Stock chairman for 2010?

[bill boyes]

I know full well what the J Committee has done with the Merc since I serve on that Committee. If the SO Commission shares their wishes then perhaps we can all communicate aand make things the best they can be.

Novel concept???

I am sure the J Committee will be happy to keep things in check and only allow what it feels is best just like other commissions, so keep us informed and let us know if you see things are amiss.

Example:
People have been filling a hole in the thermostat housing (Merc) with silicone. It does increase performance from what I have been told. We have not done it with our motors to date. There is a loop hole in the rules that allows it ... for now.

Now that we know I'm sure that will be on the agenda in WA.

Howie, ref rule 19 Q 5 page 43. It is legal. I do not remember us approving to restrict the water flow though, just removing the thermostat.

[Fast Jack]

How about this ---- when 50% of the finalist in A at the Nationals are Sidewinders the merc becomes history when 75 % are the Sidewinder the OMC is out ?

[14-H]

Misinformation

Couple points.

1. Since there are a relative finite number of Merc 15's, ***
Dana

Dana: who is your contact at Mercury? This is NOT CORRECT!

This engine is still being manufactured in Fon Du Lac, WI as a complete engine.

[14-H]

The ad in propeller magazine was supposed to be changed. I don't know who was assigned to get that done but it was not done.

Maybe we should change the SORC & keep the ad!

[steve jones]

Maybe we should change the SORC & keep the ad!

Sounds like a good plan to me!!

[mike ross]

I see that there is none of our current SORC that are willing to comment on any of the issues that have been brought up here on the sight. John Runne posted he was going to add some info SOON. I hope it's not the same soon they all talk about at the National Meetings. With region meetings coming I would encourage members to attend and get people elected that you feel will get your points across. The commission will be the ones who vote in a new VP and all the current changes going forward. I am not aware of any new potential leaders for the Stock Division. Remember our future is in the hands of about 14 people. The last 2 years we have had very little change. Some projections on how we should look going forward. Elimination of a motor that APBA has purchased and are sitting at the Wheeler Marine ready to go on someone's boat. We are still waiting 7 years later on were the Sidewinder will best fit in. We don't see any adds to the public promoting the Sidewinder's sale. Why isn't it in the propeller like the Mercury. The SORC has a ton of money to promote it. This whole thing resembles the way our current state of Michigan is being run. Lots of promises and not much progress. I think the Stock members would like to here how our current commission feels. No one responding to these issues kind of shows the members your commitment to the betterment of STOCK racing. Lets here from the folks who are leading us, Mikey

[csh2z]

Relax Ed (oops) I mean Mike, working 7 days / week.

[Tim Weber]

Let's dump stock and change our name to Factory Mod Pro Sidwinder

We do have some issues but I can't imagine much changing too much right now. Too few dollars are discretionary. I would think we should set future goals, yes, but be in a survival mode until things improve.

Tim

[mike ross]

The tension in the room last year when the Mec motor was being discussed was terrible. It was tabled and then finally, a decision had to be made. With what was before them at the time. It seemed to be the right answer, but it was never and easy answer. With things that happend in other meetings afterwards with the J committee, etc, had that meeting happend first, the outcome might have been different.

For all you members who haven't been to a National Meeting. This is what i am talking about when decisions are being made. Another meeting, a great presentation, commissioners having a direct relation to a proposed change, maybe the meeting had gone on for hours and they were tired and wanted to move on. All these factors could change how the upcoming years rules could fall for the upcoming year. Chicago Paul wrote this quote. He sat at the meeting and this is his opinion on how he felt things were going. I just want everyone to know that STOCK rules change and happen quickly sometimes. All the affected people when rules get changed are not always heard or presented in a fashion to persuade the vote one way or another. This is were the members having a vote could slow down the process some so quick decisions are not made. Mikey

[reed28n]

Stock Outboard Rule

11. Stock Outboard Racing is a form of affordable, amateur, outboard powered racing, achieving maximum recognition and reasonable awards for
successful competitors. Our objective is to have competitive equipment, commercially available to all competitors on an equal basis. We wish to promote
this sport on a national level and support it on a local level, giving safety a foremost consideration. We will achieve this mission by:
• Having a clearly defined set of rules. However, the General Racing Rules shall prevail in all situations not specifically covered in the Stock Outboard
rules.
• Legislating up-to-date safety equipment, requirements, rules and standardized interpretation.
• Having fair, impartial and trained judges and officials.
• Cooperating with engine manufacturers to meet our mutual goals and needs.
• Effecting a competent inspection procedure to avoid any unfair advantages.
• Promoting the sport to encourage new competitors to join.
• Promoting responsibility and participation of all members.

