Savannah, Georgia

[SPN#43]

Kevin,

Somehow they got the message about what, the great seafood or the boat race?


Josh Kimble

H-32 (formerly L-32)

I don’t think that people were looking for oysters on the rooftops.

[Kristi Ellison]

Now those would be some good eats!!!

[aojesus]

Some forms of advertising doesnt cost as much as one thinks and does get the job done.

Just a thought here,....

If the zoning officer in the town where a race is being held is flexible a host club might be allowed to hang a few banners and lawn signs around town.

Lets say Carl calls me up from Highlands Outboard and wants 4 3'X8' banners and 10 18"X24" lawn signs. My cost on just the supplies is only about $135.
Carl and I make a deal and he takes the signs down after the race, peels the dates off, (vinyl lettering) and just buys (or gets them donated) the new dates the next year.

I am sure there are sign shops near the race sites that would give a club a break if they got to put their name on the sign somewhere or in a race program. You could probably get it done for just a little over the cost of materials and reuse them for a few years.

These are a far cry from a billboard, but along George's line of thinking it is cheap effective advertising.

[kev29p]

the reality here....

...is that comparing kneeldown/laydown racing to series tunnel boat racing is like comparing apples to hubcaps. The smaller boats NEED calm water, which is most often NOT found on larger city waterfronts. The typical city waterfront actually provides its own crowd due to the development of the venue. The bulkheads and open water make for rather rough water though. What is considered a blow out day for stocks/mods/pros is almost typical for many series tunnel boat race sites. So, the nature of the smaller boats forces the selection of calm water sites. These commonly out of the way lake or river race settings are not typically found without directional signs.

Series such as Champboat also have PAID promoters, officials, PA announcers, and race workers. This allows the competitors to have ONE role for the weekend, driver. Typically at the Stock/Mod/Pro level, competitors also must perform flag duty, patrol boat duty, race equipment set-up/break-down, race site prep, etc.

It's not fair to compare these two very different types of boat racing. Both are really cool for different reasons. So go enjoy what you do and appreciate the other category for enjoying what they do!


-and by the way Duby, I'll be your friend if you sell my **** boat for me next year!

-Kevin M

[abosnich]

... i wasn't trying to make any friends.
after what the PROfessional category did to me last summer, i could care less what any of you think. you won't find me in bfe looking for the 'boat race' sign to turn left at and head into depue again.
had someone from your category not ripped on my category, i might have left it alone.

"race4kaos"- I dont know who you are and quiet honestly it doesnt matter to me, but what does matter is now you are bashing a town because of somethign that happened to you at that race. Im POSITIVE no one BEGGED you to come to that race, so dont come again and leave our little race site alone... I dont care about bashing categories or whatever this is about, but seriously GROW UP! I can also say that I know personally that the people in DePue love the sport and the Men's Club works very hard for the show that is put on... So please do us all a favor and dont come back if that is how you feel... You wont be hurting our feelings...

[csh12M]

Learn to read....

Kevin posted first hand facts about the race he actually attended. He was rebutting Bills premise that the Savannah race was poorly promoted. I am sure he as well as others saw the ironic nature of the "PROmotion" suggesting Savannah could do more with home made signs.

In the next post his points were potentially validated while his delivery was criticized, ending with him being called a Di%#. He followed with the rebuttal of not worrying about making friends...

How is he the bad apple? He was called names in two separate posts by two separate people, one of which mentioned internet etiquette in the same post. That irony might be even greater than the suggestion that Champboat can learn how to promote more effectively from "PROmotion".

[raceright]

Kevin posted first hand facts about the race he actually attended. He was rebutting Bills premise that the Savannah race was poorly promoted. I am sure he as well as others saw the ironic nature of the "PROmotion" suggesting Savannah could do more with home made signs.

In the next post his points were potentially validated while his delivery was criticized, ending with him being called a Di%#. He followed with the rebuttal of not worrying about making friends...

How is he the bad apple? He was called names in two separate posts by two separate people, one of which mentioned internet etiquette in the same post. That irony might be even greater than the suggestion that Champboat can learn how to promote more effectively from "PROmotion".

There is more than one reason that there are different categories in boat racing THANK GOD....

