SO Class Reduction Proposal

[pav225]

???

Don,

I started writing a proposal and had included language asking that S.O. Promotional fund monies be used to pay for the conversion of the three 15H Sidewinders that have been purchased. (Dudley, Shertz, and Wellings) These people can't be hurt for being early adopters.

12M

Have the SO promo fund be used to exchange the motors for Y302s...

[26V]

3?

Dean you will need better info. There are more then 3 SW15h motors in the hands of racers. Tad Olson has one and thereay be more.

[Blackhawkguy]

Dean

Dean if you are trying to E-mail me I think your username has been hijacked-I keep getting e-mails from you but they are solicitations, this is a subject other than what I want to talk to you about

Kerry

[26V]

Not

""""Have the SO promo fund be used to exchange the motors for Y302s... """""

NOT, what everyone has to run C??

[Matt Dagostino]

Love it!!

Have the SO promo fund be used to exchange the motors for Y302s...

Leave it to Pavlick to keep it interesting..........maybe this year you will support lowering the 20ssh engine height also!! Then you will be a be a bad guy like me!! NOT!

[Matt Dagostino]

Dean..............

Don,

I was also contacted by Racing Outboards the other night and they are adamant on keeping all three motors viable in the classes as they currently exist.

Personally, I think I have thrown in the towel. To me the "correct" path seems clear and obvious. However, so many see a very different picture. I have decided to step back and let others take over

12M

One thing i have learned in over 30 years in the sport is that NOBODY wants to take a 'haircut' for the perceived betterment of the sport at the end of the day.......when the 25ss, Yamato 80 etc etc were brought in decades ago they should have been incorporated into the A,B,C,D structure in place. But the Commish took the easy way out and made new classes for them. And of course once something is put in place it is almost impossible to reverse or change the course without hurting someone!!

I am not saying i agree with all of your plan but i understand it and think it could have been done in the 80's when we were much stronger as a sport at every level and the blood letting would have been less painful!

You are a sparkplug in our sport............don't get discourged. See ya soon...

Matt

[Howie Nichols]

Another thought

This may not help for class / time reduction in 2011 but for the future it could.

So how bout this - Racing Outboards wants to keep all 3 motors viable, lets do that, 25XS wants to keep their class running ok too, B drivers don't want their new investment to be flushed away - fully understandable. Lets work on a compromise and lets establish guidelines for a class.

Example - If class xxx does not maintain a minimum of 30 drivers and 15 of those must have 8 or more races for a 3 year consecutive period it will be placed on a 1 year probation. If during that probationary year the numbers are not obtained the class will then be placed on final probation in which no titles, records, or high points will be issued. If the class still does not increase it's numbers back to the minimum requirement then the class is eliminated. (ie a 5 year plan...)

Proposed Class Structure - (Varies from Deans)

A - OMC, Sidewinder 15S, Mercury 15

B - Sidewinder 20, Hot Rod 20, Yamato 80

C - Yamato 102 & 302, Mercury 25xs (restricted), Restricted 102/302 at lower weight (whatever is current)

D - Tohatsu, Mercury 44xs, Merc 55h, 402xs

15ss - Sidewinder 15H, Hot Rod 15

This would add 1 class or 4 heats (Hydro / Runabout) to what Dean proposed, not eliminate any motors yet and hopefully keep the numbers up.

I saw the numbers of 25xs unrestricted vs the C, what about restricted?? Would this be viable??

[dholt]

Howie,

You mean something like this? I wrote this up and had it submitted to the SORC a few years ago. Met with stiff resistance.

Not sure anyone realizes this, but currently there is NOTHING in the rule book about how a class is to be removed from Stock outboard. So we could have 1or even 0 drivers in a class for years and still not have a method for its removal. How ridiculous is that?


Stock Outboard Class Participation Guidelines

1. In order for a class to be recognized with National standing and be eligible for all awards for a racing season, there must be at least 30 participants in the preceding racing year.
2. Participants will be defined as any driver who garnered points in a SO class during the racing year.
3. Should a class not have 30 participants in a racing year, the class will be deemed a local/regional class for the next racing year. The class will not be eligible for National High Points, National or Divisional championships or records. Further, no activity in that class will count toward Hall of Champion points.
4. If the class reaches a minimum of 30 participants in the year it is designated as a local/regional class, it will be reinstated as a National class for the next year. If a SO class falls below 30 participants for two consecutive years, that class will remain as a local/regional class AND be placed on Probation. To be removed from Probation and return to National standing, a class must meet the minimum of 30 participants for two consecutive years.
5. Should a SO class be on Probation for two consecutive years, it will be dropped by the SORC from the SO category.

