Ed Hearn Listen Up!

[Kristi Ellison]

Spoke with Bev today....81-112 enteries per race this year.

[HRTV]

Spoke with Bev today....81-112 enteries per race this year.

Wow! great numbers

[Cameraboy]

What many people dont understand is the USTS gets 80 to 100 entries at each event with only 10 CLASSES. 5 ON SAT. AND 5 ON SUNDAY. Most races around the country get about the same but run 20 plus classes per day. It then becomes a 10 hour show instead of 3 hours. And the funny thing is the USTS makes money. You will never get new people into the sport watching heat after heat after heat of racing. I race, and it even bores me having to watch soooo many classes at some races. Imagine how the casual spectator feels. Cut your classes or suffer the consequences.

I have a second nephew that was interested in starting to race. Got bored stiff watching 18 classes in 8 hours. Hasn't been to a race since. We'll work on him some more and get him back.

[Tony Staron]

I think comparing what can be done in USTS and NBRA to SO or APBA are like comparing apples to oranges. Both the USTS and NBRA are specialized series. USTS is PRO at its best!!! Very good show and with around 50 racers (not entries, I am counting racers), you have a much better chance of knowing going in what your classes will be and how you will promote it.
NBRA is mostly a mod series with a stock thrown in. About 50 members from what I counted on their point sheets. You also can promote your show.
Try adding all of the APBA classes or even just all of the stock outboard classes and trying to dictate a show. And don't forget the 1000 or so members that have to agree with it all. Good luck. There are many clubs out there that just want a race without interferrence from spectators or anyone. Then there is a nationals that all classes have to be run. It will take a long time to dwindle our number of classes down to a series type race in SO. Until then, we have to deal with what we have. Maybe what is needed to start is a Stock Outboard US Title Series, SOUSTS.
Run specialized classes throughout the country, get big sponsorship, require uniforms, drivers who are willing to travel to put on a show, etc. I am sure Kristi could help. That would be my suggestion to change things. It is a good idea.
AOF, as an independent and also as an APBA club can stay on as the grass roots, get a race or racer started entry level org. $320 a week end for insurance and sanction, and no one cares if there are spectators or sponsors. Club will make money on 25 entires. AOF just signed on 2 new clubs in 2 weeks. One was a club that is leaving APBA because of costs and because they don't want spectators anyway. Why pay the big bucks. Anothe club is a brand new club that has no money. They can start out with AOF and see what happens. They can use the savings to grow and get new members. AOF is very user friendly to new clubs.
We all have good points and bad. We just can't compare apples to oranges.
My 1 cent
Toe Knee 33f

[PopPop]

Usts

How many races/year ?

[HRTV]

March 31-April 2 Inverness, FL
May 26-28 Depue, IL
June 23-25 Depue, IL
July 21-23 Constantine, MI
July 26-30 APBA PRO National Championship - Depue, IL
October 6-8 Raleigh, NC

Total 6

When you think about it thats all most drivers can really afford to make in a season.

[Blackhawkguy]

I think comparing what can be done in USTS and NBRA to SO or APBA are like comparing apples to oranges. Both the USTS and NBRA are specialized series. USTS is PRO at its best!!! Very good show and with around 50 racers (not entries, I am counting racers), you have a much better chance of knowing going in what your classes will be and how you will promote it.
NBRA is mostly a mod series with a stock thrown in. About 50 members from what I counted on their point sheets. You also can promote your show.
Try adding all of the APBA classes or even just all of the stock outboard classes and trying to dictate a show. And don't forget the 1000 or so members that have to agree with it all. Good luck. There are many clubs out there that just want a race without interferrence from spectators or anyone. Then there is a nationals that all classes have to be run. It will take a long time to dwindle our number of classes down to a series type race in SO. Until then, we have to deal with what we have. Maybe what is needed to start is a Stock Outboard US Title Series, SOUSTS.
Run specialized classes throughout the country, get big sponsorship, require uniforms, drivers who are willing to travel to put on a show, etc. I am sure Kristi could help. That would be my suggestion to change things. It is a good idea.
AOF, as an independent and also as an APBA club can stay on as the grass roots, get a race or racer started entry level org. $320 a week end for insurance and sanction, and no one cares if there are spectators or sponsors. Club will make money on 25 entires. AOF just signed on 2 new clubs in 2 weeks. One was a club that is leaving APBA because of costs and because they don't want spectators anyway. Why pay the big bucks. Anothe club is a brand new club that has no money. They can start out with AOF and see what happens. They can use the savings to grow and get new members. AOF is very user friendly to new clubs.
We all have good points and bad. We just can't compare apples to oranges.
My 1 cent
Toe Knee 33f

Very good point, it was called the Merc Challenge Series, it woked but also had it's draw backs. Mercury paid the sanction fees, advertizing, you had to wear uniforms, you could hold races with just the Six Merc classes. You do have to be carefull not to try and compair Stock to Pro, whole diferent ball game

[seanp3]

One thing I found cool this year at Capital Lake in Olympia is they invited the press. I'm not sure if this happens often. Since I live on the other side of the mountains I was not aware of this until my mother clipped out the articals and pictures and mailed them to me. I'm sure this gave a lot of exposure to the local communities

http://community.theolympian.com/gal...mName=album461

[Kristi Ellison]

Not including the Nationals 5-7 USTS races per year. For 2007 I currently have 7 tentative races. We have found that 5-7 big races per year works for good turnouts. Throw the Nationals in there and that pretty much stretches vacation time and $$ pretty tight. I actually have more race sites than I can get on the schedule right now which is a luxury for sure.

