Pwrbt33

iTrader: (2)

Agreed!! We should have our RACERS ONLY forum that requires a password to enter and then we don't have to worry about the general public reading our woes.

TeamSaris

Thatd be awesome. Its even worse when the general public thinks we need to hear their 2 cents too. WOW i sound like a dick lol

Lucididee

With working with the sites, I have discussed autograph sessions and how it is great for the fans. Keeping in mind that everything is an expense... Teams, it is up to you to make these autograph sessions popular! You need to show with your own hero cards and cannot rely on the site to be providing literature to sign. Last year Jupiter printed out a 4-page hand out that included 44 projected attendees (all boats could not be included at the time it went to print) and in East Tawas the local newspaper included a race insert that had 12 projected attendees.

So far for 2013, autograph sessions are set for St Clair, Port Huron (double-session - Sarnia, Ont, Canada & Port Huron) & East Tawas.

TUGGIT

Mike,

I agree with ya 100%. While the autograph thing is great, I think our focus as race teams needs to be directed more with sponsorship. One of the things I am working on for SVL is to get a specific sponsor for SVL. Now this is something I am doing on my own and have discussed with some in my class and gotten positive feedback, but have nothing set in stone yet. For example, my goal is to get $10 - $20k from a sponsor to put towards the regulating of eng, drives, x-dims, etc. ( in SVL), and safety support. Maybe take a little load off of OPA for each site and pay for travel and accomodations for some of the saftey / rescue personell. In return the sponsor gets their name on every SVL and support vehicles, hero cards, shirts, whatever. Also during broadcasts at race sites and on TV, they get recognition for their contribution, "Thanks to "XXXXX Sponsor" for bringing us Super Vee Lite technical officials as well as safety / rescue personell this weekend!" Or some $hit like that.. And we as a group find a way to promote their product as a group during each race weekend to sell their product..

If each individual class could get together, and WORK TOGETHER as a team to find a common sponsor for it's respective class, we branch out, cover more ground, and take a load off of Smitty and the OPA crew.. It would certainly be more appealing to any sponsor to have their name on EVERY boat in that class, guaranteeing them exposure no matter what the results of each race.

Just a few thoughts, got a ton of other BS floatin around in my head on how to make this work, but that's all I feel like writing now.. So fire away with all your positive feedback, and anyone with negative feedback... TUG IT... BABY!!

Lucididee

I'm pretty sure NASCAR got some kind of gag order that prohibits posting certain things on public forums. And if they do any way, there's probably a hefty fine attached, along with penalties.


But as far as posting on these public forums (OSO, FB, Twitter, etc.) information/problems/issues/etc that should be privy to those with in the organization (staff & racers), at one point .... ya gotta say ... people need to police themselves and what they say. Look at it if you are a business owner ....... here you have an employee bad mouthing or posting inside information, I'm pretty sure you'd find a way to terminate that person. I've heard many many stories on how people have lost there jobs due to what t hey posted on FB. I also know that due to posting the rhetoric on these forums, sponsorships have been lost.

Before you post, please think about what you are going to type and then think if there is going to be any kind of a fallout afterwards. And if there is a fallout, are you prepared to deal with the consequences.

Lucididee

It's all about "Smoke and Mirrors".

I've been saying this for a while now ... YES, for many teams going to a race is like a working vacation and for some it IS their vacation, but we need to treat the race sites as a "Trade Show" and their pit stall as "the booth". We've all been to trade shows, so we should know what catches our eyes to get us to stop at the booth ... #1 thing is to be at your booth (pit stall). And before I get blasted for the last comment, YES I do know that there are those that never leave their pit stall, but I have also observed times when in the height of viewing (Saturday) sometimes people are no where to be found. (If your out testing, your testing, your are part of the show.)

waterboy1

Agreed.

TeamSaris

I think grouping the classes together (Like Mikey said) would help out a lot with keeping guys in or at least near their booths. Good idea!

Lucididee

That has it's pros & cons

For starters, let's start with those that do double-duty. Those boats should be pitted together. After being part of Jupiter and getting the information together, pit assisnment is a not easy

Then those that have a LARGE pit presence need to be spread all around (Boats like AMSOIL & GEICO). Ya need the so-to-say BIG Guy in the Front and the big GUY in the back. At one site, some were not too happy about being pitted on the other side of the lake away from the main pit area. Along with another site where boats are again pushed up on a hill separated from the core dry pit area.

The next issue you come across it when people actually get to the race site, some show up early, some show up saturday afternoon and some leave as soon as the race is over. Pit assignment needs to accommodate these needs as well. You need to be smart about the assignments, so as those that arrive can be filled in.

Plus, then take in the other factor, dry pits sometimes have limited spacing (parking), you might not be able to pit the same class boats together. So by putting the one the has a "large" pit presence next to the one that may just have a truck & trailer just makes a better fit logistically.

In the past in which it was grouped by class, it was always the same, hide the smaller Class 5 & 6 boats in the back, in which you will have limited walking traffic around your pits stall. Is that what you really want? Personally I love, seeing the smaller class mixed in with the larger boats. They don't get lost as they do when they are shoved in the back corners or across the street.

In theory, grouping same class boats together sounds good, but in reality ... it sometimes falls into the "to hard to do" category.

gary cook

I agree if possible class pitting together would be great because it will help the fans understand the boats better and get to meet teams and who they want to root for of course that will be team P-F-E

The one thing we talk about and i mean opa racers is airing our grips out on the net its not all bad people like drama it draws people to us now im not saying its ok to rip into other racers if you have a problem with a person or the opa try to keep it to dull roar on the net.

As far as sponsor go most think some drama is ok they know it draws people and thats what they want to a pointe just look at whats on tv now or when a nascar driver takes things into his own hands just as long as things dont get to far out of control.

Just some useless thoughts