Oh yeah, the "cool/dry" condition thing is really a non issue because the top three machines are dynoed right after the race and takes about 20min so you and you and your competitors are in the same "boat" weather wise

So, if I set up my 500HP here in Kansas at approx. 900' ele. in August when it's 95*, (which is average for that time) and it shows 469bhp, but then I go race in humid St. Pete at sea level and it just happens to have cooled off then I'm pretty much screwed? Or I have to guess at a tune and possibly still screw myself. I could dyno before the race, but then everyone would want to do that and we would be waiting in line all day for our turn on the dyno. Then there is the problem with who actually performs the test. If my boat is on the dyno after the race and it grenades during a pull, does APBA buy me a new motor? After all, it's there dyno.
I don't mean for this to sound sarcastic, but APBA invested in a prop dyno. They may still have it. The prop shaft dyno went through a lot of trying and testing by APBA officials before it was to be implemented into the tech inspections at race sites.
Looked great on paper, but had LOTS of downfalls in practice.

Horsepower can be controlled by limiting intake size, mandating components and controlling RPM....Nascar does exactly this. The problem lays in the classes, more specifically, the number of classes. TV can't handle more than 2 (the others should be used for developmental purposes only and NOT televised).... No debate on this..... Even racers fall asleep during most of the shows...and their friends are baffled half way through. So choose 2 classes for TV...and that's the rub...there are a lot of classes because that allows more people to get more checkered flags under the excuse of serving their "sponsors"...... To which I ask the simple question...Who do you admire more and do sponsors flock to...the winner of local class 8 (diesel section) or a guy who comes in 15th at the Daytona 500?.... more importantly... who is the public interested in?

My vote... #1 Super Cat and #2 Super Vee light. Give them both the same engine... (It makes inspections a snap).... Last year's engines were suitable. This year the "brain trust" (that didn't need George Linder) shot themselves in the foot and removed the mid range horsepower, while pandering to a new Carburetor "sponsor". This leaves the boats helpless in medium to large seas. At the same time the same group decided that a "slightly" different "A"( super Vee light) motor was required for some obscure reason, having to do with ......oh forget it.

The largest problem remains between the organizing bodies... We don't need/can't carry/ are weakened by "extra" baggage from two(or three) groups. Until one(or two) surrenders, think of offshore racing as a patient with an intestinal parasite..... It can never get better until it is "wormed". And in this life if things don't get better ... they get worse.

T2,
The brain trust that didn't need George Linder?
Ask Mr. Linder when was the last time he talked with someone at APBA. I have the feeling there is a very open dialog between the two.
As for the Super cat and Super V motors, how about some stats?
How many Super cats suffered a dnf while racing with the blower motors?
How many Super Vs suffered a dnf while racing with blower motors?
How many DNFs have there been this year with the new motors?
What is the percentage of DNFs to the number of entries last year as opposed to this year?

I've been watching the sport for quite some time and recently spoke with a friend who owns a television production company that specializes in producing motorsports programming. His company does a significant portion of the motorsport production for ESPN, ESPN2, Fox Sports and the Outdoor Life Network. While he was here in NYC talking to OLN we hung out and talked and the "up-and-coming" segments of his business. Offshore powerboat racing was not among those he identified as growth areas.

He believes that there are far too many classes, too many rule changes, little public awareness, poor public relations and inadequate promotion. He mentioned that when he looked into the sport he found that it could grow but only if the national circuit had 2 major classes and if they raced on different days so that each class could independently be the focus of public attention.

He believes that there is room on the national circuit for only a Supercat and a V class (either F-2 or some canopied class). However, the rules need to remain in place with limited tweaks, not re-writes (and this appears to be the trend, so the APBA and SBI deserve alot of credit) and that the rules need to be boiled down to some major bullet points that can be easily explained to the public at large.

He also believes that prior to every event the public should be barraged through television, radio, print and outdoor advertising talking about the race classes, race dates, race team profiles and the like. I have to say that I've been to several races this year and did not hear any radio mention that the tours were in those towns, did not see any billboard ads with the boats on them and did not see any full-page newspaper ad promoting the race venues. So he may have a point there.

