SO/MO/PRO Nationals @ DePue

[DougMc]

Doug, Warbs had put the 125H on the sanction for Pleasant Prairie and Us Pro drivers that showed up had a good time running at a Stock race. Stop stirring the pot man.

Mark

Good luck. I hope he pulls it off. As I said, I'd show to run.

[PopPop]

DougMc. ...... He's a political advisor. Go figure.

[Richard K.C. Mo.]

What Me Worry!!!

He once told me i couldn't spell Buchanan, isn't unification what we're all abouit these days?
RichardKCMo

DougMc. ...... He's a political advisor. Go figure.

[Steve Warnock]

Very Good Conversations

To all,

I put this out because a couple leadership people in the R7 have discussed this concept for a few years.

I think the Mens club and scheduling can be worked out based on some Wakefield experience(12 Nationals since 1980). The concept is not to take anything away from the Pro format or that experience. The concept is to try to promote APBA, SO/MO/PRO, National Championships, Family,inaddition to this large Pro Tradition and promote this little town that has a great race site. The other side is to bring our racing family from the east and west coast on one time trip. Thus reducing expenses and hopefully increasing participation and competition.

I'm glad to have some positive responses on this thead as this fourm can be negative at times, which I think hurts our cause. But there is freedom of speech.

I would like to here comments from Kristi and Greaves, the Pro Leadership!

Warbs

[DrRick34-0]

I think this would be a great event. I have been to the Pro Nationals the last two years, the mod nationals the last five years, and the stock nationals the last three out of four years. DePue is a great place to race and if the Men's club could make this happen maybe with the help of others it would be the greatest event. Stocks and Mods could race Sunday thru Wednsday and Pros could race Thursday thru Saturday. Test time would probably be limited to an hour or two each morning, but if everyone knew to be prepared before they come it could happen. When you think of the addition of the beer garden they have each day, we would all think we did go to boat racing heaven.... Seems like a big task, but would be a memorable event. I vote yes even though I don't acutally have a vote.

Rick Miller
34-0

[deldredg]

Good idea. Only problem is I don't believe the Pros want to run with Stock or Mod.

Every race in Florida was this way 10 years ago and every one got along great!! It worked well. Dont you remember those days???

[DougMc]

Every race in Florida was this way 10 years ago and every one got along great!! It worked well. Dont you remember those days???

Yes I do remember and hope it happens again. So, I support the concept and wish Warbs well. I hope a lot of people have a change of heart; however, we must all respect those who differ if they want to do their own thing.

When I was a kid in the 80's I first came to Florida races with Roy Conklin, helping him set up and start. I fondly remember helping him set up his new Koeing and drying it out after he blew over at Lakeland. My first trip to Calf. was a road trip with Steve Litzel going to the UIM/Pro 700CCH World Champs - guess who won?

I had a 25SSH and 20SSH then and loved the sound and smell of the alkys. Some of the best racing I can remember was Tom Cronk and Emmet Watson battling in 20 Mod Hydro.

I like the joint races of S,M,P,OPC,SLT and watching the 2 person SLT's duke it out and the 120SST shake the beach at the start. On top of that, nothing in outboard racing beats watching Pete Voss drive his 500CCR like he stole it. I would not have the guts or skill to drive like him even at 30 mph.

I support the concept of joint APBA, AOF, NBRA races and had a ball at the 2006 joint Winter Nats in Alexandria. All races should be like that and believe all three organizations should merge.

Again, best of luck to Warbs. I hope you can pull it off. Maybe a well respected by all guy like you is just the person to make it work and set a positive example.

[kws]

I for 1 think it is a great idea! And i am not even fond of racing in that water

[Steve Warnock]

PRO's and con's

Still haven't heard from the PRO leadership.

Warbs

[Lights]

Warbs you will probably here soon. They were all at the last USTS race of the year this weekend.

