dhlaw

Well I guess OPA is just a "PLEASURE" group then..... when is the next OPA poker run???

BRUCE SEROFF

The OPA guys are some of the most passionate offshore guys I know.

and eventually, in years to come, most, if not all of them will end up in a spec class boat. I guarantee that.

dhlaw

Thats my point though Bruce...... its an insult to the guys tha race P class. Whether or not you run a spec boat has absolutely no bearing on your dedication and passion for racing. P class racers are no less "racers" than spec racers......

BRUCE SEROFF

Agreed.

Ted G

iTrader: (1)

Saturday September 24, the day before the OPA race- we like to give everyone something to do

Oh, and Randy, I know that you prefer to run SVL and get away from all the speed issues in P class, but damn, don't throw stones at all the people that are just trying to race or have a race just for the sake of the competition. Everybody races where they can, or where they want, or where they have to. Be happy with that. Every race, and every racer, and every volunteer helps the sport move forward, maybe to the cliff, maybe to the mountaintop. Applaud them all.

lucky strike

iTrader: (1)

Let me clear something up. There are TWO "Rolling Thunder" yellow cats. The boat that use to run "C Class" with Armed and Dangerous is not the same boat that is racing today. That boat (33' Baja) is now a pleasure boat.

The boat that is racing today is a 35' Jaguar. I was there the day they tested the Rolling Thunder Too before the Ortley Beach Race and they saw 89mph on GPS.

The motors that are in the boat are the same one's they have used for years. Gary from B & G Marine builds them and they last.

LS JR.

Wazzup Racing

Well since my name got thrown in here. Bruce, perfect. Randy,as usual never gets it. Here ya go. So far I have run 4 races in my SV. All of them bored me to tears. Yes it is safer, but the problem is once the pack spreads out there is no more power to catch anyone and you are on your own. Like St Clair and NYC. My old boat scares me to death all the way around the coarse. I would give anything to rerun Miami and Ft laudedale with Albert and Frank. And if you think that was pleasure........Randy get in I will cure your boat racing addiction. Smitty PS almost forgot we out ran all the spec classes that day.

1waterboy1

I think the point of this thread is that the current P-Class format and the "rules" governing class placement need to be be evaluated.Bracket racing works for drag cars;they compete on a precisely measured; straight, flat, one eight or one quater mile strip of asphalt.Offshore race boats on the other hand, compete on courses of varying length,shape and conditions(open ocean,bay,river, and even lakes!).Top speeds and average lap speeds vary greatly for every boat based on this. A boat that may run well below its bracket speed for one race; could easily breakout at another race.The end result of this is classes where boats are often at a distinct competitive disadvantage.The results of the P-Class races over the last few years validate this.After all, with the controversey over top speed,average lap speed,breakout speeds,course length etc..and so on, how can anyone think this system is working?
And, the P-Class fleet is way down from years past.Does anyone have any suggestions on how to improve the current class structure and criteria for class placement?

Wazzup Racing

Mark you are correct. But I see as many problems with the spec class. There are always variations that you cannot account for. For instance. SVL allows certain boats a weight advantage to catch up with the fleet, While SV adds weight to Slow certain boats down. All in the name of parity. If we were a true IROC series where all the boats were identicle. Teams would then find a way to cheat to win. Moral of the story.........It Is What It Is. Stap up hold on and Party hardy. I guess I should have left the Party part out. That could be associated with Pleasure

1waterboy1

Smitty,
I see your point as well.I just look back at the P3 Class in Key West last year;we won the first two days simply because we had the best boat for the conditions period.As fun as it was, I dont think we out throttled or out drove anybody in order to win.Was it fair that we were racing against twin engine open cockpit vees,single engine canopied vees, and twin engine outboard cats?Everyone ran hard, and I totally respect them for that, but I also would have understood if someone questioned that we were placed in the same class as them.I guess it really is what it is.