But, he could be wrong. He's used to producing and promoting motorcycle and automobile racing so he may not be the best advisor for powerboat racing.

[ 10-08-2001: Message edited by: Miller ]

To keep some parity in the engines, for the EFI engines, let the racers do anything they want but require a fixed throttle body bore and have "APBA computers" where at the drivers meeting the organizors would give out the computers at random to each team for that race and then collect them at the end of the race and 'shuffle them' for the next race. These computers will be stock and not altered. If the racers overbuild the engine it will not run right or it will blow up. The computers fuel and ignition curve will dictate and limit power. Indy cars used to do this with the turbocharger pop-off valves to limit boost and HP.

Gordo....What does supercharging have to do with this?.... It was a bad idea to have separate type engines for Super Vee and Super Cat. As I stated previously it was done to try and make vees look more equal to cats and appease Vee manufacturer/sponsors in that regard...and That definitely wasn't George's idea... He gets an occasional call from The race "techies" (every couple of months) when they have a question.... His answers, if not in agreement with the current mindset (which changes based on where the short term dollars are coming from) are discarded...

Miller- Bravo to your friend...he is spot on. To succeed a sport must build a TV audience FIRST.....That's where REAL sponsors come from...ask Bill France.
Catmando....Whether or not, some p class racer gets some of his bills paid by "Ace Autobody"...or a multinational corporation means nothing to the success of the sport in general.... What did Citgo do for Nigel in the long run other than defray some expenses? And Budweiser sponsoring a Poker Run bullet from LOTO is a similar situation.

For ALL racers to prosper, sponsors have to spontaneously see the merit of the overall SPORT as a viable outlet for their sales and marketing efforts. Right now, boat racing is being outmarketed by stubbly bearded teenagers on bicycles jumping over hillocks.
Why...Because people can UNDERSTAND the process, bond with the personalities and root for a SINGLE winner.... None of that is possible with three organizations and dozens of classes in Offshore racing... Most individual boat sponsors are temporary right now, because sooner or later they realize that everything from monster trucks to gravity games give better exposure than a Factory 1,2,3,4, P1,2,3,4,5,6,7, Super cat, Super Cat lite, Super cat lite triple outboard, Super Cat lite Twin Outboard, Super Vee, Super Vee lite, L1,L2 ......Stop me when it get's as ridiculous to you as it seems to me (don't forget the "Bat Boats)....AAAARGHH!

And, finally, yes I am advocating Super Cat.. Because that is , in fact, the banner class....and Super Vee Lite (single engine)... Because it is affordable to every single and twin engine vee bottom owner. The Old super cat engine configuration works splendidly in both applications..... But you can substitute the above with twin engine outboard cats and Factory 2 boats if you like....just keep it to 2 classes.

T2x

PS: This is reply number 200 on this topic....Where is the Vee post?


[ 10-08-2001: Message edited by: T2x ]

[ 10-08-2001: Message edited by: T2x ]

The V guys are to busy having fun with thier families out on thier "compromised" boats. When the weather gets cold I am sure you will hear from them. GREAT POSTS Thanks

Another thought occurs to me about the current state of powerboat racing. Being that I am a partial owner of a billboard company and know that business rather well, I had always thought that offshore boats should market themselves (at least the smaller boats that get less attention from the sponsors) the way we market billboards. Target the local offices of national advertisers, show them the exposure they can get from the boat and sell them a 30 day contract whereby their name is on the boat for only the selected markets that they want to reach. Perhaps a coordinater at the organization (APBA, SBI, Great Lakes Silver Cup, etc.) could actually market all the boats as a package to advertisers and help to get sponsorship dollars for the teams before they travel to different venues. Has this idea been tried before? If it has and didn't work, then I'm proven wrong but if it hasn't been tried it should.

The reason for all the classes is so the sanctioning body can take an entry fee from anyone who wants to race.

Here is the question-Is there any boat over 24' that does not fit into a class?

I don't think so, and if one exists and that wants to pay to play, then a new class will be formed. It's all about profits for the sanctioning body.