Noob in Region 3

[shouldnt-do-it]

Hello everyone, my name is Dewey Vicknair and here is my situation....
I would like to race a hydroplane and would assume that because of my weight (175 lbs.) that a C-class boat would be right for me in the stock category or ??? in a modified class. Here is what I would like to do-1st, I would like to be able to run a laydown hull ( I have issues with a hernia and have trouble kneeling low without knocking the wind out of myself, not to mention the fact that my knees would not put up with kneeling.) 2nd, I would like to run a non-traditional/experimental engine if possible. I am a gunsmith/machinist by trade and have previously scratchbuilt engines for smaller applications.
I have contacted the APBA about their driving school and evidently there is no longer a program for outboards-they are not listed on the application form. How does one learn to drive one of these boats in competition? My previous racing experience includes SCCA autocross, bracket(Drag)racing,and motorcycle trackdays. I live in Lancaster County,Pa and will be at the April Millville race.
Thanks in advance for any help.

[srunne]

Contact Rich Runne, 732-842-4716. He will be able to direct you. Welcome to our sport. Sheri Runne

[Kev43V]

IF you are dead set on running engines of the type that you mentioned, then the pro cat. would be the place to do that. they only have cc restrictions on engines. Michigan hydroplane (the MHRA club) will have outboard drivers schools again this year I am sure.(there may be other regions too) GOOD luck and welcome to the sport

[Lights]

You would fit right in 175-250 cc pro class's great!

[tenney]

125cc pro laydown hydro

If you are interested I have a Giles 125cc laydown hydro that is a very good boat...the boat is in Durham, CT. The boat was raced last year by Mikey Schmidt...he did very well at the Pro races with it.

If you like tinkering with motors the pro classes are the place to be...there are a couple of good 125cc motors for sale on hydro racer that would be perfect for this boat.

Feel free to give me a call if you would like to learn more.....David Tenney 203-570-7511.

[David Weaver]

Plenty of options

suggest attending a race or two before spending the $$'s. A lot of good people in your area. Beware of a guy named Shannon, I heard stories!!

[Gunjumper]

Dewey... check out the US Title Series website for Pro class info. The DVD's I sent you are from the Stock Outboard Nationals last summer. Every category has different races and different formats. Starting to sound like Pro is where you'll be happiest. Plenty of helpful racers across the country, many of them hang around this sight. I'll be glad to talk to you some more, I think I may have overwhelmed you the last time we spoke on the phone. Give me a shout even if your interested in other categories, we all work together for the growth of the sport as a whole. Greg 267.716.6901

[shouldnt-do-it]

Thanks everyone for the replies. Greg, I got the DVDs that you sent and this looks like the most fun sport that there is. I will see you at Millville and return your discs and twist your ear some more-if you're not busy, obviously.

Dewey

[sam]

Dewey, plan to stay late on Saturday at Millville ... it is a great after-race event and there is plenty of time after racing to talk to many racers and look at equipment.

[Dave M]

Welcome !

It souns like you will be happy with Pro. In MOD, particuar the C class the tinkering is restricted to simply adding a expansion chamber on the Yamatos.

If you want to tinker a lot in the C Mod, then you need an old Merc. There is bascially no rules on this engine for the class. Some parts will be very hard to find, but since you are a machinist, you should be able to make some.

Here is my suggestion, attend as many races as you can, including the Pro category and Mod category. Most of the stock race sin your region also run Mod's at the races.

You will find that with one boat, such as someone mentioned, a 125CCH pro boat is identical to a C Mod hull. Some may add some other dimensions trying to get the most from a 125CCH hull, but in general, they are the same boat. Same speed range, and that is what matters the most, not what category.

So if you do decide to get in, you could have a 125CCH pro rig and for a little bit additional you can buy a brand new 302 Yamato and put a pipe on it and run Mod on the same boat. You would invest maybe an additional $2500 for the Mod engine brand new. Given the long distances from your area to the majority of the Pro races, you would be able to race more often if you had both.

Welcome to the sport. It is about the best thing for fun I know of. And pretty cheap compared to local dirt track racing in Late Models or Sportsmans.

[AndersonV21]

For what it is worth, if I was getting started in boat racing and had a desire to tinker/modify/build motors, Pro, specifically 125ccH is the place to start. If you don't mind some traveling 125H with USTS is a great gig.

