Ed Hearn Listen Up!

[Kristi Ellison]

One point Ray made I have suggested here before. If 2 or 3 regions or clubs got together and each put on 2 big races per year you would have 4 or 6 big races. It also spreads the work load amongst the clubs and allows each club to put more time into the races. If you have 6 races with big turnouts it can have a very positive snowball effect.

Kristi

[Blackhawkguy]

Shorter coarses?

Shorter coarses What a novel idea It allways amazed me we needed 1-2/3 mile coarses to run boats that go on average 55 mph. Some of the best racing I have been involved in was on 3/4 mile coarses or less. Now the down fall is it can make the first turn a little more intersting, and when you go to the nationals you are on a much bigger coase due to the 1500ft rule ,so your normal prop does not work to well in that situation. I think the Pro 's have used this to their advantage and they will run boats that go 125mph more laps on a shorter coarse and not think anything of it I think we limit the race coarses we could have by thinking we need big courses, running more laps on a smaller coarse is not a bad thing, sometimes it makes it more even for the guys who do not have as much top end as some of the others. You may have to limit the amount of boats you start because we do start allot diferently than most other forms of motor sports, so the first turn is a little diferent deal. Don't limit your chance to race in a cool town because you can only make a 1/2 -3/4 mile coarse, just adapt to that type of situation and have fun with it

[Kristi Ellison]

Kerry

You are absolutely correct. A lot of our drivers love the 1/2-3/4 mile courses. It keeps the field tighter, puts on a great show for the spectators; the drivers compare it to the excitement of Bristol. We make sure to move the starting line back far enough to have at least a small run to the first turn.

Kristi

[Tomtall]

Hot Dogs over Race Boats

I was flipping channels today and came upon ESPN. I was blown away. What do I see at 4:00 on a Saturday afternoon but the "World Hot Dog Eating Compitition". Thousands of people watching and cheering on some 12 world ranked dog eaters. And we still can't get them to air boat races?
What the heck is happening here ?

[Kristi Ellison]

I would rather watch Georgia get their clocks cleaned by Florida(well really be better if they would win) than a bunch of fat guys eat themselves into a heart attack!! I felt the same way when they were putting dodge ball on! We need to get someone's attention. Check out the Nov/Dec issue of Hot Boat Magazine.....that is how we will get attention. Teri Zeimer wrote an excellent article on the Pro Nationals with a whole picture spread. That is moving forward, gettting ourselves in national boating magazine. What a great promotional tool when we are looking for sponosrs. Thanks Terri!

Kristi

[treadguy]

Gators vs dawgs

Your first sentence was correct, Kristi. GO GATORS!

[Kristi Ellison]

At least Georgia made it respectable in the end AHHHH

[mercguy]

shorter courses!!

Shorter coarses What a novel idea It allways amazed me we needed 1-2/3 mile coarses to run boats that go on average 55 mph. Some of the best racing I have been involved in was on 3/4 mile coarses or less. Now the down fall is it can make the first turn a little more intersting, and when you go to the nationals you are on a much bigger coase due to the 1500ft rule ,so your normal prop does not work to well in that situation. I think the Pro 's have used this to their advantage and they will run boats that go 125mph more laps on a shorter coarse and not think anything of it I think we limit the race coarses we could have by thinking we need big courses, running more laps on a smaller coarse is not a bad thing, sometimes it makes it more even for the guys who do not have as much top end as some of the others. You may have to limit the amount of boats you start because we do start allot diferently than most other forms of motor sports, so the first turn is a little diferent deal. Don't limit your chance to race in a cool town because you can only make a 1/2 -3/4 mile coarse, just adapt to that type of situation and have fun with it

I am ALL for racing on shorter courses. The racing is more exciting and also better viewable by the onlookers on the shore. It also makes it a more of a "drivers" race, versus just a plain drag race to the first turn! I get bored, worn out and unenthused, when racing on couses any bigger than 7/8 mile.........

[Richard K.C. Mo.]

5/8 mi.

Kerry

You are absolutely correct. A lot of our drivers love the 1/2-3/4 mile courses. It keeps the field tighter, puts on a great show for the spectators; the drivers compare it to the excitement of Bristol. We make sure to move the starting line back far enough to have at least a small run to the first turn.

Kristi

One of the best races i've spectated at was NBRA, approx. 1/2 + , see everything, faststest was 67mph.

Guess what one that was ( novice thru S.E.)
RichardKCMo

[Dave M]

Some Interesting Points

Everyone keeps saying the USTS has something that works. I think I have seen most agree with this fact.

Most seem to think that APBA SO needs some changes to help it advance. Almost everyone has asked how. They are dragging Mod into the equation often enough.

Now I look at this thread and see the ones who make the USTS happen day in and day out offering up some help (advice) on how to better SO racing. This in and of itself is awesome. I see numerous points brought up more than once.

What I don't see is any response from leadership indicating they like these ideas or not. This leads people to think perhaps nothing is being done ? I think what might be needed is for someone who can actually make a difference to step up to the plate and start swinging. So far it seems like all this category does is all blow and no go. Someone needs to say whether any of these ideas will be presented in a manner they are given a chance. Where, at the LA meeting ? I dunno, but if nothing is even done about wnating these changes, it pretty much makes this a PG13 rated Drama movie........