Pat

[race4kaos]

listen,

this post started as:

...the race clubs I belong to always post signs around town that we where racing in to PROmote the sport. I didn’t see any advertizing for the race. As a result never did see that race. Maybe the reason we see so little grow is the lack of PROmotion...

i simply found it humorous because Savannah had SO many spectators (10,000?) for a 2nd year race. other people have recognized the irony in putting up homemade signs in this case to get more fans. basically, i felt his observation was invalid... maybe saying he ripped the OPC category was a little much.

i don't have a problem with any of the others posting here or the people of depue. i'm just tired of kristi posing as this all-knowing god when it comes to race promotion. i understand you've helped the pro division, but it's a whole different animal than a champboat race. you always seem to speak up on topics 2nd hand, even against those who have 1st hand knowledge. also, don't you find it hypocritical to to say you display 'internet etiquette' in the same sentence you call me 'anass'?

ironically, i was actually begged to go to depue last year. and i've been asked to come back by osy competitors so they know they competed against the best. (don't worry - it's not happening.) i never said the nationals wasn't an honest mistake by the judges stand. in fact, i've never posted a thing or even made a stink about it - i didn't react. of the 12 people on the course and all the people posting about it, i cared the least.

funny that those of you that don't know me suggest i should be positive and better understand how a judges stand is run. i've spent 20 years on the judges stand - in all capacities. i have passionately promoted the sport for a long time. i have started many rookie drivers racing in MO, SO, & OPC. and i've never cared if people love or hate me. i certainly wasn't hiding my identity - most people recognize the boat.
K.Ladd-

[David Weaver]

Learning to read further....

Kevin posted first hand facts
In the next post his points were potentially validated while his delivery was criticized, ending with him being called a Di%#. He followed with the rebuttal of not worrying about making friends...

How is he the bad apple? He was called names in two separate posts by two separate people, one of which mentioned internet etiquette in the same post. That irony might be even greater than the suggestion that Champboat can learn how to promote more effectively from "PROmotion".

Actually, he was called a di%# first; then it was mentioned that there may be some validity to his point, but that the delivery of his point could have been improved upon.

So to summarize:

1) Bill was in Savannah on vacation, knew that there was a race and could not find it.

2) He suggested that there may be an opportunity to improve the Promotion of the race and location of its racing venue.

3) A lot of other people found the race site and it sounds like the race was a huge success. I believe that all agree that this good news and wish continued success to the racing efforts in Savannah.

4) Once again, instead of moving into a dialouge that advances the common cause, we managed to get into a piss poor discussion ( I will accept my portion of responsiblity).

So, what was done in Savannah that attracted 10,000 fans. It has to help that it is a good sized city and that the race was part of festival. The race site is in the middle of action and Savannah is not located in "BFE".

I find myself spending more and more time with the "All Knowing God" of the USTS working hard on the PROmotion of our sport. Clearly, I need to throw away the crayons and construction paper that I intended to use for new signs!! So what is working? Why can't a well located billboard successfully advertise a racing event?

Here is a trivia question: Which is the oldest continuosly run racing series affiliated with APBA?

[araraces]

Great way to promote the sport!

"race4kaos"- I dont know who you are and quiet honestly it doesnt matter to me, but what does matter is now you are bashing a town because of somethign that happened to you at that race. Im POSITIVE no one BEGGED you to come to that race, so dont come again and leave our little race site alone... I dont care about bashing categories or whatever this is about, but seriously GROW UP! I can also say that I know personally that the people in DePue love the sport and the Men's Club works very hard for the show that is put on... So please do us all a favor and dont come back if that is how you feel... You wont be hurting our feelings...

This will get people standing in line to watch a race.As well as bring in new boat racers which all classes need!

If racers would just spend 1 day a month displaying their boat at a local school,shopping center or gathering spot,and if you have alittle extra money hand out postcards of your boat with the website of your choice.I am sure you will see an increase in interest as well as publicity.You may even end up with a sponsor,or at the very least some new friends.Then it will be up to the sanctioning body to keep up or be replaced.

Wake up

Nah,I'm the one that needs to wake up,I must have been dreaming.

[Joe J]

Might I suggest that since this thread WAS on the subject of "promoting" powerboat racing, that we return to it?

