Press realese just sent out from APBA HQ - sobering numbers

[Kev43V]

I'm sure the DSR class is the major cause of these long boring race days at each and every race site. Better eliminate it so it will stop boring everybody.

I for one do not find DSR boring...I just wish there were more of you running

[Big Don]

Tim that is partially true but the major factor is it is extremely hard to close a river down in the middle of a community these days than it was in the 70’s. Plus all the communities require you to have a butt load of insurance and we can’t afford it. Last time we checked on trying to put a race on at Menasha they didn’t want us to close the river to boat traffic. When we explained the situation they asked if we could open it every ½ hour. We all know that would never work because of the length of our schedule. They were also talking about having something like 10 to 20 million dollars worth of insurance coverage.

[BP125V]

immediate issue

To me the immediate issue we are facing, at least here in the Midwest, is getting our current members to show up and race. Last night I went through the MRC and BSOA rosters and totaled up the entries we would have if all of our members would show up (like they did for years) and raced their normal classes that they have equipment for. If we ran just our core classes (no FAR, FAH, AMH stuff like that) we would have 90 entries with just our club members alone. Tack on a few out of area racers and you have a pretty decent program. Unfortunately this year we are getting too many of our own drivers staying home or leaving equipment on the trailer.

By the way. We have been running our core set of classes, about 13, in a 4 to 4 1/2 hour program. At Rochelle on Sunday we were done at 2:50 pm! And that was letting the J's run three heats on the regular course, and yes, they did come in between heats.

Bill

PS Jeff Yungen, show up to our races and you can run with the DMR's. Not as a step up but at least you could run as the race committee always reserves the right to combine classes.

[17W]

I'm sure the DSR class is the major cause of these long boring race days at each and every race site. Better eliminate it so it will stop boring everybody.

Come On, like you had no idea there were No DSR(s) in our area when your runabout was built......

Should have had a hydro built that would handle your Tohatsu!

[Dave M]

Bill

Funny how some of the other die-hards are realizing it's not fun anymore. Some of us were being chastized for saying these same things to try to help the sport back then. Some of the people that helped chase us away are seeing the result of doing nothing back then.

Bill Rosado

Bill

If in any way I was a part of that, I apologize. I remember back then things needed changed, and guess what, nothing has changed. In fact, they added more classes... go figure.

Maybe I will change my signature line to read "Burned out, complainer"

Tell Ken and Lelia (sp) I said howdy.

[modracer7b]

Hi Dave

Ken and Leila are doing well. They have been in Ohio with our oldest brother. They will be coming to Florida in two months to a new home he had built on the Gulf side. I was in Tampa and have recently moved to the Atlantic Coast near the Space Center. Will be having Ken over for Thanksgiving. No problems with you. You've always been a stand up honest guy.

Bill Rosado

[Ron Hill]

Bill

If in any way I was a part of that, I apologize. I remember back then things needed changed, and guess what, nothing has changed. In fact, they added more classes... go figure.

Maybe I will change my signature line to read "Burned out, complainer"

Tell Ken and Lelia (sp) I said howdy.

Seems I read that you had a 39th birthday, you can't be burned out. Complaining is good, but actions are better. I'm 66 and I ask myself, "How did things get so screwed up?"

My brother helped put a man on the moon, helped Mattel Toys become what they are today, helped with the with the Stealth Bomber project. He always talks the value of planning. My brother gave up on APBA when he lost in his bid for the presidency in the 1960's.

Who do we have in boat racing that is a "PLANNER". I quit attending meetings becasue each group has a leader setting on a ladder, where they do all their thinking.

When I was in college I sat on my own ladder.... Women that wanted me could climb my ladder. With no plan everything becomes "I"....So, someday we'll have a race with 20 people there, 20 classes and 20 winners...Then, we won't need to race anymore.

Some examples of STUPID rules......

1. OPC over lap rule....
2. Alky being called PRO
3. Pro not having any weights
4. Sport C class allowing one 1984 motor
5. 94 APBA "A" members needing to buy Sidewinders when you have a 2-3 waiting list already.
6. No class that a 302 box stocker can run. Yamato motors ARE PROVEN to be strong and long lasting. Ric Montoya has 70-80 of them for $2,200 each and APBA approves a $5,000 Sidewinder????? WTF?
7. There are probably a 100,000 fishing Johnson/Evinrude motors for $400-500 in the USA, and I can't get the J Committee to let me run one in J???
8. A new Mercury J is $2,500, and $1,100 gearcase $500 to an engine builder...$4,100 motor and a $2,000 boat and $1,000 cut suit $7,100 to run a 9 year old in a boat???????????

I'm not a burned out complainer, I will plug ahead. Our Blue Water Resort and Casino 300 Enduro, drew 50 boats this year and 100 drivers. We ran 6 division together....Race last four hours. Most races could run all hydros together, then all runabout together.

I've been told Indio is not good for a Winter Nationals because there isn't 500 feet to the 500 foot marker, adn the turns are too tight??? Dick Sherrer ran his MOD U at Indio. We raced F racing Runabouts. We ran the Winter natioanls there when boat could turn....The throttle on a boat is to slow it down (For the corners)......Small boats need glass water, but then they need glass water as big as Australia to race?????? Half the course in America used to be rivers. Janesville, Wisconsin has a nice river in town, but I was told it was too narrow to race. Needles is too NARROW to race....close to 100 boat racers have lived in Needles...And the river is too narrow to race in?? They had close to 100 flat bottoms show up for a week long event...Some of those K Boat will run 140 MPH.....but too narrow for APBA racing.....

