A Plan that WILL work

[me-otch]

When was the last time you saw some young 20 something kid get involved on his own

Look no further! i am 21 now and got into racing last year on my own and that is the only way i can race.I can understand completely the hole cost issue, it is difficult to make all the races with just a summer job but i do it and i am in college.Basically i really enjoy the sport and the great competition and thats what keeps me attracted. For my first boat i spent $1200 and then $1600 on a 302, so $2800 to get a start up rig. Obviously i spent more to join apba and entry fee's and also gas to and from sites, so for a total first year i would estimate $4000 to complete my first year racing. i didn't think that was to shabby, but i wasn't a front runner but that didn't matter to me, just the water time and the competition was enough to keep me happy.

[immulmen]

Money can be a problem. BUT
When my son showed up at Standish the first time we had 1 boat 1 motor and 1 prop. Just over $2000. No cart, or racing trailer. [I got a good deal on a 102] Silas had new safety gear also. Now we both race and go to 5 local races a year and Can't wait for spring.
Chris Jordan

[AndersonV21]

I race HPV (Now KPV or KPP)

But can't decide between Karting and boat racing.

Live in WI, Weigh 185. What have you got.

I was just on the Midwest Karting site.

I can buy a 200 HPV Heavy kart for 2200.00. (Race ready)
$300.00 for safety gear
$500.00 for Misc to get me started.
I can run just about every weekend in the summer.
Drive only an hour.
Track time is about an hour each day.

I started racing KPV last season. I can assure you CSH without a doubt will be cheaper in the long run....The kart has WAY higher operating costs.

The first turn in a kart is a walk in the park compared to in a boat...A boat is way more of a thrill to drive.

[immulmen]

Money can be a problem. BUT
When my son showed up at Standish the first time we had 1 boat 1 motor and 1 prop. Just over $2000. No cart, or racing trailer. [I got a good deal on a 102] Silas had new safety gear also. Now we both race and go to 5 local races a year and Can't wait for spring.
Chris Jordan

As a side note Billy allen took the same boat, motor and prop out testing at Standish the next year and was able to go faster then his boat that day.

[32dubya]

I started racing KPV last season. I can assure you CSH without a doubt will be cheaper in the long run....The kart has WAY higher operating costs.

The first turn in a kart is a walk in the park compared to in a boat...A boat is way more of a thrill to drive.

OK I will agree to the cost's being near the same. But what I save in gas money traveling can easily be a set of tires on a weekend. The expenses can be discussed to death but that's not really the point of the entire discussion.

I don't believe cost is truly the reason for your declining numbers.

Marketing
Equipment availability
Marketing
Solid consistant structure
Constant rule changes

Just to name a few. Doesn't matter if your non profit or for profit your still a business. You need to make money. The one thing I always thought would make a difference was a competition director. Do away with the commission. Start with one class at a time and fix. The claimer class that was discussed a while back was perfect for the new racer. The schools are great but it took 10 years to catch on. That's enough for now time to shovel again.

[Dave M]

A Point

I want to make one point. It is pathetic these discussions are taking place. I can't understand why it got to this point. Many many years ago a decline began. You can't sell me the recession has anything to do with it. We are talking long term growth here, not bumps in the road.

What APBA is doing is not working. A change needs to be made, everyone agrees this is basically the plan.

What I do understand is that the same mindset has run APBA for a very long time. It shouldn't be Ed Hearn at the helm, it should not be Mr. Hearn either. It should not be Dean Sutherland either. It shouldn't be me, it should not be ANYONE with at least 5 years experience in boat racing, in a row. It needs a fresh perspective, from a fresh personality, who lives in realty with the core segment. Someone who does not look at it like each poster on this. We have relied on the same people for so many years that it is like groundhog day. Just compare these type threads on this site for the last 5 years. Same thing. Yet nothing has changed. Are we sitting here letting the next ten years be more of the same ? It seems like it. History is not our friend. It proves the APBA needs help, fresh new help if it is going to survive another hundred years. I speak from a kneelers perspective.

I am not calling leadership flawed. I am saying it is shame on the membership for allowing the same people to run things. It is a tough job, that is a VOLUNTEER type position. It is not their job. They have a life outside boat racing. Times change, but think about it, even Ed and Dean will be the same mindset forever, and their kids will listen to new music, different type movies, and go about life in a different way. That is who needs to be leading. Not the same people who are burned out. Lets face it, folks get burned out and lose perspective when doing the same thing.

This is not a gloom and doom post. It is a perspective I have not seen discussed. I think it makes sense. Anyone agree ?

[HRTV]

I want to make one point. It is pathetic these discussions are taking place. I can't understand why it got to this point. Many many years ago a decline began. You can't sell me the recession has anything to do with it. We are talking long term growth here, not bumps in the road.

What APBA is doing is not working. A change needs to be made, everyone agrees this is basically the plan.

What I do understand is that the same mindset has run APBA for a very long time. It shouldn't be Ed Hearn at the helm, it should not be Mr. Hearn either. It should not be Dean Sutherland either. It shouldn't be me, it should not be ANYONE with at least 5 years experience in boat racing, in a row. It needs a fresh perspective, from a fresh personality, who lives in realty with the core segment. Someone who does not look at it like each poster on this. We have relied on the same people for so many years that it is like groundhog day. Just compare these type threads on this site for the last 5 years. Same thing. Yet nothing has changed. Are we sitting here letting the next ten years be more of the same ? It seems like it. History is not our friend. It proves the APBA needs help, fresh new help if it is going to survive another hundred years. I speak from a kneelers perspective.

