NBRA WEST/EAST

[deeougee]

Has there been any thought of possibly forming a West and East Region within NBRA? Just wondering what direction NBRA may go in the future. Right now it's a long trip to go west for most of the races. The way I see it, you could have 2 regions, come together for the long and short course nationals to crown the king of the hill for each class. Any thoughts out there?

[Hydro doc]

As APBA struggles with motor height, NBRA has no cool tool, because they do not have a height rule. This will prevent the 321 from being used because it still does not cool at 3/4 inch and thus it is not competitive. NBRA allows any height that you can run and the same size intake hole as APBA. I think that the cool tool will have to be used if you are using the 321.

[deeougee]

APBA struggles with a lot of things. Most of all changing with the times. They don't always do what is best for the whole group. There are reason's why you see groups breaking away, OPC, NBRA (stock/mod outboard), USTS (pro outboard), HRL (inboard), etc. Look at H1, they are floundering. Why? Because they don't want to change. It starts with the product you put on the water. Carrying on with a convoluted class structure affects future investment on my part and affects potential investment from new people at the grassroots level. See stock outboard is the grassroots of boat racing and where it begins for a lot of new people. The whole 20, C debate is a real turn off at this point. I currently run the Y80 but I'm an advocate for change and will willingly reinvest under the right circumstances. I look at racing as a business decision and its not an asset but a liability which means my boat is not making me any money but I want to minimize my losses. I also understand the connection between stock and the other divisions of boat racing because some of us use stock as a stepping stone to other divisions. The folks over at NBRA understand the climate of racing. Some will beg to differ but you can't tell me that all is good with APBA. It's been on a steady decline now for at least 15 years, lots of hidden agendas and politics and not necessarily at the stock level. I have spoke at length about this on hydropage.

[Big Don]

Didn't HRL break away from CBF? Just don't want to confuse the masses.

[deeougee]

Here's the history on HRL. Before HRL it was known as the ACHA (American Canadian Hydroplane Association) and before the ACHA inboard racing fell under the CBF / APBA inboard umbrella. Well folks affiliated with Hydroplane Quebec and the Valleyfield regatta were tired of the tail (APBA) wagging the dog. They were running with different technical rules on some of the classes and weren't going to bend to the APBA rules. So since they had all they money they formed ACHA, bought up a bunch of boats and leased them out and rewrote how inboard racing was going to be conducted from then forward. They implemented class boat number limits and basically shut APBA and American racers out of the program. It has been on an invitation only basis. You simply can't show up at a HRL race and participate. You have to be a part of the club! If you are in the bottom 5 in any given year in a class you can count on your participation and performance to be under review and you may be replaced by someone else. They still operate under the CBF umbrella because I see the inboard yearly driver form on the CBF site. That's it in a nutshell. I touched on this over on hydropage.com this week or last.

[Big Don]

Hey deeougee, do you mind sharing who you are?

[deeougee]

Hi Don. Doug Andrews here. Live in Cottam Ontario now, use to live in Stoney Point just down the road from Butch and Debbie Ott. Been around the boat racing game since I was 13 and I'm 48 now, so 35 years. Started out being a fan of the unlimited hydroplanes and saw my first race in Detroit back in 1981. The only time I ever got to see Bill Muncey race. Played with the RC scale unlimiteds til 1985 and picked up a propeller magazine at the pits in Detroit and discovered there were other divisions in boat racing. Needless to say stock outboard was of great interest to me. My dad took me to my first stock outboard race in 1986 at GrassLake. The following year I bought a 20 outfit with the money I saved up until then, that was right here in my area. As luck would have it, turned out the motor was Bill Bolton's and he had purchased it from Dick Fickett and it was one that he or Micky had raced. It is the best Y80 that I have ever seen and I still have it to this day. Mind you, I can build them up pretty close to that engine. My mentors were Brian Lancaster and the late Larry Solski. They learned from Bud Parker. Anyone who has been in the game for years would know both of those characters. Brian built a lot of motors that won C,D and E mod nationals for people. So, I know just enough to be dangerous. Play on the fringes, once in a while someone will call who wants to go fast. I tell them, well I just might be able to help out. I've met and talked to a lot of people over the years and have learned a lot and have a lot of story's to share. Have seen nearly every class of boat that floats on the water. My user name on hydropage.com is Mr. Yamato. There's a story behind that too........lol Pm me with your number Don if you want to talk on the phone.

[DeanFHobart]

In general, boat racing struggles because it is not promoted. Especially APBA does not promote Boat Racing. I think they feel it should be done at the local level. One reason I have heard that they don't, is that it is not in the budget.

I think some of the other groups do a good job for their races.

But what I am talking about is promotion to the general public. Many times that I meet someone new and talk about "things", I will take a picture out of my wallet and show them this is what I do for fun. Most have never heard or seen anything like it.

This year in Seattle, it was the first year the Unlimited Seafair Race was not on TV. Ever since the 1950's when the Gold Cup came to Seattle on Lake Washington the Boat Race was on TV... Broadcast all day long from the Stan Sayers Pits.

This subject needs a lot more attention. Years ago as if I remember, APBA hired a person to " do promotion" but not much became of it.

Again, this subject needs more attention.