J Testing at Zanesville?

[MGallagher]

Someone please clarify why this happened. It seems that on Thursday of this week J drivers that were in attendance at the Zanesville J North American Championship were given the entire day to test all the J props that were at the race. That decision raises a lot of questions. 1:What was the point? 2:Were the drivers allowed to keep the prop they felt worked best? 3:Were there problems with the J props? 4: Was this to see that everyone could plane off 5: If so, why the entire day? 6: Were the J drivers in fact, allowed access to all the props? 7:Who was in charge of the props?

Just a couple of questions to start. Hopefully someone will get wind of this at the pits and address it before the weekend is over.

Lastly, the main reason I am concerned with such a peculiar decision is that the J Chairmen and the Stock Chairmen were both in attendance.

I am sure there is a reasonable explanation for this but it just seems to defeat the purpose of the J prop program if we allow these type of testing sessions at our races.

[csh12M]

Why not?

Matt, why not? What is the issue? I was not thier so do not know what happend. However, you seem to have a big issue with it. I am guessing they let it happen because all of the props are the same. The race committee probably let people take a prop to insure they could plane. I am sure they did not let one person test through the whole box? Even if they did what would that person gain if they collected all those props back and randomly redrew for them? I do not see any harm in it, or reason to imply any impropriety. If you did not let them test the props and they can not plane the rig, what do you do? DQ them? How many times do you redflag the heat before you do that? I say of course you let them test the props first. Then you collect them all back and redraw for the elims. Those props have been worked on for years now. They are as close to all the same as they have ever been!

What is your point?

Just my thoughts?

CSH12M

[raceboat61-S]

We scheduled 2 days of sanctioned testing for the Mod Nationals. On each day the "J's" were afforded three (3) exclusive, 30-minute periods of testing. Every driver was given two (2) "J" props to test. They were to keep them through the first days racing. Region 3 and Region 6 props were made available and were distributed and controlled by Alex Jennings. Alex told them that if they didn't like them to bring them back. None of the race committee was aware of that communication until the end of the first day's teating. Fourteen (14) drivers came to take advantage of the sanctioned testing. Only two (2) out of sixteen (16) drivers were unable to come early enough to test. After they did get there on the first morning of racing, we held up the entire Mod Nationals to give them 30 minutes of exclusive testing....and four (4) props to try. The 16-E boat used up about 15 minutes of his alloted time and promptly went out and won both heats of his/her Elimination race. Does anyone really believe there is that much difference in the "J" props?
Mike Marshall, Race Director

[raceboat61-S]

We scheduled 2 days of sanctioned testing for the Mod Nationals. On each day the "J's" were afforded three (3) exclusive, 30-minute periods of testing. Every driver was given two (2) "J" props to test. They were to keep them through the first days racing. Region 3 and Region 6 props were made available and were distributed and controlled by Alex Jennings. Alex told them that if they didn't like them to bring them back. None of the race committee was aware of that communication until the end of the first day's testing. Fourteen (14) drivers came to take advantage of the sanctioned testing. Only two (2) out of sixteen (16) drivers were unable to come early enough to test. After they did get there on the first morning of racing, we held up the entire Mod Nationals to give them 30 minutes of exclusive testing....and four (4) props to try. The 16-E boat used up about 15 minutes of his alloted time and promptly went out and won both heats of his/her Elimination race. Does anyone really believe there is that much difference in the "J" props?
Mike Marshall, Race Director

[csh12M]

Mike tell us what we really care about?

Mike who one what today? I am dying for some updates?

What happened?

CSH12M

[MGallagher]

Dean,
Save it. This is what we should really care about, the future of racing. The way I interpreted the the information might be wrong. I knew they didn't get ALL day to test, and yes I agree that J's should get a sufficient amount of time to see if they can plane off, and some time to familiarize themselves with the course. However, the lottery type system or something similar is a great way to divvy up the props. I am not attacking the great event that Mike and his club have worked very hard to put on or am I attacking Alex, I am just questioning this method of J prop testing and distribution for future large J events such as this. I believe this can promote advantage situations that are not suppose to exist with the props. They might not be VERY different, but they are different. The only work that was done to those props was aimed solely at getting them to plane off the boat and driver not to fix any potential parity.

Mike-
First, congratulations on such a great turnout at your race. Second, thank you for updating me on Dylan's situation. He did great and placed second overall in the NAC's, and I am very proud of him.

Thanks for the prompt posts guys and answering some of my questions.

[bill boyes]

Since I'am on the "J" committee I will be submitting recommendations for "Guidlines on Handling of the "J" props at the APBA 2008 Annual Meeting. We need to set up some Rules so that the Props are handled the same way at National Championhips.
I offered my help on handling the "J" props at Moses Lake and was told they had someone else to do it. So I will leave it at that.
Props should be placed in a numbered bag(paper) and the drivers draw for them. 2each. They may be exchanged if they do not plane off. There are really no rules on handling the Props. So some Race Committees are doing what they think is best. There is a rule of not marking the Props. Yet I have seen paint on them. Looks like the lock nut was painted and paint got on the Prop. Props must be removed at inspection after finals.
I have more but will save it for the Annual meeting. Nothing we cannot live with.

[pruett56m]

props

mike..some people may think that the J props are the exactly the same.. but as my experience as a J driver some of the props were better then others.

[bill boyes]

Are you speaking of the 2 blades or the 3 blades? I think out of eighty (I think thats what we have) they all very close. I guess if we do not test them all on the same rig and driver we will really never know.

[ddh]

Not all teams were not afforded or were aware of (Bring them back till you find a good one).Come on guys, I like what you have done with the J prop program but this needs fixed now.

[bill boyes]

Well. I agree with you. It does need to be fixed ASAP. We cannot allow cherry picking of props. A neutral party needs to be the one who handles the "J" props at National events. I suggest a member of the 'J" Committee to assist. Like I said ea driver draws 2 propellers. May be exchanged if it will not plan off. We should observe the testing to insure only those who cannot plane off may exchange.

[wdlong1226]

idea

we used to put two in paper bags like lunch bags kid picks a bag and unless they didnt plane off they were theirs for the weekend

[Big Don]

Several years ago APBA asked us to test one of the regions props. They were told that there was huge differences in the props. We tested all 12 that were in the box and they all ran within .3 MPH. One of then was harder to plane than the rest and you could see that it either hit something or someone was trying to play prop man in the pits. I believe they pulled that one out and sent it back to Dewald after the season. The .3 difference....who knows maybe we didn't make the same run, maybe the water changed slightly, maybe the GPS didn't update fast enough... but in our opinion on that set of props they were all very close. We have found that if your engine is weaker they will struggle to get on plane at times and certain brands of boats make a difference.

One year at the Nationals a J father brought back his 2 props and told the person that was handing them out that, they were both way off and hard to plane. We were asked if Donny could take a run with both of them. They both ran the same speed as the ones we had. Not sure if it was an engine issues or just a dad trying to find one that was better.

In region 7 we make them pull them at random or the person handing them out just hands them one. No cherry picking!!!!

[bill boyes]

we used to put two in paper bags like lunch bags kid picks a bag and unless they didnt plane off they were theirs for the weekend

Yes that is what needs to be done.

[14-H]

Unbelievable

I don't know where this stuff comes from. Cherry-picking props? How can there be any cherry-picking if you have to give them back after testing and then get a random one for JHydro, give that one back and get a random one for JRun?