Stock Outboard Growth, How to Get There From Here: An Out of the Box Idea?

[Raymond]

Do capsule boats like Tunnels or 5 Liters draw a spectator crowd? If the answer to that question is yes, then in support of growing the sport of Stock Outboard Racing, maybe SO should try to partner with these categories that draw a spectator crowd.

By partnering maybe I really mean…maybe these spectator drawing categories could put their big brother arms around the grass roots racers and help give them a boost.

Here is what I am thinking. What if SO ran a limited number of classes at these spectator events in an attempt to illuminate the category to a market of obviously interested boat racing enthusiasts? So as to not extend the host event’s race day, SO could keep their schedule brief with a lineup of two or so popular hydro and runabout classes.

What if SO piggy backed off of an unlimited event? Couldn’t SO be used as some event filler to keep spectator interest (and their perceived ticket value) up?

What would demand for participation in such an activity pan out to be? If it exceeded capacity maybe SO could limit it by giving the privileges to previous years national and regional high points winners (depending on the venue selected for participation) or by a lottery drawing.

Even if the available time slots necessitated one heat races wouldn’t the exposure do SO some good? Think of the audience that would see and hear about SO. This could have a huge effect on our ability to take the racer school initiatives to the next level of success.

I wonder what kind of interest such a project would have?

[HRTV]

Raymond this already being done at race all across the country, both Inboards and OPC have SO classes running at many of there race.


The J class ran yesterday at Thunder on the Narrows and they were also on the Schedule at Power on the Fox in Elgin just last weekend. This is a great idea that is actually already being done

http://www.kentnarrowsracing.com/

http://www.hometownannapolis.com/vid...erontheNarrows

http://fpwp.photoshelter.com/gallery...0004A7FiG6pfL4

http://fpwp.photoshelter.com/gallery...000kbfHKu6VHdM

<iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/mBLo0RhiloM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Affholter66]

I'm sure it is being done..I guess this is more a "proof of a decline" than anything.

Case in Point. Trenton Michigan. Now I want to point out I DO NOT have ALL the facts and figures. Trento has had a SO Marathon race for more years than I am old (I'm 50). When I was a kid (7-10ish) The Race was broken into 2 parts. A/B and C/D. I remember being in Turn 2 turnboat (a "tradition of my Grandfather's) and seeing 70 boats coming boats coming down the backstretch. Sometime back (20yrs????) The 45 Tunnels were brought in as a "half-time" show. Fast Forward..The "Roar on the River" as it is now known, is a a Tunnel Boat (OPC) race. This years sanction requires 15 SO's or no race. To my knowledge we have commitments from 8. I was one of the 8, but my wife and I are now going to Mackinaw Island, as opposed to spending our $$ to get there only to be scratched. Is any one group to be blamed, NO..however I guess my point is if WE (SO and OPC) can't "make it work" there, I'm fairly pessimistic about this being "a solution"...A good Idea Yes..will it work...jury is out. Hats off to Terry Kerr, Mike Affholter, Fred Miller,John Broge and others who have worked for many many years to make this race a reality.

The crowds will be there, the OPC's will race, The SO Marathon won't be happening this year (done for good??) Very sad to see this happen.

[johnsonm50]

Do capsule boats like Tunnels or 5 Liters draw a spectator crowd? If the answer to that question is yes, then in support of growing the sport of Stock Outboard Racing, maybe SO should try to partner with these categories that draw a spectator crowd.

By partnering maybe I really mean…maybe these spectator drawing categories could put their big brother arms around the grass roots racers and help give them a boost.

Here is what I am thinking. What if SO ran a limited number of classes at these spectator events in an attempt to illuminate the category to a market of obviously interested boat racing enthusiasts? So as to not extend the host event’s race day, SO could keep their schedule brief with a lineup of two or so popular hydro and runabout classes.

What if SO piggy backed off of an unlimited event? Couldn’t SO be used as some event filler to keep spectator interest (and their perceived ticket value) up?

