Wahoo ATV

Also need excellent internet coverage with play by play, web cam and instant results. It was very hard trying to figure out what was going on in KW without being there. (I know that is not OSS but it is an example)

Pete B

Is it really better?? I am willing to bet it has its issues as well,
if you are attending these races, and all is great, I will stand corrected, but travel expenses alone are astronomical.
I have been to a Class 3 and Class 1 race, and some serious coin is dropped on the show. At the race I attended, Class 1 was on one side of the harbor, while Class 3 the other. the Class 3 boats had 20 some boats. It was really great racing, while Class 1 was the premier event, it ended up being a high speed boat parade. One of the problems here in the states is teams can choose what ever they care to run. In a professional setting the organization says here are the rules comply with them or dont race.

Captnmike

Alright, I'm going to take a stab at this.

The most enjoyable and exciting moments of my career as a racer have been running side-by-side with someone(and either in front or behind) to the finish.

The most enjoyable and exciting moments of my years as a fan of all forms of competition, are when there is a battle to the finish.

Why do you think ESPN airs poker...8 guys last table(turn), head to head battle to the finish.

And quite frankly 98% of all offshore races are basically done after the first lap. Oh, I know, everyone can talk about this great battle or that one. But the average fan for 98% of the time, he doesn't see it. And for a lot of races, all you need to know after the first lap is did anyone break. And that simple thing is not even communicated to the average fan on the beach. Atleast every poker battle goes head to head to the finish 100% of the time.

Then add in 54 boars (i mean boats)in 12 classes, almost no one ,not even the racers, know what's going on.

So if we can admit the problems, how do we fix it?

Spec classes...heavily ruled and heavily teched and heavily enforced. Me, I would like to see 1 cat class...use the UIM rules. If you have all the money and want to run with the beast in the world...here's your place. 1 twin vee class....again I would use the P1 rules seems to be working for the rest of the world. 1 single engine class....figure out how to bring the open boats back with the SVL...weights, power something.

So, Pro classes spec...1 cat ... 1 twin vee...1 single

And now for the rest of the boats.

A couple of years ago I suggested something and just about got laughed off the board. Since, I left offshore and have a pretty good thing going with the ULHRA.org, and I really didn't care what offshore did.

But, what is newest most popular racing show on TV....PINKS.
and what do they do? To even the field, they stagger the starting line positions to even up the racers. When I suggested that to offshore, I was told I was nuts. Funny, Pinks doesn't even send me a check, but the idea works for them.
Where could Offshore be, if we would have used my idea first?

You made everyone buy a GPS, let's use it to get everyones starting position on the course, and let everyone get to the finish line at the same time, not minutes apart.

I'll go see if I can find my old posts and repost.

Mike Sadlon
UL 89

Ron P

Mike, the Vee Lite class has used a staggered starting grid this year. The winner of the last race goes to the back of the grid. 8 boats equals 4 lines 2x2. It keeps things real interesting as the faster boats work their way through the field.

Our races were shown on FSN this year, and the Orange Beach race will air on Dec 19th. In a week or two, I hope to announce our new TV show for 09. Just waiting to sign the contract.

BLee

cauzmik

Randy - Scotty loved the picture you sent him...he put it on his bedroom wall! I'm going to try and bring him to LOTO next summer! Thanks again..you made his year!

Doug

AIR TIME

that sounds cool!!

Bullhead

The first race I attended was Key West in 01...it was and still is the best race I that I have been to...the f1, f2, super vee, scl, and super cat classes were easy to follow and there were a ton of boats in those classes....I don't recall that the entrance fee was that high but maybe I got in for a kids admission...I don't pretend to understand the politics and costs of racing but as a fan I know what I liked

boater31v

I have read quite a few good suggestions from racers and fans alike. I am a fan along with someone who likes photographing these boats. With that said, I would like to see a mini Key West type event at all OSS race sites in 09.

I like watching racing and I like watching poker run boats running around so having both in the same area would be fantastic. Need to have race villages by the water if possible and poker run villages again by the water if possible.

I know every race site can’t be Key West but possibly just getting all the boats in the same area at the same time would be close enough. I think if you could go to a sponsor and say you will have 150+ race and poker run boats running around on the water and through town would go along way toward acquiring sponsorship dollars. Additionally, let them know how many people each race and poker run team will have in town with them.

Back in the 90’s Key West and LOTO had the wet pits actually in the water where fans could walk up to a boat and really check it out, I think if a race site had a headquarters like that it would go along way toward garnering interest from the average Joe fan walking up on the event.

Unification would be perfect, but from what I’ve read that probably won’t happen between all orgs. Therefore, I think bringing the FPC or Poker Runs America or other local poker run orgs in would be a great benefit to an event. Average people want to see boats, large quantities or loud, cool painted boats whether it is 100+ race boats or 100+ race/poker run boats, I don’t think it would matter.

Finally, for ocean races I think the race boats should go outside as much as possible for the racers who like nostalgia racing (the old days). However, being a fan, I would like to see at least one portion of the race course go right in front of the fans so we can get a good, up close look at the baots while they are hanging it out (like Key West).

SpecialFX

Randy what about this comment from a poker run guy.

"Although from many who have switched over from Poker runs and going fast into the racing they have found the "turns" to be a bit challenging"

What about trying a long course at the appropriate venue, when OSS has a combined race with a poker run and maybe a few more Poker Run Race teams might join in. Many of the poker run teams now might as well be full blown Race Teams.