What happened to boat racing since 1956?

[HRTV]

Wheatland would be GREAT for a natioanls. We need a contact out there to get on the horn to LUCAS Oil and get something going!

Series Director
Ken Dollar
951-870-6381
ken@lucasoildragboats.com

Director of Administration
Patti Dollar
951-870-6375
patti@lucasoildragboats.com

National Safety & Tech Director
Henry Sarandria
951-870-8605
tech@lucasoildragboats.com

[Mike Beegle]

Oh i forgot to add.... Bill France built Daytona Speedway to prevent people from standing on the banks of the beach watching it for free...

[John Sherlock]

All true but it is unacceptable that after all these years no one at APBA ever had the vision to build at least one facility like this. Not one visionary in the bunch. Lake X for example should have been on the radar the day it was shut down. APBA should have moved in the very same day Mercury moved out but no!

Lake X should have become the APBA HQ along with a year round test facility and racing arena for all categories. This would have also been the training grounds for all drivers schools and new racers.

APBA = TOTAL FAILURE

I did my best to shed light on Lake X but it was not good enough. You find yourself with no one to throw the ball to and the critics come out the wood work and just stomp on you. I worked my ass off on the Miami Stadium rebirth and it is in a position to be put back on the map,,, BUT !!!!!!

APBA + MERCURY= TOTAL FAILURE

[Mike Beegle]

I did my best to shed light on Lake X but it was not good enough. You find yourself with no one to throw the ball to and the critics come out the wood work and just stomp on you. I worked my ass off on the Miami Stadium rebirth and it is in a position to be put back on the map,,, BUT !!!!!!

APBA + MERCURY= TOTAL FAILURE

I am on your side of the fence...The sport needs more people like you and i think its time for a uprising to save our sport... I would like to learn more about Miami Stadium... Mikeopc9@gmail.com

I hope you stock,mod,pro guys take Dans info and run with the ball and contact Lucas....

Mike Beegle

[John Sherlock]

I am on your side of the fence...The sport needs more people like you and i think its time for a uprising to save our sport... I would like to learn more about Miami Stadium... Mikeopc9@gmail.com

I hope you stock,mod,pro guys take Dans info and run with the ball and contact Lucas....

Mike Beegle

Mike if you stand on this side of the fence make sure to keep your helmit and eye protection on, you could get hit with something, :~))
It is not a good sign when Vintage is growing as fast as it is in the APBA. I love Vintage stuff but it just goes to show how bad it is for true racing.

[Mike Beegle]

Mike if you stand on this side of the fence make sure to keep your helmit and eye protection on, you could get hit with something, :~))
It is not a good sign when Vintage is growing as fast as it is in the APBA. I love Vintage stuff but it just goes to show how bad it is for true racing.

I have all the friends I need.... I love boat racing and if I have to take a stoning to help my sport than it will be worth it...

[John Sherlock]

The key to saving the stadium was its getting listed as a landmark....

This is great reading and great pictures.........

http://www.google.com/search?sourcei...tadium+website

[Ron Hill]

Carl Had Vision

Mr. K may have been an OK engineer, but he KNEW marketing.

The first Quicksilver gearcase was made with not point. Karl said, "Put a point on it, it looks better." So, Charlie Strang put a point on it. Or that is how the story goes.....but!!

APBA and Mercury both lack a Mr. K......

Profit is what runs a for profit company! APBA is not a for profit company!

Mercury Racing was created to promote RACING, but it has just been a MERCURY PROFIT CENTER for the last 30 years...

At the 1956 APBA Nationals in Cambridge, Maryland, CARL was there!!!!

Why would an outboard manufacture go to Wakefield, Michigan in the year 2011????

[blueskyracer]

http://www.ky3.com/news/ky3-story-dr...,5609410.story

After watching the news clip sounds like they would be interested in any events that could boost the economy and add jobs. If we even lived remotely close I would be all over that. Worst they could say is no. And if you could get in on the ground floor you may be able to get locked in on dates and sponsors.

[B Walker]

1) APBA is not a non-profit organization.

2) If you want to race in Wheatland, MO I bet your gonna have to get a NBRA membership. I am planning on it.

3) Kiekhaefer used APBA to promote his product. APBA has still not filled the void left by a manufacturers involvement in the sport. In other words, the APBA business model is fundamentally flawed.

APBA is either a membership driven recreational boating club or it is a boat racing marketing and promotions organization.

I know what it is now, but what should it be?

BW

[Ron Hill]

APBA Is Still A Nonprofit Corp...

1) APBA is not a non-profit organization.

2) If you want to race in Wheatland, MO I bet your gonna have to get a NBRA membership. I am planning on it.

3) Kiekhaefer used APBA to promote his product. APBA has still not filled the void left by a manufacturers involvement in the sport. In other words, the APBA business model is fundamentally flawed.

APBA is either a membership driven recreational boating club or it is a boat racing marketing and promotions organization.

I know what it is now, but what should it be?

BW

I think we are on the same page....IF APBA had a business model, they would be talking to HONDA, Yamaha, Tohatsu, Suzuki.....to name several outboard companies...Tohatsu is owned by Mercury....

B. Walker, I think we might be called out for being negative....

MY bride of 7 months was a National Champion figure skater. She gets the skating magazines each month. Of course, I read them. They have things like charts of who does what. They have many people workinmg to improve the sport, or profession......Members of the BOD are elected from different parts of the country, but they run the whole SKATING BUSINESS....Skaters don't run the business, they skate!!!


They have new sections like Junior Nationals!!! What are JUNIOR NATIONALS? Well they are for those not good enough to make the next level...Ice skating is trying to hold on to their people. So, they make new levels. Non Skaters make the PLANS. (They don't eleminate classes......)...They have score....people without enough points don't go to certain events...


