The one thing to think about is....you can't take a old 27 foot whatever type of boat and put in a 500 hp in it and someone go out and buy a new 27 activator with a 500 and expect us both run deck to deck....

OSS did the spec class racing....and so did SBI/APBA....but the biggest class's are in Bracket racing....

The question should be...even in the smaller boats like F1...why will teams not even make the small investment in the F1 Class Brian was trying to start.....simple....no one wanted to make the investment into the engines....plus these guys know there old boats will not be competitive to the newer hull designs....

and lets say 20 boats did do this and put in say a 500 hp and 1 weight, 1 gear, and a set X, and you go out and you are no were near being compeditive to the newer boats.....you will not continue to race and get your butts kicked....
You will find yourself going back to braket racing....

But again....even in 3 to 4 footers...how many smaller boats are holding back from braking out...

Today you have over 14 Class 5 boats and over 15 class 4 boats racing....throw in the class 6 boats and you have over 42 boats just in OPA.....and in just those 3 classes....anybody you has a performance boat under 36 feet can race today in one of those classes....

We all want the sport to grow but what is the most likely way to get more boats out....
Make a class that will have limited racers that can afford to join in or make it easier for a racer to get into racing without spending a lot of money and have low overhead cost to race and still be competitive...
It all sound great to talk about how great a class will be if we do this and that and how great then the sport will be....its a hole differant animal to make it happen....

Brian...you invested a lot of time and money into putting the F1 Class back together....
What were the biggest obsticals you had to overcome to make it work....
I think you had the passion....the game plan....the idea...the marketing....the prize money.....so I don't think it was you why it never got off the ground....it was the racers who did not want to make the move and investment.....

Its easier to tweek something that is already working to make things better....then to start something new again from the ground up.....

Gino,

The most enjoyment I got out of racing was trying to beat the Activator. Before the 525 came along and screwed everything up, I put a new driver in for Key West. Low and behold I found out we could turn inside that little hot rod. No we didn't win that year, we took 3rd, but we were close and kept getting better. This is what spec class racing is all about.

You pushed it, I pushed it and sometimes we got thrown out for pushing to hard. (PROPCO). The Activator success came from a very good team that was anal about testing and setup. A lesser team would have not done as well. Spec class racing is about the people in the boat not the GPS.

Class racing has brought racers back out. If we want F1 back, we're going to have to get off our collective butts and do something about it. Time for a F1 grudge match! Then we can go run Class 5. Imagine, 2 races in one weekend. Who has the nastiest water?

J

Gino:

Points well taken. I think the hardest obstacle I had was racers believing in me and the engine issue. I got fed up when I couldn't get any return phone calls. To be honest you and Candy not getting along sealed my faith. You guy's were going to be my stars. I think now we can atleast look ahead and try to tip toe w/ this idea and atleast come to some solution. The engine builders are back in the sport and they should be. I honestly think any engine builder should be able to build a low cost , 500 ish hp engine that will last and run the whole year. It would be easy on Bravo's and our pocketbook. I have nothing against OPA / SBI or any racing org. I just refuse to build up a 700+ hp engine to do the GPS thing. Hey I throttled Tyler's boat after the race Sunday and that boat was well within the rules for the class but let me tell you right now that that is the quickest rocket up to 69 mph that my redneck a s s has ever been in. The reason I brought the spec racing back up is because I have a customer that's wanting to get back in the sport and If it comes to fruition I'll be running the boat some w/ him. Let's keep this idea going and maybe Tyler , Innovation , JCPERF or a reputable engine builder will step up w/ an affordable engine package , a deal that we can't refuse. I need a 500 efi / comparable engine right now. Thanks to all of the positive feedback!

What speeds do or should a good or average F1 boat run
?? I am not familiar with what all went on in those days or how fast the boats went.

We built our boat to SVL spec but chose to run OPA this season to get some seat time racing. At first we didnt think we could be competative against big hp twins etc. but we proved ourselves wrong. We had such a blast with OPA we plan to run all of next season with them! Chattanooga was the worst finish we had all season but we felt it was the best we raced. We closed the gap on Simmons and Simply Awesome (even got ahead of them for a bit) and avoided a few near hits! We took the turns harder than ever and ran the boat for all it had. Nobody in 4 class had much of a chance against the yellow phantom with 800hp unless they made a huge mistake or broke out. I would have to say that they have stepped the class up for next season. I Know we will make the changes we need to run them down. Iam sure anyone else in 4 class that wants a chance at the checkered will do the same. If they dont want to spend the money/time they can always move down to 5 class. I dont feel OPA should make any changes keep it simple it works and its fun! We just need to understand that competative people will always step something up no matter what the class or expense. If it was a spec class we would be spending the money on hulls instead of motors.

