? about the AOF

[Lights]

Sam,
I'll have to give this some thought. I am not so worried about a Show for the public as in $$$. As I am wanting to have fun, grow the sport in are backyard and do some racing at the same time. Do we really need big crowds of spectators to grow are sport and race? The local motocross guy's don't worry about the crowds or the "Show" and they have a ton of fun. We just need a place to run more than one time a year and someone will take interest in what we are doing and start racing with use. Maybe It needs to be as simple as only to have one or two local classes run. Say a two cylinder class with a couple of different motors that are in parity? Maybe I am just dreaming?

Mark

[Steve Johnson]

Swamp lake race

I am actally working an area that the city has set aside in park form to allow obnoxious watersports a place to play.
could race monthly during the week eveings ect....
AOF would be the perfect soulution for this type of race /test/ demo activity.
A Poor showing at a city festival would be the kiss of death to any site. regardless of the cost to put on said event.
Anyway we have several venues IN CONJUNCTION with another group of racers. together we put on a decent show.
I Love the idea of having a demo rig permanatly avalible and for sale. I'm sure that several of the OPC guys would love to give it a try. Buy boat get club membership with it and appoint a mentor from the group to sheperd the rookies in. = growth

[AOFoffice]

Region 8 is somewhat unique in that we have hundreds of sites to race. I could sign at least 5 races today, without leaving home. Another 10 with a little work. Unfortunately, many are remote and there is no money. That leaves out the USTS, who already has a pretty heavy schedule in the area.
With no money, the only hope is AOF.
But, NBRA drivers won’t come from Missouri and hate AOF drivers, so they won’t come. We’ve tried it and gotten no more than 5 trailers. Region 7 APBA is strong, and they have enough races to put them in the run for APBA high points, so they won’t come and risk breaking something at an AOF race. So, now we are down to region 8 members only who run stock and mod with no one to race with. Some of us have sold our stock/mod equipment to run just pro. Hopefully USTS will stay strong so we have a place. Steve has done the only thing he can, and that is combine Region 8 races with the OPC.
But, what do we do with our hundreds of race sites just sitting there? Some of us, myself included, should never have neglected our home base as we went gallivanting around the country racing. We now have no home base to come home to. I hope other regions learn from our mistakes.
Connie

[Kristi Ellison]

Steve

I am unaware of anyone trying to add to last years Constantine schedule. I am aware that some see us as inflexible and I guess we are but for a very good reason. It works to have the same classes and keeps the show short. Our participants know the routine which helps things roll along and allows 3 heats instead of 2 for most classes. When we start adding and changes it screws everthing up.

You could try something similiar up there with your biggest classes and limit the sanction to the most populated be it mod or stock or both. The original USTS only had 6 classes and it worked great. There are some within our organization who would be happy for it to go back to 6. If you set up an AOF race with 6 classes 3 heat format you can put on a great show.

Good Luck
Kristi

[YankeeRacing]

Kristi,
There is no need to defend the way that USTS series does things because it works, and works well. That is because of a lot of planning and a group of people who are dedicated to the plan and each other. I wish I had been a part of USTS earler.
What has happened in region 8 is that we were falling apart and no one noticed. Until now that is. Hopefully other regions will see our mistakes and not let that happen in their area. Once it's gone it's pretty much gone.
Connie

[Steve Johnson]

Not a dig

My tone regarding USTS wasen't meant to be a "slam"
you do what works best for your group. I have mine to look out for.
we do have some pro drivers around here but there dosen't seem to be any interest from them for "local " racing. hope that will change. but if not and they are happy running the series fine. we are doing what we can up here and one driver at a time, we will manage to have a fuctioning club. as long as I remember, MN was a stand alone area. Connie hit it on the head with region politics. I just feel that to pursue a USTS race up here,while fun would'nt do us a bit of good. far as region eight racing is concerned. If the pro guys want to take a run at it so be it. I'd rather see us ALL play together.tho Sure had some fun times back in the 80's Anyone remember Danbaums parties? or Lakeveiw IA?
Steve

[Kristi Ellison]

Connie and Steve

If I sounded defensive I did not mean too . When I reply to these posts I try to be cogniscent of everyone else who might read them. So if I have the opportunity to explain the "ways of the USTS" I do. The thought of unexplored race sights in one part of the country when we are loosing them in others makes me want to jump up and do"something". Don't give up yet!!

Kristi

[Lights]

Steve

I'm sorry, I forgot about you mentioning that Park thing to me.

Mark

[blaire576]

geez i pay 220 for my monthly premium my lowest for years, insurance premiums seemed very affordable with fantastic coverage to match. Well see http://www.insurancepaylite.com they draw your policy quotes from over 140 different health insurance providers, if you're an individual or family who pays for insurance today chances are you're literally getting punched in the pocket book, and it hurts. Health insurance has changed dramatically over the last five years.

[Sean Augustine]

Tried before...

...and worked. I believe it was in the mid-nineties.

Dillon Lake in Zanesville put on a very sucessful race with a combination of PRO classes and SO MOD classes.