Mike has said it best, get to your Region meeting and get involved. This is a great forum for debate and an exchange of ideas. Showing up at your region meeting will have far more impact.

I find it puzzling that we as a group would not support a private company willing to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars for the love of our sport. We are not talking about a major corporation peeling off a couple of motors manufactured for overseas markets and allowing us to modify them. We are talking about someone building a motor from the ground up just for racing. American made from the castings to the carb. There have been hurdles and maybe some of you that would never own one have become inpatient, but I can tell you that on the East Coast the Sidewinder is gaining momentum.

If the debate is about the Mercury lets keep it about the Merc. I have seen what the restrictted 102/302 has done to the CSR class. We have taken our driver pool and split it. We used to race with 8-10 CSR's each weekend, now we race two fields of 3-5. Or we have to combine them just to get a boat ride.

No one has mentioned that keeping the Merc in the A class may actually dilute your driver pool. Anyone wanting to run the merc in the A class at the local level can under our current rules. If it is truly about boat time your local race committee can put you out there. Knowing you won't compete at the A weight with your Merc, why would you care about National points. I believe we have a finite number of Mercury motors and we should keep them available for new J Category drivers. I have seen on this post two gentlemen state they have multiple motors....at $2200 to $3800 each. Why not have a motor for each class that you know will compete in each class.

We are racers. We can parity the sidewinder to keep the OMC's competitive. To make the Merc competitive you need to slow down all of the OMC motors out there. That will affect many more drivers. Slowing down and racing don't go hand in hand.

Schedule fewer classes and race more heats in fewer classes at your local events. It will be the same entry fee money for your kids. And I would be hard pressed to find a racer that would complain about seeing extra heats for J or AXS drivers that need seat time.

Keeping the Merc in the A class is not the only option.....it is one option, but I do not feel it is best for the whole of the sport.

[dholt]

Hey Mike,

I applaud your enthusiasm for improving the process/communication in SO.
I agree with your efforts.

I'll add that the PROCESS by which Commissioners are even ELECTED is insanely unfair and unrepresentative.

A small, handful of people who can take the time and spend the money to go to a Region meeting are the ones who elect the Commissioners to represent the entire Region and Stock Outboard. How ludicrous is that?????

Why not have an election....where ALL the members of a Region vote by mail to select their represenatives? This is how APBA holds elections. Not good enough for the regions?

And this crap that it makes the Region meetings more important and increases participation is the biggest bunch of malarkey I've ever heard.

APBA changed the voting process several years ago...it's by-law thing. What can we do to improve/change it?

This needs fixed in order to fix the back-end...which is the National meeting.


Dana

[BP125V]

one more thing

I'll add that the PROCESS by which Commissioners are even ELECTED is insanely unfair and unrepresentative.

A small, handful of people who can take the time and spend the money to go to a Region meeting are the ones who elect the Commissioners to represent the entire Region and Stock Outboard. How ludicrous is that?????


Dana

Dana - you are correct about the voting process being flawed but you are missing something even more important - those who are willing to run for the SORC are those who can afford the time off and pay out of their own pocket for travel, hotel, food etc. talk about a limited pool of qualified candidates.

Bill

[mike ross]

Yeah!!!!!!! Dana Holt for commissioner you got my vote!!!!!!!! Come on Dana I will get a bus full of my buddy racers to get us voted in this year. Mikey

[dholt]

Bill, great point as well.

How much for a plane ticket to Seattle, hotel and meals?

I was a Commissioner for 4 years...went to 3 National Meetings. Luckily plane tickets were fairly cheap in the late 90's and shared some rooms.

Maybe there's a better way in this modern age.

[mike ross]

Bill a quick question. How many meetings have taken place since the National meeting? I know of meetings at the Nationals. Maybe a phone conference call initiated by the Chairmen to go over our direction or progress. I know when I was Ed Hearns secratary we had a dozen or more meetings. Some on the same subject and some on new issues. In any event it seemed like we had one about once a month to keep everyone around the country updated. I was on the commision last year after Ed Hearn turned over the job to Scott Reed. I know under Scott those meetings we not as frequent. It would seem to me with the Sidewinder being proposed for use in 3 classes A, 15ss, B (good for Sidewinder but not good for the Mercury)that meetings would be frequent to figure out how progress was coming along, results from different test sessions and so on. We voted for changes along the year on many issues. I hope we can get it where the membership has some more control. I hate seeing things that make me think the votes are being controled by quotes like this. but I can tell you that on the East Coast the Sidewinder is gaining momentum.
Mikey