Does anybody actually think that a potential newcomer to our sport would still be interested after reading the bickering that it currently going on?

Passion is a good thing, but it has gotten out of hand.

Joe Johnson

[CHIP JOHNSON]

savannah

there were boatrace signs everywere.and advertisements dont know were that guy was

[Dave M]

Potential Money Maker Right There

I don’t think that people were looking for oysters on the rooftops.

SPN, or Prag..(SP).

I bet you could have made a good chunk of cash selling oysters to the people on the roofs ! Imagine this, Buy a dozen on the halfshell, get a reduced cost pit pass. Buy two dozen get a free pit pass. Don't most of the OPC Champboats rope off their semi rigs in the parking lot anyways ? Be just like NHRA.. folks can wander close.

Now then, the plates the oysters are on, they should be like postcards with drivers pics and bios. On the bottom of the plate, maybe the series schedule, and contact numbers for more info..

Just an idea. A good one you came up with !!

[SPN#43]

SPN, or Prag..(SP).

I bet you could have made a good chunk of cash selling oysters to the people on the roofs ! Imagine this, Buy a dozen on the halfshell, get a reduced cost pit pass. Buy two dozen get a free pit pass. Don't most of the OPC Champboats rope off their semi rigs in the parking lot anyways ? Be just like NHRA.. folks can wander close.

Now then, the plates the oysters are on, they should be like postcards with drivers pics and bios. On the bottom of the plate, maybe the series schedule, and contact numbers for more info..

Just an idea. A good one you came up with !!

That could work..
We need more ppl like you!!!

[orchy]

Promotional breakdown, Stocks related to OPC,

I remember being about 10 and going to a stock outboard race and thinking it was the most amazing thing ever seeing a silk-screened sign on the side of the road. But at that point I thought j-hydro was about the fastest thing on the planet.
I also remember travelling to my first OPC race two years ago at the age of 18 and being blown away seeing the boat that was then sitting in our garage shown shooting across the water on a 20-30 foot billboard at the side of a major highway. Then pulling into the pits, questioned by a security guard, passing a massive concert stage, what looked like a carnival midway, and then onto Seebold's Bud light trailer flanked by California Gold's and Rinker's Amsoil trailers...At this point I believe the comment was made of, "what have we gotten ourselves into".
Each series seemed to have a proportional promotional sign that corresponded with the entry fee/cost of racing at that level. It also seems that you can only do so much with the amount of money/time given to the promotional area from each sport. Running stock outboard we never had businesses sponsor our boats, which meant that we didn’t have to put in sponsorship time, which was fine with us. When we went to OPC we contacted a sponsor and along with that came promo events, handouts, photos, race reports, newspaper articles etc…etc. If each racer did something like this in his community it would build the sport, but you need to have something attractive to a business in terms of promotion, compare J hydro to tunnel hull, not only for “wow” factor but for signage space, trailer style, race spectator attraction.
Really the question being asked is what can we do differently with the resources we have to build the sport? For Stock outboard it seems spectators are needed, spectators have a higher chance of being brought into the sport at these races to due the "open-styled" pits and relatively low...in motor sports racing terms...costs. This is what would build the stock classes, but how can spectators be attracted with the resources we have?
In OPC, it seems that the next obvious step is Televised coverage, this is happening with champboat and speedvision, but to have television there needs to be commercial success. Thus sponsors...but right now that seems way beyond my level of thinking... I'm sure Kevin has more insight into that. OPC races are an event without the races most times, often linked with another festival or event, or an external event built around the races. This builds the number of spectators so that racing is not the sole attraction, (its hard to pull a crowd of 10,000 with a riveting drivers meeting). Also, another popular OPC promo trade is local sponsorship, this could be something passed down to stock outboard? Vinyl signs are getting cheaper, and if you crack the proper niche market businesses will drop $500 knowing that they supported a community inspired event. Just look at the races in Port Neches, TX linked with the SPORT tour. A county is building its waterfront with the help of that yearly race!
These are just some thoughts on promotion, mostly leading to more questions than answers, but that’s a start I hope. It seems as though the true masters of marketing keep quiet, or are more likely too busy at events and working on their equipment to spend time pondering.

Dan Orchard
SST 45 #97