J Class Rule Changes?

[ram95]

I'm in the Richmond area, and my boy has a new Stihl chainsaw. Bring yer boat over here an we'll take care of the pickles for free as well. Bring a case of those OhMAHaw steaks when you come.

Alex
Richmond... MAINE.. watch out for the moose!

[racer3j]

How about at Frankin in 2010 where a pickle pierced the bottom of a boat while also piercing a 14 year old girls knee resulting in a torn ACL, And figuring that was in the turn you can say the average AX is doing about 45 MPH in the turn. But it wont pierce at J speed correct ? Or how about Wakefield as Johnny stated , But the pickle could not pierce the boat correct? Or how about again at Wakefield in 2011 when the 11-S in AXH with reinforced cockpit side's were pierced. But then again the pickles could never pierce a cockpit side. If a rule change this insignificant is really causing some people to quit, then you really do not want to be racing in a Motorsport.

[fhafer]

How about at Frankin in 2010 where a pickle pierced the bottom of a boat while also piercing a 14 year old girls knee resulting in a torn ACL, And figuring that was in the turn you can say the average AX is doing about 45 MPH in the turn. But it wont pierce at J speed correct ? Or how about Wakefield as Johnny stated , But the pickle could not pierce the boat correct? Or how about again at Wakefield in 2011 when the 11-S in AXH with reinforced cockpit side's were pierced. But then again the pickles could never pierce a cockpit side. If a rule change this insignificant is really causing some people to quit, then you really do not want to be racing in a Motorsport.

Thank you for mentioning motorsports.

I used to race a drag car; Pro Stock in IHRA during the 1990s. Drag cars are divided by brackets based on speed (ET). Design and safety requirements were based on the bracket you competed in. My Pro Stock car did not have the same…or “uniform” build requirements as Scotty Cannon’s Pro Mod sitting next to me in the pits…. seat belt vs. five point, # of roll cage points, frame reinforcement, fire suppression, wheelie bars, parachutes, etc. The drag racing body understood that different speed cars required different levels of safety. But as you stated Dylan, the laws of physics are vastly different in boat racing.

In drag racing, the rules commission knew that some people wanted to go slow and cheap, while others wanted to go fast and didn’t care about cost. They were smart people; they knew how to grow the hobby/sport. Drag racing appears on TV and people pay to watch the races. I understand your desire to cull the burgeoning ranks of boat racers of those folks asking for thoughtful change and I wish you the best of luck in you endeavor. Now go pray at the altar of the well rounded pickle fork with the others (hydro racers, not runabout drivers, because runabouts are TOTALLY different).

And for Franck, I’m disappointed you missed my mixed axiom. You must have pulled a muscle in your brain cell and were too sore to notice.

[Matt Dagostino]

Pickled.............

Having raced picklefork hydros since the 70's with Yale, Bowman, Hemp, Furnal, Price and several other manufactures, i am more fearful of getting sliced up by one of those razor sharp exposed meat hooks we call turn fins or maybe run over by a nicely pointed lower unit. Oh, and don't forget about those shinny 3 blade propellers spinning at about 8000rpm........they can give you a really close shave!!

Safety is wonderful but if i were king for a day i would think all pickles should be break away or collaspe like tunnel boats do............the radius deal is ok but really just a band-aid fix!

I hear Dewald is working on a prototype 'rubber' propeller guarenteed to go faster then what we use now and it can double as a 'frisbee' during wind delays????

[fhafer]

Having raced picklefork hydros since the 70's with Yale, Bowman, Hemp, Furnal, Price and several other manufactures, i am more fearful of getting sliced up by one of those razor sharp exposed meat hooks we call turn fins or maybe run over by a nicely pointed lower unit. Oh, and don't forget about those shinny 3 blade propellers spinning at about 8000rpm........they can give you a really close shave!!

Safety is wonderful but if i were king for a day i would think all pickles should be break away or collaspe like tunnel boats do............the radius deal is ok but really just a band-aid fix!

I hear Dewald is working on a prototype 'rubber' propeller guarenteed to go faster then what we use now and it can double as a 'frisbee' during wind delays????

Matt,
I don't know if all the posting I'm doing is worth the $12.00 you paid me to draw attention away from your drama. I think I'll need three more bucks in order to keep going.

[Racerkyle20]

"west system a chunk of balsa wood to a picklefork and remove accordingly to get to a 1/2 inch."

Haaaa, haaaa, haaaaa! Ah... what measure of protection does this provide? This is nothing more than a work-around for a stupid rule.

Now THAT'S funny.

Post the results of the study which lead to the passing of this decision!

Bob Wartinger and UIM conducted these test years ago. hence the rule from UIM (which btw they require 2" and re-enforced cockpit sides). Ask Bob for the numbers. He has them. If you came to the national meeting (very expensive I know) this would already be answered for you.

[Dave M]

Money Better Spent

Your money (For the J Category) would be better spent laminating Kevlar on the inside of the cockpit. Two or three layers of this installed correctly would not let a pointed pickle puncture.

J is it's own category, why worry about Uniformity if it is that difficult to get the thickness ?

If you want everyone to be uniform, mandate break away pickle tips, turn fins, and windshields. Don't grandfather. Instead of a bandaid, this would solve it. No more work to make it break away than to grind back a foot to get the thickness.

[Tom Cronk]

UIM Pickle Fork

What if my main categorie is PRO and run K-PRO hydro
with the 2" UIM pickle fork rule done to it,Is this boat
legal to run in the J classes and ASH class?????????
The UIM rule is smaller and easier to do on a J to B hydros.
Tom Cronk
TEC CRAFT BOATS

[G Stillwill]

I wanted to up date the old Pickle Gate boat to the new rules from the old rule as its sold and going to the Mid West to Bam Bam racing. I took step by step pictures which will show why when converting and older small boat you end up with a hole in the end of the pickle. Pictures will be in two posts.

[G Stillwill]

Second set

[pav225]

!

Great post George!

Mike

[jtb]

thanks George! that helps a lot, hope to see you at Tabor!

[ram95]

Jusst curious

George,
Is this a photo of 'The Pickle' exactly as it was at the Nats?

Alex

[G Stillwill]

No Alex I rounded off a little more before the next race and had Jeff Williams inspect it with the gauge to make sure they were ok not much taken off to get it right though

[csh2z]

Nothin' to it. And it looks nice too!
Now just, epoxy - sand, epoxy - sand, epoxy - sand, varnish - sand, varnish - sand, varnish - sand, touch up paint. Rinse and Repeat.
How many boats do you have to do ?
I was told "You just have to grind it round and slap some epoxy on it".
Oh, you want your boat to look nice?
And have a good time blending in that varnish and paint. I'm sure nobody will notice!