Ahhh Rich you are a legend in your own mind :)

I remember all of the complaining when they made Superboat class for basically 1 team. If my memory serves, the respect still went to the open class because they were recognized by UIM. When open boats won the worlds, they were "world" champion because a ton of international competition showed up. We even had international competition in the lower classes.

But then again, we actually raced offshore.

Robert
Smokey and the Bandit
P-31
1985 World Champion

So ... we shouldnt have ran? what about the fans and sponsors that are there to see him run? is it his fault nobody else showed up? You didnt hear us braggin about the "win" ... well ... maybe Dave (:D) .. but you know the saying ... the show must go on. The fly by was for the crowd ..... the kids... Eds friends and neighbors. People love that stuff.

The coolest thing Ive seen in the last few years was Wazzup doing figure 8's after a win ... couldnt tell you who they raced or how many boats they raced that day but I do remember them doing donuts. :cool:

As I indicated i felt bad for ED

I remember when we were putting on races over on this side that Bob Teague was disappointed when he arrived that he had no one in his class to race. He asked us to call a number of boats that were supposed to come and did not. He even offered to pay there gas and entry fee if they would hustle here to the races
So i do understand your comments

I was standing next to a predominant boat builder at the St Clair race and he was confused if the green boat won or the small cat can do had won. Well it turns out Wazzup had won (Boat doing figure 8s)


But this comment says it all. Even you didnt know who or what was going on and you were in the boat with the race producer

I by no means am picking on Ed he is a great guy with a ton of passion for this sport My comments were ment to show how fragmented the sport is and without any continuity for the general public to understand

At one of the races we put on the race had started and was 4 laps into it when all of a sudden two big cats that hadn't made the start came ripping out onto the course to start racing I remember the boy friend of Coast Gaurd person in charge watching this while we stood in race control he turned to me and said "wow i guess this isnt a car race"
referring to the fact that at a car race they dont just show up in the middle of the race and start running

my point is to reinforce that this sport still has a ways to go to make it more racer friendly and spectator friendly

Personally I love it no matter what, but i follow it closer than the average Joe

Thank goodness for the Ed Smiths, Smittys , Haggins, Abrams and all the others dedicated to keep on trying God bless them and i hope they dont get to frustrated to fast

Dawn dont loose the enthusiasum lord knows we need it
You are a great cheer leader for the sport

I think Dawn is more than a "cheerleader". She has raced as well as ridden in one of the fastest boats racing. She has also swam out of a boat upside down. She is every bit a racer, fan and spokesperson for offshore.

Attachment 355529

I was lucky to race when classes were big. It took numerous attempts, and a bunch of seconds before I could win the big ones. I have been hurt and payed my dues. I am proud of what I with my fellow racers accomplished. Worlds are great, but the real commitment is winning a National title. Yea, as the elders say it was better many years ago and it was different even 10 years ago, but it still takes a serious effort and a huge commitment.

There may not be as many competing now as before, but the ones that show up race hard and many have gone swimming pushing them selves to and over the line in attempt to win. These teams that crash or flip their boats and show up next race and continue to race hard deserve recognition too. Its a tough road to the top. And even harder to stay at the top.

Its an expensive, dangerous sport. As an observer one may find it is easy to criticize. Save it.....

Like Ritchie said, You still have to suit up, sit down , shut up and race.

Actually .... I was referring to a race that happened 3 years ago.... my point being I still remember who carried the flag :D


and for the record ... I was joking about Dave and the flag. A racer wants to racer. The more the better .... and I can guarantee you if Ed wouldnt have ran the boat in St Clair, you'd hear people *****in about that as well. Such is life.


Dean .... thanks. :cool:

It is easy to criticise and it gets easier every year........

I would love to be a cheerleader, but how would you do that at a football game where only one team shows up?

In many cases you only have to suit up , sit down, cross the start line, not finish and then go ashore and trash talk about how you "won".

This sport has the potential to return to its former greatness, but as long as the racers insist on looking at it through rose colored glasses and seek only self agrandizement, it will continue to fade into obscurity. A lot of people in a number of sports (and businesses) work hard, "risk it all", "let it all hang out", etc, etc, etc, and have nothing to show for it, due to bad planning, lack of vision, inability to listen to (constructive) criticism, bad judgement, ego, and plain old bad luck. Offshore racing today is a jumble of all of the above.

If Bob Teague has to beg other boats to show up......but guys are stepping over each other to get into classes where you can't exceed a set speed (in a BOAT RACE for chrissakes!!!)what does that say about the "sport" and the true desire to compete?

Offshore racing has become a sad characature of itself, filled with a desire to be "like Don Aronow:, without the competitive fire or spirit.

If the shoe fits.......

Nuff said...........

T2x

Some choose to run alone, but it isn't fair to put all racers in that group.

t2REX, it has always been thus, my son. The only impetus to racing all over the place in the old days was the world and national championships. The championships were well publicised, and the early winners well remembered. In 1967, Aronow beat me by 25 points for US1, but he won 600 in races that I didn't (couldn't) attend. I don't think that you could get most of the guys to step over into a class where they had to race John T. and the boys.
It just seems different somehow. When you looked down the starting line and saw Odell, Mel, Aronow, Bertram, Levi, Wynne, Sopwith, etc., you couldn't help but wonder "How in the f**k am I gonna win this thing"? Once in a while, you found a way, and that was enough.................