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**Tim Small** · 03-09-2012, 05:20 AM

USTS Winter Haven

The USTS along with Marvin Windows, Race for the kids, and Citrus Boys and Girls Club have done a good job advertising our upcoming event. We have sent out 35,000 mailings and flyers throughout the area, have big banners all over the city, newspapers etc. articles weekly. Ray Rodda will be doing a live interview soon, and we will also be live on a local FM radio station during the races. TV stations are also being contacted to video the action. If we want to get noticed we realize we have to do it ourselves.

**raceright** · 03-09-2012, 06:17 AM

Originally posted by HRTV View Post

Despite the race being blown out and only running Saturday internal race coverage was poor. When I say internal coverage I mean racers and teams live blogging, Tweeting, Photo sharing, posting to Facebook etc.

It�s hard to believe that during the recent Dayton 500 NASCAR drivers were actually tweeting from the track while powerboat racers seem to be at a complete lost when it comes to using social media. This August, Facebook is projected to have 1 Billion users. At 1 Billion users, Facebook will have managed to connect close to 1/7th of the world�s population. Yet boat racing still seems light years away from getting on board the world�s most powerful network.

There were no APBA staff reporters Tweeting live or any official coverage that I could find. Hydroplane Quebec did have a live USTREAM feed up from time to time but that was about it.

Where is the official Orange Cup Regatta race recap and story write up? Where is the APBA YouTube coverage and commentary? Will the APBA send a video production crew down to cover the season opener for the USTS series and Stock Outboard season opener? Will there be real time race stats and photos posted to the new APBA forum?

I could go on and on but I�m sure you get my drift, the official 2012 APBA season has open and I can�t find a single official APBA post race article or video.

Nothing on the official APBA web site, nothing on the official APBA Twitter page, nothing on the official APBA YouTube site and nothing on the official APBA Social Forum.

Great job Crown Partners.

At the risk of really offending you Dan,you just don"t get it--some day if you ever are at a national meeting or a USTS race I'll buy you Dinner and beers and fill you in on what you do not get.

Peace
Pat Wright

**HRTV** · 03-09-2012, 06:44 AM

Originally posted by raceright View Post

At the risk of really offending you Dan,you just don"t get it--some day if you ever are at a national meeting or a USTS race I'll buy you Dinner and beers and fill you in on what you do not get.

Peace
Pat Wright

Hey Pat,

Not to worry I don’t get offended anymore :-) clearly I don’t get it. The season opener as come and gone and not a single write up or post race report. No official APBA commentary, photos or video clips. At the risk of beating a dead horse to death what was the whole point in hiring Crown Partners?

Where do fans go to find races live, professional powerboat driver news, APBA videos, rumors, updated standings, schedules, Stock Outboard, USTS and OPC race coverage?

Official APBA commentary and post race articles?

Will the APBA be sending a staff photographer and video production crew out to the USTS and Stock Outboard season opener events?

**Bob Dunlap** · 03-09-2012, 07:02 AM

Great job Tim, that is what it takes to make a successful race.
Dan you are right on target but we are basically a volunteer organization so it's up to the members to do all the things you mentioned.
A lot of people are still in the dinosaur age and they will never get it.

**HRTV** · 03-09-2012, 07:48 AM

Originally posted by Bob Dunlap View Post

Great job Tim, that is what it takes to make a successful race.
Dan you are right on target but we are basically a volunteer organization so it's up to the members to do all the things you mentioned.
A lot of people are still in the dinosaur age and they will never get it.

I hear you Bob best of luck this season :-)

NASCAR ruled that Brad Keselowski could keep his cell phone in his race car during all events.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/rac...#ixzz1odB5GmGi

"As a fan of the sport, I find myself asking the question of what would I want to see. And to that end, that's what I try to show," Keselowski said. "That's what I try to be as an athlete, entertainer, race car driver, whatever you want to call me. And to me, the things that I did on Twitter that night [were] something that I would want to see. I don't think about it any harder than that, and I'm glad that people liked it and enjoyed it. Obviously, my generation is obsessed with technology and access."

