glassdave

iTrader: (1)

Thanks Rich, much appreciated.

CigDaze

Your points are quite valid. I agree with most, but if I understand you correctly in what you're suggesting is to simplify and do away with the lefty turbine one-off's, I'm afraid in this day and age it would lead to degeneration of interest from the general populace.
Let's face it, boaters are a little less than 5% of the general population, and performance boaters are perhaps 1% of that. If you eliminate the "wow" factor - the handful of boats that really make one say "holy sh--, did you see that!" - and codify the notion that there must be 50 or 100 identical watered-down 'practical' race boats on a given course, I'm afraid it won't work. Don't get me wrong they're all fine and well in my book, I like to watch damn near all the boats that I see in post-modern offshore racing, but the general public gets bored.

Without "wow," there's no draw - like the first time you see a NASCAR car rip by at 200+ standing on the wall, or an indy car go screaming past you standing on the sidewalk in a grand prix, or a monster truck crush some cars, or a top fuel dragster launch with a deafening report, or a turbine-powered 200+ mph water-rocket. It's all the same, the first time you feel it, you're hooked.



P.S.
I think the supercats getting together with the hydroplane guys is a fantastic idea...as is their recent push to band together and strive for a common objective and selectively decide when and where they race, not for whom.

Pete B

My .02, the real class that could have a impact is the Cat Lite guys, watching 8 or 9 cats running into the turn is pretty awesome, people that are on the fence deciding what to race see this as a good class, not a lot of engine problems, and with the 6's, a solid set-up. there are of course the nay sayers saying someone has the monopoly, but its easy to say they have a good product and support thier product at races!


Is there room for improvement ? yes


the Hatchers recently returned to racing, they picked a class that has good rules , great competition, and they picked a great boat Skater!!


For the guys running with the hydros, i have said that for years! but i grew up in detroit when water week meant Offshore boats and the Hydros. the offshore boats ran on fridays so the crowd wasnt as big, the hydros would pull in 400K to 500K. like always there are agenda's, and checkered flags whatever it takes! but tomorrow is another day, and it might just get better.

DPT MOTORSPORTS

All great points posted above. I started racing at the age of 18 racing the once Mini Grand Prix calss in the OPC division of APBA. From there moved onto Sport C but never got a chance to move to the next step which was SST 45. Anyone who knows me well knows what happened but I had a 45 lined up to buy and run for 1995 season.

My love for the sport of powerboat racing began when I was about 4 or 5yrs old in Point Pleasant, NJ when I got to meet the offshore legends like Betty Cook and Rocki Aoki. I saw the sport be big and be small and in recent years have lost most hope for the sport in general. Even saw and was part of it when it peaked and in my opinion probably the best that it will ever be despite popular opinion of people who need to remove there heads from somewhere. Sorry about that!!!!! Just speaking from the heart.

Do I have the answers to fix it? NO, but I sure do wish I did. The most current directions will only splinter what we love even more. The sports need to be open to various manufacturers like other motorsports. No monopolies in racing, it doesn't work. Neithe does owner operated raceing groups. If you want to argue with me on that, I will just say IRL & CART. So end of that subject. Until people that just want to buy championships or people with very large ego's back away the sport will remain the way it is but I still have a glimmer of hope that still lies in my heart. Only problem is the clueless seem to be trying to blow it out on me time and time again.

My appolagies for the RANT,
Dennis P.Tracey

ps. All boat racing seems to be far better over seas. Why is that???????

DPT MOTORSPORTS

ONE or TWO boats running around in a circle is not racing and claiming to be a WORLD CHAMPION doing so makes you as LAME and PATHETIC as it can get.

Sorry IRISH TEMPER GETTING THE BEST OF ME!!!!!!!!!

Pete B

Thats not temper thats common sense. and its not good for the fans, either!!! we are all inclined to support what we believe in, it is call loyalty, blind faith, we all want the best.

CigDaze

Indeed. But even by looking at that particular picture as a 'for instance,' I can't count more than two boats that are alike.

Pete B

Promotion!!!

T2x

Maybe we have two kinds of fans.... one who covets the "wow" factor and one who covets close competition. The former it would seem is a temporary fan because after he has examined and watched the source of his "wow" he will probably move on to a new flavor of the week quickly. On the other hand the competition based fan is a longer term person...as long as he relates to a racer and his personality and competitors (Gordon versus Jr versus Johnson).

T2x

CigDaze

And therein lies the distinction between the enduring, dedicated hobbyist and the guy who comes to see the show when it's in town. But Why must we always make that distinction? Why separate the two groups, instead of combining them?

Also poignant: How does each rank in number? Which one does a sponsor want? Which one is the more lucrative target audience?...

So you show me some black and white photographs of 80 (or more) boats....who's watching? Are they all die-hard boaters intimately familiar with the drivers and ignited by the thrill of competition? Or did they happen to live there and have nothing better to do that weekend? Who's footing the bill for each of those boats in those old photos? - sponsors or their hobbyists?

Were the glory days really that much better?