Scott
TEAM OCATNE 411
FUTURE CLASS 400 CHAMPIONS 2008

I would love to see some equal racing come back..loved F1,it did get a little expensive however is it not possible to reassign a spec P series class,using existing boats..one engine,weight,two drives or one per old f1 type setup,
I for one think it can be done...there is bunches of this stuff still around.When everything changed to a 500 EFI we still ran a 500 carb,they said it couldnt be done we had a blast racing with BJ and the Activator,and many others like Phantoms etc....there was many a close race..
It came down to prop,driver and throttles as factor as well as weight and fuel required at WOT,dont lift..lol..
Cant you split this class of racing between some ocean and calmer water race sites,some hulls new or old may benefit in various water conditions,evrything changes water wise but there are some sites that have a goodenough history to make a fairt call on....it would give a fair chance in varying conditions..maybe the series for this class only ran in 4 0r 5 races instead of all within the existing clubs,hopefully this would not require them to change anything thye are currently doing....if you wanted to run something else have at it..there was a great amountt of helping each other even in factory racing,we all justed wanted boats out there to run with.
I dont really care myself about prize money,it was the thrill of being out there with equal boats and lots of them..,I have yet to figure out how the p series or old f1 series could cover race expenses,sure it would help,but we still find different ways to blow the money anyway..its part of the sport..
I cant understand how blowing a motor because its such high torque and hp cant be more expensive or the same as a set motor such as a 500 efi,especially since there seem to be a few around..and more then one builder qualified..
maybe try again to see if we cant among ourselves get 3-5 teams to try it and police our selves to see where we can take it..
I am open to trying..

Nice 1st post there. We can all work together and make this happen. As some of you say.....this thread without pics is worthless!

Its been awhile,but feel the need..:cool-smiley-027::D

Yea I here ya. I'm feeling the need too. Especially after ripping in the Crockett Rocket on Sunday. Get er done!

I found this on the web from the good ole days!

FACTORY 1 CLASS
Class Designation: F1-
Boat: Single engine inboard V-bottoms
Length: 24 to 29 feet
Weight: 4100 to 4975 lb (depending on length and engine)
Description: Factory production V-bottom boats with factory production engines and drives. No modifications are allowed except for minor changes to interiors and seats. Concept is "Ski on Saturday...Race on Sunday"
Speed: Estimated straightaway speed is 80 mph on calm water
Engines: (spec class) single Mercury Racing HP500 or HP500 EFI only
Drives: MerCruiser Bravo stern drives
Cost: Estimated $80,000 to $100,000

Just found this too!

Local teams covet powerboat titles
Racers want to end season with victories in World Championships.
By TERRY TOMALIN, Times Outdoors Editor
© St. Petersburg Times
published November 18, 2002


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NEW PORT RICHEY -- Powerboat racer Steve Miklos likes to win, but not by too much.

"The whole idea is to have evenly-matched boats," said Miklos, competition director for the St. Petersburg-based American Power Boat Association Offshore. "In this sport you can have two boats run a 100-mile race and still finish within seconds of each other."

Miklos, throttleman for Team Vortec Extreme, and his teammate, driver Gary Deciucies, just returned from the Bahamas where they captured the National Championship in the APBA's new Super Vee Light class.

Miklos and Deciucies are scheduled to leave for Key West today, hoping to cap their record-breaking season with a World Championship.

"The great thing about Super Vee Light, like the Factory and Super Cat classes, is that the competition is always so close," Miklos said. "In the Bahamas, we had five boats racing, and every one of them held the lead at one point or another during the race."

Miklos and APBA chairman Michael Allweiss have spent about three years working to develop tight specifications and rules to avoid the type of one-sided competition that has plagued offshore powerboat racing.

There was a time when all it took to win an offshore powerboat race was money. The team with the deepest pockets, not the best driver or throttleman, usually won.

But that changed three years ago. The key to the APBA Offshore's new format is the Certified Racing Engine program, which ensures all boats in the Factory, Super Cat Light and Super Vee Light series are using the same equipment.

