MY thoughts on the Mini Most

[FL47F]

OK

It can get expensive.

A lot of people have the cash but get scared at the initial investment. Give them an opportunity to try it inexpensively and they may grow into the long term reality. Scare them off at the get go and we will never know!

I'm not up late! I'm in California!

[HRTV]

OK

It can get expensive.

A lot of people have the cash but get scared at the initial investment. Give them an opportunity to try it inexpensively and they may grow into the long term reality. Scare them off at the get go and we will never know!

I'm not up late! I'm in California!

Ok Bob my eyes are burning and its past my bed time here on the east coast you win!

[HRTV]

Daren is in charge of the over night shift here on HR so I'm out !

[sam]

Dan, you are 100% correct. No motor racing is cheap. If you want a cheap sport, take up ping pong or soccer.

Outboard racing needs to admit this to itself as part of the future promotion/recruiting scheme to keep outboard racing alive.

Dan is also correct about outboard racing requiring a traveling budget. Long gone are the summers of 20 or 30 races less than 2 or 3 hours drive in any region. I would have serious doubts about any small geographic area developing and sustaining 10 or 20 new full time racers and 2 or more race sites. History just has not shown this to be the case regardless of how hard it was pushed.

Don't get me wrong, high expectations are good, but a dose of reality is important for a working plan.

I think the racing commissions should analyze the membership and figure out who the "typical" long term outboard racer is and direct any future marketing directly to people who fit that description

The number one thing I know of that has hooked potential newcomers is providing a test ride (in a "real" race boat). In today's litigation based society, it is considered risky and a lot of people say we can't afford to take the risk, but we may be at the point where we can't afford not to.

[HRTV]

Dan, you are 100% correct. No motor racing is cheap. If you want a cheap sport, take up ping pong or soccer.

Outboard racing needs to admit this to itself as part of the future promotion/recruiting scheme to keep outboard racing alive.

Dan is also correct about outboard racing requiring a traveling budget. Long gone are the summers of 20 or 30 races less than 2 or 3 hours drive in any region. I would have serious doubts about any small geographic area developing and sustaining 10 or 20 new full time racers and 2 or more race sites. History just has not shown this to be the case regardless of how hard it was pushed.

Don't get me wrong, high expectations are good, but a dose of reality is important for a working plan.

I think the racing commissions should analyze the membership and figure out who the "typical" long term outboard racer is and direct any future marketing directly to people who fit that description

The number one thing I know of that has hooked potential newcomers is providing a test ride (in a "real" race boat). In today's litigation based society, it is considered risky and a lot of people say we can't afford to take the risk, but we may be at the point where we can't afford not to.

Thanks Sam I respect your honesty this was my point all along.

[immulmen]

Sam, If you had 20 or so racers entering in this 'proposed' starter class and one out of ten decide each year they want to move up to the higher faster classes, thats two more people brought into your sport.

so yeah, the starter class may never have a spot at nationals, but if there are one or two new guys there who came from the starter class, isnt that good??

if i only had to travel a state or two i could make it a 1 or 2 day event... maybe 5-10 years down the road if i got serious enough about racing then i could start traveling to these pro events... but anything in the 200 mile radius is easily done... maybe even 250-300 for a race or two.


There is a local stock car race track called Beach Ridge. For $1000 i can get a car ready and race there once a week all summer, every year... For racing boats, i understand your point of view, traveling state to state and staying in hotels and so on. but if i was racing at a local pondi could sleep in my car, or in a tent ( i like camping... hehehe) at some local camp ground and thats only if i HAD to stay overnight.

^ this is exactly what i am talking about...

Dan is also correct about outboard racing requiring a traveling budget. Long gone are the summers of 20 or 30 races less than 2 or 3 hours drive in any region. I would have serious doubts about any small geographic area developing and sustaining 10 or 20 new full time racers and 2 or more race sites. History just has not shown this to be the case regardless of how hard it was pushed.

'the summers of 20 or 30 races less than 2 or 3 hours drive in any region' is exactly what they need to bring back... and low cost and high numbers of members is the only way to do this.

[HRTV]

Sam, If you had 20 or so racers entering in this 'proposed' starter class and one out of ten decide each year they want to move up to the higher faster classes, thats two more people brought into your sport.

so yeah, the starter class may never have a spot at nationals, but if there are one or two new guys there who came from the starter class, isnt that good??



^ this is exactly what i am talking about...



'the summers of 20 or 30 races less than 2 or 3 hours drive in any region' is exactly what they need to bring back... and low cost and high numbers of members is the only way to do this.

Its not going to happen get over it and move on, some local races dont have 30 boats with all the current classes running for a complete weekend. Its an era thats long gone you cant bring it back! let it go.

[immulmen]

Its not going to happen get over it and move on, some local races dont have 30 boats with all the current classes running for a complete weekend. Its an era thats long gone you cant bring it back! let it go.

"get over it and move on"?? With this attitude how many prospective boat racers have you turned away? I count 3 on this thread alone.

Again I will quote a reply to another thread I started about low cast boat and motors.

"Cost effective stock motor racing to attract new racers like most every other motorsport and boat racing country in the world has????

You'll likely get banned for mentioning such a thing..."

Chris Jordan

[YankeeRacing]

Tony Staron has been working hard the last few years with Briggs and Stratton (I know, not only out of the box, but out of the world), and I have helped some so know a little bit about what an outside provider thinks about the mini-most and boat racing. (By the way, Briggs does read this forum).

