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I would be available you help any new J racer get started here in Northern Calif.
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bill b -
Would it be fair to say there is to much choice, to many classes to chose from, and as one post put it not allot of long term life left in them.
Would it be fair to make the following statements and ask for agreement on them being
1. true
2. the basis for what S.O. was in the begining, and should be in the future
Statement number one
Stock outboard is comprised of two types of hulls
1 hydroplane
2 runabout
Statement number two
Stock out board should have classes that give a person a place to race an entry level class, an intermediate level class, and a advanced level class in both typs of hulls. The following should be guidline those classes
1. Not based on a particular motor but on a CC or speed
2. May have several intermediate classes due to the fact that one class may have a higher minimum wheight for larger drivers to be competitive
3. Drivers should not be allowed to race in a advanced level class until they show the ability to do so by racing in a intermediate level class for not less than one racing season
Statement number three
The stock outboard commision should due everything in their power to aprove motors for classes that fit the class criteria, not who builds them or who does not whant to compete against who as far as motor manufactures go.
is it fair to say that these statements are true, and do they meet the consessis of all memeberrs of stock outboardComment
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Sell Sell Sell
Stock Outboard racing is the best kept secret in the US. And when we get someone to a race it is confusing, more time between heats than the actual heats. Silver motors run in classes all about the same speed someitmes on the same boat. OMC's run in 6 classes 17 classes? Who could keep them staright. A whole bunch of classes dilutung our driver pool..
It is time for the exisiting racers to look at what we do and make some moves for the future of our sport. Shorten our day make the event marketable.
This is where John Runne's call for a plan comes in. With motor availabilty looking optimistic we should look at phasing out classes that are diluting our driver pool. We absolutely need the novice classes. Medium weight drivers, heavy drivers and maybe a class for them to meet in the middle. so 5 Classes hydro and runabout? 10 Total. Then we can run longer heats (more laps) or just more heats, pro scoring best of three? More format for my one class would be better than lobbying for the second class that should be obsolete to get more water time.Comment
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Originally posted by reed28n
Scott-
Your smarted than I thought
I think the pro format is the most marketable program of the kneeldowns. Less but stronger classes. You shouldn't have to invest in 3-4 classes in order to get water time. For an outsider the expense is not justifiable. What if you ran one class, had an hour of test time each weekend, and were able to run three heats a day. You can sell this.
Membership growth at the local level and new race sites is important but it won't happen overnight. In the mean time how do you retain the one or two new guys each year with what we have. Let me put myself in their shoes. Drive 3-5 hours on average to race each weekend, spend $50.00 - $100.00 on gas, $50.00 on registration, maybe a hotel at $150.00-$200.00, chance being blown out, and get six laps of water time each day. Sign me up!
In order to grow membership we need to offer a more attractive program. Guys like us will always show up, we were born with the disease. Let's start looking at our sport form the perspective of an outsider.
Troy GladkowskiComment
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i am with troy
i hear ya troy lolJohnny Wlodarski III
24JComment
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Originally posted by j hydro racer
Get off the internet and get back to studing. Do I have to call your parents?Comment
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heyyy
i did all my home work and study for my tests i am done
we'll settle this a other time .. 
Johnny Wlodarski III
24JComment
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troy you have a good point. Being my first year just to get my time i run my 20hydro in bmod also. I remember my first race i didn't know i could do that and by mid-day i wanted to get back out there to run some more. It's weird hearing my dad speak of the old days back in the 70's have a great turn out and a crap load of races going on each weekend and all you had to do was pick a city you wanted to travel to. I am trying to get my friends into and doing my all to talk about it. I think we need some big city races to attract a great crowd but it's hard to do because how many raceable lakes are around big cities. If we where to cut classes to bring more heats in racing i can only see that some people are going to get mad they just have to understand that we are not trying to single them out but move forward.I think we need to pound on the doors of all the big market boat engine builders and get the fued going again to bring out better and better engines every year.I wanted to race an american motor i want to here a full pack of mercury's in d. I would love to go to the nationals and see 900 boats along the shore but i also know that is a big goal that will take a long time. We need advertising and t.v. time slots and sponser's in all different markets.We need stock to be and out of the box ready to go racing.quote my dad. I find it hard that if i buy a new 302 that i would have to send it out and get blue printed to be close to everyone else. If stock would have stayed true to that i feel that it might be a closer race from first to last. And people wouldn't get pissed about always coming in last because they can afford to get the engine work and quit. This is a family sport. I am a forth generation racer and it's in my blood. I want to try to get a spot at are local boat show in cleveland just to get the word out and try to get new members. Can you imagine that if one person set out to link up with some that wants to race and juts work with them to get them into a boat. It might not be over night growth but it would be a pretty big jump up.MJR Composites racing...cleveland divisionComment
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I am not trying to pry. But, AOF has tripled it's membership in the last three years. The officers of AOF worked on a plan to grow our organization and it worked. There should be NO competition between APBA and AOF. That being said, I am sure that if anyone wanted to sit down with some AOF officers to discuss why we were successful, we would be more than willing to help.
ConnieComment
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Who are the new members? Returning Racers, transplants from APBA.
