apba dues??

[thetrailergod]

Join NBRA $80 a year for a driver

[blueskyracer]

Join NBRA $80 a year for a driver

Sent my check in Sunday!!

[Racerkyle20]

Apba

How much money do people spend a year racing? Entry fees. Race fuel. Truck fuel. Hotels. Food for a weekend. An extra prop...maybe. Just to go and race you equipment 6-10 weekends a year most people are spending thousands of thousands of dollars a summer. $25 won't kill you. Especially people who tavel out of region. I race apba because it has the most competition, best drivers, and I have a great local club to support me. I do not at all have a problem sending $25 extra bucks to help our organization make itself better.

[Bmwbob]

P-r-o-m-o-t-e-r

The American Motorcyclist Association struggled for decades trying to grow the various series of motorcycle racing they were administering.
Finally, they examined their core competency and found what they were good at: Running the races, and what they were VERY bad at: Advertising, getting sponsorship, working with track owners, manufacturers, dealers, etc.
Solution: They turned that responsibility over to the Daytona Motorsports Group, a professional marketing and promoting organization.
Is this a viable approach for the APBA?
While on our RV vacation in Indiana, I watched the Class 2 and 3 Tunnel boat races. I was surprised to learn that the "hot shoes" of both classes were Florida guys! I could hear and understand the PA at most points along the shore line, and the announcers did a pretty good job of keeping the fans interest even during the (sometimes painfully long) periods between heats.
I was later further surprised to learn that more than a few of the regulars in APBA racing lived less than an hour away from me, one even an APBA commissioner for Stock Outboard.
Point: Growing the sport will require:
1. More participants. Problem is, your prospective newbies don't even know you EXIST, let alone how much fun they COULD be having doing this.
Static exhibits at malls, with a big screen TV showing DVD's of race action (I just ordered the 2011 Nats DVD's) as well as a similar presence at boat shows and marinas on the weekends could help there.
2. Putting together a business plan to take to an outfit like the DMG that convinces them that you have a viable product in the racing program with potential for a financial return to them.
The pros, when they know WHO they need to deal with, are more than capable of presenting the plan in a way that will show manufacturers, dealers, and municipal officials that having a vested interest in boat racing is a desirable pursuit.
With due consideration to the costs involved, I'll also say that there is "wiggle room" in this next idea to allow pros and amateurs alike to participate at their comfort level.
3. VISUAL APPEAL. Kart racing largely remains the domain of the racers, their families and friends. While they do have at least a couple of large national/international bodies (WKA and IKF) and some other regional ones doing the admin bit for them, you don't see packed out stands at many of their events. Nor are the names of the top drivers water cooler fodder at many locations.
Why? Ever been to a kart race? Can you tell one machine on the track from another? That has improved with the addition of plastic bodywork on nearly all of the karts which can be painted and has room for sponsor decals.
But, unless you either KNOW one of the drivers, or are just a die-hard race fan, it's tough to get too excited about (most of ) what karting has to offer from a spectator standpoint.
Also, many of the venues for karting tend to be dimly lit small tracks on the back side of a larger stock car track with little or no porta potties or concession facilities, and a poor to nonexistent PA system, or an announcer that couldn't inspire people to leave a burning building.
Boats are different. They have ample surfaces which can be brightly colored with plenty of room for sponsor info. The venues are not dusty old dirt tracks, but nice clean lakes and rivers.
While the pits at many land-based races are often off limits to spectators unwilling to purchase a costly pit pass, the Aurora boat race (at least) allowed me to walk down and ask why the #10 "stock" boat was so much faster than all of the other supposedly identically powered boats.
PITS, CREWS, etc.: While not every amateur racer on the typical shoestring budget can afford $80 custom embroidered team jerseys for their whole crew, anyone who can afford to race a boat CAN afford to go to their local T-shirt shop and have a few matching T's or polos printed up to go with their black denim shorts.
This sort of thing, along with keeping your pit area somewhat more organized than a garage sale goes a LONG way toward impressing not only the fans, but also potential sponsors.
Yeah, I know, WAY too much info, and none of it really new.
But, until good ideas are acted upon, it remains the duty of SOMEONE to keep reminding the guy complaining about his wet deck shoes that the rubber thingie in his hand is really the transom plug!
I'd really like to see this sport continue and thrive at least long enough for me to participate in it a few seasons, and get even BETTER for those who follow.
'Nuff sed.
Bob Cowgill
Mims, Florida

[krazy karl]

Yes

How much money do people spend a year racing? Entry fees. Race fuel. Truck fuel. Hotels. Food for a weekend. An extra prop...maybe. Just to go and race you equipment 6-10 weekends a year most people are spending thousands of thousands of dollars a summer. $25 won't kill you. Especially people who tavel out of region. I race apba because it has the most competition, best drivers, and I have a great local club to support me. I do not at all have a problem sending $25 extra bucks to help our organization make itself better.

Kyle, I agree 100%. Drop in the bucket when you look at overall costs. It gets tough for me too financially, I don't have the latest nor the fastest stuff, but I love all of it and will pay what it costs to stay on the water.

kk

[Dave M]

One Last Word

How much money do people spend a year racing? Entry fees. Race fuel. Truck fuel. Hotels. Food for a weekend. An extra prop...maybe. Just to go and race you equipment 6-10 weekends a year most people are spending thousands of thousands of dollars a summer. $25 won't kill you. Especially people who tavel out of region. I race apba because it has the most competition, best drivers, and I have a great local club to support me. I do not at all have a problem sending $25 extra bucks to help our organization make itself better.

Kyle,

I respect your opinions on this subject. But with all due respect, I spent a fraction of what you did last season, and traveled the country doing it. There is good competition in any of the organizations. There are also the same good people in any of the organizations.

