how to get started in racing
 

Its been a dream of mine to race boats and now that i own a small go fast boat its killing me to race them. I built a 87 mustang drag car in high school and now boats have consumed me. whats the best way to get started in racing boats?

The first step I would recemend is to go to the races and meet the players and I am sure there is a team out there that could use your help and then you get to see it from the inside. After that you could decide what direction you would want to go in.

The only other suggestion would be to go and buy a boat and show up unless your Outlaw can do approx 75 then your set as long as you meet the safety quals which every assoc has online.

Good luck to you and thank you for your interest in our sport!!

Trent

call Chris Reindl and get in a bat boat.thats what got me started.He will bring a boat to the race and show you how to drive it or throttle it.You will be part of the race team for the weekend and get a real taste of what boat racing is all about.All for a reasonable price.Just be careful,its very addicting.

my outlaw is way off of 75 lol. its around 10mph off. is there any teams in louisiana? al copland or stan wear? but not to sure if there is any others. i am kind of young also at 22 and in the go fast boat seen ( the smaller boat side) its hard to show your ability untill some gets in and goes for a ride!

best advice is start with a big fortune !:lolhit:

Sell your Baja and buy my Bat Boat. $30k and your racing a safe proven winner.

Big Al is no longer with us. :( Stan Ware would be the man to talk to in your area.

Check the SBI website for info on what class your Baja can run in and what modifications you would have to do to it to get it race ready. Not sure but I think Manufacturer Production 5 is still the entry-level class in SBI.

What he said!

If you can raise the money this boat is definitely the way to get into racing SAFELY. Buy this boat find a partner and start testing for next year.

Your best bet, in my opinion, is to go to a couple of races, talk to the teams that race the size of boat you have. See if you can rent a seat in one. In OPA your boat would fit in class 6,
70 mph limit. You don't need to start with a fortune, it can be done reasonably cheap as racing goes...You need to understand , though, that your boat is at risk of serious damage (sinking, blown engines, etc...). You also have to realize that racing is different that running fast across a lake or bay. There are other boats out there trying to take the same line around a turn as you.

Contact the officials with the group you plan to race with and see where your boat fits. SBI class 5 is 75MPH, I believe.

You need to do your homework. This will save you from spending money you don't need to.

call me I raced a 24ol in p5 back in 02, YOUR boat is perfect for class 6 or 5 in OPA or p5 in sbi which might be closer for you. call me at 617 833 3327 and tell me what you have, I hope to be back next year, but I have had a lot of medical problems over the last 6 years 7 operations and looks like 2 more this fall. you can set your boat up for racing and still run it for fun. art ps top speed my ol 24 did was mid 80s with 650hp. now have two motors one DEAN GELLNER 572 BLOWER MOTOR and a 509 JIM REID MOTOR.

just a few words of wisdom

if your going do it, do it right. dont piss away chit loads of money, just to get out on the race course. I know its tempting, and the ego factor is huge. But wait until you can really afford it. DO NOT use credit cards trying to go race. you will only go broke and have bad credit to boot. If you dont have cash to piss away, do not do it. As stated above, spend the cash on a plane ticket and hotel, and come out and meet the teams. offer to crew for them. learn the ropes and see what is actually involved, and how much it costs. Dont race your baja. Wait until you can afford to buy a race boat. If you are only gonna run a few races, the baja may work. But the money you will dump into it to be competitive, would be better spent on a real race boat.

Unless you are making some serious cash at 22, which I doubt, Dont even think about buying a race boat. Buying it is easy. Keeping it running is the hard part. Motors, Drives, travel, fuel, ect ect ect.

Been there done that...

[QUOTE=caseyh;2941866]Its been a dream of mine to race boats and now that i own a small go fast boat its killing me to race them. I built a 87 mustang drag car in high school and now boats have consumed me. whats the best way to get started in racing boats?[/


First of all, go and watch some races. Then go to the pits and meet the people who are racing. There is a lot to it you will see for yourself. It is a lot of fun and the people are great. You should do those things and see for yourself, and then you can decide what you want to do.

"I would rather wash a boat for a good team, than drive for a bad team", Cowboy.

By the way, Same thing Bruce said- never finance you fun. Keep washing the boat and keep learning. Be patient and learn others mistakes.

So when do you plan on washing my boat?:lolhit:

That was well put Kelly! cya soon

Trent

Just curious, how would i or could i volunteer my time to help with a race boat for a weekend. I d love to get in the sport but right now my work would never allow for it. I d love to be a wrench monkey or anything in between for the weekend just to see if its for me.

Contact some teams and offer your services for an upcoming event that you can attend. If they are based by you, stop by their shop or wherever they keep the boat and introduce yourself.

Ok, thanks for the info. Any teams based in the Dallas FTW area?

i agree with the pay cash! thats the only way to be! if not then you are up to your eye in bills you cant pay

after doing some research i dont think i have the time and CASH to be conpedtive in racing working for family and my self at the same time limits when i can leave town! as most of you know you cant leave you business in other peoples hands and expect success theirs no point to get started if you can go all in! and my baja is no racing boat its fun to ride in and play but its no race hull

i am going to contact some teams around louisiana and offer my help and wait it out until i know what its really going to take to win and not just race!

I would recommend, renting a bat boat then. For about $1000 you can race when you want and where you want without any additional costs. No large investment in $$ or time.

how do i go about renting one?

Call Chris Reindl. He is in OH and on here.

you can reach chris at 513-706-3199. Call him you will have a blast