Champion Skaters don't make the rules, they follow the rules.

See, I can see what is wrong with INBOARD RACING.....but would the Inboard Commission allow me to be elected to their ruling class???

BRF had 540 people on line while hydroracer had 54....tonight....There are people, worldwide, that like boat racing.....they may not want to race a Sidewinder or a 15 HP Mercury with a racing gearcase and a restrictor plate...

But they like to race. There are places in the world that boat racing is growing......But is anyone but me looking at those people and places????? I sell propellers to people with performance boats.....When is the last time you were on APBA's web site??? Is it user friendly??? Where does a guy with a 50 HP outobard on a homemade boat race????????

[bill van steenwyk]

I have no idea................

what BRF's average demographic is, BUT, if I would make a guess, it would be the older person who used to race but is now retired from boat racing, for whatever reason, AND THERE ARE MANY!!

As one who has followed both HR and BRF closely since their inception, it speaks volumes, at least to me, that there were 10 times as many people on BRF tonite when Ron took his count, as on HR.

As one who doesn't race anymore, have any active participation other than still enjoying a good boat race, I am encouraged by some of the most recent posts on HR regards APBA, their place and responsibility in the boat racing universe, and conversely, the things they should keep their nose out of. If the powers that be in APBA would read and PAY ATTENTION to some of these good ideas, there might be a turnaround.

The biggest problem with APBA ( at least to my mind) has always been the leadership there has always held leadership positions in the marine industry, and it is just human nature the try to preserve the status quo when it is to your profit benefit as a business. All you have to do is remember what happened in OPC after the "OZ Wars". No more factory against factory competition anymore, just all motors of the same color and make on the back of the boat classes the motor manufacturers chose to use for their advertising purposes.

As Sam Cullis (MARK75h) said so well a couple of days ago, the Merc's used on the F1 circuit overseas are not necessarily the best engines they can build, they are as good as they need to be when they have no competition other than something else from the same manufacturer, of the same design and HP. Maybe that is all that is needed for spectator involvement, but I always liked to see the manufacturers compete, as it brought engineering advancement with the competition.

For a multitude of reasons, all profit and emissions oriented, the major outboard manufacturers are not now, and will probably not in the future make motors like we have known and helped grow boat racing as a sport starting in the late 40's to when motors of 150HP+ started becoming common. No more racing lower units for those type engines, and the few parts there are anymore for those engines mostly in the hands of a few, not available to the average person looking to get started in boat racing.

If nobody except a few like Ron, want to see a stock engine with a club foot made available for a racing class, then you are limiting yourselves to the Yamatos and possibly the new Sidewinders coming on line, although there seems to be plenty of controversy about that engine also, and there aren't even that many on the race course yet.

Glad the future of this sport is not in my hands, it is easy to get discouraged. The one thing I think everybody should agree on is it does need to be like Nascar in at least one respect, for sure in the Stock Category. Someone outside the sport, with no involvement in it except the betterment of it, and possibly a profit motive, needs to write and enforce the rules. In other words, a "Benevolent Dictator", because you will NEVER get this bunch to agree enough to have a chance to bring the sport halfway back to what it was from the 50's to the 80's, any other way.

My bedtime!

[RLR]

Bedtime for bill

Hey Bill 7:30PM comes pretty fast does it not???? Right after dinner at about 4PM I start thinking about getting my PJ's on.LOL

As Sam Cullis (MARK75h) said so well a couple of days ago, the Merc's used on the F1 circuit overseas are not necessarily the best engines they can build, they are as good as they need to be when they have no competition other than something else from the same manufacturer, of the same design and HP. Maybe that is all that is needed for spectator involvement, but I always liked to see the manufacturers compete, as it brought engineering advancement with the competition.

Wow, Bill hit on this one right dead center. Having lived in Indy for about 14 years now, and always having been a open wheel fan, no taxi cabs with numbers for me as Robin Miller states, I am excited about Indy Car for the first time in a long time.

A Rodeo guy comes in realizes that spec racing is for the birds, it needs competition in the engines and the chassis and WALA look at 2012, 3 engine and a multitude of chassis combinations. Look at the PR that is coming with those changes.

Great to see the SW and the HR still going at it, now what about as RH says, Yamaha ETC.

Ray

[reed28n]

You are all on the right track

Japan - all the same motor model boat and propeller.

Stadium Racing - spectators get the best seats and the best spot on the beach

Location, Location, Location - enough said

Short program - in this day and age you can't keep people's (spectators) attention for more than 3 or 4 hours. Families are too busy.

APBA - Club vs. Promoter - can we talk about Nationals revenue? The US Title Series to my knowledge promote a handful of races. Stock has a cluster of clubs competing for the same racers to attend their races. Local racing is fun, but APBA should be involved to the point where races do not conflict to boost racer attendance.

Nationals - APBA should host all of the nationals competitions at an APBA owned central site. APBA should benefit from the profit of an APBA Nationals in any category. Local clubs hosting the Nationals has worked for years for that specific event.

A nationals event can be very profitable. Let’s take Wakefield for a moment, not to pick on them, but if The Wakefield race committee makes $20,000 profit for all of their hard work where does that money go? Do they sit on their fat bank account and wait for the Stock and Mod commission to bless them with another event in 5 yrs? Or does the money go to promote local racing within Region 7? How does that benefit APBA across America?

APBA should be promoting series racing and picking a national platform of classes.

This is not a popular view and would never get off the ground in our perfect democracy. APBA doesn't have a money problem, we don't have an equipment problem.......we have an identity problem.

Without exposure and getting product in front of people we will never get new racers to join the party.

APBA is a club. NAACAR is a business.

[kampenracing]

Wheatland, MO

NBRA should have an announcement on this very thing in the next couple of days!!!!!!!!