Baja,

Good post above from "Evin"... Well said...

I posted on the Kneeldown web-site and thought you guys would like to see it.

quote from Mike A.



The truth is that many of these people are flat out scared to say anything against the "friends" because if they do and I lose this battle, then they know they are up a creek without a paddle. Sad but true. So, we rely on phone calls and emails from the many who, while ducking for cover, are nevertheless urging us on and hoping we win so APBA can be free to grow again and prosper.

Mike



There is alot of truth to this quote! I have talked to many racers that feel this way but won't say anything because it is TABOO. I have only been boat racing for 3 yrs and love every minute of it and only want to see it grow. So far all I have seen is Mike A's plan and it seems reasonable to me.

These are just some thoughts:

Maybe we need a generous dictatorship. Bill France has done very well with NASCAR. He personally has made a ton of money from the racers and the racers have made a ton of money because of him ( racers don't get to vote on anything ) and none of the France kids race in NASCAR ( I'm sure they were to busy learning how to sell snowcones and stuff)

It is not fair in my opnion that I did not get to vote because I did not go to Detroit. I had a choice between Detroit and a new propeller, I chose the prop.

There is no all knowing sanctioning body that covers everything in any other type of racing. NASCAR-- ASA -- NHRA -- CART ---IRL --AMA --ECT. Heck, I wish we could be as big as AMA.


I would sure like to know how our insurance works!!

I feel that if there is any engine manufacture on the BOD than all of the other manufactures should have a spot also.

I understand that I'm a small fish in a BIG pond and a new racer in a new class ( which is doing well and growing ) so please don't lambaste me too bad!!

Regards

Mike Fjeld

Mike,
You make some very good points.

Just take a look at all the sanctioning bodies that are successfull, they are not democracies. The SCCA is the closest think to a successfull democracy that exists, but it is still (for the most part) amatuer racing.

NASCAR, IRL (sorry CART), World of Outlaws are all proving to be successful (in their own right) and all of them are governed by monarchy. Does not take a MENSA member to figure this one out.

Although I have yet to run my first race (next weekend in Benecia), it is easy to see that Offshore is headed in the right direction. After racing cars for the better part of 20 years I switched to boats.

The classes and rule changes while not in the short term best interest, are setting a foundation for competition over the long haul.

Making the Pro classes competitive between manufacturers is what they should be about, both boat and engine manufacturers should compete.

Setting up the Performance classes for guys like me to get involved with the "run what ya brung" type of rules is typically the foundation (backbone) of growth for the pro classes.

I am not afraid to speak my mind as the only reason I purchased a race boat is because of the work of the LLC.

In the end the consumers (racers and fans) will buy the best product and the LLC has the best product at this time under any name.

Rick

Hello again Mike F..
 

Hi Mike F..

Nice to see you over here also. When is your next race in central FlFlorida...Any chance of you guys (Mike races Supersports) showing up at St Pete/Tampa??

Take care:) :)

Wild Thing:

That is the most accurate statement in this whole thread.

At the end of the day there will be no winner....... and there will be no conclusion........ simply an end to a chapter. If the sport needs continuous life support.....perhaps we should pull the plug and see what happens....... The racers will race regardless. If they are dependent on "benevolent" for profit corporations... something is very wrong.

I was born with a B.S. Meter in my head.......... and have decided to turn it off because the warning buzzer has been ringing for a few years now ...and I'm getting a headache.

You can power a boat with a Merc....... But, you can fuel a fleet of sailboats with the constantly revised "spin" on this issue .

T2x

Aw shucks.........

Thank you...... I try in my little way.


.....sigh!

T2x........ obsoletely scathing

From Evin Rude's post:
We all know Merc dont like competition in any form. They work to crush competition either by out performing it (tha best way), out lawing it (chicken ****) or just using politics to control/get rid of it (really chicken ****).

Real racers us the first option and only the first option. They welcome competition because they know it will improve their own game.

Trivia question - Name a piece of equipment currently used in offshore racing that is older than a #6 drive.

See what I mean?

Reggie's gold chains?

C:

I've tried, and I'm afraid I don't......... see what you mean. The 6 drive was designed in the late 80's....redesigned (dry sumped/Skegs) in the mid 90's....... Somehow I am missing the point.

Please explain....in terms even the "obsolete" can comprehend.

T2x

Let me ask a few questions.

Concerning the post by Mike Allweiss about diverging the License and Performance divisions.

Since you signed a contract that guaranteed certain things, including payments of money and securing your insurance from APBA.
You now do not pay anything to APBA and secure your insurance outside APBA, which has put the APBA program at risk.

How would this 3 year experiment benifit all of APBA?
Wouldn't this be exactly what you wanted? To not have to live up to the terms of your contract?
By splitting APBA and taking with it some of the more marketable entities within APBA, wouldn't you be dooming the rest of APBA to failure?

If I were in your shoes of course I would love that deal! Get something I contracted for and guaranteed payments for, for nothing.

The dispute between Mike Allweiss and APBA seems to not be such a Offshore deal but a deal on who will ultimately control APBA. Why not stick to offshore?

Think about it. If any of us headed a sanctioning body. Would we allow a licensee of ours to sanction an event we had already turned down for liability reasons? (PWC race in California). Would you allow a licensee to advertise and promote a race in a category that is under the wing of APBA not the LLC, and sanction it by another competing organization?

Lets be fair here.

One final question, I read where Mike Allweiss said he paid back Gene Whipp $80,000, and several hundred thousands of more to the category, out of his own pocket. Could you please supply proof of this?