At first they wouldn't even talk. Then when they did they were concerned about safety and their exposure. Now, finally, they are offering us an engine, off the shelf for a little over $600!!! (Only to boat racers, by the way). The boat costs very little, so, for $1000 you have a complete new rig, and an engine that you can use to play with at a race or on the local lake. (And you know humans, get two of anything in the same spot and someone challenges the other to a race of some sort). And the best part, you can take the engine off your mini-most and put it on your fishing boat when you decide that you really do want the excitment of going faster and real competition (get them to a sanctioned event, and it WILL happen).
Recycle your mini-most boat too- turn your mini-most upside down and use it for a bar. It will be the talk of any party, and a way to get even more interested in our sport.
So, you've never really ever lost the $1000 you have just recycled it, and gotten a few more people interested.
And, maybe some other motor manufacturer will be just a little bit jealous of all the exposure the little Briggs engine is getting and offer a bigger and faster engine that we can bolt to a more modern style hull.
Who knows, but if we don't try we will never know, will we?
Add some alcohol and castrol as fuel and we can now have minimpst pro races at sites that we don't have a hill for wagon races like at Constantine.
....the opportunities are enless. lol
Connie Payn

[csh2z]

Done strictly on a local level as a special event, this really would have a similar affect as the H.A.R.M. project with a much lower budget. The goal is to get kids to the races and in a boat. The main concerns I would have are safety and insurance risk. I don't believe a sanctioning organization should or would have anything to do with it. Because of its low cost, as an introduction to boat racing, I could see that it could be beneficial to the growth of the sport.

[HRTV]

"get over it and move on"?? With this attitude how many prospective boat racers have you turned away? I count 3 on this thread alone.

Again I will quote a reply to another thread I started about low cast boat and motors.

"Cost effective stock motor racing to attract new racers like most every other motorsport and boat racing country in the world has????

You'll likely get banned for mentioning such a thing..."

Chris Jordan

It has nothing to do with attitude it’s the truth and sometimes the truth hurts.

[Guest]

Minmost

Tony Staron has been working hard the last few years with Briggs and Stratton (I know, not only out of the box, but out of the world), and I have helped some so know a little bit about what an outside provider thinks about the mini-most and boat racing. (By the way, Briggs does read this forum).

At first they wouldn't even talk. Then when they did they were concerned about safety and their exposure. Now, finally, they are offering us an engine, off the shelf for a little over $600!!! (Only to boat racers, by the way). The boat costs very little, so, for $1000 you have a complete new rig, and an engine that you can use to play with at a race or on the local lake. (And you know humans, get two of anything in the same spot and someone challenges the other to a race of some sort). And the best part, you can take the engine off your mini-most and put it on your fishing boat when you decide that you really do want the excitment of going faster and real competition (get them to a sanctioned event, and it WILL happen).
Recycle your mini-most boat too- turn your mini-most upside down and use it for a bar. It will be the talk of any party, and a way to get even more interested in our sport.
So, you've never really ever lost the $1000 you have just recycled it, and gotten a few more people interested.
And, maybe some other motor manufacturer will be just a little bit jealous of all the exposure the little Briggs engine is getting and offer a bigger and faster engine that we can bolt to a more modern style hull.
Who knows, but if we don't try we will never know, will we?
Add some alcohol and castrol as fuel and we can now have minimpst pro races at sites that we don't have a hill for wagon races like at Constantine.
....the opportunities are enless. lol
Connie Payn

How can this be bad for Boat Racing? My little Minmost was the start of four people racing PRO. I think it still a darn good idea! How do I get one of those $600 motors?

[ricochet112]

How can this be bad for Boat Racing? My little Minmost was the start of four people racing PRO. I think it still a darn good idea! How do I get one of those $600 motors?

Weren't they ill handling boats? A 40 year old antiquated design is no place to put a first time boat racer.

I'll let you know the facts on the B&S motor after I talk to the factory. I'll ask the distributor for contact numbers at tomorrows B&S 2008 update seminar.

Growth will come with exposure, exposure will come with advertising dollars, advertising dollars come from a marketable product, a marketable product will come from a larger stronger organization, hence; WE NEED ALL (ALL!) BOAT RACERS IN THE SAME ORGANIZATION! Whether we call it APBA, ABRA or Boats-R-Us, we need strength in numbers, period.

[Silas_53A]

Dan, dont take this personal, but you are a stubborn, thick skinned, old man (from a 19 year old's point of view) and you need to realize that 4500-5000, what ever, is WAY to much for the average joe, who is interested in boat racing, to drop on something they have never tried before.

If there were more people in boat racing it wouldnt be necessary to travel around the country just to participate in boat racing. and with a more economical class there WOULD be more local boat racing so your average travel will only be 3 hours, give or take.

Again, please dont take that first statement personal...

[HRTV]

Dan, dont take this personal, but you are a stubborn, thick skinned, old man (from a 19 year old's point of view) and you need to realize that 4500-5000, what ever, is WAY to much for the average joe, who is interested in boat racing, to drop on something they have never tried before.

If there were more people in boat racing it wouldnt be necessary to travel around the country just to participate in boat racing. and with a more economical class there WOULD be more local boat racing so your average travel will only be 3 hours, give or take.

Again, please dont take that first statement personal...

No offence taken at all, I hate to tell you this but you are still dead wrong! $4500 to get started in racing is pennies try and find another motor sport where you can go racing tomorrow for $4500.

Oh by the way I see kids in my local Apple computer store spend thousands every day for the latest high speed gaming computer.

I could go on and on and list the prices of today toys that all young kids seem to have enough money for.

XBOX 360 $500 -$600 thats with no games, Im not buying this whole sad story about I'm so young and cant afford Stock Outboard Racing.

Sony PS3 $500 no games just the machine!

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPL...ac/family/imac