[David Weaver]

Subtle Differences

The USTS is in the "business" of putting on racing and not govering the category. There is some overlap, as some USTS offices/members are also PRO Commissioners. But these individuals are good at keeping their responsibilites segregated and, at times. there are potential conflicts betweeen the PRO Commission and the USTS.

As an officer of the USTS, let me say that I am very proud of our club and its accomplishments under the current (and other recent) leadership. But, we are not perfect, we are continuing to refine our program and our future success depends upon securing geater volunteer assistance.

Seems to me that SORC is charged with laying down the foundation and that the SO clubs should be taking the lead in promoting their races with support from SORC. At the end of the day, if you think some things need to be done then ask first if it is something you can accomplish yourself and, if that answer is yes, then go do it.

[BP125V]

just for fun....

Some people here on HR.net want Stock to go to a series format. Just for fun, lets list the possible sites that would host these gala events. Pick the top 6 sites, spread them around the eastern US (no offence to the West Coast, just trying to limit the discussion here) and put a race each month so that they do not conflict with ANY club races.

Figure that half of the members of any given club would go to all or most of the All Star races.

What happens to the drivers who can't/won't do the travel?????

I'll tell you what happens to them, they will go away. Why? Because the guys going to the All Star races won't go to what few local races are left, leaving a small handfull of club racers to try to put on club races. Why won't the All Star racers go to club races? They won't have the time or money. Plus mentally it will be hard for them to go to a race with less boats and less of a challenge. The All Star races will SPOIL them. The small handfull left at the local level will soon give up.

Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. The Merc Challenge is a classic example of what I'm describing here, please listen to those who witnessed it's unintended consequences first hand! Once the novelty wore off even the boat count at Merc Challenge races went down after a few years.

On final thought. How do I get a new person started racing once they find out that the schedule consists of only 5 or 6 races per year and most are more than 10 hours away?

Bill III

PS - don't bother listing the 6 optimal race sites. The sport is in the shape it is because as a whole we forgot the recipe. Promotion at the local level is what made this sport so large in the 50's and 60's. We let that dedication and commitment to our local clubs die over the years expecting someone else to do the work. Our sport's greatest asset for many years was the large number of local clubs that made up the back bone of the sport. It is the local club that we must strengthen if we are to grow again.

[Blackhawkguy]

I agree 100%? Maybe

What an honest and very true post. I am tempted to agree 100%, with the exception of a few curve balls to add. The ability of a club to put on a race for just the sake of racing started to dwindle long before the Merc Challenge. In the mid seventies when I started to race, clubs where folding all over the place, not sure of the reason, but they where folding due to lack of members mostly.

To be able to have a race, you must be able to pay for the sanction and insurance, if you do not have around 100 entries per day, then you are not going to break even. I know for a fact in 1980 the break even number was much less, the entry fee was less, and you could get 100 enrties easy at any place.

The other point is for people to get enough points to be National High point they need at least 13 normal races to go to (if memory serves me correctly, if I am wrong then post the correct number please) The Divisionals, and the Nationals, make it 12 normal races if you attend the Winter Nationals, to make fifteen races to have a chance. There is no way in this day and age they are going to be able to get in their races without traveling out of region.

I do not think it unreasonable for there to be several races across different regions in some sort of series, because for a person serious about high points they will have to do this anyway.

You are absolutly correct about the Merc Challenge, we made a deal with the devil, OMC included, we wanted motors, they provided them, we let them dictate to us the terms and conditions, when they pulled out, we where left wondering what to do. Learn from our mistakes and move on. It was not all bad, I think there was a little resurection there for a while, it was what happened after that has caused us the most difficulty.

Yes the local club is the answer, find a line where they get stronger and even a few big races outside your normal region will not cause any pain.

Kerry

[Kristi Ellison]

Bill,

Allow me to play Devils advocate for a second. In the 50-60's kids were not involved in all the extra curricular sports they are today...not even in the 70's. Perhaps it might be easier for a family to plan to attend 6 or 7 races a year versus every other weekend. Most households have 2 working parents and kids involved in all kinds of stuff from traveling soccer to dance and weekends are very quickly occupied with activities that do not allow guys and gals to take off as often as my parents did to go racing. Like I said in an earlier post you could have several series between local clubs who are in closer proximity.

That said;Perhaps it would be useful to discuss what has changed to cause the decline of the local clubs ( other than changes in family dynamics)and throw around some ideas to bring them back.

I agree 100% the local clubs are important and I do not think APBA can promote the local clubs. Unlike NASCAR, APBA has too many catagories and too much diversity to promote effectively any one group and unfortunately we ( the outboards) get lost. I think it is our own responsiblity to find ways to promote ourselves. I personally have taken some very good ideas from this discussion and I plan to use them over the '07 season.

Kristi

[csh2z]

Bill III, You are correct, good post. As far as promotion is concerned the SORC can only provide information, tools and a promotable format. It is up to the clubs to carry out the mission.
John 2-Z