New Race Season Format?...

[MGallagher]

Bill-Experience is just stubbornness covered up with information. LOL! It's the same stubborn person, but now they have the information to back up there stubbornness.

I understand that there is a lot of experience that can be utilized in this sport, I've been around it all my life, however there are a lot of new factors to take in to account when implementing new rules and changes.

For instance, there is a vast amount of other extreme sports/hobbies, with more exposure and ACCESS-ABILITY , offered now a days than in the days when we had 400 ASR at a nationals.

Respectfully,

[Dave M]

Think About It

The only thing we have changed in the last 40 years is the number of classes offered in each category. Where is the membership 40 years ago verses today ? Something needs to change.

I flip on the boop tube and can watch a $100,000.00 to win hot dog eating contest for crying out loud. But I can only see a boat race maybe a few times a year.

There is a show on I think either the Mens Channel, Outdoor Channel of Loutdoor Life Network called Grass Roots racing. It is usually motocross racing at a local level with some decent prize money. Not great money, but some. It is usually in CA somewhere. Maybe we should have someone experienced in marketing contact them about doing a show for us ?

Another point that might help, someone needs to put an ad in a bunch of magazines that our target group reads. Offer up complete packages turn key, including everything from prop to helmet. Perhaps some boat builders will step up to the plate on that. I am not talking about Powerboat Magazine or anything boating. Put it in Car Magazine, Popluar Mechanics, Outdoor Life, Field & Stream, just to name a few. Perhaps our ads in there will attract some sponsors as well.......

Now then, I also feel we need to change the way sport is right now. We need boats to race on big water and also calm water. We could go to so many venues if our boats could handle it.

Just some more food for thought. It takes more than one person or one club to step up to the plate.........

[csh2z]

And your contribution to this effort is........? I'm not trying to pick on you Dave, but none of us have stepped up to do the work. Every member is, or should be responsible to put forth this effort. We all know what needs to be done. The ideas have been espoused for years. I believe that if we are to grow, it must be through local boat racing. In order to convince a potential new member to buy into this sport, he has to have enough races within a reasonable distance from home (2 hrs.?) to make his investment worth the effort. We should be able to race at least every 2 or 3 weeks without having to drive for hours and hours. The more races you have in a small radius, the better your chances are to grow the sport. Some of the other things that have been stumbling blocks are: 1) New equipment (motors) must be readily available. The only classes we as a group should be promoting to new members are classes with motors available, steering someone into a dead class is the wrong thing to do. 2) We don't advertise in the local media enough. Most potential new drivers start out as a spectator. If they don't know you exist, they won't be at your local race. Along those same lines, once you get them there they must be invited into the sport either by offering rides or having a booth set up with information, brochures, APBA apparel, schedules etc. Something, so at the end of the day they are not empty handed, confused or felt like an outsider. It is a lot of work. If everybody pitches in and does their share we all may see a little progress. Organize your clubs to refocus on some of these things and follow through and it will pay-off.

[ryan_4z]

...does there share...

It's their, not there.

[csh2z]

Ryan, Get out in the shop and do some WORK!

[HRTV]

And your contribution to this effort is........? I'm not trying to pick on you Dave, but none of us have stepped up to do the work. Every member is, or should be responsible to put forth this effort. We all know what needs to be done. The ideas have been espoused for years. I believe that if we are to grow, it must be through local boat racing. In order to convince a potential new member to buy into this sport, he has to have enough races within a reasonable distance from home (2 hrs.?) to make his investment worth the effort. We should be able to race at least every 2 or 3 weeks without having to drive for hours and hours. The more races you have in a small radius, the better your chances are to grow the sport. Some of the other things that have been stumbling blocks are: 1) New equipment (motors) must be readily available. The only classes we as a group should be promoting to new members are classes with motors available, steering someone into a dead class is the wrong thing to do. 2) We don't advertise in the local media enough. Most potential new drivers start out as a spectator. If they don't know you exist, they won't be at your local race. Along those same lines, once you get them there they must be invited into the sport either by offering rides or having a booth set up with information, brochures, APBA apparel, schedules etc. Something, so at the end of the day they are not empty handed, confused or felt like an outsider. It is a lot of work. If everybody pitches in and does their share we all may see a little progress. Organize your clubs to refocus on some of these things and follow through and it will pay-off.

John, Dave and all the sport needs a full time professional promoter the members cannot do it plain and simple. Putting up a small folding table with one broken leg and a few flyers scattered on it will never bring in new members. The sport needs a professional marketing firm to do a complete make over from top to bottom then and only then folks might take notice until then trust me it will not happen this is not a negative post but a fact like it or not. I have said it a millions times and will say it until Im blue in the face, shut down the APBA main office sell the rights to a private investor and watch that sucker take off!

[HRTV]

http://www.sportslinkscentral.com/Sp..._marketing.htm

[dholt]

Bravo!

Dan,

That is the greatest post ever written on Hydroracer.

Absolutely dead nuts true.

[BP125V]

Maybe Dan is right

And what if he is? How do we get from here to there? I honestly don't know, that is why I am asking. Someone within the sport has to take ownership of the transition and make it happen. What categories would make this change? All or just a few? Who has the plan and who runs the plan? What will it cost? What are the expected outcomes? What is Plan B if it does not work fast enough and we run out of money? There are a million questions to be answered, it would be good if those proposing such a drastic make over for the sport would get together and start forming some sort of outline or road map for the transition and present it to the racers. Or maybe they could run for commissioner and get elected category chair and implement it.

It is easy to have all of the answers when you have none of the responsibility.

I'm not opposed to Dan's idea, I just want to understand it better before I buy into it.


Bill

PS - Maybe Dan's idea can be done with one club or region first. Use them as a test bed and learn some lessons and then expand it nationally. Pick a club or region that needs a lot of help and see what can be done. The proof is in the pudding.

[csh2z]

The Stock Outboard Steering Committee has as one of it's goals the promotion and marketing of the sport. But we have to clean up our program first. I believe the initial plan that we introduced has been mostly well received, certainly we have plenty left to do. There is no better time than the present for our promotional committee to step up and look into these possibilities. I do believe the efforts must be put forth Regionally but I think it would have to be started in a region that is currently very active. Whoever we would hire to promote Stock Outboard races needs something to work with, they'll need some early success to build off of. Then as they figure out what works both by creating new race sights and/or bringing in new membership, it can be expanded to the weaker areas. It also would begin to generate income to cover the potential initial losses as the program expands to other areas.

[HRTV]

John I was wondering does anyone on the promotion committee belong to the National Sports Marketing Network (NSMN) this is a great organization which you guys should all be members of or at least the key people on the committee should try to join.

http://www.sportsmarketingnetwork.com/index.shtml

SBM is another fine organization you guys might look into.

http://www.sportsbrandedmedia.com/index.htm

[csh2z]

Thanks Dan, I'll look into it.

[jimmy112j]

Hey guys just look at nascar! And what bill and brian france did to promote it.

[HRTV]

Hey guys just look at nascar! And what bill and brian france did to promote it.

Nascar is great but you don't have to think that big just look at the smaller sports like BMX which draws huge crowds of participants and spectators every weekend all over the country. Stock Outboard racing will never be Nascar and many folks get angry when that analogy is used and rightly so but its pretty sad when paint ball fights and hot dog eating contest get more coverage. Its all about marketing branding and promotion which has never been done.

[Dr. Thunder]

<snip> ... Its all about marketing branding and promotion which has never been done.

Suffice to say ... not done effectively!