Press realese just sent out from APBA HQ - sobering numbers

[Matt Dagostino]

APBA Weekend Memberships!

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

Our Team at the recent Clarksville, Virginia Inboard/Outboard joint sanction event put 2 new potential drivers on the water with weekend APBA menbership passes. Both 20 something year old male college students raced Saturday in the Stock Outboard division and liked it!! However we found out that APBA's weekend membership pass for $35 was only good for one day???? Hence the kids did not want to pay another $35 plus sponsoring club and class entry fee for Sundays racing.

Perhaps APBA needs to look at 'member and club' cost cutting measures to assure the 'grass roots' cataglories stay affordable to help feed the higher divisions in APBA competition by retaining and jump starting new members......... seems to me NEW POTENTIAL APBA members on the water for the first time should pay APBA, say 1 cent (weekend membership) for the chance to try out our sport! This would fall under 'Eliminating Barriers To Racing' which i believe was President Weber's theme at the Seattle National Meeting last year.

Perhaps you can discuss that with the Board Of Directors Pat.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Team Mel

[Ron Hill]

What Have I Done???

Interesting question.

1. I have complained about **** near everything in APBA.
2. I have written articles for the Propeller for 4-5 years.
3. I run and own a web site dedicated to Boat Racing History.
4. This season I bought and sold 20 Yamato motors.
5. I make affordable propellers.
6. I along with Ted Kolby, Ross Wallach, Rod Zapf (Bill Boyes, too!) Promoted the Blue Water Casino and Resort 300 Endruo. Five years now, six races. Averages 60 new APBA one day members yearly.
7. Working with Rod Zapf, we have established COR Racing. We currently have 13 COR 2.0 boats racing in Region 12. I sponsor the #9 Baker Stoker with Pat Bowman driving. I sponsor Mickey Schwarzebach owner of Apple Valley Marine, with my #28 Stoker and 2.0 Mercury. Last week I bought a Mirage for this class ad also own a Laser and LTV for this class. Steve Rains and sons ran my Stoker at Parker. They had a co-driver who had never raced before... New people get started by old people helping...
8. We have four COR 100 boats. I sponsor Amber Marine's boat with props and entry fees!

9. I got Rich Job to loan his Dawe A Hydro to Amanda Rich and loaned Amanda an Evinrude for quite awhile.
10. I ordered and sold two Dawe A Hydros, to new drivers Mike Wright ad KT Schwab.
11. Sold Chris Chamberlain my black 45 Revolution, now number 55.
12. Sold John Lane a turnkey 45 for his brother in law.
13. Helped build one patrol boat with a boom.
14. Helped form SBRA but getting them the water at Puddingstone for the last two years. We had not raced at Puddingstone in 20 years....or close to it. Got a pontoon boat for $1,500 that would have sold for $5,000. I along with SCOA under wrote the first races expenses.
15. Bought and sold five OMC 15A's. Sold several on payments to get boats on the water.
16. Co sponsoring the 2011 Min Boat Three Hour Enduro with Ben Marrone and SCOA.
17. Given two mini boats to get them running the Mini Boat Enduro to Dave Whittington who has made molds from the.
18. Sold 3 60-J Mercs for Kenny Knudson so his two daughters would have money for an A-J motor, their first race will be Parker, this weekend, 2010. Loaned them cut suits.
19. Sold Tito Smith a Hill Runabout so he can build a 36 Runabout. Tito s Chief of the Havasu Landing Indians who sponsor our February race every year.
20 Ordered a new Sport C from Ernie Dawe, just to have a boat in Region 12 for Sale
21. Sold tow of my 302 Yamatoes to Region 7 for race promotions, at a CHEAP PRICE.
22. Sold Region 11 a Yamato for their Nor Cal 400 class for $600.
23. Still complain about APBA.

When I remember a few other things I've done to promote boat racing I'll post them!

[B Walker]

Guaranteed formula for growth:

Get a ride and they will be hooked.

We have a dedicated CSH/20SSH and a CSR/25SSR we use just for giving rides.

We have gotten over 20 new members over the last 50 years to AOF and APBA using the "get 'em a ride and they are addicted" technique.

Here is the sad news. Only 1 of them are current members.

Another key to growth besides "get a ride" is retaining existing members.

Someone said a few years back when they were analyzing membership info that we dont have a problem getting new members, we have a problem keeping new members.

There is no program and little discussion on membership retention. Other organizations I have belonged to offered a 50% discount for returning members or 2 years for the price of one new member offers. Both of these increased membership. But APBA doesnt even have a membership committee.

Until APBA changes what it has been doing for the last 35 years the decline from the peak membership in 1974 will continue. In the spirit of suggesting solutions and not criticisms I would offer my long list of suggestions here but think they have been covered sufficiently in other threads here on HR.

Here is the short version.
1) Top to bottom re-organization to better reflect the membership distribution.
2) Long range planning committee with a 5 year outlook or longer
3) Formation of a membership committee

If your not growing, your dying.

Yet there are people still saying nothing is wrong, the state of outboard racing is just fine.

BW

Favorite Tony Robbins quote: "If you keep on doing what you've always done, you'll keep on getting what you've always got."

[modracer7b]

Who would quit???

I quit twice. The first time around 1972, after starting in 1959, was one of the hardest things to do, but family obligations forced me to leave the sport. The second time I quit in 2002, after coming back in 1987, was actually an enjoyable decision. Racing is controlled by too many people that think nothing is wrong with the sport as well as some that think all should like things their way or take the highway. It appears more took the highway than stayed around. Bottom line, driving a race boat is about the best feeling I ever had in my life, but putting up with the BS of those who want to be the big dogs and make every one do things their way was not worth the ride after a while.