The streamlined classes, designed to create parity for competitors and to provide "deck-to-deck" racing for fans, is popular.

"Our goal was to develop a racing product that was affordable," Miklos said. "We wanted to have classes that you could get into without a whole lot of money or mechanical knowledge."

Performance powerboats, including those featured in the APBA Offshore races, make up about 4 percent of the total boat sales in the United States, roughly $435-million out of $11-billion in sales, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association.

A Factory 1 boat, a single-engine, vee-bottom favored by many entry-level racers, costs about $65,000. Its twin-engine counterpart, the Factory 2, costs about $125,000.

The single-engine Super Vee Light, the boat that Miklos and Deciucies raced this season for the first time, cost about $85,000. The twin-engine version is $170,000.

"The difference between the Factory boat and the Super Vee Light is the canopy," Miklos said. "With an open cockpit, the Factory boat is dual purpose. You can race it and take it out to Shell Key on the weekend. But a canopied boat, like the Super Vee, is strictly for racing."

Because they are certified and sealed at the factory, the Super Vee Light's General Motors Vortec and Mercury 525 engines are within a few horsepower of each other.

"There is less than five horsepower or 1 percent engine variance," Miklos said. "So everybody is working with the same power."

Miklos and Deciucies also were able to run the seven-race national circuit without replacing the engine.

"A few years ago, it was not uncommon for the big catamarans to go through an engine every race," Miklos said. "That made the cost of racing prohibitive for a lot of people."

The new Super Cats, theAPBA's premier class, usually get two races out of an engine. "Our long-term goal is to develop a Super Cat engine that can run three to five races," he said.

Miklos' GM Vortec also runs on 87-octane unleaded gasoline available at any service station, as opposed to the 114-octane race fuel that costs $6 a gallon.

"What we have done is given GM an opportunity to test their truck engines in the harshest environment known to man," Allweiss said of the Vortec program. "There are no more demanding conditions than in offshore powerboat racing."

Miklos and Deciucies won't be the only area powerboat racers competing at the World Championships. Clearwater's Hugh Fuller, the defending Super Cat champion who is coming off a win in the Bahamas, hopes to add another title to his racing resume.

St. Petersburg residents Todd Werner and Steve Ingle of Super Cat Light (outboard/triple) Flowmaster hope to win their second World Championship. Werner and Ingle won the world and national titles two years ago and were national champions again in 2001. But the Flowmaster crew has had a rough year after opening the season with a win in Daytona.

Steve Armstrong and Shawn Mobley, two more locals in the Super Cat Light class, won the second race of the season at Marathon in Moneyshot and hope to do well beginning Wednesday.

[QUOTE=THEJOKER;2308262]Top Banana:

I'm not on here trying to sell boats , obviously you are. You build one of your boats and you can come race against us , how's that for a challenge?

Sorry guys I am traveling for the next 10 days so I can only get to a computer every now and then. If you see this idea as a just a way to sell more boats....take another look.

Now does this challenge consist of going out in the open ocean or up and down the beach?

The best HORBA can offer is an alternative to what already exists without trying to displace these organizations. If everyone is so pleased with the status quo, there should be no problem.

On another thread we asked about racing across the Gulfstream, Smitty and Augie and a few other guys were the first to jump on and say yes, they would go.....someone must like the idea.

More archives. Good reading.

Boat Racing's Weekend Warriors
The American Powerboat Association's new Factory V-Bottom Class brings offshore racing to the showroom floor.

PM Photos by Forest Johnson
Published in the January 1998 issue.


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The wind pins me to my seat, and the steering wheel vibrates with such intensity that I feel it in my shoulders. From my point of view, the lake's surface has blurred, so it seems like a sheet of crinkly blue foil.

"I'm gonna give her some speed," Steve Miklos tells me through our helmet intercom system. "She'll probably start to loosen up, so you'll have to steer her." That I have no idea what he means by "loosen up" and "steer" are only the second and third most troubling things about the situation. The big question is what he means by "give her some speed."

Miklos is working the throttle and I'm at the wheel of his 27-ft. Corsa, and we're already doing 75 mph across what once seemed like a very long lake. With the shoreline approaching quickly, Miklos drops the hammer and the 500-hp high-performance engine summons a power burst I didn't think possible.

