THIRTY TO THE THREE

[Hydro doc]

I Like the procedure of announcing the clock start, like "Thirty to the Three". This warning allows crews to ready the boat. With a second clock, drivers and spectators can see the beginning of the count down. If you have a $6. Clock in your boat , it is easy to start your clock when the spectators clock lights up. It is safer to have a clock in the boat instead of searching for the clock on the bank. In NBRA, it is possible to shorten the clock as well as shorten the number of laps to hurry the race. This would give a quicker pace to the race and still allow two heat racing. This may be answer to shorting the schedule but also allow two heat racing. We travel so far to race and it's a disappointment to pay a day fee and a class fee to race one heat. I think all of us agree that crews and drivers should be ready in the event a class needs more time to fix their boats. Going to the next class and coming back is just common sense.

[jeff55v]

Speaking of race starts, I'd like to see all classes use a modified LeMans start. Fewer false starts, no need for a giant countdown clock, quicker race schedule, more exciting for spectators.

[Hydro doc]

After reading my post, I am not suggesting we go to 2 laps. We can use the rule if weather is going to change or for some reason we need to shorten the the race.

[Bob Rusnak]

Need to reduce the amount of classes. There will be plenty of time for 2 or 3 heat racing.

[raceright]

Speaking of race starts, I'd like to see all classes use a modified LeMans start. Fewer false starts, no need for a giant countdown clock, quicker race schedule, more exciting for spectators.

Research has been done and conclusion is spectators who watch racing in the USA are NASCAR types.
Car racing has a Flag start and although boat racing has a clock start spectators see boats on the course like car racing does on the track and when a flag waves they know that is when the race starts.
All Spectators understand Green flag and Checker Flag. Other parts of the world use various types of starts good for them as their spectators understand those starts.

[Hydro doc]

We recognize that the spectators do not understand how we start our races. We purchased a second clock that is in view of majority of the spectators and the announcer explains the start. We have found that the lemans start would change a the boats we currently have. The water is just too rough when you come back over those waves. We would need bigger boats as run in Europe. The last time we tried it was the OSY-400 at Depue. All boats were as light as possible as there is no minimum weight. Three boats turned over trying to get over those waves. Yes, it is exciting, unless your the boat upside down.

[Bob Rusnak]

Drive with you head, not your throttle. Was there at Depue during that race, all drivers knew the conditions. We also have the same conditions as the pits are in the first turn. In the past there were still some wave action as all the boats hit the turn together. I still don't know why there is a UIM OSY 400 and a US version of it?

[Hydro doc]

We do need to reduce classes so even in the local races there are at least 7 boat. Combining classes is an answer to shorting the race day and making the race more exciting with out losing revenue.

[Smitty]

I got chewed on the last time I mentioned how things were done out here in the Sixties, but . . . I disagree on your contention that there are too many classes, Bob. Way back then, our classes were AOH, BOH, COH, DOH, FOH, and ARR, BRR, CRR, DRR, FRR; also ASH, BSH, CSH, DSH, and AU, BU,CU, DU. Whoa, I almost forgot C Service runabout and hydro, and JU and JSH. Twenty-two classes. The thing is, Seattle Outboard never considered running every class at every race. Most of the Stock classes ran every weekend (and there were nearly always elimination heats in BSH, and very often in ASH and sometimes CSH. But the more sparcely populated classes such as BRR would only run every second or even third race.

This was actually just fine with a lot of the drivers, who had many other things to do with their weekends. Other alky drivers who were more into it had a second engine of the next class that would still work on their boat, so they did have something to run every weekend. And at some point during that era, a rule (local? national?) was instituted whereby the less popular classes had to have at least six starters or they were put on probation, a reasonable idea.

Anyway, having a lot of classes was not a problem then, not even a topic of conversation. Of course, there was no Modified division then. But the same methods of dealing with lots of classes should still work.

[Guest]

Ever watch a rocket launch?
Excitement is built up as the clock goes from 10.9..8...7....6.....5......4........3.........2.. ........1.BLAST OFF!
The count down to the public is for PR only.

Most boat racing fans can not see the face of the clock. The drivers of course can, and there is excitement for them jockeying into position. This is one of the most important part of the race, and most fans are missing it.

If you want to add more excitement in to your program, have the announcer count down every start.

[Bob Rusnak]

In reply to smitty, the only time all the PRO classes were run was at the Nationals which was over three days and one class per day. In the NE we ran all stock classes and only 4 Pro classes of two heats each day.. There were also full fields of boats back then. Now go to a stock race and there are so many classes of 3-4 boat fields. It takes so long some times they are forces to go to one heat racing. The Title Series has only a select few of the popular classes running. Even at that some of the classes are dwindling down. NBRA seems to have a good program where they combine to make full fields.

[treadguy]

Ray Rodda is the answer to keeping the spectators informed on the start, during the race, and the finish. There has been NO better voice both for the racers and the people that came to watch. It had to be said......

[raceright]

Ray Rodda is the answer to keeping the spectators informed on the start, during the race, and the finish. There has been NO better voice both for the racers and the people that came to watch. It had to be said......

Ray is the best Holly Bucketts, That said some Promoters suggest That Flag man at clock to wave the start flag vigourisly and the checker also. The announcer should also scream that the race started and loudly who won. THE GREAT RAY DOES.

[RLR]

Thank you gentlemen, but without you guys, I have nothing to say, just ask my wife.......maybe not