What Are The Barriers to Entry? The Simple Truth: Exposure.

[sam]

At any rate, Quincy did this in the past

Quincy did what? I'm not following you



I agree with Brad. GW Resch is a racer because his dad saw Buddy Wienmueller's boat on top of his car.

[DaveyK]

Guys and gals,

Just catching up on this thread and it is extremely well put. I am not a racer as of yet. I have never taken a ride in a kneel down, laydown or what have you, not even an inboard for that matter. I am 42 years old and just got my first membership in the APBA and I am getting my CBF (Canadian Boating Federation) membership too. I recall watching the unlimiteds on Wide World of Sports and instantly becoming fascinated by these unbelievable speed machines. I often thought to myself, some day. It just took all these years and something totally different for me to start to realize that dream.

A couple of years ago, I started racing r/c boats, specifically 1/8 scale hydroplanes (which are scale versions of the real boats) and another class called Sport 40 (equivelant to the UL class or LTL class). It has been very exciting to say the least and I have met so many people who share the same passion for these boats as I do. I live in Southern Ontario (near Toronto), Canada and for the most part, I have to travel great distances to get to races. It is not uncommon to head to Celina, Madison, Evansville and all over Michigan to attend races and yes, you could almost attend a race every weekend. I suppose you could say it has become somewhat of an addiction and yes, I wish there was an easy fix to turn things around but I don't believe there is. Right now I am currently looking to purchase a 5L inboard package that I can go racing with. There have been a few I have looked into but have decided to wait until the mandatory physical has been taken and passed. After that, the capsule training and then, well, you get the idea. I have tried to do as much research into the sport as humanly possible but it is not easy. Even with te internet, there seems to be an "in group" and "out group". Obviously, the "out group" are those who don't race or just come to watch. The "in group' are the many people and contacts you meet once your involved. It was this way in the model racing as well. When your on the outside looking in, sometimes information is hard to come by. Maybe if that information was more readily available to people, more people would get interested? Like a previous post had said, "
Get a small one boat trailer. like this one:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=42709

and put your best looking boat on it and tow it whenever you go to any place that seems appropriate, ballgame, carshow etc...."

Beverage World Magazine reported that 92% of people surveyed said they noticed advertising on trucks and of that, 70% said it positively influenced there buying of a specific item. Imagine what would happen when people see our boats being towed behind us going to a race. Talk about a double take or what the....! Now put a website somewhere where they can see it too. You get the idea.

Anyway, I just wanted to say that this is all positive stuff and the more it gets talked about, the better off we will all be.

Dave

[daman69]

First things first, this is an excellent thread and I am very pleased with this discussion!

In my opinion there are two limiting factors to becoming a racer. First, is economic feasibility, the second is safety. Those who can't afford to race will not race. If the sport is not safe then it will be very difficult to obtain new members and retain current members.

A serious cost analysis should be undertaken before any PR analysis is undertaken. How can you sell the sport to someone without knowing how much it is going to cost? One's budget usually dictates what classes you race and what races you can attend. The price of equipment varies considerably, but there are usually great deals on good second hand equipment, so virtually anyone with a little disposable income can get their feet wet. That being said, there are a couple unstable (or unkown) costs. The most unstable is the cost of fuel to get to the races. When the price of gas fluctuates severely, then transportation costs fluctuate severely... enough to scare off those with the deepest of pockets. What can we do to decrease costs? Increase in efficiency will certainly decrease costs! So how efficient are we at traveling large distances towing relatively light equipment? Does anyone keep track of their gas mileage to each race? I propose some new units of measure in boat racing: boat ft./gal and lbs of equipment/gal of fuel. Those who can transport many long boats with many heavy engines while using little fuel have something going on that we can all learn from. Compiling mileage data will help those who want to decrease their transportation costs, increase the accuracy of cost estimation to pursue the boat racing lifestyle, and ultimately make transportation less resource intensive for anyone with an interest.

Safety is also paramount in racing. The safer the sport, the more that stay to play, and the more that will come to join. The only steps that can increase safety is to purchase safer equipment and race against those who can race safely.

I read a lot of threads discussing our target audience and sinking the hook. When a boat racer is seeking the ultimate ride, with the ultimate setup, to win the heat, to win the championship.....etc they are essentially achieving a fix or sense of fulfillment just like any other junkie. So what kind of junkie are you? What kind of junkie do you want to spend time with? Obviously no one wants a crack-head to join, or anyone else with reckless disregard for ones self and others. I believe most good boat racers are neighbors, friends, and family. People who are easily integrated into the social community are significantly more inclined to travel a circuit than those who are foreign or alienated. Some general personality traits that I have observed in a good boat racer are competitiveness (obviously!), socially outgoing, specific mental and physical fitness, and interested in going fast!