I think what made the race so well attended, among other things, was that not all classes were run in every category. The organizers picked classes which historically have been well attended in local and national events. It was a slightly longer schedule than the USTS format but not an all-day event.

It was a two heat format, but in exchange, the PRO classes ran on Saturday and Sunday.

This can be done - by adding AOF and NBRA, you have just increased your resources.

Sean

[RandY Aveline]

hey i would try to show and support a title series including the DMH,DMR,DHS DSR CHS races i think it would be a good shot in the arm for all concerned if you make it happen i will travel from indy to help support it and even help out as turn judge err some thing like that as i did always try to help in some way while at an event
attempting to get feet wet again , hopefully in full swing for 2007 and possibly bringing a new driver in as well , my son age 26 has finnaly expressed interest in driving

Randy 23-H

[Kristi Ellison]

Randy

I am not sure I understand your post. Are you saying you wnat to start a Title Series with the classes you mentioned or do you want a US Title Series race with those classes added?

Kristi

[RandY Aveline]

yes USTS with those classes in it !!

basicaly i was trying to say that i would support steves suggestion of having those classes included in the pro usts series that was my understanding
of what steve was trying errr suggesting ! and would show up to race and support it

hope this clears it up for you kristi

USTS mod series brings up another whole thought range
but it would be a possibility to maybe start a mod usts using the more popular classes in mod ! in theory any way

as classes need to be reduced first and foremost

i being from the old school coming from the days that we had 8 classes 4 hydro and 4 runabout then we added the 50 or old e class then we had to add j for the kids under age 12 why it wasnt good to make them (the kids ) wait till 12
and run A class , i dont know

and i feel we are realy hurting ourselves with 20 classes and in some areas trying to add more classes ( example what is it in stock now 5 or 6 classes of A)
give me a break !!!

note not picking on stockers just using as an example cause mods at 1 time were doing same thing and are dying as well



this is why i am coming back in with NBRA as they have narrowed classes down to 14 this is good
however i feel as a whole that AOF,APBA and NBRA should pool resources and make it a standard to cut classes
down to 12 or 14 at the most (in kneeldown applications)

this would
1 increase class participation
2 please the crowds better (less confusing etc)
3 possibly open doors for better sponsorship
4 possibly bring bigger purses

which in fact would mean more money paid out to more places per race
(giving folks a chance to pay or at least defer the travel cost of there weekend)
and make us see classes that have 10 to 12 racers and or bring back the elusive elimination heat
im for full fields in every class not 25 classes of 3 boat races

it was nothing for a guy in the 60,s and 70,s to race c,d,e,hydro and runabout and make $600.00 or even more a weekend by a win a place or a showing while owning 3 motors and no more than 2 or 3 boats

now with the price of traveling and the cost of motors and new boats being what they are approx 5 k for a Dstock motor and you know mods are costing a lot as well
you cant get a new pugh for less than approx 4 k now days

any way you get my point cost have skyrocketed
and prize moneies have reduced no wonder we have problems gettng 100 entries at races with 20 classes
now days you have to have deep pockets to even pull your rig out of the driveway !

i rember buying a first class D mod motor for 5 and 6 hunderd bucks and race
a new 1000 dollar boat (in the 80,s)

now no sale is ever made till you get the money
if you are going to sell a race event why wont you ask for the money as well

because race promoters feel they are doing good to even get an event scheduled let alone ask for some prize money .
why u say cause the show isnt what it should be !!! (just my opinon)

(i must add that the USTS isnt 1 of the above mentioned their show always seems to be good ) why less classes more folks in the classes they promote etc........
i say less classes ,more money, more participation and then you will have better show

yes i would totaly ,if the pro guys will have us and can include 4 to 6 more classes

to go with their current schedule of what is it 10 classes they run in the USTS ? im not sure but you get my drift i hope !

Kristi did you race in Emod H in 1982 in iowa city ?? it seems your name is familiar

hope i havent hurt any 1s feelings!!!

all this is just food for thought

Randy 23-H

P.S i believe that i could speak to and get several DMR and DMH drivers to agree to show if the timing is set on a good date as they too back there local clubs and have a few dates that will not be changed

[RandY Aveline]

ok who let the insurance promoter in ??
is he going to sponsor a 10,000.00 prize race for us for the promo opportunity

blair576 this is a boat race disscussion ?? sponsor a boat race or go away please

as we are insurance poor !!

[jsilvestri]

Randy,

A lot of us would agree with your thoughts of the number of classes being to great. A few guys have posted possible solutions to decreasing the number of classes but there has not been any action on this. Its a tough decision when thinking of cutting classes. The first step would be reinstating the rule that says there must be so many participants in a class to keep the class around. Still not an easy pill to swallow for those who wouldn't have enough entries in their class to keep it around but in my opinion it would be easier to have a class eliminated by using this method versus simply cutting a class. At least the drivers of that particular class would have the opportunity to get others to race their class if they are put on probation with the possibility of lossing their class. Sometimes the writting is on the wall but no one wants to read it and face reality.

I also like your view on selling a better race program for potential sponsonors, rather than trying to sell a better race program for spectators because I've never looked at our sport as one we could sell to spectators.