The boat rockets forward, and our ride is no longer about water. We're wind jamming. Only the tail end of the hull and the outdrive are submerged. The rest of the boat rides on an air pocket. It feels as if a good updraft could flip us right over.


Factory racers are in it for the glory and love of the sport. As we approach 80 mph, the hull leans a little to the right, then to the left. Two blinks later, we're canting dangerously from side to side–chine walking–on the verge of losing control. Miklos lets out a loud "whoo" and backs off the throttle. The boat settles back into the water, but my heart is still racing.

I've just learned what "loosen up" means.

Although Miklos doesn't mind taking his life in his hands to tutor me in the basics of high-speed boat driving, he's here for a different reason: the creation of the American Power Boat Association's (APBA) Factory V-Bottom Series. The idea behind the series is to develop a spec class in which production boats with the same engines and drive packages battle head to head.


With such similarly matched boats, the focus has shifted to how well you drive, not how much money you can spend modifying your boat. "Now a guy can take a high-performance boat right off the showroom floor and come out and test his mettle against other racers," says Kurt Willows, a sales manager at Mercury Hi-Performance and chairman of the series' technical committee. "He may even win some prize money."

The Factory I class is open to single-engine boats 24 ft. to 30 ft. long, while Factory II features twin-engine vessels between 30 ft. and 39 ft. long. The propulsion system consists of the MerCruiser HP500 with a Bravo 1 drive. For a boat to qualify as a production model, the company must have built at least five of them in the previous year, and a number of structural items must remain intact.

Conventional V-hulls can use set-back boxes, and stepped hulls are allowed, as long as that's the way the hull was originally built. There is also a maximum outdrive height and a minimum weight requirement for all the vessels. "We're going to be working our butts off to get parity in the boats," Gene Whipp, the chairman of APBA's Offshore Racing Commission, told Powerboat magazine last year.


Pre- and post-race engine inspections ensure no unapproved modifications have been made. Miklos, who used to race in A-class, thinks the factory class hit just the right spot. "We got involved in the weekend warrior class to have some fun," he says, "because what we were spending in the other class was ridiculous." For Miklos, one of the more economic parts of the series is the HP500. Although the engine itself costs a significant $29,290, it does have moneysaving attributes.

For instance, the sturdy 502 CID block runs at a low 8.75:1 compression ratio and has a rev limiter, which means you can turn your family pleasure boat into a racer without fear of a rebuild. Plus, the engine only burns about 40 gal. per hour of regular 87-octane fuel, and it doesn't require high-performance parts. "It costs me about $50 a race for fuel and I bought the spark plugs at K-Mart," says Miklos. "It costs $100 per minute to run a B-class boat, but I can campaign this boat for the whole season for $5000 to $6000."

That's a pretty fair price, since a season usually consists of six or seven races in a regional division and a national championship, if you qualify. Although most boats in Factory I can run at speeds in the 70s, the average speed in a race is about 65 mph because offshore racing conditions are often less than ideal. Factory II averages about 70 mph. Because all the boats are capable of race-winning speed, the class focuses on driving skill. But each racer's fight to get every last mph out of his boat never stops.


Regular guys Tom Etheridge (left) and Mike Willis on the professional circuit. "We were a little heavier than most of the other boats," says Tom Etheridge, owner and driver of Stressed Out, "so we started taking some stuff off the boat." In order to save about 250 pounds, Etheridge removed the bench seats, speakers, portable toilet, railings and cushions and replaced the engine hatch on his 27-ft. Fountain. But in the spirit of the class, Etheridge says, "We only got rid of things we could take off with a screwdriver and a wrench, and we could put them back in a few hours if we wanted."

Etheridge might be the prototype of the classic Factory class racer: a local speed demon with a high-performance boat who watches the pros and says to himself, "I can do that." He runs two small businesses in the Tampa area and confesses, "I used to watch 'Miami Vice,' and I was always fascinated by the race boats. That's probably what got me into it." So after selling the first boat he ever owned, a runabout he bought in 1990, the aspiring Don Johnson picked up the 1995 Fountain with an HP500 and began "racing every boat on Tampa Bay."

In 1996 he saw some real action when he entered an amateur race. Although his family and girlfriend of 10 years were not happy, Etheridge fell in love with the sport. "This year [1997] I was planning to enter a few more amateur races and maybe get into some A-class races, but the Factory class came along and I fell right into it."