Mark

[David Weaver]

AS I see it

Kool idea,

1) DePue mens club must bid on all 3
2) All 3 commisions must approve
3) Assuming 1 and 2 happen, DePue Mens club must solicit assitance from region clubs to conduct races (I would not assume that the USTS would sign-on for this)


Then hope for water in July!!

[raceright]

Why don't we just do it like AOF and have one Outboard Category? Wouldn't that make sense? I mean really: do we need three commissions of 15 people each to govern 400 racers?

We could still have subordinate bodies for the like-classes and have nationals for certain groups of classes that are not all at the same site. We could even divide up the HOC enductees amoung groups of classes.

Just seems like a lot of duplication of effort in having three bodies discuss such issues as flak material in jackets, rounded points on boats and other matters when they really affect all of us essentially the same.

Eddie; 25 - 1/2 days and counting...

Amazes me how small these thoughts are first there are over 700 members in stock mod and pro not 400,yea lets keep making our APBA smaller so soon when you mention APBA people will say hey didn't they race boats.

Ed I can see your always on it a good thing we do not meet at races.

Pat

[Tim Weber]

Hey Pat, lighten up.

I think what Ed is trying to get out is the FACT that as a whole, APBA is not all that big. Sure we have 700 racers but you may not know that the stock division at one time had over 5000 participants. We had a stock nationals at Dayton in 1973 with over 900 entries. I am sure the pro catagory was larger too.

Oh yeh, our mod catagory is really strong too. How many eliminations were at the mod nationals this year? I think I heard that DMH was it.

Yes, each catagory has their own set of issues. Working together may make just the very smallest, tiniest, sub-nuclear particle of sense. After all, having all 3 catagories agree on anything would for sure change the rotational direction of the earth and completley ruin racing as we know it if not endanger the whole human race.

It wasn't all that long ago that a good Sunday race would attract more racers than our nationals do today.

We as a whole, in my opinion, need to come together in some way.

Tim

[Dave M]

Pat - More Clear Information

Amazes me how small these thoughts are first there are over 700 members in stock mod and pro not 400,yea lets keep making our APBA smaller so soon when you mention APBA people will say hey didn't they race boats.

Ed I can see your always on it a good thing we do not meet at races.

Pat

Pat,

I beleive Ed is vouching for the average number of entries at a normal combined Mod/Stock Nationals. Perhaps he should have been a little more clear on where he derived his numbers. Last year at the Mod Nat's I think they had more entries in Zanesville than they did in Moses Lake for the stock Nat's. Both hovered around the 200 mark. So it is logical that one could assume around 400 entries would show up to a normal Mod/Stock Nationals.

I can tell you one thing as well, Ed is a lot different at the races then he is perceived on here. He actually can be human now and again. I am perpetually blinded from his physche as I have an inborn dislike for lawyers...

[Kristi Ellison]

All right I am back form Raleigh and back on the net. Warbs I am flatered that you consider me leardership but I am just a fish int he pond.
Could it work, in my opinion, yes. It would take a tremendous amount of planning, compromise and cooperation. I am saying planning 2 years out as there would be many things to consider most have been metnioned here already. It would have to be staggered to accomidate lodging and pitting areas. The schedule would have to be set up to accomidate overlap of catagories and then be written in stone. You would need a sponsor with resources and funds of that are beyond the level of the Mens Club. X Games comes to my mind....powerade, red bull etc...You also would need a central venue like Omaha but the lake residents won't go for it plus the water situation is iffy.
Now cause I amnot always a grown up....Doug Mc.....we, the PRO's do not dislike the stock and mod guys. Most of us come from those roots. Most of us have been spoiled by the USTS and what we don't like is running from sun up to sun down with little test time. If that is perceived as we do our own thing well then we do and we like our thing. All the traveling we do throughout the year obviously costs a lot of money but we do it for the quality of our races and our friends. It is hard sometimes to motivate oneself to go to a race that lasts 8-9 hours ovce you are used to a totally different format. That is what you all do and it works for you and that is great. I for one am old and still wondering how I survived all those years without carts and wagons.....what were we thinking!
So could it work...yes....with a good planning committee, money, and time.