What would demand for participation in such an activity pan out to be? If it exceeded capacity maybe SO could limit it by giving the privileges to previous years national and regional high points winners (depending on the venue selected for participation) or by a lottery drawing.

Even if the available time slots necessitated one heat races wouldn’t the exposure do SO some good? Think of the audience that would see and hear about SO. This could have a huge effect on our ability to take the racer school initiatives to the next level of success.

I wonder what kind of interest such a project would have?

As a relative new-bee with limited insight there are things I like about it.. Stock guys get to go to an event -spectate & run. I noticed from spectating for several years to racing a few times that when you race, you miss the races as a spectator [except during boat duty]. As for the classes chosen to go Id think ones that are popular and that others can adapt to if they wanted would work. Another advantage is in my area there are 2 [that I know of] sites being raced that Stock Outboard aren't using. Whether or not feasable being another story. Cool Idea

[Racerkyle20]

region 10 and west coast doing this

Region 10 usually has one or two races with inboards. Lake Lawrence in the spring is run by tacoma inboard and they ask for 5-6 outboard classes per year. Later in august 3 outboard classes will again be running with tira at Pateros, wa.

Now weather this is to promote outboard racing or inboards clubs trying to make it into The black can be debated. But either way its a good way to bring outboard racing to different crowds.

Also doing this is san Diego's bayfair. Unlimited, lights, tunnels, top fuel drag, and outboards. Its a fun race.

[johnsonm50]

Crowd

I went to an inbord race event today to spectate. It was the Jersey Outlaws where Garveys, Jersey skiffs & Ski boats run. There was some small talk of running outboards around the pits too.


Inc. flyby's to please the crowds


& a pretty good crowd for a rainy holiday Sunday.

It is salt water tho & I run some stuff in it but not the Yamato or Merc quicky stuff.

[reed28n]

Playing with others

kneel down racing has too many classes with too many motor combinations to join successfully with another program. Lock Haven this year reportedly had 40 something boats and 11 plus classes. 40 boats would be an attractive program with 4 or 5 classes...... but we will never get there.

Racing with another category would fracture our participation, but it is one way get higher boat counts per class, let the local clubs select a few classes to run.

If you don't legislate a common sense approach to the class structure a reduction through attrition will happen.

[HRTV]

kneel down racing has too many classes with too many motor combinations to join successfully with another program. Lock Haven this year reportedly had 40 something boats and 11 plus classes. 40 boats would be an attractive program with 4 or 5 classes...... but we will never get there.

Racing with another category would fracture our participation, but it is one way get higher boat counts per class, let the local clubs select a few classes to run.

If you don't legislate a common sense approach to the class structure a reduction through attrition will happen.

Interesting post, the Euro UIM series runs the following classes for kneel down enthusiast.

OSY400

F-125
F-250
0-350
0-175

That's it take it or leave it.

[Raymond]

Not to join but to gain exposure

kneel down racing has too many classes with too many motor combinations to join successfully with another program. Lock Haven this year reportedly had 40 something boats and 11 plus classes. 40 boats would be an attractive program with 4 or 5 classes...... but we will never get there.

Racing with another category would fracture our participation, but it is one way get higher boat counts per class, let the local clubs select a few classes to run.

If you don't legislate a common sense approach to the class structure a reduction through attrition will happen.

Lets not stay to far from the main idea here, exposure is the idea I want to convey; not combination. It is not my intention to suggest SO run with other categories. My thought is to piggy back onto a spectator drawing category from an ‘exhibition’ sense in an attempt to expose stock outboard; that’s all.

The idea is to use such an event/s to promote kneel down racing and their racer schools in hopes of exposing the sport to some new blood that is already interested in boat racing/motor sports; hence them spectating at a boat race.

[Dave M]

Sometimes

This strategy will work sometimes. I know of one event here in MI. Trenton MI runs stock outboard and a stock marathon. This is run with the Tunnel Boats. Crowds seem to number near ten thousand each day. I might be off a little, but I have no way to verify. This has been going on for a long long number of years. This tells me one thing, this strategy does not work if it is simply add a few classes. It would need to be done another way to attract people, a racer school might help.