I am not calling leadership flawed. I am saying it is shame on the membership for allowing the same people to run things. It is a tough job, that is a VOLUNTEER type position. It is not their job. They have a life outside boat racing. Times change, but think about it, even Ed and Dean will be the same mindset forever, and their kids will listen to new music, different type movies, and go about life in a different way. That is who needs to be leading. Not the same people who are burned out. Lets face it, folks get burned out and lose perspective when doing the same thing.

This is not a gloom and doom post. It is a perspective I have not seen discussed. I think it makes sense. Anyone agree ?

Dave I agree totally, but no one is listening.

Click on this link and scroll down until you get to my post:

http://www.hydroracer.net/forums/sho...threadid=20340

[Greg Jacobsen]

Hey Dan

If you want to go back pull out a copy of the SeaTac Plan from 8 years ago. It was the only way we saw at the time to save the sport - yes it meant a real change from a 100% based member run organization but it did allow for professionals - from outside our sport to be hired. That had to be the concession that would make it work. Private Enterprise is not going to invest time and capital in a member only run organization. They must have a carrot of their own to hang onto. Can you just imagine if the plan would have been implemented with the economy on such an upswing for most of the decade. APBA Plan 2000 and the SeaTac Plan both called for a complete revamping of the office and the antiquated way APBA was doing business.

Just Imagine!

My two cents.

Greg Jacobsen

[HRTV]

If you want to go back pull out a copy of APBA Plan 2000 from 8 years ago. It was the only way we saw at the time to save the sport - yes it meant a real change from a 100% based member run organization but it did allow for professionals - from outside our sport to be hired. That had to be the concession that would make it work. Private Enterprise is not going to invest time and capital in a member only run organization. They must have a carrot of their own to hang onto. Can you just imagine if the plan would have been implemented with the economy on such an upswing for most of the decade. APBA Plan 2000 also called for a complete revamping of the office and the antiquated way APBA was doing business.

Just Imagine!

My two cents.

Greg Jacobsen

Greg I hear you and I totally respect the dedication and support that you have given to the sport over the years but now what? Where does the sport go from here? You are a veteran OPC driver, have you looked at the OPC numbers lately? scary low. What happen to F1 PROP, Champboat.. The St. Louis race put on by the Seebolds etc. all gone! everything and everyone that comes into contact with this sport seems to explode. Mike and Tim Seebold now race in the Middle East for rich oil guys who live in Doha.

Seriously what in the hell is wrong? and why hasn't it been made right after all these years.

[Greg Jacobsen]

Well??

I think the Board at the time knew that there existed a small window of opportunity to really make APBA a viable product for the future, at least I did. As I recall the vote for the SeaTac Plan was 10 to 2. Lots of smart dedicated APBA Board members were faced with a reality that if nothing changed and we continued to keep doing the same thing that the sport we all loved would continue to decline over time. This was not an easy call on anyone's part at the time - there were lots of heated arguments and disagreements - but the one thing that we all agreed on was serious changes needed to be made or we would be all asking ourselves 10 years from now - why we did nothing.

So my honest answer - I believe that was a small window of opportunity - and it has now passed. Again - just imagine - with the economy so good from 2002 - 2008 - and with a professional team that had skin in the game running things - who knows?

Now with the economy in such bad shape and APBA having continued since that time to loose members and events I think it would be nearly impossible to fix in the short term.

I love the sport, I love the people and I just want to see it reach its potential and I am more convinced every day that probably is not going to happen.

Greg

[HRTV]

I think the Board at the time knew that there existed a small window of opportunity to really make APBA a viable product for the future, at least I did. As I recall the vote for APBA Plan 2000 was 10 to 2. Lots of smart dedicated APBA Board members were faced with a reality that if nothing changed and we continued to keep doing the same thing that the sport we all loved would continue to decline over time. This was not an easy call on anyone's part at the time - there were lots of heated arguments and disagreements - but the one thing that we all agreed on was serious changes needed to be made or we would be all asking ourselves 10 years from now - why we did nothing.

So my honest answer - I believe that was a small window of opportunity - and it has now passed. Again - just imagine - with the economy so good from 2002 - 2008 - and with a professional team that had skin in the game running things - who knows?

Now with the economy in such bad shape and APBA having continued since that time to loose members and events I think it would be nearly impossible to fix in the short term.

I love the sport, I love the people and I just want to see it reach its potential and I am more convinced every day that probably is not going to happen.

Greg

Thanks for your honest reply, not really much more that can be said.

[HRTV]

To the top everyone should read Greg's reply

[raceright]

Guy's noone has the answers---The hey day of stock outboard was when hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent on Marketing and Promotion of boatracing. Some old guy wanted to have his company be the MFG. of the fastest outboards made and spent the money to make it happen.
Ya don't get a guess here you should know who it was--if not call the National Commissioner and get a little History---And if you do not know who he is.

I have prooved my point and will give up on helping Stock outboard..

[raceright]

It takes MONEY a HOLE lot of Spending Money to get it to get it to get it
WRIGHT lol

Pat

[csh2z]

Thanks Pat for your many contributions to the Stock category over the years. We wouldn't be where we are today, if not for you.lol?