Stock Outboard Questionaire

[Bunker hill]

Change

Agree!, Bill
However, change for the sake of change or personal agenda is not productive or logical for the group as a whole. We need to change or evolve or die, it's that simple. that being said, change must be made and at the cost of membership, the fine line we walk is how do we evolve while alienating as few as possible

[Affholter66]

As far as the OMC's go, we have a slew of them in Region 11 and I think to relegate them to the classic division would force a lot of these drivers out of the sport. I know I can't afford to buy a Sidewinder now and don't know that I would want to race in Classic, as much as I love old Mercs and stuff, it has a second string ring to it. Let the OMC's die out on their own. There will then be used Sidewinder stuff coming along for newbies and financially limited drivers to acquire.
kk[/QUOTE]

Well put...Esp "The second string ring"...Attrition will take care of "Old Motors". Also could someone please explain how "Class restructuring" will help our sport? I haven't figured that out...

[bill boyes]

The SORC made a commitment for new motors. They have reneged. Do not let that happen with the Sidewinder. The OMC "A" can move to the Mod Category.
Frankly there are lot of worn out OMC's out there that are trying to compete with a new Sidewinder. Just looks to me that some in the Stock Category just want to continue to run the old junk until it just dies out. However, the Category will die out before the Motor does. Like I said change is painful.

[G Stillwill]

Im not sure any race motor is serviced by a dealer Bunker be it Mercery, OMC or any other brand. If you cant work on them yourself there's a gear heads that will. The good part you can still buy any part for the Merc and the Sidewinders but cant say that for the rice burners or the OMC's

[wagner-racing16-s]

This is not going to help get new racers. A better economy and having the ability to spend cash on racing will help more then changing everything.

[Wild Bill 96D]

Anyone who thinks jumbling up motors and classes is going to save this sport is barking up the wrong tree. Adding or subtracting motors or classes is not going to bring new people to the race site. Boats were racing an hour and a half away from my house for over 20 years and I never knew it. LETS GET REAL PEOPLE. THIS IS A PROBLEM.

[Brian10s]

Should stock have a plan for the future? Probably. The downside of this is that no one can agree on one and even if a plan does pass, future Commission will change and then so will the plan.

But in regards to this plan - there seems to be some information missing (or at least not provided to the membership).

1st - 370 stock members, a drop of 30 from 2011. If this is based on APBA membership data then it is a usless statistic. With the Super membership, those category membership numbers are inaccurate. I personally race both Stock and Mod equally, so where am I counted? That is why a drop or even an increase of 30 members doesn't matter. Fewer and fewer drivers are single category members anymore.

2nd - A more realistic number might be entires. In 2012, stock had 642 entries, down 3 entires from 2011. In fact, that is the same number of entries as 1997. In 15 yrs, that number has bounced up and down every year with a high in 2005. In 2012, only DSH had a double digit drop in participation. 25SSR & ASH both had double digit increases in entries.

3rd - What is this plan going to do for us besides divide the pie? Did the SORC do a survey or have the numbers of how many will be affected by this plan? What are the percentages of motors per class? EX: ASH = 90% OMC, 9 % SW & 1% Merc. Or CSH = 50% 102 vs 50% 302? There were 96 ASH drivers last year, so lets call that 87 OMC's 8 SW & 1 Merc. What is the projected annual output for SW & can they supply 30 per year? What about Montoya & the 302? CSH had 117 entries in 2012. Can he supply 60 302s (Along with CSR's, 302SSH, Mod motors, OSY, etc)? What is the import timeline once his existing motors are gone?

4th - How does this filter down to the local club? I am thinking that at the local level, nothing changes in 2015. The local club will just sanction for both the "real" and the "Classic" stock and then combine the 3-4 entires of each that they get and put a heat on the water that looks just like 2012. Only difference is more work on the race committee and the scorer.