Steve Miklos staying loose on Oatey during a race off Isla Morada. After one summer on the circuit, Etheridge is amazed by how much he didn't know. "When you're out on the weekend and you race somebody, you usually run along next to them for a minute or two, and it's a matter of who gives up first," he says. "But to be offshore for an hour with the throttles down the whole way is something else altogether. I don't think the general public realizes how demanding it is mentally and physically."

Luckily for Etheridge, the race-boat circuit is not a cutthroat place. "One of the things I really like about racing is the whole atmosphere. There's a lot of camaraderie and the other racers have given me a lot of pointers." From the basics–like whether or not it's okay to run your engine at wide open the whole race–to the minutiae of getting more speed out of your boat, Etheridge has received help from all sides.

But no one can teach endurance, which has turned out to be the most important aspect of all. The average offshore course covers about 60 miles of highly unpredictable water. At age 32, Etheridge works out six days a week and finds that it still takes him several days to recover after a race. "To really compete, you have to ride on that ragged edge," he says, "but you take one hell of a pounding doing it."

Besides physical endurance, Miklos says, you need great mental stamina as well. During a race, he's so concentrated on reading the water conditions, navigating and watching out for other boats that he can't even remember what lap he's on. "Before an 8-lap race," he explains, "we'll put eight pieces of duct tape on the dash, and every time we finish a lap, we pull one piece of tape off. Otherwise, we'd never know when to stop."

He tells me this story as we sit on the lake after we "loosen up.' When he sees I'm relaxed, he explains that when the boat leans like that, you have to steer into the lean. Now I know what he means by "steer." On our next run, we stay flat and hit 81 mph. "The boat will do 84, do you want to try again?" he asks. No thanks, 81 is loose enough for me.

[QUOTE=Top Banana;2309201]
OK I'll take that as a gentleman agreement bon a fied challenge for 50,000 people to witness here on OSO. I have a brand new 2008 26 Joker that is built and is getting ready to get rigged. It's not for sale by the way. I don't build boats for a living , I'm in the trucking business but I love boats , racing , etc. You get your new series ready and we'll be there. If that doesn't happen you have to come and race w/ us in OPA or SBI. Deal? We'll have some fun and show you how the F1 guy's do it in the rough!

[QUOTE=THEJOKER;2309208]
We then have the gentlemens agreement to have me build a boat and then you will take your 28 and race me in some old fashioned fling....like Miami to Nassau. Last guy in, buys drinks for the other crew.

If there is anything left of the boats we will go F1 racing too.

[QUOTE=Top Banana;2309211]I'm going to take it easy on you and do it in a 26. You probally don't know it but I was the last modern offshore racer to race across the gulfstream in a full blown race boat from W.Palm to Grand Bahama. Just ask Steve here at OSO. He'll fill you in. All in fun sir but get your boat ready and if the long distance race doesn't pan out we have to race in OPA or SBI. I ain't playing around.:cool-smiley-026:

Exactly Steve , room for everybody just like the old days! I had more F1 Teams working on my boat than I ever did. I'll never forget you working throughout the night in Islamorada to get me going for the race the next day.

Brian,

I'm not aginst what you trying to do....I for one was with you last year....The biggest problem I seen...was racers saying I'm not going to invest into that until I see at least 5 to 7 boats racing in F1...believing in you was not the problem....getting the racers to commit is....
If this class ever comes back...I will race in it and race the Dragon in Class 2 or 3 ....

I'm all in about making the sport better....
and if making a new class brings out more racers...I'm all for it....and will do anything I can to help it....

I'm just giving my prospective on what I've seen in the last 4 years...and this year was a wake up call on what type of racing the racers are willing to invest into....
No enrty fee's
Low overhead
Prize money
TV
A set schedule
and great race sites...
and most inportant...a family atmosphere....racers getting along with each other and helping each other out....I'm sure your heard what the racers did for Team Wanted in St. Clair...I have always thought that racers were truely out to help each other....We see that in all Orgs.

Gino & Brian,

You should consider a grudge match at an existing race. First it will pull another couple of boats out. 2.) You can race class 5 also. 3.) you'll get an idea if there really is any interest in F1. 4.) it will get a lot of attention. 5.) it'll be lots of fun.

