The more things change....

[mdaspit]

Wow.

This racing hydros is too hard, too expensive, too many rules, gotta drive too far to race, too political, and if I don't win soon I think I'll quit, because I'm getting tired of getting beat soo badly...And hell, I hear those C stock APBA guys have 4-5 miles per hour on me! What's that gonna take me? 5 years and 10 grand to find 4 miles an hour?

Hell, by then I'll be as old as Jack Stotts!

Somebody...quick send me some of your "speed secrets" fast, or there is no telling how long I'm gonna last! Do the right thing for the sport, save a new guy!

I don't mean speed secrets like "test, test, and test again" I tried that, and It just doesn't work for me...

Just imagine how much better it would be for us new guys, if we could just pass a rule like...say...the top 3 finishers in C Stock at the Nationals every year have to give 1 mph to a new guy!

Imagine what it could mean for the new driver, who goes to races only to find that the same 5 or 6 boats at every race kick his butt, and spray water in his face, weekend, after weekend...

Hmmm come to think of it, I don't hear those guys who always win complaining much...

That's just not fair.

[Mrs blueskyracer]

Ideas I see here in this thread that would potentially help "grow" our sport.

Get the word out to potential members/racers that we are here. How do we do that? Two ideas that have been toss out there.

1) A portion of the membership dues to APBA be re-invested into the members home region for advertising.

2) Making the Propeller Magazine available on newsstands. Perhaps this is a better use of part of the membership fees than returning them to the regions. Also any money generated from the newsstand sale of the magazine should be returned to the advertising fund and grow it from there perhaps investing in some TV time on one of the big networks, ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, although we have something on the one channel who's name I can't remember, they only ones looking for show is going to be racers that are already participating in the sport.

Here's some more,

After you have read your copy of the Propeller Magazine, leave it somewhere, for example your dentists office, your doctors office or the like so that someone else can pick it up and thumb through it. Doesn't cost a dime and I have looked through tons of magazines in waiting rooms over the years. You might peak someone's interest. (If you are brave leave your name and address label on it.)

Loan out your disks from the Nationals that the Stock Outboard Racing Commision produces. We used them from 2008 and 2009 to secure a new race site.

We are making the hydroracer.net t-shirts, we want people who buy them to wear them and wear them everywhere. If it get's people asking what is hydroracer you have someone to tell about our sport and an opportunity to get them to join you at the next race. Put them in your gear, let them give it a try, show them a good time with all the family atmosphere that we all talk about. You may just have a new family member.

[B1PRORACER]

Core group....

Our "core group" is a mixture of several groups. Think back to this past season. Think of the different groups- strong racers, low budget racers.... we need them all! If you eliminate any one group, we would have quite a loss!

When you think about it, we actually DO have several experiments in our class structure going on. It appears as though the low budget classes are strong (ASH & CSH). The expensive classes are lacking participants (DSH, BSH, etc).

Peter Crowley

[blueskyracer]

Just curious but how do the numbers compare with ours over in Europe. Are they declining in membership also and if not what are they doing different?

[blueskyracer]

Wow.

This racing hydros is too hard, too expensive, too many rules, gotta drive too far to race, too political, and if I don't win soon I think I'll quit, because I'm getting tired of getting beat soo badly...And hell, I hear those C stock APBA guys have 4-5 miles per hour on me! What's that gonna take me? 5 years and 10 grand to find 4 miles an hour?

Hell, by then I'll be as old as Jack Stotts!

Somebody...quick send me some of your "speed secrets" fast, or there is no telling how long I'm gonna last! Do the right thing for the sport, save a new guy!

I don't mean speed secrets like "test, test, and test again" I tried that, and It just doesn't work for me...

Just imagine how much better it would be for us new guys, if we could just pass a rule like...say...the top 3 finishers in C Stock at the Nationals every year have to give 1 mph to a new guy!

