Poll: Key West or Alabama?
 

Rumor has it the Worlds will get moved to Alabama. Will you move along?

alabama here we come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AS THE OFFSHORE WORLD TURNS

I had 12 people going to KW to see races. They all canceled but me. I'm headed there 4 vacation now. maybe i'll rent a car and drive to Ala :eureka:

Candy
I'm going down race or no race. Looking forward to a good time one way or another. I'm really happy I'm not racing this year and don't have to put up with all this ****! I feel for you brother.

Going to

Key
West,
but not with Lee. :drool:

So far, rednecks outnumber fairies 2:1 .

Racers: Let 'em know how you feel about it .... cast your vote!

what is the deal? why is it moving? where is this ifno coming from?

we want kw

I traded my timeshare for that week in Key West, so I'm going race or not. This was going to be my first boat race - if it doesn't happen it will damn sure be my last.

Chit, maybe we'll just go to Deerfield

Going to KW but not b/c of Lee. I've got friends with reservations, time off and money spent. Plus KW is warmer and you can't beat the party with or without the race.

Lee Mills I'm pissed. the best thing that ever happened to offshore racing is Mike Alwise. The sport is growing the venues are better than ever, the purses are up. The air time is unpresadented. we at APBA are second to none. All this in a "Recession". We worked long and hard to get to this point, who are you to set us back? are dream and our short term goal is to break even for doing what we love to do. We are obligated to come to key west but we will not race. Lee I hope i'ts not to late? For the love of the sport reconsider.

Michael Allweiss cannot go and rearrange a World Championship 2months before the biggest race of the year.

What happened to The Bahamas, rumor is the race organizers paid a deposit and are now promised a race in the new year and what about us who made travel arrangements?

Then there's Tampa which is now St. Petersburg race, according to The St. Pete. Times a week ago the city of St. Pete. disclosed that they are still awaiting payment from the last race.

Key west here we come

The Worlds in Alabama will suck 50 degree weather no boats, an organization that changes venues as they change their socks....Mike help the racers

My usually reliable sources say it's official. APBA Worlds: Orange Beach, November 10 - 16.

Expect a really official announcement within the next 24hrs.

I must say, 11/10-16 is very salomonic. Race the official APBA Worlds in Bubba Country, then move on to KW and race the www.asbestosworlds .

After that: Pick the one you won. This is so confused, nobody will ever know which one was which.


"Winner 2003 Key West Offshore Worlds."

"Winner 2003 APBA Offshore Worlds."

the 3rd thru the 9th sbi in deerfield beach!!!
10th thru 16th in orange beach apba
17th thru 24th key west

It's a world of offshore racing ....

You left out an option.

Stay home.

Randy,
I don't know what to say....now you see what I was saying a couple of months ago. We have secured 2 citys for Offshore races we can pay out the racers over $125.000.00 per race for 2 races or do 3 races and split the $250,000.00 3 ways. But this is what the city planners we have talk to said, they will not do bussiness with these people. Thats why I won't just jump in a santioning body and have everything that we work for fall apart.
Contrary to belief, you can do this the right way and the racers will show but when you get to many hands in the pot....and some people's personalitys suck add the ego's and they loose site of the racers.
I'm not trying tO stick this in APBA or SBI face...but when we do this we will be setting the "BAR" on how a race can be run.
Mark wants to move up next year...I told him its sad when we have everything in place...a good team, a great sponsor package for next year, the time to do it...but we can't find a organization thats worth investing the money and time and show sponsors the crediablity of the sport. I can not even count how many times I apologize to my sponsors this year. But I'm not investing any of my money on a new boat to move up in when I can't trust the organization I race in.
Sorry Mike A. but thats how I feel, I can not trust you for me to invest my money for you to make it and me to loose it.
I know I'm only one person and you can afford to have a few people feel this way and it will not hurt your LLC. But I will at least be up front with you and tell you....and I would at least expect the same treatment back.

Gino Marrone

ITS THE SAME CRAP EVERY YEAR, THE POWER STRUGGLE TWO YEARS AGO WITH SBI AND APBA, WE THE RACERS GOT SCREWED THEN AND WE WILL GET SCREWED AGAIN, AND AGAIN AND AGAIN. I REMEMBER LISTENING TO THE HEAD MAN IN KEY WEST LAST YEAR SAYING THEY SECURED TRUMAN ANNEX FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS OR SO SO WE CAN HOLD THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS THEIR, I GUESS WE GOT SCREWED AGAIN, HOW CAN ANYBODY LOOK THEIR SPONSORS IN THEIR EYES AND TELL THEM THIS ****, AFTER PLANS WERE ALREADY MADE, OH THATS RIGHT WE ALL HAVE ENDLESS BUDGETS, WE DON'T NEED SPONSORS.

SUNNY AND 90, OR ALABAMA

My 2 cents for whats its worth....
Key west "Worlds" via LLC is on for Al per conversation I had today with LLC. Lee is holding Keys, and basically, as a racer, fan, and supporter, the whole thing stinks.

Specific individules have taken their own adgenda and ruined a sport that was for the fans and the racers who do this for the love of it. NOT FOR PROFIT>>>>

Lets all see what happens now as teams scramble to determine where they will go, a decision that may have to be made not by where they want to go, but where they have non-refundable deposits at and friends(fans that pay to see us) going to.....In a year troubled by bad politics and uncertian venues, this could not have come at a worse time...... I for one am sick of all of it. Now mabey I'm just a "P-class" racer, but I'm sure that others feel the same way....