That last statement is the key to this whole discussion. Keselowski is 28, and people in their 20s have grown up in a time where technology has broken down barriers and enabled more direct communication. Those 20-somethings want to be able to see behind the scenes, and they want to do it right away. They don't want to wait until the highlights are on TV or, heaven forbid, until the newspaper is delivered the next day. If you make this age group wait or deny them direct access, there is a good chance they will simply turn their attention elsewhere. After all, there are plenty of other entertainment options in the cyber world.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/rac...#ixzz1odCtwptr

**Big Don** · 03-09-2012, 07:49 AM

Bob, You hit the nail on the head. We are a group mostly made up of volunteers. We have a few paid office administrators but that is it. Dan you know full well we don�t have the resources to fly someone from APBA office all over the country covering races. We raised the membership what 25.00?!?!?!, and people threatened to quit racing over it.

Let�s face the facts, until we as members are willing to invest what it takes to do what you and others want, it�s not going to happen.

The difference in us and NASCAR is huge. We will never be NASCAR so stop comparing us to them. They are paid professionals and we are not. They have sponsorships and we do not. The drivers understand that they are marketing themselves for their team and sponsorship and we are not� the list could go on and on.

I�m not saying, we should not do some of these things, but it�s up to us, the members to do it, not APBA. You said that but stop blaming APBA. Blame the members if you want but APBA does not have the financial means or people power to do it, it�s up to us the members/owners of APBA to do it.

Tim Small GREAT JOB to you and your team!!!!

**HRTV** · 03-09-2012, 07:54 AM

Originally posted by Big Don View Post

Bob, You hit the nail on the head. We are a group mostly made up of volunteers. We have a few paid office administrators but that is it. Dan you know full well we don�t have the resources to fly someone from APBA office all over the country covering races. We raised the membership what 25.00?!?!?!, and people threatened to quit racing over it.

Let�s face the facts, until we as members are willing to invest what it takes to do what you and others want, it�s not going to happen.

The difference in us and NASCAR is huge. We will never be NASCAR so stop comparing us to them. They are paid professionals and we are not. They have sponsorships and we do not. The drivers understand that they are marketing themselves for their team and sponsorship and we are not� the list could go on and on.

I�m not saying, we should not do some of these things, but it�s up to us, the members to do it, not APBA. You said that but stop blaming APBA. Blame the members if you want but APBA does not have the financial means or people power to do it, it�s up to us the members/owners of APBA to do it.

Tim Small GREAT JOB to you and your team!!!!

Don,

What Brad did at the Daytona 500 has nothing to do with NASCAR. He simply pulled his personal cell phone out of his pocket and gave the fans what the wanted. You guys need to wake up and do the same thing. Stop catering to the over the hill gang and reach out to the 20 something crowd by using the technology they use. A simple cell phone and a free Twitter account is all it takes.

**mdaspit** · 03-09-2012, 07:55 AM

Originally posted by HRTV View Post

Great job Crown Partners.

Why do you blame Crown Partners?
With every contractual agreement there comes "Scope of the work".
An agreement of what is to be done for an agreed upon sum.

Was their deal to provide that kind of content?

Or, maybe you know what the scope of the work agreement was?

**racnbns** · 03-09-2012, 07:55 AM

Coverage----

Originally posted by HRTV View Post

Despite the race being blown out and only running Saturday internal race coverage was poor. When I say internal coverage I mean racers and teams live blogging, Tweeting, Photo sharing, posting to Facebook etc.

It�s hard to believe that during the recent Dayton 500 NASCAR drivers were actually tweeting from the track while powerboat racers seem to be at a complete lost when it comes to using social media. This August, Facebook is projected to have 1 Billion users. At 1 Billion users, Facebook will have managed to connect close to 1/7th of the world�s population. Yet boat racing still seems light years away from getting on board the world�s most powerful network.

There were no APBA staff reporters Tweeting live or any official coverage that I could find. Hydroplane Quebec did have a live USTREAM feed up from time to time but that was about it.