Kristi

[Bob Rusnak]

Merc Challenge Series

I think comparing what can be done in USTS and NBRA to SO or APBA are like comparing apples to oranges. Both the USTS and NBRA are specialized series. USTS is PRO at its best!!! Very good show and with around 50 racers (not entries, I am counting racers), you have a much better chance of knowing going in what your classes will be and how you will promote it.
NBRA is mostly a mod series with a stock thrown in. About 50 members from what I counted on their point sheets. You also can promote your show.
Try adding all of the APBA classes or even just all of the stock outboard classes and trying to dictate a show. And don't forget the 1000 or so members that have to agree with it all. Good luck. There are many clubs out there that just want a race without interferrence from spectators or anyone. Then there is a nationals that all classes have to be run. It will take a long time to dwindle our number of classes down to a series type race in SO. Until then, we have to deal with what we have. Maybe what is needed to start is a Stock Outboard US Title Series, SOUSTS.
Run specialized classes throughout the country, get big sponsorship, require uniforms, drivers who are willing to travel to put on a show, etc. I am sure Kristi could help. That would be my suggestion to change things. It is a good idea.
AOF, as an independent and also as an APBA club can stay on as the grass roots, get a race or racer started entry level org. $320 a week end for insurance and sanction, and no one cares if there are spectators or sponsors. Club will make money on 25 entires. AOF just signed on 2 new clubs in 2 weeks. One was a club that is leaving APBA because of costs and because they don't want spectators anyway. Why pay the big bucks. Anothe club is a brand new club that has no money. They can start out with AOF and see what happens. They can use the savings to grow and get new members. AOF is very user friendly to new clubs.
We all have good points and bad. We just can't compare apples to oranges.
My 1 cent
Toe Knee 33f

Ths was tried with the Merc Challange Series with great sucess. Good program with great competion. Unfortunate that Mercury pulled out. This is what the SO Catagory needs to permote SO. Just my oponion...Bob N-96

[Don11m]

Mercury series hurt local races

The Merc Challange was a success but it hurt the local races, the Mercury drivers would drive 12 hours to the series race in another region and not go to thier regions local races. there is a downside to most success stories.

[RLR]

Ed listen up

I do not get it!!!! Look at the postings of our Pres. and look at the schedule which is laid out. Is it not the end of the racing year for 2006 and we have posted 2007's dates for next year. Now everyone that runs Pro can look at the schedule, look at the local schedules, better yet the local clubs now have a heads up as to what we are doing and can schedule accordingly.

Yes, the Merc Challenge may have hurt some local races, however in the long run was the concept right, just the money from Merc disappeared. How about looking at the USTS, at the Merc Challenge and see if the concepts are right, than look at opportunities as they present themselves.

Again, pick 6-8 races from among those that you currently have scheduled, get three or four clubs to join in and go have a huge race with the best among you. Not every local club has to have 10 races, but maybe 6 and 3 or whatever you decide on. What a beauty to sell to a sponsor when you take 10 to 12 classes and have 8-12 boats in every heat.

Ray

[Bob Rusnak]

Merc Challange Series

The Merc Challange was a success but it hurt the local races, the Mercury drivers would drive 12 hours to the series race in another region and not go to thier regions local races. there is a downside to most success stories.

Local races should have been schudualed around the series. This would have pervented the local drivers from not supporting the local races. I always felt it would be better to come in 4 th. out of 20 boats in a class than 1 st. out of three boats. It now means something. In the Pro division, there are very few Pro classes (events) running at the same time the USTS has a event. There are a few exceptions but there are three or four boats in those classes anyway. I have not raced stock in many years now but the Merc Challange Series put the best of SO drivers and the strongest classes and was great, and exciting event to watch. Again, this is just my oponion.....Bob N-96

[nbass]

Spectators become Racers!

Boat racing is definitely not a spectator’s sport the way it is currently run. I drove a 160HP small jet ski this summer. It accelerated to 60 MPH so fast you had to hang on real tight. That is the sort of experience our potential spectators have become accustomed to. The following is some comments and suggestions, not in any priority order.

1. Make the course shorter for the slower classes. A 40 MPH rid does not look very impressive on a course that is adequate for a 100 MPH ride. This would make the boats look faster while actually slowing down the top end and would make drivers drive.
2. Spectators will often ask, “Are they racing yet?” Often the competition is spread all over the course at the start, the start flag cannot be seen from the spectator vantage point, and there is little competition. Initiate some more spectator enhanced starts. Could be a flagged start when all boats are nearly even at the start, maybe a lead boat to start the class as in NASCAR, draw lanes and re-order for heat 2, maybe a lemons start, anything to bring the competition together.
3. Combine classes so there are never less than six boats. This would speed up the day and would make the race more interesting. Running six heats of what appears to be C-stock is boring!
4. Run three heats of the fast boats, spread throughout the day.
5. Provide a good announcer that knows and explains the classes.
6. Identify a driver, boat number and location in the pit where spectators can ask questions and discuss issues with a driver from that class.

I am sure there are lots more ideas, let’s hear them.

Neil Bass

[Steve Johnson]

PRO no INSULT

I belive my post was confusing. I was not intending to sound "crittical"
I was only trying to point out the problems that would be solved, by So and Mod adapting the best of the USTS NBRA formats. So my hats off to ya
So has always had a very strong focus on new memberships/drivers. It would need minor tweeking to meet the mission statement of SO. I just think that it benefits us all to sell this as a sport. MORE importantly than any one, division.
In fact the lines between divisions are getting faded as most of us race all three at some point or another.
Nope, I think we are all working our best to improve the sport as a whole.

One Disagreement: I think elims do lend prestige and I think having to beat more competitors just to make the feild say's VOLUMES. Lastly remember entries are the feel good way to describe ourselves. A more meaningfull refernace is Drivers.