So I still think the best formula for growth is to get new racers in a boat at a regular race. I also think little to no cost to them is important. It is about exposure and the more people you get in the boats the better the odds are at hooking some of them.

Oh, and I agree with Reed, there are WAY to many classes in Stock outboard. It is sad you have to put on 40 classes a day to break even on cost of race.......

Simple class structure, easy to understand rules, and fun. That is the formula to growing the sport. The less you have to market the class and rules, the better off it will be.

[DtwSailor]

Ray, love the concept, bro. However, more than just running exhibits at a local race is to be done. I just spent 45 minutes at the border coming back from a weekend of testing clearing US customs. I was delayed, not to immigration issues, but due to talking to the officers about the sport and showing them the boat. I left them a few programs from MHRA, and we will see if any show up at Grass Lake. Grass roots promotion is what we need, as we are grass roots racing community. Just my 2 cents worth before I leave for Chicago to miss Grass Lake and watch my daughter dance!
-See your wake in turn 1
MD

[Racerkyle20]

Oh, and I agree with Reed, there are WAY to many classes in Stock outboard. It is sad you have to put on 40 classes a day to break even on cost of race.......

Simple class structure, easy to understand rules, and fun. That is the formula to growing the sport. The less you have to market the class and rules, the better off it will be.

This was the exact structure laid out by Dean Sutherland at the national meeting this year (A, B, C, D structure). Was voted on by the Commission (7-6), put to a vote by SO members, and was defeated rather convicingly. The minority racers that run with 20 boats in a class total in the US don't want to give up their class....SOOOOOOOOO basically no one is willing to do this in Stock Outboard and so our sport will die a slow death. It's the sad truth if we stand by the status quoe. I don't want to preach gloom and doom. Just presenting what went on to try and help change the Stock Outboard this year. I'm a commissioner to not keep the status quoe so my children will be racing in 20-30 years from now.

KB
region 10 stock commissioner

[dholt]

There are too many classes in Mod, Pro and OPC while we're on the subject.

[Raymond]

At this point I am not sure how to ‘kick this off’ or ‘promote / manage’ it. I just think it is something worth considering. I wonder if a poll would render enough input to get a feel for community support for the concept.

Dave, I agree…the hook is getting them ‘into’ the boat but as with any good formula one must collect the ingredients first. The notion we are exploring here is a way to get them ‘to’ the boat. If this cross category event is already taking place in Trenton MI, then the next step is to capitalize on that and provide a way to broadcast how easy it is to get into at the kneeldown/SO level. This could be done with a booth and handouts and a schedule of all the races and racer schools nation wide for the entire season races past and future so a prospect could get a full grasp of racing and school opportunities…an interpretive center if you will. A few promotional words from the announcing staff would also go a long way to informing the crowd as to the location of the ‘information center’. Can you send me the Trenton particulars so that I may pursue some possibilities?

Mike, I agree with your also; more then just local exhibits need to be done. I am a firm believer that there is no magic pill or one good solution to the ailments we suffer but rather we need a balance of proactive and meaningful actions like racer schools and upgraded sanctioning body internet presence and good ambassadorship like you were just doing; that list goes on and on.

I don’t disagree with the notion that there are too many classes. I will however contend that solution is only one ingredient, albeit a significant one, of the formula to successful sustainment. Given the current feelings on the subject by the community at large it is going to take some time for the idea to sink in…so…what are we going to do in the mean time? We can’t just sit and wait.

[ryan_4z]

I don't think we have any choice but to sit and wait, and make our program as attractive as possible in the mean time. Right now current racers can't even afford to race as much as they were 5 or 6 years ago. Until the economy starts booming again, I wouldn't expect to find a whole lot of people willing to dump thousands of dollars into a new hobby, however exciting that hobby is.

On another note, I don't think exposure is our main problem-more people know about us than we think. Product availability is the area that needs the most attention. Our long race days and small classes are much more of a drain on us than on prospective racers. The problem is that it takes quite an effort to get together a rig with trailer and equipment for someone who doesn't know anyone in the sport.