Plight of the Bumbled D

[YankeeRacing]

..Also as an outsider looking in. I would like to know about the Parity Committee. What exactly is their job? Can they pull the plug immediately on the Tohatsu? Say, for instance, if in Pineville it had blown everyone away?
It was agreed that Brian has confidence in them, but could they not have had any jurisdiction to pull if and when the engine overtakes?
Just wondering.
Connie

[14-H]

Rule Change Procedure

Warbie: you're wrong. Read the Rule change procedure in the ByLaws. Only in Mod do class technical rules go to the members. Ed.

[Richard K.C. Mo.]

Stock is dead, is stock dead?

As in merc stock seems to be a dead issue, i can't wait to go to a Outboard race and see one, i mean without having to see one class having to carry the other. I think format style racing should be looked at. OPINION.
RichardKCMo

[daveracerdsh]

DSH Mess

Good post Brian. We obviously disagree on the subject matter, but I do appreciate the points you make and the way you presented them. I suppose I am aiming this post (maybe aiming is the wrong word) at you and Steve Johnson First off, the testing done with the Tohatsu was not done in secret by any means.... Brian, for any sport to survive, new members have to be able to purchase equipment. whether it be in carts, Car racing, motorcycles, etc etc etc. If you have ever been to a motorcycle race, whether road or dirt, you will notice there is not a single racer running a 15 year old bike....all of them are running new or nearly new equipment. Yes, there are venues for older stuff...some Forumula Ford drivers are running 10 year old chassis, but the motors they run are aviailble at the local Ford dealership. I had a chance to chat with one of the drivers at a local gas station...he was stunned when I told him I purchased my 44XS in 1988. To continue...The DSH class is essentialy dead at this point...We had how many registered drivers last year....40 something? And some of those people only raced once or twice..I would venture a geuss that there was only 20 people nationaly that ran all year long..say over 10 races. Brian, you say that 30 D drivers were polled and wanted to essentialy put DSH into the mod catagory...Not one Region 10 driver was called, e mailed, send a message by carrior pigeon, etc. Do we not count for anything out here? Anyway....there was a large DSH class when the Merc challenge series was happening..I know, cause I won the thing one year and won a fair amount of money...What did I do with it? Of course, I went out and bought a backup 44XS, as I had a feeling that Mercury was going to pull the plug on stock racing in a few years..which they did. (1993 I think) I think you can put a direct correlation between the decline in the class and the fact that people cant, or couldnt for a number of years..buy a motor. At one point, we had several people in the area (region 10) that wanted to run DSH, but even with my help, a 20 year DSH driver, could not locate a motor. Several of them went on to run other classes, some have gone onto other sports, such as cart racing, where you can walk into a shop and roll out one hour later with a complete outfit and go racing the same day. Even with new motors aviailible for sale, such as the Yamato 302 and the Mercury A, we are at a huge disadvantage in hydro racing......you cant walk into a store or shop and buy a complete outfit...You have to go one place to buy a motor, another place to buy a boat, which may not be new, another place to buy safety stuff, the list goes on and on and on. I think one post says they would find it hard to beleive that anybody could disagree with what you say..well..I sure do. How is DSH going to grow when people cant get a new motor? I have been promoting Dave Scotts 44XS equally with the Tohatsu...I have tried to be as impartial as possible. However, when I went to introduce myself to Dave, he showed me one of his motors...it was a block from 1983...I know that he does a great job of putting the thing together, but again the block is well over 20 years old. So..where does this leave us in the long run. Do we continue to throw increasingly older and more fragile motors out there...or do we let new motors into the fold? My motor is now .030 over...what do I do when I throw ANOTHER rod thru the front case? Scavange junkyards for a junker block? I get tired of doing that..trust me. Like I have said in the past...for any sport to grow, does not matter what venue, you HAVE to bring in new members...Yah, I know you have a ton of money into youre rig...I can only geuss the amount. (actually, I dont want to know) But, maybe you have a solution to increase membership in the class...Instead of *****ing about the new motor..how bout buying one and going out and blowing everybodys doors off? Honestly..how many years can Mr Scott produce his motor? And again, the technology is going on 50 years old on the thing...are we all that afraid to bring in something new? I do agree on one point though..I feel that the SORC could have done a better job of bringing in the Tohatsu to the class..however, I do feel that we are doing the best thing for the class and the sport as a whole. If you or one of youre friends were to buy one and go out and beat me, I would be the first person to walk over and say good job, you buy the drinks in the bar tonite. Honestly, if we are all going to be totaly closed minded on anything new in this sport, we are not going to survive long. Yah, there will be some form of stock racing, but if I had a crystal ball I would bet that it will dwindle down to nothing in the next 20 years..who knows. That all being said...we have several people in the area that want to race DSH...possibly with the Tohatsu. What do I tell them...dont buy a motor because you will not have a place to run it? Or that if you do buy it, you have to run with the Formula E clas or something? What do I do? Maybe I should just tell them to forget boat racing and go run carts etc..but thats not something I am willing to do at this point. As far as the boycott goes..I have to say that was the low point of my racing career bar non. If somebody would have told me that ALL of the entries in DSH came from one trailer on sunday I would have called then a bald faced liar...I was so dissapointed, especially after spending close to $3000 to attend the race, to have to run around like an idiot Sunday morning trying to find a boat and motor and driver so we could have a class...Honestly...I felt like I was kicked in the kahunas...Brian..all you had to do was make a post in hydroracer saying that there would not be anybody other then west coast guys running the class at Pineville....we, Russ Bircher included, who by the way blew his truck up driving home, to the tune of 52K..would have stayed home and spent the money on something else. like new props or food or something. In any event....boycots in my sometimes pea brained mind hurt everybody...the person or group being boycotted, the people doing the boycot, and so on down the line....I was actually looking forward to racing this year...but with this going on...who knows. Like I have said in the past...there are other racing venues that sure look attractive... Hope everyboyd has a safe summer. Racer Dave 56R

