RACING TOGETHER

[Hydro doc]

As our world of modified boat racing gets smaller, will NBRA and APBA ever conduct a race where we are together at one site?

[Bob Rusnak]

Together it is strong, divided they all become weak. I don't think it will ever unite. APBA has their own agenda and expensive, too may classes. The US Title Series promotes real good pro racing but the field of boats in certain classes are getting smaller. You do get a lot for your money. NBRA seems to have a real good program, I have not been to one so I can not compare. Wish it were different.

[Howie Nichols]

Ok Leonard let me ask you, and I know you support both, but what would it take to bring NBRA and APBA racers together once again? As I posted in another thread, do rules need changing? Is it a control issue? Is it cost? Why did NBRA get started and cause those folks to leave APBA? Once we figure out this then we can move forward and try to come to an agreeable solution.

[csh-2z]

I'd sure like to see that. We're too small to be divided.

[Matt Dagostino]

Doc.............i though Steve Hearn brokered a deal years ago allowing APBA- NBRA-AOF to jointly compete without penalty?? The race i attended with Val at Pineville, LA in 2009-10 i believe was the WInter Nationals and was attended by many NBRA and APBA members. I believe NBRA-APBA-AOF members have no issue with one another and are separated more by geographical barriers. If i lived in Oklahoma or Texas i guess i would happily be racing with NBRA since it is the only game in town. So i am not really sure how we could all come together since we are thousands of miles apart......

[kampenracing]

Exactly!!! It's more of a location thing than anything else!!!

[bill hoctor]

Doc.............i though Steve Hearn brokered a deal years ago allowing APBA- NBRA-AOF to jointly compete without penalty?? The race i attended with Val at Pineville, LA in 2009-10 i believe was the WInter Nationals and was attended by many NBRA and APBA members. I believe NBRA-APBA-AOF members have no issue with one another and are separated more by geographical barriers. If i lived in Oklahoma or Texas i guess i would happily be racing with NBRA since it is the only game in town. So i am not really sure how we could all come together since we are thousands of miles apart......

Your right Matt...I was there in Pineville when it was announced !

[Hydro doc]

If we had a natl. event, doing a four day event, this would be late in the season, could both groups lower the cost to join, because the time that the organization that have to service the account would be very short? Each group can boost their numbers and maybe continue to get new members. I have continue to get national and local sponsors. Get off the couch and shake some hands.

[kampenracing]

NBRA was formed from all former AOF members. It was not racers leaving APBA it was drivers leaving AOF

[Larry M]

Doc.............i though Steve Hearn brokered a deal years ago allowing APBA- NBRA-AOF to jointly compete without penalty?? The race i attended with Val at Pineville, LA in 2009-10 i believe was the WInter Nationals and was attended by many NBRA and APBA members. I believe NBRA-APBA-AOF members have no issue with one another and are separated more by geographical barriers. If i lived in Oklahoma or Texas i guess i would happily be racing with NBRA since it is the only game in town. So i am not really sure how we could all come together since we are thousands of miles apart......

We raced at that race in Pineville and it was the Winter Nationals. This was a one time deal that honored all the membership card from the 3 origination.I didn't see any big problems in the way the race was conducted. I think 90% of our rules in APBA and NBRA are the same. What I have always wanted is to have a race between the NBRA and the APBA and score them separate and see which came out on top kind of like a North South championship. I think this would generate a lot of interest.

Larry McAfee

[joejohn44]

I think APBA would dominate the stock classes and NBRA would dominate the mods

[Hydro doc]

Charles Gonyea is the man , he represents both groups, but no one makes more sense than the Hearn family. If it can be done they have the most influence and a instrument for change. The future is only bright because the leaders can make changes to fit the time we live in. Here in the Midwest we have some great lakes for racing. Because of facilities, I only vision finding a weekend for Mods. Only a handful of drivers are members of both groups and as Matt and Keith pointed out very few have the resources to belong to both and travel those great distances. I think it would be possible to hold a mod race where in two days you run a APBA natls. And the following two days you run a NBRA nationals. Using the same equipment but different officials.

[Karl Dyle]

I have a available race site in FL ( Lake Apethorpe) , a weekend ( february 23-26 2017) and a host club/organization ( AOF). I do not know if either sanctioning body ( APBA, NBRA) would recognize results from a "SHOOTOUT" so to speak, finally settling who's who and what's what. At least for that weekend. This is the nearest date that could be developed into a actual race that would not conflict with any race dates from either group. All that is required is committment to attend by competitors and classes to be run. This could turn into a great season opener, and give various teams a great jump on the season ahead. It is possible to combine competitors from APBA and NBRA, even if it is just for a weekend.

[jeff34f]

A central location would be great. Looking at the regions that most of NBRA and APBA are in Kentucky, Indiana or Ohio looks to be central. Make this a Nationals!! Just a thought. A date with no conflicting races elsewhere we could have the largest Nationals we have seen in many years. It could be done!