Where is the official Orange Cup Regatta race recap and story write up? Where is the APBA YouTube coverage and commentary? Will the APBA send a video production crew down to cover the season opener for the USTS series and Stock Outboard season opener? Will there be real time race stats and photos posted to the new APBA forum?

I could go on and on but I�m sure you get my drift, the official 2012 APBA season has open and I can�t find a single official APBA post race article or video.

Nothing on the official APBA web site, nothing on the official APBA Twitter page, nothing on the official APBA YouTube site and nothing on the official APBA Social Forum.

Great job Crown Partners.

I guess thats the difference between a professional sport and a HOBBY.
You might say "MONEY TALKS AND BULLS--T WALKS". APBA does a lot of walking[not on water].

Bruce

**HRTV** · 03-09-2012, 08:00 AM

Originally posted by Big Don View Post

Bob, You hit the nail on the head. We are a group mostly made up of volunteers. We have a few paid office administrators but that is it. Dan you know full well we don�t have the resources to fly someone from APBA office all over the country covering races. We raised the membership what 25.00?!?!?!, and people threatened to quit racing over it.

Let�s face the facts, until we as members are willing to invest what it takes to do what you and others want, it�s not going to happen.

The difference in us and NASCAR is huge. We will never be NASCAR so stop comparing us to them. They are paid professionals and we are not. They have sponsorships and we do not. The drivers understand that they are marketing themselves for their team and sponsorship and we are not� the list could go on and on.

I�m not saying, we should not do some of these things, but it�s up to us, the members to do it, not APBA. You said that but stop blaming APBA. Blame the members if you want but APBA does not have the financial means or people power to do it, it�s up to us the members/owners of APBA to do it.

Tim Small GREAT JOB to you and your team!!!!

So the APBA had the means to hire and retain Crown Partenrs but they dont have the means to purchase a company Cell phone give it to an intern and have them live Tweet from the big races around the country?

Twitter is free and a corporate cell phone plane should cost them next to nothing. Give the intern a small food and hotel budget and send them out to the races.

**HRTV** · 03-09-2012, 08:04 AM

Originally posted by mdaspit View Post

Why do you blame Crown Partners?
With every contractual agreement there comes "Scope of the work".
An agreement of what is to be done for an agreed upon sum.

Was their deal to provide that kind of content?

Or, maybe you know what the scope of the work agreement was?

Twitter is free, send a APBA intern or Crown Partners employee out to the races and you have instant live coverage. Any idiot knows that this should have been part of the agrrement.

**mdaspit** · 03-09-2012, 08:24 AM

Originally posted by HRTV View Post

Any idiot knows that this should have been part of the agrrement.

Yeah and any idiot ought to know how to spell agreement.

**Big Don** · 03-09-2012, 08:31 AM

Dan you missed my point again�
It�s up to us the members to do this, not APBA. APBA should do some but they don�t have the resources to be in Florida, Texas, California, Washington�. We all have cell phones.
The wholesale company I work for has spent millions in the last few years on social media/web�.We just had a trade show (1500 customer attended) and we asked our customers how many had facebook pages for their business, only 30% had them. I was shocked.

We shared the following with them trying to get them to understand the importance of it. We surveyed our customers while at the trade show and 41% of them had smart phones so you would think they would get it but.....

Dan I know you will know most of this, but I wanted to share it with others.

Facts as I found putting together information for our trade show�

140 million tweets a day

158 Million hits on YouTube a month

800 Million active users

In 60 seconds there are 80,000 post on facebook walls

80% of facebook users connect to brands

In 60 seconds there are 600 plus new video�s uploaded on YouTube

164 Million Adults of our 311 million US population use the internet

Discussions via Social media �sports are the second highest topics

So like you many of us get it. But it�s up to us to do it.

As for Brad at Daytona, don�t kid yourself. He was marketing himself. He understands it will get him more followers , sell more merchandise, help his sponsors, etc. I realize it simple to do but there was more to it than just sending a tweet, he�s a business man.

**PAUL PRICE** · 03-09-2012, 08:39 AM

Some of us went to Lakeland to race, not drive 15 hours to text & post pictures....

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Lack of coverage from the recent Orange Cup Regatta

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