The biggest issue in the room is participation. For the last 4 years, over 50% of all drivers do not race more than 6 race days (3 weekends) per year. This is not a stock issue but also includes Mod & J. There is one of the reasons that the local clubs are hurting. If we could get those drivers to go to 1 or 2 more races, the clubs would have more entries then then need. They could reduce entry fee or maybe pay tow money. The difference between a sucessfull local race and one that loses money is a handful of entries. These are drivers who already own equipment, who already attend a couple of races per year but only put their rigs in the water less than 6 times per year.

There is not a motor/ class proposal that has figured out how to get guys to go from 3 weekends to 5 or 6 or more weekend per year. And none of them are the magic solution that taps us into a new pool of drivers.

Brian 10S

[Bunker hill]

Working on an OMC or Mercury

Dealers can and do currently work on Mercs and OMC's out here, rebuilding carbueretors, ignition components, even pistons. I am sure any OMC dealer around the USA could and would do the same
I agree George, the help is from fellow competitors, but that in itself is a discouraging thought to a newbie

[ram95]

It's happening... it's called You Tube

[QUOTE=Mike45;213440], so why not pay the money and place our (Dana's) Stock Outboard Promo on Channels like ESPN, FOX Sports and many others? feedback with stride.(quote)


Mike, this past summer there has been a ton of outboard racing on You Tube and it hasn't cost us hardly a dime. When we do it good enough, the sports networks will come and talk to us. We won't need to go to them begging.
(my thoughts) Alex

[ram95]

Classic Division? Please.. No

Perhaps add those 302's to the "stock classic" division.

Another 'division' ?? Uh uh!
alex

[blueskyracer]

In the last year a lot of posts were made that said to pay for insurance and sanctions and ambulance the mod guys were necessary to pay for these enlarged costs..Now you want to add a ton of Classic classes.. With the current format a lot of mod classes could not run due to time running out and now adding more classes will help this how?

[G Stillwill]

Bunker I didnt say the dealers would not or could not work on them but I will say that the ones that run out front week in and week out are not done by your local downtown dealer. Yours hasnt never been to a dealer unless you took it there.

[Bunker hill]

Bunker I didnt say the dealers would not or could not work on them but I will say that the ones that run out front week in and week out are not done by your local downtown dealer. Yours hasnt never been to a dealer unless you took it there.

That is the cold hard fact! the ones out front will always be there and they do get their equipment serviced by the best.... YOU!!!!!

Bunker

[ram95]

No Farms-No Food, No MFG's - No Pahts

Somebody posted that we should get the "big guys" (the motor mfg's) on board. Huh? They ARE on board making products they can afford to make spare parts for. There's no way the "big guys' are going to build some racing version which they will only sell 200 of.

Next, we have the small mfg's like Sidewinder, Bass Machines, Bill Tiehgts (sorry for mispelling it), and me, who absolutely are going to go out of business unless we sell a larger volume of parts... particularly parts which we must pay to have cast. A piddly 4 or 5 sales (or less) per year is not going to keep us in the business, so you better figure out how to support the "little guy". Or you'll all be shooting traps before you know it.

Jeff Brewsters efforts to present ideas and solicit ideas is exactly what we need. And, I really could care less if a racer responds or just an interested person checking in on HR.

I am definitely not for creating a "Classic Division", but I am listening.
I think everyone should go read NBRA's "Technical Rules, page (1) and digest how they have structured their classes.
I am also very skeptical of "5 yr Plans" per se. Because, when you're 2 years into "a plan" and it aint woiking as anticipated things need to be changed. And, like it or not, I'm going to entertain "the Change" that appears to be needed.

So, that's my put as SO Commissioner from Region One... and I'm sticking with it.

Alex

[Racerkyle20]

The good part you can still buy any part for the Merc and the Sidewinders but cant say that for the rice burners or the OMC's

FYI you can still buy yamato 302 pistons. Just bought 4 this summer from TJ.