Nostalgia Flats rules

[blueskyracer]

We are putting together a small program for the Trout Creek race and want in a nut shell what are the general rules. It got to be small and to the point. Also what is the age of most of the boats. Help us out please.

I am sure if we leave you out Jerk will be in our face

[Already Gone]

Old Boats

Already Gone is a 1973 long deck Hallett with a 396 Chevy. Boyds' boat is upside down, so it's hard to say what it is, but better to be upside down in the garage than on the water. Right Boyd?

[blueskyracer]

So most of these boats are from the 70's I gather. Are you going to be running by cubic inches, timed in or GPS this year.

[flatrat]

Already Gone is a 1973 long deck Hallett with a 396 Chevy. Boyds' boat is upside down, so it's hard to say what it is, but better to be upside down in the garage than on the water. Right Boyd?

Ouchers,
don't feel bad Boyd,mine be in the garage also.Just not upside down......

[Jerkizoid]

Right Steve!

Ya know, I was just on the phone with a veteran 100+ mph racer discussing rules in general. And he asked why and where did we get ours? They are a combination of APBA and IHBA (drag boats) that ALSO run 30 year old hulls! The hulls have never been a safety issue except some are slower than others and more difficult to drive, hense the need for parity or the GPS class separation it's use generates.

Then there are the 'risk takers', who refuse to change and there is no way to make them safer at any speed! The worst racer candidates for change, be it boat rules or driver courtesy are the few returning veterans. It stands to reason, us old folks resist change, period. However, so glad they came!

I am always available on the phone for questions and what I dont remember, the wife does!
Please NOTE: I have NEVER been called to chat flat rules by a hydroplane racer with the exception of Rick, Roy, Charley, and Brent! You are more than welcome to call anytime at 995 8254 for clarification. I have NO bone to pick or axe to grind!!!! Just like to see safe, readily available flat fun! ,............... anyone is welcome at my house for coffee and class history lessons or simply call!

At some point, other interests in my fleeting lifetime will take presidence over arguing safe Nostie racing, and retirement is getting very very close!

In my humble opinion, its long overdue for hydro folks to get involved in the flats, we have been a class within AOF for 10 years now!! thanks Mike for your interest!

[Jerkizoid]

In conclusion

A news flash from Mission Avenue would be, I am very concerned of the lax, nobody cares attitude for our rules and blatant disregard of enforcing them! There is real room for improvement as I see it. Someone post to convince me otherwise or call. Please.

I welcome any suggestions on how to enforce them at your Mt. race. Another reason to call me. Why should I have to be the hated enforcer? I have volunteered my time because I love this class and its participants, but at some point, enough is enough! There, you drug me out to go public with my real concerns.... Gone to the shop, phone is turned on until the battery fails!

[Jerkizoid]

Already Gone is a 1973 long deck Hallett with a 396 Chevy. Boyds' boat is upside down, so it's hard to say what it is, but better to be upside down in the garage than on the water. Right Boyd?

10-4 Buddy

[Jerkizoid]

[QUOTE=Jerkizoid;158301]
Then there are the 'risk takers', who refuse to change and there is no way to make them safer at any speed! The worst racer candidates for change, be it boat rules or driver courtesy are the few returning veterans. It stands to reason, us old folks resist change, period. However, so glad they came!

This needs clarification: By 'risk takers' I am referring to the usual serious competitive moves you will see at any boat race past or present. Example:
1. Side by side paint swapping while trying to get lane one at the start is eliminated in our class with a simple lane draw! Then we rotate through out the weekend so everyone gets a fair shot and a good lane. From day one, we had NO desire to crash into one another or even side swipe someones gelcoat. We governed and enforced this ourselves.
Moving out of lanes did not happen. We are required to stay in our lane all the way around the first turn and then establish a 4 boat overlap before changing. (GPS racing pretty much eliminates lane changes because we stay quite close) Remember the video from Moses Lake? Good racing! Spectators loved it.
2. Another 'risk' involves pushing your challenger to the beach. I call this the Earnhardt move. (My wife did it to me just once!) I'm sure, Mike, you have another name. Or, the reverse, squeasing someone into the buoy to gain a position. Just not neccessary or very smart with a 2000 Lb boat some of which dont turn well!

The whole goal of Nostalgia was to have fun with what ever flat bottom you had at your disposal, either the family ski boat, a race boat sitting in storage, or one your Grandparents handed down. This class was originally designed to provide a new class for what ever old boat showed up. When I raced in 1970, the rescue boats used to race each other at lunch break! This is all I wanted to do; launch my swap meet circle boat and see just how well I could do. Then, some cool dudes asked me, "Why dont you bring 2 other friends and create your own class"? OK, I will and did June 2001!

Hope I am not boring anyone, but since this is our 10th anniversary race, I have the time for little history lessons, if anyone is interested. Judging by the hits this forum gets, there is much interest!