[Matt Dagostino]

Dana.................

Howie,

You mean something like this? I wrote this up and had it submitted to the SORC a few years ago. Met with stiff resistance.

Not sure anyone realizes this, but currently there is NOTHING in the rule book about how a class is to be removed from Stock outboard. So we could have 1or even 0 drivers in a class for years and still not have a method for its removal. How ridiculous is that?


Stock Outboard Class Participation Guidelines

1. In order for a class to be recognized with National standing and be eligible for all awards for a racing season, there must be at least 30 participants in the preceding racing year.
2. Participants will be defined as any driver who garnered points in a SO class during the racing year.
3. Should a class not have 30 participants in a racing year, the class will be deemed a local/regional class for the next racing year. The class will not be eligible for National High Points, National or Divisional championships or records. Further, no activity in that class will count toward Hall of Champion points.
4. If the class reaches a minimum of 30 participants in the year it is designated as a local/regional class, it will be reinstated as a National class for the next year. If a SO class falls below 30 participants for two consecutive years, that class will remain as a local/regional class AND be placed on Probation. To be removed from Probation and return to National standing, a class must meet the minimum of 30 participants for two consecutive years.
5. Should a SO class be on Probation for two consecutive years, it will be dropped by the SORC from the SO category.

Similar language to this use to be in the Rulebook years ago but the classes that fell in jeoprady(DSR being one) would petition the SORC and like magic the rule was by-passed year after year after year until the rule was finally just taken out of the book.

I think it was somewhere around 1990...............

[BP125V]

class minimums

Dana,

I think if we want to be serious about this there should also be a stipulation for a minimum amount of races that those 30 participants have been in. We all know how this could be abused at the end of the year. 33 participants in a class score points and 20 of them just happened to start racing the class in September......

I don't think the minimum needs to be very high either, something like 6 races should be reasonable.

Bill

[Haüenstein]

The end of the side-fin debate at last?

Dana,

I think if we want to be serious about this there should also be a stipulation for a minimum amount of races that those 30 participants have been in. We all know how this could be abused at the end of the year. 33 participants in a class score points and 20 of them just happened to start racing the class in September......

I don't think the minimum needs to be very high either, something like 6 races should be reasonable.

Bill

I know the numbers will increase slightly in October, but it'll still be a nail-biter: no runabout classes currently qualify under a six-race minimum.

How about three instead?

[BP125V]

hmmmm

I know the numbers will increase slightly in October, but it'll still be a nail-biter: no runabout classes currently qualify under a six-race minimum.

How about three instead?

I should have looked before just throwing that number (6) out there, thanks for providing some facts Mike.

Bill

[Howie Nichols]

Addition

A phone call just taken made a valid point, so in addition to my post add;

C - Restricted 102/302 at lower weight (whatever is current) and 102/302 unrestricted at current weight.

This class design was thought of so that if you say I own a Sidewinder 20 my class choice is "B" Hydro or Runabout or I own a 102 I can race "C" no more of this 102 can race in A,B,C,D,20,25 (elaboration) depending on my weight or how I feel that day.

My thoughts on 8 races is that is only 4 weekends per year that would make you a "qualifyiing" boat towards class count.

Dana - I think times have changed enough we can reinstate your proposal and have it looked at with an open mind.

Roll up class would now be 15SSR


I would almost like to see this or something like it approved by the SORC late Nov early Dec, sent to ballot and tallied by mid Jan so the SORC can then discuss the correct things while at the Convention.

[B Walker]

Well done Howie

I like it

BW

[Haüenstein]

Proposed Class Structure - (Varies from Deans)

A - OMC, Sidewinder 15S, Mercury 15

B - Sidewinder 20, Hot Rod 20, Yamato 80

C - Yamato 102 & 302, Mercury 25xs (restricted), Restricted 102/302 at lower weight (whatever is current)

D - Tohatsu, Mercury 44xs, Merc 55h, 402xs

15ss - Sidewinder 15H, Hot Rod 15

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't this only eliminate one class total from what we currently do (25SSH)? A class which barely runs at most races these days in the first place and doesn't mix particularly well with Yamatos?

I realize it shuffles some of the runabout classes (20SSR is back!) but I don't see why we'd go to the trouble of eliminating 25SSH in this manner.

I like the CSR power-to-weight ratio class concept!

Best,
Mike H.