Hope to see you in Montana next season. I think the comp. might surprise you, might not. One thing is for sure, you will never know if you don't go.

If you want my honest opinion. The biggest difference between NBRA and APBA is the money. The rest is just like APBA. Same fun, same parties, same engines, same boats, same 3 laps on an oval, same basic tech rules with a few exceptions, the trailers are the same, the motorhomes are the same, the tents are the same, the helmets are the same, the kevlar and lifejackets are the same... you get the point. The difference is the NBRA gives back to the racers at each race. It is also cheaper to join by more than half, it is also cheaper entry fees.

Did I mention it has the same type of local clubs as APBA ? Same region type meetings, etc, etc.

So I guess with that extra cash in my pocket I can go to more races, or buy a better prop. Is it perfect ? Nope. Every organization will expereince some conflict at some point.

Probably not the best spot to post this, but Pat riled me up a bit with his assumptions. I was simply answering Chenny's question, not makeing acusations. So Pat, you know the first three letters of assume.

[ryan_4z]

You guys are the biggest bunch of crybabies I've ever seen. Pay the money and race your boat or don't. If you aren't willing to give a little you'll never gain in the end. If you really thing it's a big deal just go out to your trailer and count all the individual items in there that cost more than your membership. It's probably d@mn near everything. Most of your prop boxes could probably pay for a decade's worth of Membership dues. What are we here for, to gripe and bicker about every little thing that happens, or to race our boats?

[ryan_4z]

Hey Dave, maybe some of us just chose to remain loyal to the organization that we and our families have always raced under. Maybe we chose to aim for a better APBA. What's wrong with that?

[raceright]

Kyle,

I respect your opinions on this subject. But with all due respect, I spent a fraction of what you did last season, and traveled the country doing it. There is good competition in any of the organizations. There are also the same good people in any of the organizations.

Hope to see you in Montana next season. I think the comp. might surprise you, might not. One thing is for sure, you will never know if you don't go.

If you want my honest opinion. The biggest difference between NBRA and APBA is the money. The rest is just like APBA. Same fun, same parties, same engines, same boats, same 3 laps on an oval, same basic tech rules with a few exceptions, the trailers are the same, the motorhomes are the same, the tents are the same, the helmets are the same, the kevlar and lifejackets are the same... you get the point. The difference is the NBRA gives back to the racers at each race. It is also cheaper to join by more than half, it is also cheaper entry fees.

Did I mention it has the same type of local clubs as APBA ? Same region type meetings, etc, etc.

So I guess with that extra cash in my pocket I can go to more races, or buy a better prop. Is it perfect ? Nope. Every organization will expereince some conflict at some point.

Probably not the best spot to post this, but Pat riled me up a bit with his assumptions. I was simply answering Chenny's question, not makeing acusations. So Pat, you know the first three letters of assume.

I was already to hammer your cheap assume---but Scratch got to you first lolol

Thanks Ryan I just can;t wait to meet you.

Pat

[Larry M]

NBRA and APBA bragging rights race

What I always thought would be fun would be to have a combined race and you declare which organization you want to race under and at the end of the day tally up the points and see who would come out on top. I would just score the top 3 in each class that way you wouldn't win on just having the most boats but the fastest.

Would anybody else like to see this happen?

Larry Mac

[dholt]

I'm in on what Larry M. suggested. That would be one cool event to attend.

On another note...what is the insurance program for NBRA? Meaning...what are the benefits if you are injured? Just asking.

The highest cost of putting on an ABPA race is insurance....$2000 for a Stock, Mod, Pro, J event.

So, what does it cost at NBRA? And what is payout for a claim? Can't recall exact amounts in APBA...don't have the policy in front of me right now. But it's easy to look up on the apba site I'm sure.

D.

[blueskyracer]

I thought boat racing was boat racing with all the folks being equally nice and the racing equally fun..We have raced with APBA and AOF and this year it will be NBRA too..I think if you limit yourself to one group it is very narrow minded.. Do you only buy Ford or Chev or Dodge or a import and always stick with that same name brand..We have owned them all and still do: Ford, GMC, Subaru..Untill folks mind set changes racing will just tread water and be on life support..Kind of like the government right now. NOBODY is working together they all have there own agenda..ME ME ME

[blueskyracer]

I'm in on what Larry M. suggested. That would be one cool event to attend.

On another note...what is the insurance program for NBRA? Meaning...what are the benefits if you are injured? Just asking.

The highest cost of putting on an ABPA race is insurance....$2000 for a Stock, Mod, Pro, J event.

So, what does it cost at NBRA? And what is payout for a claim? Can't recall exact amounts in APBA...don't have the policy in front of me right now. But it's easy to look up on the apba site I'm sure.

D.

I think the only way to get a copy of the true policy for each group is to contact the insurance carrier.

[dholt]

No, not that hard.

I found a copy of the APBA policy.

$5,000,000 event liability
10,000 Accidental death/dismemberment
20,000 Excess medical (kicks in once your own policy max out or you don't have health insurance)

[raceright]

I thought boat racing was boat racing with all the folks being equally nice and the racing equally fun..We have raced with APBA and AOF and this year it will be NBRA too..I think if you limit yourself to one group it is very narrow minded.. Do you only buy Ford or Chev or Dodge or a import and always stick with that same name brand..We have owned them all and still do: Ford, GMC, Subaru..Untill folks mind set changes racing will just tread water and be on life support..Kind of like the government right now. NOBODY is working together they all have there own agenda..ME ME ME

Chevy Cadillac Chevy Pro USTS APBA that diverse enough for ya Oh forgot Conservative RIGHT. All the way to HAWK

Pat

I can change my mind its the other GUY's that won't lolololo