can use a shot in the arm that the Nationals bring. I am sure the town of Oroville appreciated all the money that we spent there, and Wakefield will also next year ! So lets keep the rotation, gives people a chance to go to other areas in the US that they might not have a chance to go to otherwise !

John Biagio

[Big Don]

My comments are not about east –vs- west location, they are more about the sites that we approve. In my opinion this past stock/mod nationals was not a national’s race course. We all have those sites in our regions that are great race courses for a local race or smaller fields but are not a national’s caliber course. In my opinion this Oroville race course was dangerous. You can’t have rollers in the first turn like we did with everyone at top speed heading into the 1st turn.

I know there are people that will argue that at such and such race course the second corner is always an ocean because of the milling or the backstretch is always lumpy…in those cases you at least are a little more stretched out and can adjust your driving position to try and get through it.

I know… the throttle works both ways…but we all know that is BS at most local races let alone at a nationals.

I just think when we pick and approve our big race sites we need to put some more thought into it.

[Matt Dagostino]

Agreed!!

My comments are not about east –vs- west location, they are more about the sites that we approve. In my opinion this past stock/mod nationals was not a national’s race course. We all have those sites in our regions that are great race courses for a local race or smaller fields but are not a national’s caliber course. In my opinion this Oroville race course was dangerous. You can’t have rollers in the first turn like we did with everyone at top speed heading into the 1st turn.

I know there are people that will argue that at such and such race course the second corner is always an ocean because of the milling or the backstretch is always lumpy…in those cases you at least are a little more stretched out and can adjust your driving position to try and get through it.

I know… the throttle works both ways…but we all know that is BS at most local races let alone at a nationals.

I just think when we pick and approve our big race sites we need to put some more thought into it.

Couldn't agree more.

I think you should join us on the SORC instead of taking shots from the gallery!!! I will save you a chair!!

The Captain

[Big Don]

You think that was a shot at the SORC??? It wasn’t…I have sat in those chairs and you can only make your decisions based on what you are given at the national meetings. You have to hope the club presenting has done the homework. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate all the people involved who gave up all their time to put it on. Just saying when we pick courses for big races let’s just make sure it can support the race and not have everyone holding their breath every heat.

And what are you getting all defensive about, you were not even on the SORC when they approved this one. Go start packing for Lock Haven.

[Gunjumper]

Big Don...

Why don't you go start packing for Lock Haven?!! Drive right on past Oshkosh, come to a lucrative high profile river course, and win the "Dash"... Smokin Joe came and took the cash, and so did Brian, when is D3 gonna come give it a shot? Heck, it's half the drive of the Nats and you'll go home with a G-note... Someday right? Agreed on all previous posts by the way, there are some rumors of a multi club team of representatives headed to Hinton this fall, maybe something will come out of that. West Coast Winter Nat's, how many trailers will cross the Mississippi? Really? GL

[Big Don]

LOL...Greg don't give him any more ammo. We had this conversation on the way home from Dayton. I told him we'll make the trip out one of these years. Plus my credit card needs a rest after this year. I told him it was some of the best times I ever had back in the day. Good racing too. LOL...

Racer Allen waking/picking me up out of the street in 79 @ 2AM was one of the best.