J

Exactly what I was trying to say in post 52..maybe just a Challenge match..we dont hold grudges..:ernaehrung004:

A great idea. Less talk and more action.

classes with any rules are ineffective without inspectors.
 

who then will do it? O.P.A. is a small organization, my guess is Smitty and Anthony put in lots of hours trying to keep us racing with a purse that pays some of our raw cost. they have a race boat of their own and really enjoy racing. You know how much effort it takes to keep a competive boat going. How do you think they could find the time and energy to tech properly a field of boats in some sort of spec. class.this would require a number of dedicated people to follow the scheduled races. the travel for the tech crew would have to asorbed by someone. If O.P.A. does it the money would come from the purse or entry fees would go up.John Haggin has greatly helped our cause ,it certainly isn't right to ask him for more help. the G.P.S. system isn't perfect but it does address alot of issues. Franks addition to the cause this season has given more credibility to the process. The prop calc. formula must be policed diligently. in the event a G.P.S. fails to work or is intentionally rendered inopertive,a closly montered prop calc.formula will keep it close. in the event the same competor has repeated malfuctions of the G.P.S. a harsh penalty must be applied. While we aren't running at W.O.T. which is alot more fun,running against another boat and a G.P.S. limit is very challenging and hardly a walk in the park. This system isn't broke! lets all look for ways to make it better.Smitty is easy to talk to and keeps an open mind. Grumpy Geo. Crockett Rockett

who gonna do it?
 

George,
I was thinking the same thing. Who are you going to get to
inspect and police theses boats?
While bracket racing may not be everybodys thing, It
has worked out for OPA. There have been great boat counts
and close racing. Smitty and his team have done a great job
putting it all together.
The bracket racing concept doesn't guarantee you can win
or even be competitive, but it gives everyone a place to race
without having to invest in a spec class motor.
Now, if someone wants to put a spec class together with their own rules and there own inspectors, I'm all for it, but not at the expense of our current setup.

Rich Smith
611 Undertow

Guys,you have valid points..OPA and all involved are doing a GREAT job.
The intent was to not creat anything that would detur from what is curently going on in any exisiting class
It was just a idea to see if we could maybe just get 3- 6 boats set up the old way by choice off the racer,police ourselves and see if we could regenerate more interest in the class before trying to go any further...just a friendly race with a few running wot as close as possible to the old std..no techs etc..just trying to get a few of the old boats out..
I think the thought that was if we had a few boats set up this way we could just ask if we could run in one or more of the events paying everything as it is now..example 3-6 boats ran at the same time a P$ or P% race was running,just have our own start..it was just for fun like betting on a game or something..
Again,not asking or suggesting that OPA have to change anything,its working fine for exactly what it was set up to do..

And all good points taken. I think what'll we'll see in 2008 is some of the old gang and maybe some of the new guy's with equal power(and some basic F1 rules) ask OPA or SBI if we can have a playground , grudgematch. I'm not against anybody , any org or any team. Lord knows Smitty rolled out the red carpet for me w/ the ORL deal. We'll tip toe along and keep an open mind. There will always however be people like myself that will want to run equal power , meet mininum weight and have a chance to run WOT. As far as teching boats , Tyler on OPA would help I'm sure and Miklos would come to mind in the Southeast. Just some thoughts!

Listen to George, he knows what he is talking about. I have a question that is going to ruffle some feathers, How many of the people on here posting are actually racing right now? My hand is up, I know George and Gino are at every race, and a few more on this thread. Guys ( to semi quote Steppenwolf)get your motors running and head out on the water and race, waiting for things to be perfect for you sounds like an excuse not to race to me. Smitty and the OPA teams are making this happen, why don't you try it out? Louietherigger-Strictly Business 206

It's not going to ruffle my feathers. I started racing in 1999 in F1. I also got some hair brained idea that I wanted to be a boat dealer for a West Coast company. After loosing about $300,000 in that deal I bought my own molds in 2000 aka Joker Powerboats. I managed to win the 1999 APBA Rookie of The Year and (2) Pro Series races in F1. I went on to win a National and Southeast Title in F1 and many wins is SVL , P3 , P4 and P5 and gave F2 a try. I also won a World Title in P3 in KW. My last race was Sarasota 2003. I did all of this at the same time I was paying off bad judgement debt and my injuries sustained from a violent ejection in the 1999 Worlds. Put some icing on the cake w/ my brother almost dying in my F1 boat from a severe of his spine. I'll be back Louie , I'm not a quitter and a big BS'r. Brian Hollis