One question for you hydro folks reading this: What IF, ............20 years from now, there was NO class for your old hydro, (that you could not bear to burn) and you certainly could not afford 2030 equipment or desire to compete with Kevlar feather light boats with twice the speed your old Merc had????? AND Possibly you had same finacial difficultys that kept you from buying new stuff....Wouldnt it be cool to have your own Nostalgia Hydro class with your old buddies and tool around the course ONCE MORE!???

This is exactly what happend to flats!

There is my wife in #87, Brent Harnack in #88, George Nordling in a SANGER, Craigs' capsule Seattle boat breaking in an engine, and my best friend Sonny in his rare Wickens (Freds personal toy), outside is repeat Champ Ron! There we are, a fill in class at an Unlimited Light hydroplane race at Sammamish. Rumor has it, they would love to see us again this coming weekend at Tastin Racin! In fact, their advertisement mentions us, but we would rather stay close to home and AOF, our original club.

[Jerkizoid]

Another of my favorites:

I am so proud of my wife and so is her Dad, holding his daughter at the biggest race of her life! She finished second right behind Brent on Sunday! Note, we had 21 flats and four timed classes at this event but 2 of the Seattle entries failed tech inspection! Can I brag a little? The largest field of flats since 1975, I am told! All because of the chance AOF gave us Nosties! Anyone else proud? Probably wont admit it.....



A little sad to see this boat go, but we saved the best one Nostalgia wise.

[Altered Thoughts]

I am a charter member of the Nosties

Always loved boats, used to hang out at lake and wait for something noisy to come in my direction. It was fun to get together and have about the same speed boats compete against each other by timeing in. Some of us got faster and some remained about the same . Therefore a few left the ski class and jumped up to the sk class. It was fun to see everyone progress and get their boats to handle better and race in a safe manor. There is a small difference of opinion between boat owners and racers but hope we can survive. Jimmy D. ps34, ss60, ss/ps 514

[Jerkizoid]

You remember

well Jimmie except the class name. Ski boats could move either up or down depending on the number of boats. If they timed in fast they were just that, the Fast Class which gave them another set of rules. As you remembered there was the A fast class, B next fastest, and often a C and D class that was determined by how many boats were safe to run what ever course we happened to be on. 16-20 boats required 4 classes on narrow tracks.

Most ski boats only averaged 50 mph and the fast were 60-70 average lap speed. So, with GPS, we could only use the max speed figure and that would require some sort of honor system. I would recommend a simple stop watch for every qualifyer. 5 bucks a piece!

Of course if you cant get more than 5 boats total, a class placement problem goes away. The ski boats run against the fast ones, like it or not! Kinda like APBA witnessed just before those classes dissappeared! By this I mean the E boats with small block power and the SK with under 400 cubes. Both classes dropped off the scoring sheets!

Maybe someone here can speak to the why! Low boat count was a given but why did the count drop? Anyone?



Bill, Cheryl, Happy Mark, Ron, Ror all running within seconds of each other. Mark had the faster boat but was new and still being cautious and courteus. Ror was just plain toying with them! Anyone remember who won? Did it really matter? Not when you had 20 boats and 5000 spectators!

[Altered Thoughts]

I guess I remember- lost brain cells - you know

Yeah, I remember we did have a large boat count. I also remember I had the skill of a slow class with the boat speed of a fast class. That is probably why I never ran again after I blew up the motor in the Lavey. We went to cubic Inches and I wasn't comfortable running with the fast class boys or as now is called the 468 class. Jimmy D.

[Jerkizoid]

Just heard

Tastin has cancelled the boat show due to wet conditions! The race is on but could be some wetness..... Remember pulling in and sinking into mud? Glad, I'm not there by now!
If they would just move that date to a sunny Seattle weekend........ Is there such a thing? Just cant forget crawling under the dash to fix the bow eye with the rain water creeping up my pant leg! Happy times. And you had to launch your tow vehicle to somewhat launch your boat...

[Jerkizoid]

Yeah, I remember we did have a large boat count. I also remember I had the skill of a slow class with the boat speed of a fast class. That is probably why I never ran again after I blew up the motor in the Lavey. We went to cubic Inches and I wasn't comfortable running with the fast class boys or as now is called the 468 class. Jimmy D.

Jimmies SKILLED SLOW HAND, & FAST RABBIT (VW)

[Five O]

RULES, WE DONT NEED NO STINKING RULES. This morning I started a rant about what Im not really sure. Spoze just to hear myself type. Winters are a bit too long in these parts. Nice thing is we have been having weather like Seattle, only worse. We are all good friends, who want to battle off the course as well as on the course.

Our goal is, was, and always will be, put on a good show, be SAFE, make some noize, and GO RACING!!!!

SO, lets get to it. Trout Creek MONTANA this Friday.