A unique aspect to boat racing is the family oriented lifestyle. Many other racing circuits have racers cycle through, using each circuit as a stepping stone to get to the next level. Typically we run several classes, so your competition may change as your class changes, but at the end of the day you're still socializing with the same group of people. I think this is a very favorable aspect that should be used to distinguish boat racing compared to all other forms of motorsport. Though I think the financial aspects of boat racing should be addressed with a business-like mentality, fellow racers should be (and already are) treated as family members.

A large demographic in America are suburbanites with a little disposable income. I think the values and goals that are pursued in the boat racing community are parallel to that of typical American families. Realistic cost estimates (time, money, effort, safety) coupled with a smooth boat ride ought to put anyone with proper resources on the water. If parents could get their kids into a boat as easily as a pair of soccer cleats, no one would play soccer!

[HRTV]

Your post is extremely well written and also very well thought out but as the creator of this web site and a one time active driver I'm not sure that some of your observations are valid regarding grass roots racing which is basically what Stock Outboard racing is.

I have listen to the drivers over the years and while I might have subscribed to many of our observations a few years ago I have become a bit more in tune with what I honestly believe the drivers want.

You lay out a very complex set of ideas and thoughts that in general will obviously retain and keep members but is the sport really that complex? and is your model what the drivers really want?

Not looking to stir any feathers just my thoughts.

[HRTV]

Quick follow up, you seem to put a large emphasis on safety and yes while this is the number one concern of every driver there is only so much you can do in a 12' boat.

Ok go ahead flame away :-)

[daman69]

I can't speak to what the drivers want other than myself. I've been in, out, and around the SOA for the last 15 years. Some other threads refer to the success of the SOA while many other clubs and regions are dwindling. I believe much of their success pertains to the lineage of families in the club (referred to as the "cycle" in the original post in this thread). I don't think all drivers are the junkies as I portrayed earlier (this reference was used for conceptual reasons), but the majority of individuals and families who give the most seem to get the most return. It is the dedicated individuals and families who obtain the experience and skills necessary to provide competitive, entertaining, and safe racing. It appears to me that families can more easily distribute the financial burden than single member race teams. This seemingly allows more entries per driver than single member race teams.

Is the issue really this complex? Yes, no, maybe... I don't know. From an external standpoint, I don't think it is that complex. Only two major questions have to be answered for a new driver trying to enter the sport (and even seasoned veterans to continue). Do I want to race? Do I have the resources to race?
From an internal standpoint, I think it is as complex as one can comprehend. Stock outboard grassroots racing has been valid for many years, but as earlier posts have suggested times are changing and methods to bring interest to the sport must make corresponding adaptations for the sport to survive, and even thrive.

True, there is only so much you can do in a 12' boat, there is only so much that can be done to a 12' boat, and only so much you can do with particular budget constraints. The required investment that would vastly improve the safety of a 12' boat would most certainly move stock outboard racing away from grass roots. The drivers know the risks, and their behavior demonstrates that they are willing to take those risks. The risks should be reduced as much as possible to help indecisive persons become more willing to participate in racing. If boat racing were 100% safe, it would be rather benign, so that is also something to consider. (A very strange argument!)

Don't worry about ruffling any feathers here, I'm just happy to participate in the conversation.

You bring up an excellent point. What do the drivers want?

[HRTV]

Ok this is deep and its way past my bed time but I will take a quick stab at your first paragraph. "The Cycle" good observation and a very tough one to answer since this is what takes place in almost all forms of motor sports.

Why does this happen? I have no idea, I do know that almost every type of motor sports racing is made up of a very small group of individuals which brings us back to the original question how do we break the cycle and make what has traditionally been a sport of families past down from one generation to the next more accessible and attractive to the common every day Joe.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Sorry But I'm on system overload now chat with you tomorrow.

[B Walker]

If your not growing, your dying.

Growth solves alot of problems.

BW

[Dave M]

Important Point

The traiditonal American Family has changed. A serious shift in marketing is going to take place in the next few years, and I mean a major overhaul of the market.

Anyone look at the stats of demographics latley ? I have some numbers that should concern boat racers and the ability to be self sustaining.