I know Brian, I'm just trying to get you guys running with us. I've seen your boats in action and know you build a superior product.Sometimes it's easier to hop on board a running machine like the OPA, and like George said Smitty isn't a stuffed shirt, he is a racer along with being the Pres. and if you guys were onboard and the classes were over filled I'm sure some kinda spec class could be born from them.
Louie

I'm w/ ya and you can go back and read my posts. I'm not trying to cause anybody any trouble. There's a place for for spec and bracket racing. If we could pull off one or two " grudge match races" at an event , we could gain some interests and momemtum. Another thing....do you see any other mfg on here trying to promote the sport of offshore powerboat racing? Where are all the other mfg's? I'm the smallest mfg in the world but nobody loves it more than me!

Brian,

You should test the waters again after the Wolrds and see if some of the guys will jump on board....
There are plenty of F1 boats out there that are running with a 500 in them...
Flash Wave
Volocity
You guys
Propco
get a Laveycraft
plus some current F1 boats that are running today.....and see what happens....
Most old F1 boats are tweeking or have stepped up the HP a little to be able to run in Class 5 in OPA....
Run a few races in any Org under F1 and see what kind of turn out you get...this way you still can run P5 the rest of the season....If guys are really serious...they will come and it will take off from there.....its getting guys to committ...

Maybe run a “F1” exhibition race at St. Clair (or any other venue) next year? Ask if some of the P5 Teams that currently run 500/525hp would like to go mix it up for 5 laps maybe that would help spark some interest.

Just a thought..

Post#1 40 plus boats in the line up only 10 years ago. I dont think there is more than maybe 2 teams that are racing today. AS most of you know F1 and F2 was the best racing in the early 2000 years. I dont think there has ever been a class from the past that has come back years later. If you truly love spec racing then why not race in SVL where at least it is much safer? The cost is about the same as a full blown F1 boat. There are so few original F1 boats that could race that still have the same set up. It would be like building a whole new fleet from scratch. And if you could it would only pull teams from existing class's. In conclusion if you want spec racing there is SVL waiting, or run OPA with run what you brung style.
MD

I'm still on the plan to race on Sunday and pleasure boat the rest of the week. I've raced SVL and it was fun but I want a boat that I can use for fun , cocktail cove , blast down the lake , etc. Different strokes for different folks.

according to the news , you guys aint gonna have a lake soon. :eek: Might as well build the race boat

Globle warming and flooding my a$$$$$ - :rolleyes:

I've seen Lake Lanier low before , it will return to normal trust me. It has the mighty Chattahoochee River driving it.

All we need is Tropical Storm straight down Paechtree.....I have seen it another 2 feet lower.....it always comes back...

Manitie,

I Agree, OPA has had a tremendouse turnout for the races. The fans always get a great show, and the comrodery within the racer's is unbelieveable. We do have some of the largest classes in offshore racing especially in class 4 lol. Everyone involved in OPA do an outstanding job with the organization, as it shows by the turnout of racers to the events. I also agree with a smile on my face with what you said about seeing the longest faces on us when its flat, and Being ten years younger when its rough. We do not get too upset when its flat, though, Because with OPA's Rules, there is a shot in the dark that people will break out in speed and we will place higher. Our Major disadvatage is that our Boat is a 28 Year old boat which weighs 12,500lb's That is alot of boat to get up and running in our class at 85 mph. We are also running with alot of Horsepower, and are still having a hard time getting it to that point. If there were sealed or cu in Rules we would park our boat back in the weeds and quit racing all together, it just wouldnt be worth it. When it's rough, we do have an advatage with the heavy boat, because it rides like a cadillac, and my father has the Open Ocean Racing Experience to get us around the course. I've said this before on other threads, but will say it again. OPA makes it worth while to race. What I mean by that is.... If you have a boat, OPA gives you an affordable way to race. This enables new blood to enter our sport, and keeps everyone on thier toes. I am honored to race in OPA and am very grateful to be part of this organization. I have never gone into a race feeling as though we dont stand a chance, if I felt that way, I wouldn't have even bothered taking the boat off the trailer. Racing with GPS, is like the Lotto, "Hey you Never Know" lol. Now All I need is to Land a sponsorship that will Write a large Check, so we can do what needs to be done to send the Bounty Hunter into the winners circle on Flat water Courses.

Jr.
Bounty Hunter Offshore Racing 4-51