What ever the reasons for the split of Mike and Lee, and the split of the venues, I don't really care for now. What would have been nice is for both parties to say" well lets work this out after the year is over for the good of the sport.

What kind of a racee will either of you have if half of the teams go one way and the others in another direction.

Is that not what happened with SPI ??? Dam, mabey I should also start my own group.... sounds really stupid doesnt it.... How can anyone ever justify this to fans, friends and SPONSERS.....

I try to really keep my mouth shut over issues normally, but this time it's just too much crap....

When you read thru this thread, and others, you can just get a feel of the feelings that everyone is experiencing over this.... I for one am sick over it. I, like most of you, don't do this for pay, for press, for money, or for promotion. I do it because I LOVE IT.... something that I think that the individules that are causing this mess have forgotten....

Think of all the fans, poker run clubs, familys, etc that have nothing to do with the sport that have plans to be in Key West to see "The Worlds" Now what happens to thier perception of the sport...

Remember they don't really care about titles, or sanctioning bodies, they just want to see boats, lots of them.... I don't think that they want to hear " well that team, they went with group X to the other venue"


VERY SAD AND DISAPOINTED in FLORIDA

Dave

Who's thinking of the racers in all of this?

Do I have the feeling that racers are taken for granted?

Some of this is getting very pathetic. I don't know what sums were involved in this episode of unpaid bills. But my hunch is that each of our boats costs more than the sum in question.

There are some of us who have a million $ and more in their boats. Nobody ever mentions that.

Most have team members who work for nothing, pay their own way. They work jobs to earn that money. They need to take a vacation. They need to make plans. They just lost a lot of money, their team leaders lost a lot of credibility. Credibility and credit with their teams. Credibility and credit with their sponsors.

I wouldn't be suprised if the total losses incurred by all of the team members is many times more than that unpaid sanctioning bill.

Why do people play these pathetic power games without thinking of the consequences? Why are they taking racers for granted?

Why aren't they afraid that some day, racers won't show up?

Shane,
I'm sorry you feel that way but I can't blame you.

Whats really starting to piss me off is alot of us F1 guys have been busting our ass's to get more boats to come out to race F1, and now we have F1 teams that are not going to race because of this. The F1 teams are the only ones that are holding meetings to help the class, taking out our time to make the class better, I think we have a close net group of guys in this F1 class this year and I got to see this also in the Great Lakes Series and the APBA should be proud that a class has so much interest to keeping a class together....not to kick us down when things are coming back.

racers::::::::: it is in your hands now if you want to make a statement. we are the show!!!!!!!!!!and if the show will not show up that will be a statement!!!!!!! it is time to make a statement racers!!!!!!!!! i hope you guys and girls are tired of getting the short in of the stick!!!!!!! the racers need to be taking care of and this is not helping. i know the powers of the be are listen so racers this is your chance to be in control!!!! i know i keep saying this but what are we stupid!!!!!! it is time for us to come together. i do not mine people making money. i do not work for free and i do not expect anyone Else to either but there has to come a time when enough is enough!!!!!!!!! i am tired of seeing good race teams leave the sport. to the powers of be you are slowly running us off. PLEASE HELP US !!!!!!!! I know you guys are working hard for the sport but maybe somewhere down the line you have forgotten about us. i know we can not be in on every decisions. we want to believe in you but you are making it real hard!!!!!!!!! how about showing us how much you care.it is time to give back to racers and to families that put in so much time. better hotel rates, better parts and engine rates, lower cost of rebuilds on engines, lower cost of gas prices from the race truck!!!!!! i think my fellow racers would like to see this. i know i would !!!!!!! in my mind if we saw some price reduction i think this would be huge step in helping the racers believe that you care about us.


just my 2 cents
bc

see ya there
 

good idea

Great plan and post from APBA on what must be a very difficult situtation. I am sure not every one understands the problems with power boat race promoters, but they are all affected by their actions. I am sure APBA will react in a positive manner to make sure this will not happen again ever. Go Orange Beach, Al. and the 2004 Season!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!

How many times did we here last year that next year we are going to lock in to a schedule and stick to it! We were promised this by Mike A. time and time again. I have always supported Mike A and APBA, but this time you f--ked up! Mark and I were just talking about what boat we wanted to build for which class next year.
With all of the engine options, all of the location of race sites changed at last minute, all of the money pissed away by race teams that make reservations and commitments that we can't honor. Why would anyone want to get involved with this sport?
I already have airfare,hotel, and plans for Key West. I wasn't even going to race, just to have a good time. You think I'm going to change plans and lose money to go to Alabama, which will probably be canceled at the last minute for some reason. Once again, APBA has F==ked this one up! I'm pissed, frustrated and going to Key West anyway!

BJ:

Come to Ft. Lauderdale for the meeting.

Peconic
There are bigger problems that I need to see worked out. Racers and fans were promised alot this year and APBA has'nt delivered. This mess with Key West reminds me of why I don't race anymore. I miss the competition and great people, but not the HEADACHE! I'll be watching again in 2004.

Sorry to hear that ... smack talking will never be the same.

bj, it has been a quiet year without you and mark. gino has done a great job this year. i'd love to see you , candy and gino go back at it, but i fully understand.