Imagine what it could mean for the new driver, who goes to races only to find that the same 5 or 6 boats at every race kick his butt, and spray water in his face, weekend, after weekend...

Hmmm come to think of it, I don't hear those guys who always win complaining much...

That's just not fair.

Thats funny Mark, you sound like a lot of teenagers now a days.

This sport is to much fun and adicting to me. The only thing that will make me quit is age and the body shutting down!

[raceright]

Wow.

This racing hydros is too hard, too expensive, too many rules, gotta drive too far to race, too political, and if I don't win soon I think I'll quit, because I'm getting tired of getting beat soo badly...And hell, I hear those C stock APBA guys have 4-5 miles per hour on me! What's that gonna take me? 5 years and 10 grand to find 4 miles an hour?

Hell, by then I'll be as old as Jack Stotts!

Somebody...quick send me some of your "speed secrets" fast, or there is no telling how long I'm gonna last! Do the right thing for the sport, save a new guy!

I don't mean speed secrets like "test, test, and test again" I tried that, and It just doesn't work for me...

Just imagine how much better it would be for us new guys, if we could just pass a rule like...say...the top 3 finishers in C Stock at the Nationals every year have to give 1 mph to a new guy!

Imagine what it could mean for the new driver, who goes to races only to find that the same 5 or 6 boats at every race kick his butt, and spray water in his face, weekend, after weekend...

Hmmm come to think of it, I don't hear those guys who always win complaining much...

That's just not fair.

Fair your looking for Fair---Do something else remember there is nothing stock about a stock car (or boat). Try Pro at least ya can do what ya want to ya stuff maybe the only fair way.

Pat

[raceright]

Just curious but how do the numbers compare with ours over in Europe. Are they declining in membership also and if not what are they doing different?

I don't know do they race Stock in Eurpoe??
Remember OSY is a Pro Class.

[raceright]

Ideas I see here in this thread that would potentially help "grow" our sport.

Get the word out to potential members/racers that we are here. How do we do that? Two ideas that have been toss out there.

1) A portion of the membership dues to APBA be re-invested into the members home region for advertising.

2) Making the Propeller Magazine available on newsstands. Perhaps this is a better use of part of the membership fees than returning them to the regions. Also any money generated from the newsstand sale of the magazine should be returned to the advertising fund and grow it from there perhaps investing in some TV time on one of the big networks, ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, although we have something on the one channel who's name I can't remember, they only ones looking for show is going to be racers that are already participating in the sport.

Here's some more,

After you have read your copy of the Propeller Magazine, leave it somewhere, for example your dentists office, your doctors office or the like so that someone else can pick it up and thumb through it. Doesn't cost a dime and I have looked through tons of magazines in waiting rooms over the years. You might peak someone's interest. (If you are brave leave your name and address label on it.)

Loan out your disks from the Nationals that the Stock Outboard Racing Commision produces. We used them from 2008 and 2009 to secure a new race site.

We are making the hydroracer.net t-shirts, we want people who buy them to wear them and wear them everywhere. If it get's people asking what is hydroracer you have someone to tell about our sport and an opportunity to get them to join you at the next race. Put them in your gear, let them give it a try, show them a good time with all the family atmosphere that we all talk about. You may just have a new family member.

GEEEZ you spend to much time in the Doctors office HAHAHA only kidding.
APBA does not have the financial resources for a TV campaign like you describe.

The Idea of really geting behind the Propeller Magazine has been discussed many many times just has not happened and don't know why ME THINKS THIS IS A REAL GOOD IDEA.

[me-otch]

Wow.

This racing hydros is too hard, too expensive, too many rules, gotta drive too far to race, too political, and if I don't win soon I think I'll quit, because I'm getting tired of getting beat soo badly...And hell, I hear those C stock APBA guys have 4-5 miles per hour on me! What's that gonna take me? 5 years and 10 grand to find 4 miles an hour?

Hell, by then I'll be as old as Jack Stotts!

