Guest

I just read in the latest issue of Southern Boating (I was in the doctor's office, I swear) and I saw how Bill Seebold was trying to buy the HydroPROP tour. Does anyone else see a problem with race team owners also owning the sanctioning body?

BODYSHOT1

there are a few racers that are a part of the APBA Offshore LLC...the Nemschoffs (sp?), Nigel Hook, etc...

bajabob38

This could get interesting.

Guest

Well, Bob, I thought it would, too, but so far, no good.

I guess the majority would rather bash supercrash on the manatee thread.

Pier

Boatwrecker,

The perception of conflict of interest, if not the reality of it, is unavoidable. Owning a race team and all or part of a racing circuit is problematic at best.

Guest

Here's a for example:

If there is no problem with APBA Offshore LLC partners racing in same, how is it that part-owner Mark Nemschoff's Tommy Bahama is the only boat allowed to run straight shafts and not the required No. 6 drives?

I don't know. I'm just asking, but it seems kind of fishy to me.

puder

owning a race team and being part of a sanctionign body is ok. A problem would arise if say a manufacturer was part of a sanctioning body. UNLESS it was a 1 design style calss (like the batboats) Then its cool. 1 type of boat for all racers really puts more emphasis on driver and boat setup as opposed to boat design and who can pay more for development research.

Pier

Too Old,

Obviously from my earlier post I agree with you. The problem, though, in a world as relatively small as powerboat racing, is that circuit ownership is likely to come from within the ranks. It's not as though the leaders of NASCAR, Cart and IRL are looking at powerboat racing and saying, "Hey, that's something we've got to have." The appeal is too limited.

But despite the inherent conflict of interest, I don't know, I still give credit to the owner/racers (Bernie Little-former tour owner, Nigel Hook, Mark Nemschoff, etc.) At least they're trying.

RumRunner

Boatwrecker
I can understand your argument, but it doesn't work. The Tommy Bahama boat was built before the class went to the #6 drive rule, and there are a few other non Mercury drive boats that have been Grandfathered in. Also the Nemschoff's where actually D-Qd at a race for having a switch to tturn their revlimiters off. The said that they never used it, and the data was not conclusive but it was against the rules and they where disqualfied. Doesn't sound like favorites to me.

puder

a switch to turn them off??? HMMMM why woudl anyone need one of those? doens't seem to be any legitimate reason for it????