Numbers can be deceiving. If the numbers reflect new people to the game than you've done a great job. Based on what I see out there I question a three fold growth.
Troy GladkowskiComment
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Kneel down boat racing
Most of the racers on this site are kneel down or laydown racers. Afer the AOF split 99% of the knell down racers thru the mid west is now runing NBRA. I'm talking about Texas, Louisiana,Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, parts of Illinois and Iowa. If there was a good AOF race in any of the midwest area we would run with them but there wasn't any zero. The way AOF has grown is that they will saction a race where anything can run Pros, Mods, Stocks, Flatbotoms, Bumper boats etc. This is where the numbers come in and this is fine if that is what the organization wants.
Larry McAfeeComment
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lots of good suggestions, and ideas
One more idea to help grow the sport-
It would be good if we could develop a site where we (the boat racing community) controlled the water.
Example: Here in NewBern NC we have a quarry that was flooded, and is currently not being used for anything as far as I know. With a little work, and some amount of money, this quarry could be turned into an every weekend location large enough to run all outboard classes, and some inboard classes. With a little vision, and money (it always comes back to the money) we could have a course,track, that would have some form of boat racing every weekend. I believe that would attract lots of local interest, increase participation, give sponsors a place to receive benefit of their investment weekend after weekend. This location could also develop a "pro shop" for racers and beginners to buy gear. Snack bars, grand stands, admission for shows, just like the asphalt tracks currently enjoy.
"I have a dream"
Just one crazy idea I was playing with.
Dennis 21Z
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Originally posted by HYDRO21Z
Not completely crazy if we had regional locations. Regions could than pool resources and work together towards a common goal. This concept also addresses the usable and available water issue.
Travel would still be a problem for some. I would imagine you could really attack new membership. It's similar to the go-cart model.Last edited by 14J; 09-22-2006, 10:18 AM.Comment
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I've always dreamed about something like this... buy some acherage, dig it out 8' and go racing... haha. If you had 150 drivers within a couple hours and each of you put in $2000 you'd have $300,000 to get it well started... I'd put in $2000 if I had a place to race every weekend. No idea what it would cost... but to get the basic must be feasable with a driver pool big enough. haha.
You could open it for fishing during the week, or could alternate jet ski racing and outboard racing evey other weekend to get more drivers/clubs involved.
Maybe some racer will win a lottery some day and do it!
Last edited by Andrew 4CE; 09-22-2006, 10:30 AM.Fralick Racing
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The AOF clubs are very fired up this year. Each and every AOF club has brought in NEW TO THE SPORT drivers. It will be hard to choose a rookie of the year this year because there are so many.
In addition, AOF has focused on the wildcat or independent race clubs. Contrary to what you think, there are many races going on out there that are not sanctioned by any organization. We have pinpointed them with a lot of success due to the AOF insurance policy being very cost effective. Some of these clubs refuse to be affiliated with a national organization that gives them a lot of restraints. That also fits into the AOF scheme which is to allow sanctity among the union. Just last week end there was an AOF race in Indiana. The club in Indiana runs one race a year and wants no part of a national rulebook. By befriending them, who knows, maybe next year they will run two...
We have another club in North Carolina that also wants to remain to themselves. They have put on 4 races this year. Once they feel more comfortable, maybe they will start inviting you.
And yes, AOF does run stock/mod/pro/drag/ and anything else that floats. However, usually these are sanctioned so that several of the divisions run together. It is not uncommon to see a stock/mod/pro and say a flatbottom class all run on the same day. There is no hassle about crossover divisions as there is only one basic set of rules for everyone. The classes run are not 20-30 but more like 10. Usually what is indiginous to the area.
And yes, there are some races sanctioned by both APBA and AOF. There is no arm twisting to get anyone to join AOF at these races. Many do it because AOF has some prestigious high point awards and gives a lot of warm fuzzys to win them.
Add to it the fact that AOF gives all of our money away each year, either to a charity or to the clubs to recruit new members and sites, so many want to join just for those reasons.
As far as the Midwest goes, all of the AOF races except for the one in Indiana were co sanctioned with APBA, and there were many. There really isn't a need to build a strong AOF only club in the Midwest because the Midwest racing is pretty healthy the way it is. There are lots of choices already for racers in the Midwest. Why dilute a good thing? AOF will work on new racers and converts from other divisions to our kneeldown classes through exposure.
The dual affiliated clubs did also grow. AOF worked hard to get everyone to realize that AOF is not trying to take over the world of boat racing. We are number two and that is ok. Most clubs are also realizing that is is also ok to put on an AOF race at $60 sanction and $200 insurance, if for nothing else than to make enough money to sanction a super great APBA race, or better yet, TWO great APBA races.
AOF is not better and does not have all of the answers. The facts ARE, though, that we have grown after a big loss with the NBRA split. The organization is stronger than it was before. That is not by my doing, but by some really great people in charge, like Mike Sattler, Kevin Martin, Howie Pickerall, Rod Black, Tony Staron, Marshall Eldredge, Eric Petersen, Russ Bircher and so many more. Whenever I see success, I sure want to know how to emulate it.
ConnieComment
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