Somebody...quick send me some of your "speed secrets" fast, or there is no telling how long I'm gonna last! Do the right thing for the sport, save a new guy!

I don't mean speed secrets like "test, test, and test again" I tried that, and It just doesn't work for me...

Just imagine how much better it would be for us new guys, if we could just pass a rule like...say...the top 3 finishers in C Stock at the Nationals every year have to give 1 mph to a new guy!

Imagine what it could mean for the new driver, who goes to races only to find that the same 5 or 6 boats at every race kick his butt, and spray water in his face, weekend, after weekend...

Hmmm come to think of it, I don't hear those guys who always win complaining much...

That's just not fair.

Racing boats is not just about being fast, you gotta learn to drive the boat! There are probably people out their right now that are just as fast as everyone else just dont have the same level of driving skills yet!
That is what the STOCK protion of outboard racing is supposed to be about. The emphisis is supposed to be on driver ability and skill.
Just like any other sport that that involves driving! If you don't wanna test you won't get anywhere. Every boat, every prop has a sweet spot you just gotta find it. Testing is half the fun...to me anyways!

[Mrs blueskyracer]

GEEEZ you spend to much time in the Doctors office HAHAHA only kidding.
APBA does not have the financial resources for a TV campaign like you describe.

The Idea of really geting behind the Propeller Magazine has been discussed many many times just has not happened and don't know why ME THINKS THIS IS A REAL GOOD IDEA.

We have a handicapped son and trust me I have certainly done my share of sitting in waiting rooms.

I was suggesting that money made selling the propeller magazine on newsstands be used to fund a TV campaign of some kind.

[B Walker]

There is no money to be made in selling propellor magazine over the counter and the expense of printing and distribution make it a very ineffective form of promotion.

The magazine business model relies on advertising revenue to cover costs, not subscriptions or over the counter cover price purchases. Without any large corporate anchor advertisers in propellor magazine there is no revenue stream large enough to cover the costs of printing and distribution on a national level.

Even if there were an anchor advertiser for propellor magazine over the counter magazine sales are a failed business model because all advertisers have severely cutback in traditional print media and increased advertising in electronic/non-tradional forms of advertising.

Expect this trend to accellerate.

Egon says "Print is dead."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3v_ogRaTf4

BW

Also, I call BS that anyone has ever left the sport because of what was posted on HR.net.

[raceright]

[QUOTE=B Walker;174077]There is no money to be made in selling propellor magazine over the counter and the expense of printing and distribution make it a very ineffective form of promotion.

The magazine business model relies on advertising revenue to cover costs, not subscriptions or over the counter cover price purchases. Without any large corporate anchor advertisers in propellor magazine there is no revenue stream large enough to cover the costs of printing and distribution on a national level.

Even if there were an anchor advertiser for propellor magazine over the counter magazine sales are a failed business model because all advertisers have severely cutback in traditional print media and increased advertising in electronic/non-tradional forms of advertising.

Expect this trend to accellerate.





Print Dead jury's still out proper marketing can sell anything--
electronics--may some day runs its course (don't laugh there are those in the upper circles that believe electronics is to non personal).

Yes no Magazine made it without sold adds in it--thats the trick

Hope you don't use Egon for all your intelegence gathering LOLOL

[mdaspit]

proper marketing can sell anything--

Maybe.......once.

[Raymond]

Exactly Correct

I for one don't buy the video game thing or the lack of funds thing--there are plenty of kids riding Quads,dirt bikes,jet ski's snowmobiles,go karts& the like.

Its just that most do not know that there is a APBA---let along a stock,mod or PRO.

Resperectly

Pat Wright

I concur!

Does that suprise you?

[Raymond]

Are you sure?

Pat, agree some what...It's lack of value for the money.

Call me crazy but...I disagree that it’s always all about the water time. For us it is the holistic experience of a race weekend with friends and family at some scenic waterside shady spot and Bam! Were happy!