-125 is a huge, still growing class.
-Eliminations (12+ boats) at nearly (if not all) USTS races. At the bigger races it is not uncommon to have around 18-20+ boats.
-It is an open class, anything you want to do basically as long as it meets the 125cc displacement requirement.
-USTS has insured, open testing all day Friday
-125H is also run on the east coast locally at certain races.
-Single Cyl. is the best way to start building a motor from scratch.

Here is how I would get into Pro racing. (This is great, competitive equipment at a reasonable price).

-Buy the laydown Giles that David Tenney has. The boat is VERY good. The boat has placed at nationals and should have won (Driver error, hit a buoy last heat) I can't think of a faster, safer, more comfortable boat to drive. It is light too.
-Get the 125 John Maddrell has for sale here. His stuff is pristine, unmolested and far from worn out. And a good price for a complete motor. (Any modern Rossi or VRP will be just fine, John's just popped into my mind as what I have seen on this site for sale)

Run this setup for a year or two. Learn how to drive, find a good setup, figure out what the boat/motor are doing. There are plenty of ways to tinker/modify a PRO motor to get you started. It will give you experience and would help from becoming discouraged about a home built engine not running to start with.

Then work on building a motor. It will be much easier if you have a baseline idea on what works(Ports, pipes, carbs, etc.) and how the rig should run once a new engine is built. You are also then not fighting a new boat setup/learning how to drive.

Oh, and don't worry about weight, you aren't much if any heavier than the middle/average 125 driver weight.


Jay Anderson

[shouldnt-do-it]

It souns like you will be happy with Pro. In MOD, particuar the C class the tinkering is restricted to simply adding a expansion chamber on the Yamatos.

If you want to tinker a lot in the C Mod, then you need an old Merc. There is bascially no rules on this engine for the class. Some parts will be very hard to find, but since you are a machinist, you should be able to make some.

Here is my suggestion, attend as many races as you can, including the Pro category and Mod category. Most of the stock race sin your region also run Mod's at the races.

You will find that with one boat, such as someone mentioned, a 125CCH pro boat is identical to a C Mod hull. Some may add some other dimensions trying to get the most from a 125CCH hull, but in general, they are the same boat. Same speed range, and that is what matters the most, not what category.

So if you do decide to get in, you could have a 125CCH pro rig and for a little bit additional you can buy a brand new 302 Yamato and put a pipe on it and run Mod on the same boat. You would invest maybe an additional $2500 for the Mod engine brand new. Given the long distances from your area to the majority of the Pro races, you would be able to race more often if you had both.

Welcome to the sport. It is about the best thing for fun I know of. And pretty cheap compared to local dirt track racing in Late Models or Sportsmans.

Which Mercury engine could I run in C-Mod? This sounds like a good idea.

Dewey

[B Walker]

Dewey

If your interested in running modified Murcury's buy "How to Modify your Mercury" off e-bay. It is the handbook for the Mercury Mod guys. It has schematics, templates, and part numbers for the "right" parts.

The difference between a good Mercury mod and an average one is 4-5 MPH. That is alot in outboard racing.

Read it.

Then decide if its right for you.

The modified Mercury path is a difficult and potentially expensive road. But very rewarding if you successfully put together a good running motor. The guys that play with these have decades of experience and arcane knowledge of the tiniest details of Mercury engineering and know-how.

Good luck on choosing your path.

BW

[sam]

Which Mercury engine could I run in C-Mod? This sounds like a good idea.

Dewey

The legal Merc in C Mod is the Mark30 ... 30 cubic inches. There are tons of them out there. Before the 44 ci 500 became the most popular Merc, the Mark 30 was the number one produced Merc.

[shouldnt-do-it]

Dewey

If your interested in running modified Murcury's buy "How to Modify your Mercury" off e-bay. It is the handbook for the Mercury Mod guys. It has schematics, templates, and part numbers for the "right" parts.

The difference between a good Mercury mod and an average one is 4-5 MPH. That is alot in outboard racing.

Read it.

Then decide if its right for you.

The modified Mercury path is a difficult and potentially expensive road. But very rewarding if you successfully put together a good running motor. The guys that play with these have decades of experience and arcane knowledge of the tiniest details of Mercury engineering and know-how.

Good luck on choosing your path.

BW

I looked on ebay, Amazon and Google but could not find "How to Modify Your Mercury" anywhere. Do you have any other suggestions as to where to get a copy.
Thanks

Dewey