Racegirl3

Can ya imagine the pics I could get from there?

orss

yes it i$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

bouyhunter

I understand how crazy it is when it comes to $$$

But, as I said, turn it into a prestige sport ( my example was Horse racing). Turn it into a " Super Bowl" every other weekend.
It will be the place for everyone in Hollywood to "be".
Prestige, my friend, sells.
I know it's expensive - but I'd pay a 500-1000 a ticket to watch a real offshore race from the greatest seat.

That would be one hell of a way to market this sport.

Let's face it - what we have now is failing, and has been failing for years.

I know it's a crazy idea - but, Einstein and Edison, and all the others were considered crazy at one point.

shifter

I have not seen the proposals.

I should have said complaining in 96 instead of *****ing. I like the auto curse censor.

post a link to the threads or start from scratch with a basic idea to get things rolling.

pat W

FeverMike

Ding Ding Ding and we have a winner! Yeah Mike that about sums it up. The big boys with the deep pockets and huge ego's just can't seem to play by the rules and be in some else's business plan and ideas. they have no idead of what team work is and hate to see other succeed. They thought they could do a better job but in the last 3 years all I see is declining boat counts at the races. Seems to me that back in 1999-2003 the classes were pretty simple..you had the Super Series with Super V and Super Cat, Factory Class and P-Class as the starter try it out class.

Racegirl3

Ahhh .. ya mean the promoting right? The sport isnt failing. The racers are still racing. Maybe the promoting is failing. People have mentioned personalities, colorful personalities ... have you ever met the Jersey Boyz? They are as colorful as you can get ... and fun .. Problem is most fans dont get to see them... unless you go to races ..... They dont post much on the board cuz (and Im guessin), the racing forums arent any fun. Bickering is not fun. I have kids. I know. He looked at me, she touched me. I did this and you didnt

There have been a few attempts at showing some of the racers personalities ... Sharkey has some great photos of some of them doin some fun/funny stuff. I wish I had pics of Wazzup doin their donuts after the Mentor race. Thats the stuff fans should see .. hear about... but it gets lost in the threads about the politics of it all. The racers, from what Ive seen, for the most part get along and HELP each other. Its a family and they play hard together. They enjoy teasin each other ... there is lots of laughin goin on at the drivers meetings. It is FUN

If everyone involved with racing has the same goal .. to advance the sport ... then why all the bickering? Cant agree on how to do it? Maybe guy A in series A can go do what he thinks is best and guy B in series B can go do what he thinks is best and BOTH will end up advancing the sport. Forget about having one racing body. Thats not gonna happen anytime in the near future. But if ALL the racing bodies would agree to work together to advance the sport ... good things CAN happen. (See St Clair as an example)

Unite we race is not just a slogan ... in some series, its a reality. As fans ... if you do nothing else, support those series. You have a way to make a difference in this sport. Quit talking about it and do it.

FeverMike

RG3, I commend your enthusiasm toward racing in general and especially boat racing...very cool! You are the demographic that the sport needs no doubt. You started you post out with, "the racers are still racing". Yes that is true to some degree but there are a awful lot of racers that do not race anymore or still have race boats in storage...a lot of them. I have only been following the sport or involved in the sport for 10 years. In those 10 years it is mind boggling on how many racers and people involved in the sanction bodies that have come and gone.
I do agree with you with the United We Race slogan and hopefully one day that will be true.
take care, Mike

Racegirl3

Thanks Mike .... I hope some of the racers who arent racing will come out to some of these races and talk to the racers. Ask them if they are having fun. Ask them if things are good. Talk to the guys who are participating and see for themselves. Talk to the racers first then go talk to the guys behind the table up front and see what they have to say. Shop around. They might be surprised.

Offshore racing is a business. If the leaders are running it as a business, taking common sense approaches to things, treating their "employees" and "customers" with service and a smile, the business will grow. Its not rocket science. As fans, we already love the boats ... sure makes it alot more fun when you like the people too.

FeverMike

Yep you are correct in you thinking.

T2x

The earlier points about the JERZY Boys being colorful are, in fact, valid. The problem is that, once again, they race in a mind dizzying array of classes........... and that is a good place to begin.

For the record, before I begin what I hope is an objective critique, let me say I love these guys, many of them are my friends, and they represent grass roots racing at its best.

They are, no doubt, enthusiastic racers, with good souls, trying to do the "right thing", with a love of the sport, and an interesting sponsor in AMF........They race...often in the ocean...on larger courses....in open cockpits...If you enjoy "Old school" racing.

However, they are producing an unmarketable product. It is not an entertaining attraction for the casual, or even frequent, motorsports fan. They race at both APBA and OSS events and try to maintain "independence" .... thereby assuring a continuation of fan confusion regarding sanctioning bodies and national/world championships...

Bottom line, if this sport is to not only survive, but flourish, it needs a single national sanctioning body, very few classes, and a unity of spirit. Right now we have too many people spending good money, and creating races, with differing agendas and visions, pulling the core sport to pieces.

In truth...in the old days.... there were 4 classes.....with one (Open).... getting the (deserved) media coverage (including ABC). It worked then...and the race fleets exceeded 100 at national events....50 at regional events.... everybody was after the same set of points...and large foreign fleets came over for our World Championships. If you had a Turbine....you couldn't race...but you could afford an Open Boat. If you had a boat manufacturing company... you were welcome...but you had to conform to the class rules...not vice versa.

The main point in this poll, for me, is that simplification and unification....can make this sport something special, and marketable for all concerned.

T2x