The Catalina Ski Race has about 30 classes, and 100 boats...The race last 2 hours.....

I sell about 6-10 props a month, to WORLD BOAT RACERS that run 50-70 FISHING MOTORS. What APBA class runs 50-70 fishing motors...(SLT's).....

ADD:

APBA numbers are worst than they seem as 500 members are PERSONAL WATER CRAFT asnd APBA makes ZERO on that deal!!!!

[Dave M]

Ron - 39 Years Yes

Ron,

I just turned 39 yesterday, have been in boat racing for 30 of those years as a participant. I have been in the politics side of things, so has my dad Lyle. I grew up with some of the best boat racers in the world. I knew most of whom is talked about on your website for the kneelers category. I was around when both Stock & Mod were sustainable on their own, and Alky's were something you aspired to. I have seen the model that works, and I have seen the model that does not work. When I see something that does not work or is not working, the internet has provided a vehicle to talk about it. It has also created a place of hostile back lashing idiots whom only think of themselves in a dying sport. I see an issue that could do more hram than good, or someone exploiting an area of the rules, I call it out and try to fix it. I ask for input from the whole community so the best collective decision can be proposed. It all boils down to selfish feelings about your class.

So for all those that think I am a chronic complainer stop and think, I have most likely seen the problem before and am trying to head off another tragic event unfolding. I have always felt rules should be clear & concise. And if they are, there are not many of them.

Burned out, yup. Tired of seeing the organization shoot itself in the foot over and over again. As a former die-hard, it is not nearly as fun as it used to be.

[Ron Hill]

62 Years at Top of Michigan

It appears to me that this is a great race. Why?

1. You race more than thre laps
2. You might have a chance to win.
3. It is held once a year and you'd better not miss it
4. What are the chances of getting run over by another boat?
5. Hell or high water the race goes on!
6. Does the race run from sun up to sundown for 5 or 6 days???
7. Boats turn left and right, driver skill is important..
8. Ten year old boats and motors have a chance....
9. Actual prizes to winners.

[reed28n]

Limited Dollars

I see this argument time and time again. We want to blame APBA for cost. I do not think that boat racing's appeal is waning due to the cost of equipment.

We have local racers protecting their own classes because they want to be considered a National competitor. Local racing is great, local racing is how we hooked so many people in the mid 90's. Race whatever you want locally, if you bring a class back or you see a huge local growth in something new the word will get out.

What we need to be able to do is distinguish between local racers racing local classes and national classes that can sustain boat counts and competition on a national level.

I am not suggesting we stop anyone from racing the equipment they have an they love. I am encouraging you to think of a structure that at a national event will have eliminations and full fields in national classes.

We need a simple class structure that will have a speed range and weight range to accomodate the average size people in North America.

Have a program that features these National classes from 12:00 to 3:00 pm, then if a local race committee wants to add all the other stuff let those boats race around the feature.

[PRO-MOTIONRACING]

Well, it looks like this thread is getting on the right track. Lets quit making rules every winter that makes it harder to race. A few examples...
Have a boat ? go race!, after you chop the front off and learn to buy and work with carbon fiber for you cockpit sides.
Have a motor ? go race!, no wait your motor is still stock, you will need to send that out and have it modified to the stock specifications.
Have Kevlar ? wear it!, no wait you need to send it out and have new tags sewn in.
Still have your stuff from 5 years ago ? none of that is legal any more... And boat counts are down.

[jeff55v]

I'm sure the DSR class is the major cause of these long boring race days at each and every race site. Better eliminate it so it will stop boring everybody.

My point here is, If you're going to discuss eliminating classes because too many 3 and 4 boat races on the schedule is boring, You should look at more than just annual participation. Seldom has the DSR class ever bored anyone. Because it is seldom raced.

Any race committee can always refuse to run a class with fewer than X number of boats. Problem solved.

[TONY TRUJILLO r11]

I don't care how many boats you have for a class we only have 3 125 hydro's in our region and my pitt's are always full of people looking and asking questions . like i have said to many people if you have spectators you better put on a good show i don't care how fast you are nobody wants to sit and watch a boat a half of a lap ahead of everyone else new people to the sport need to be entertained and feel like if they get involved they might have a chance . We went to De Pue and ran are good stuff and was ask by people from our own region where we pulled all speed from ? I have always had it but what good does it do for putting on a show for the spectators at a region race . exhibition racing is all it comes down to , to draw new people in nice,tight racing . have everyone stay together for two laps then on the last lap go for it the crowd would never know but it would look good ! but we would have to leave our EGO's in the trailer for the day . look at WWF wrestling and the crowd that draws it took years for the fans to figure out that crap was fixed , but its a great show they put on . GOOD LUCK to some open minds !

[jeff55v]

Come On, like you had no idea there were No DSR(s) in our area when your runabout was built......

Thank you Mr. Obvious.

[raceright]

So tell me what have you done to help the growth of Power Boat Racing.

You first-- if you have done nothing please go out and do something and then post it. If you have done something then post it here no matter how small.

Pat