A hint, we should not advertise we are a family oriented sport, that is probably hurting it more than helping it anymore. Before I get flamed, I am simply speculating on how we should advertise. I am sad that it is this way, I like the family aspect.

[B Walker]

OK, now I have heard every excuse.

"We should not try to grow because our core value as a family oriented sport is becoming less of an american family value."

Marketing this sport is soooooo freaking simple and I am tired of people making it more complicated than it is.

BW's formula for growth:

1) Be a good ambassador to the sport.

2) Get 3 new people a ride a year

That simple formula will drive exponential growth. Don't overthink this.

Brad Walker

[mdaspit]

A hint, we should not advertise we are a family oriented sport, that is probably hurting it more than helping it anymore. Before I get flamed, I am simply speculating on how we should advertise. I am sad that it is this way, I like the family aspect.

Dave-
Don't let national trends throw you. Remember we are a niche market, and our share of market, percent of the national population trend, is microscopic.
There will always be families, and always be families looking for activities to do together. Were talking here about attracting hundreds in a best case, compared to millions of the general population.

But you bring up an interesting point about advertising...To whom? For what?
For spectators? Advertising for spectators that we are family oriented is probably not the most persuasive strategy anyway, regardless of demographic trend.

[Dave M]

Scary

All I can say is the report I have is not for public use, so i can't release it or the information on it. But it did open my eyes in a big way. In fact, it floored me.

I will check and see if they will allow me to use any of the percentages and values contained in the reoprt. Since it is a piece of work material I am not allowed to divuldge unless written permission is granted. All I know is a major shift in the target markets will be taking place.

[reed28n]

Return on investment

The issue is not as much "what the sales pitch should be"

as it is

"who do we advertise too and how do we get at our core audience"

There are many many things competing for our disposable income. May of them require less travel and a more precise program. Our barrier is more, the exspense of getting to the races, than it is owning the equipment.

I think we get a fair number of interested parties, but we confuse them on what they should race (Stock, Mod, Pro, Inboard, OPC) or where.... and we just can't close the sale.

Everyone has great ideas on how to pitch our sport and stories about what it provides for us each individually. None of that closes the sale.

The one hope was the universal J Class. No matter where you go to watch racing, there was only one place to start for a young driver in APBA. That has contributed to the J success story. It should be returned to its core and you will see greater growth in J.

[HRTV]

Scott has hit the nail on the head! Aside from a few well know locations like DePue and Lock Haven there is no place for young kids to ride there bike to on Saturday night climb up on the fence and watch boat racing.

If you ask most famous race car drives what got them hooked on racing the majority of them will tell you the same story of how they would ride there bike to the local dirt track on Saturday night jump up on the fence and dream of one day becoming a professional race car driver.

My point is boat racing does not have that local stationary dirt track where kids can hang out and dream night after night weekend after weekend all summer long. Boat racing has the opposite attraction of being in town for two, three days tops and we are gone! Not a single trace of boat racing is left behind no one to talk with no garage to hang out in etc.

A good analogy might be a one night stand, or a long distance relationship. It was fun for the weekend but when will I see you again?

[HRTV]

The issue is not as much "what the sales pitch should be"

as it is

"who do we advertise too and how do we get at our core audience"

There are many many things competing for our disposable income. May of them require less travel and a more precise program. Our barrier is more, the exspense of getting to the races, than it is owning the equipment.

I think we get a fair number of interested parties, but we confuse them on what they should race (Stock, Mod, Pro, Inboard, OPC) or where.... and we just can't close the sale.

Everyone has great ideas on how to pitch our sport and stories about what it provides for us each individually. None of that closes the sale.

The one hope was the universal J Class. No matter where you go to watch racing, there was only one place to start for a young driver in APBA. That has contributed to the J success story. It should be returned to its core and you will see greater growth in J.

You will never get at your core audience using the current model which lends it's self more to a traveling circus type of event. Without a stationary venue I honestly don’t see how it is possible. As corny and silly as it might sound the current model is that a boat race blows into town sets up the big tent hangs up a few posters and by night fall on Sunday it’s all gone.

Compared to the local track that might host an event three or four nights week with family fun nights etc. BMX on Monday night, Motocross on Tuesday night. Midgets on Thursday night plus the track is open all week long for testing etc. It’s almost impossible to compete with this.

PS. I love the sport and no I am not complaining just answering the question to what I think the barriers are :-)