[daveracerdsh]

one more thing.

I am also a member of the parity committe...I did not ask to be part of it...I was appointed. Do people have a problem with me on the committee? If anybody thinks I am not impartial, I will be happy to have Ed replace me with somebody else..

[daveracerdsh]

one more thing

Something I forgot to mention. I think Ryan Runne mentioned that there were problems bringing in the Yamato 302 into the C class a few years ago. Where would CSH be without the 102 and the still availible 302? How many drivers would we have in CSH if the only motor availible was the Mark 30H? Also, what other classes do the 102 and the 302 run in...Hmmm...OSY 400, CMH, etc etc on down the line. Where would stock racing, and outboard racing be in general without those motors around? Look down the beach next time you are at a race, and count the number of Yamatos you see, then look around and count the number of 30H Mercurys you see.....Also. the Yamato guru in Seattle tells me that the center main bearing are NLA, so that being said, I am going to assume that the 102 is at some point is going by the wayside. If the C drivers want to use the same logic that the D drivers are useing..where does that leave us...without any motors to run in the class. Sure seems simple to me...

[Steve Johnson]

Low Points

Dave,
I'd have to say a very close low point was having seen that photo of you in a dress. And where did you get those shoes? Jeez....

[Steve Warnock]

Striking Outfit

I think it came from the Klinger Kollection on MASH!!

Warbs

[dg22]

A new guys perspective

I'm just getting into the sport and I just don't get it. I'm a Merc guy but I'm very surprised the 45SS was not accepted way back and now the Tohatsu. Where is the competitive spirit. Maybe Mercury would still be involved if other major manufactures were involved. From a spectators view, it is much more interesting to watch a race with different manufactures participating. Today, we need to support guys like Dave Scott, Neil Bass, and any others and keep things going.

Dave G

[nbass]

Sid is the builder, not Neil

I have only two things to emphasize. First, my brother Sid is the artist that makes all the nice racing equipment. I provide technical engineering assistance, a little marketing, and EPA and Environment Canada coordination. Please do not give me any of the machinist art credit. Second, Sid has lost money over this venture, so I doubt there will ever be another complete racing machine available at the price.
Neil Bass

[DeanFHobart]

Well Said Dave...

To All:

I agree with Dave and what he says. I raced KG4's and MK15's for 25 years.
I couldn't wait to get the new OMC A... got one right away.

Let's just race and have fun. See you at the races.

[Rob]

dsh

i agree with Brain as i run the old 40 ci .hope to race with youall soon ,wasnt able to make winter nat. due to boat not being ready

[daveracerdsh]

Dress

That was actually not my dress (suprise) I lost a bet (yes I was trashed) And lemme tell ya...it was dang comfy. I was called 2 hung low for the rest of the weekend...Or BIG DAVE or something along those lines. And no...I was not wearing underwear and I was dang proud of it.

[J.Michael]

My opinion

I've been reading all of these posts about the Tohatsu and controversy in Alexandria. With what happened in Alexandria it sure did suck finding out everybody except region 10 was scratching DSH and hopefully it won't happen again. Yes we all ran together as a special event, but for what. We could have ran for APBA points, but it didn't happen because of the Tohatsu. I'm planning on running DSH all year and I think its geat that the Tohatsu was brought in. I wouldn't be buying another mercury if I thought the Tohatsu was going to run away with it. Isn't that what the parity committee is for. Kinda like 25ssr. They changed weights and restrictor plates for one reason. Keeping the mercs competive. Same thing will probably go for the Tohatsu. I'm sure that it will get to the point where it will be just as fast, but thats why we have a parity committee, right.. Think about it. If you were new to the sport and you wanted to run the fastest stock class wouldn't you want to buy a new motor instead of an old. Things change and thats just how it is. You either deal with it or maybe you can just sit on the beach for what ever reasons. I don't always agree with everything, but I'm a boat racer and I want to run against the best. Even if its a Tohatsu!

[J.Michael]

Oh yeah. That dress sure was sexy Dave! Thats a crazy bet gun jumper Dave!