Bill Rosado

[Ron Hill]

Quit Twice???

Hell, I've quit more times than the average guy ever raced.

I was watching The Donald or whatever it is called. He fired this Chick becasue she complained but didn't offer any suggestion for improvements.

So, here goes a couple of suggestions:

1.Require a person to prove they have medical insurance, then allow them to take a ride, without charging them a DIME!!!!!!!

2. Change the point system to ONE SET of POINTS per weekend per class. Who benefits from Saturday racing??????The OLD ESTABLISHED RACER. The new guys gets to pay his entry fee so the old guys get their VALUABLE POINTS................Saturday, could have some racing, but most of the day should be for new people to learn how to race boats. Saturday should be a day that OLD TIMERS loan equipment, knowledge, props and such to new people. Coach them on driving. I once coached a young man from Wiscons on how to drive his B Hydro...............better than he was driving it. I think Steve Warnock is still racing....

Saturday racing requires people to leave Friday to get to the race Saturday. No Saturday racing before like 3 o'clock.....Single points ONLY for the weekend! Many people, including my wife, work until 2 on Saturday. She doesn't work Wednesday, but Wednesday boat races aren't a good option. Saturday is a busy day in the eye doctor business. If she takes a Saturday off, she pays someone to cover her at a rate of $350 for four hours... The point is, other may actually have jobs that they need to work at on Saturday...

[Ron Hill]

Bw

Here is the short version.
1) Top to bottom re-organization to better reflect the membership distribution.
2) Long range planning committee with a 5 year outlook or longer
3) Formation of a membership committee


BW I am with you..
1. APBA's President and Vice President live in Michigan....Can BW run for President of APBA? Can MattD'Agostino? How about Ron Hill?

2. Plan???? Where would NASCAR be if they didn't sponsor a race???? Ever thing of hiring someone from the Go Kart Club? How about someone who ran TRW? How about a businessman like Mike Jones??? Or Greg Jacobsen??? Businesses to plan to FAIL, the FAIL to PLAN..........

3. I didn't join APBA last year because frankly I didn't think about it. By June, when I hadn't gotten a Propeller magazine in six months I asked APBA why? They told me I wasn't a member...I said, "Christ, you have my credit card on file, you have my e-mail......remind me my dues are due!" Membership year Novemeber to October isn't just dumb, it is stupid in this day of the internet. So, by July I didn't join because I'd only be amember for four months...Now it is almost December and figure the hell with joining. I quit my Region writing job and will write on www.boatracingfacts.com and any place else...

Sorry for the RANT but after spending a few days with Randy Pierson at havasu last week, and talking the OLD DAYS with he and Jimbo....Randy was on his way to Vegas where they were racing 6 classes of Go karts, limiting the number of carts to 80 per class, $800 entry fee...Randy just kept repeating theis: Go Kart people make you want to come back and race...Boat racing people make everything so hard...Randy co drove with Barry Woods in the V-8 days...

[Ron Hill]

$2.500 for a 45 Motor...

I have several 45 motors. Three Joey Harper and two Mike Weinandt powerheads. Not sure which is the fastest. I have only one complete motor for $2,500.

Ron Hill
ronhill@hillmarine.com is my email.

[PopPop]

Perhaps APBA needs to look at 'member and club' cost cutting measures to assure the 'grass roots' cataglories stay affordable to help feed the higher divisions in APBA competition by retaining and jump starting new members......... seems to me NEW POTENTIAL APBA members on the water for the first time should pay APBA, say[/B] 1 cent (weekend membership) for the chance to try out our sport! This would fall under 'Eliminating Barriers To Racing' which i believe was President Weber's theme at the Seattle National Meeting last year.Team Mel

I think Matt make an excellent point !!!

[raceright]

Noticing one common thing here. We seem to think being cheaper with things is the answer.
Well that approach might not be working as well as some might think. After all outbard racing is most likely the least expensive of all racing and our numbers are realy falling. We might be trying to see something to people who can not afford it. Sometimes real estate sales people raise the price and things sell. Human nature if its free it is not appreciated. Just saying.

Pat

[raceright]

Noticing one common thing here. We seem to think being cheaper with things is the answer.
Well that approach might not be working as well as some might think. After all outbard racing is most likely the least expensive of all racing and our numbers are realy falling. We might be trying to sell something to people who can not afford it. Sometimes real estate sales people raise the price and things sell. Human nature if its free it is not appreciated. Just saying.

Pat

[sam]

The best marketing is to those who can afford the product. Sugary cereal, dolls and candy are marketed to kids, cars are marketed to adults.

I agree, the 1¢ weekend does nothing for us if the racer can't afford $5k for the rig, travel & lodging it will take to campaign for the first season.

[Matt Dagostino]

I see your sport has a similar issue. It's the PWC. Just throwing it out there but could you have more of your events staged in conjunction at/with PWC events? Fads change but to young folks cool is still cool even if they call it rad, sick, narly etc

Russell Polhill
CSIA 3, CSCF 1, CASI 1

Good point...............running joint sanctions often helps with exposure. The only rub is there are only so many hours in a race day!! But this is a good idea.

As far as the 1 cent weekend membership goes. You may not retain the potential member but i guess if you put it out there hopefully some of the effort will pay off with retaining the new member!

[sam]

I agree, cross pollination is a good exposure plan. Matt's point is right, we can only do it on a limited basis ... invite a single premier class from the other division ... CSH & whatever the PWC equivalent ... like foreign exchange students

[luckydog]

or invite the pwc to your event?

[luckydog]

or put someone like Travis Pastrana in a boat.