[Howie Nichols]

Keith thanks for correcting me on how NBRA was formed, but I still have the same question, what would it take to get us back together as one? Larry M says that 90% of the rules are the same, I do know that Rick & Brandon Miller come over to APBA events and do very well in both the Stock & MO Categories, so what do we do? I know Charlie very well, he is a great guy and has boat racing in his heart if we need a middle man I'm sure we can ask him to help.

I will tell you that the APBA BoD is talking about why we lose members to other organizations, we don't have the answers yet and need information like this so we can figure out how to fix it. Perhaps Leonard's idea is a good start, maybe it can be looked at again for say the WinterNationals into the future as a starting point??

I will share why I don't come to NBRA - I race primarily SO & J categories with my family, for me the lower class weights hurt, I already run overweight in my CSR at APBA, even though I seem to do alright by coming into an NBRA event and giving up even more it hurts. I think (not positive so please correct me) that NBRA doesn't run much in the way of SO classes, so if I had to run my CSR against a C Mod and the weight is lower I would never stand a chance. This is coupled with the fact that NBRA does not run the small classes is why I do not attend. I have no where to run my ASR or AXR. I was at the Pineville race as well and Becky ran her Mercury (not sure if it was JH or AXH) against Braxton in his restricted 20SSH, it was a reasonable comparable race speed wise but the holes that Yamato left were terrible for the smaller Merc boats. We would not do it again just due to that. Again just my reasons.

I think concessions need to be made on both sides, if we could get together and make a list of what each side "has to have" then we would head in the right direction. NBRA seems to have an excellent thing going (not talking the money aspect) with some of the classes in your program, so from the outside it looks like you can bring something to the table that we should look at!

I tried several times in the past to talk about this with some of the leaders of NBRA and never got much of a response, maybe now the times have changed and its worth discussing?

[johnml390]

Keith thanks for correcting me on how NBRA was formed, but I still have the same question, what would it take to get us back together as one? Larry M says that 90% of the rules are the same, I do know that Rick & Brandon Miller come over to APBA events and do very well in both the Stock & MO Categories, so what do we do? I know Charlie very well, he is a great guy and has boat racing in his heart if we need a middle man I'm sure we can ask him to help.

I will tell you that the APBA BoD is talking about why we lose members to other organizations, we don't have the answers yet and need information like this so we can figure out how to fix it. Perhaps Leonard's idea is a good start, maybe it can be looked at again for say the WinterNationals into the future as a starting point??

I will share why I don't come to NBRA - I race primarily SO & J categories with my family, for me the lower class weights hurt, I already run overweight in my CSR at APBA, even though I seem to do alright by coming into an NBRA event and giving up even more it hurts. I think (not positive so please correct me) that NBRA doesn't run much in the way of SO classes, so if I had to run my CSR against a C Mod and the weight is lower I would never stand a chance. This is coupled with the fact that NBRA does not run the small classes is why I do not attend. I have no where to run my ASR or AXR. I was at the Pineville race as well and Becky ran her Mercury (not sure if it was JH or AXH) against Braxton in his restricted 20SSH, it was a reasonable comparable race speed wise but the holes that Yamato left were terrible for the smaller Merc boats. We would not do it again just due to that. Again just my reasons.

I think concessions need to be made on both sides, if we could get together and make a list of what each side "has to have" then we would head in the right direction. NBRA seems to have an excellent thing going (not talking the money aspect) with some of the classes in your program, so from the outside it looks like you can bring something to the table that we should look at!

I tried several times in the past to talk about this with some of the leaders of NBRA and never got much of a response, maybe now the times have changed and its worth discussing?

Your CSR is a legal NBRA B Runabout AND C Runabout (Running under B Runabout rules). The smaller runabout classes over the years have lost a great number of participants is why you hardly see anything from them in NBRA anymore. They are slowly starting to come back a bit it seems from what this year showed as far as interest and registrations for them. The weights would be a great deal lighter than in APBA so I can understand your view totally. The lower weights are really the only reason some of the drivers in NBRA are even able to make the classes happen without having to buy a brand new boat for it. But all can be changed by a vote if ever brought to a ballot.

I do wish that NBRA would add an APBA ASH & ASR equivalent to our class structure. Following the same rules as the current APBA classes for each. We have 15 total classes. 17 classes wouldn't hurt us at all and would encourage much more cross-over... in my eyes at least. (This idea was sent to the National Meeting years ago from me but never made any head way. Might be something to think about for this year's meeting.) Could call these two classes ASH & ASR, and change our current A Class titles to AMH & AMR. (Or something along those lines.) Just an idea.

Stock classes are strong in NBRA. The thing to remember is that MANY of the classes we run are a combination of Stock and Modified engines. Main ones being our A Hydro, C Stock Hydro, and D Hydro. Aside from the unrestricted stock 15HP engines.. There is likely a place for any of the APBA Stock and Modified engines.

If you (or anyone for that matter) or anyone ever has any questions... I would be more than happy to help you out. If I do not know the answer to what you ask.. I will do my best to find someone who does and get you the information that you seek.

[johnml390]

I am in very big favor of this idea of a joint effort between NBRA and APBA. Both do great things for boat racing. If the scheduling of such an event were to work out I would do everything in my power to be able to support the event no matter where at in the country it was.