Mike S.
Thanks for helping out....it would be good to see a meeting to see who really is going to race for 2004..

Time,
This is not about taking sides....We have 3 months to get ready to race....I said safety is an issue....but talking about crash test is way off base for were we are at as far as checking helmets, vests and other safty issues..can it be better..yes...but I was told before a race in 2002 to get a helmet that fit or I could not race..I had a peace of cloth in the helmet to make it fit better.....
Is safety a issue YES...start a post about it and teams can speak their concerns.....
But again...their were alot of teams talking about what we can do for Factory racing for next year and who would race....now with the last page and a half is just arguing....So you know...I started a post asking the long time racers for input on to help the class....a majority said to slow the boats down....then a few of us asked APBA to help us with this and they did....and if you read the posts from the begining you will see alot of teams that will or will consider racing in this new program...and the support of some Manufactures....
So personelly...I said I would support the F1 class on what they would agree on, 5 months later they still can't agree...I will not speack for F2....But as far as F1 some teams have showed even when the told APBA to put out the rules for 2004 so they could get their boats ready..APBA did...and then some of them did not like the rules and are looking to race elsewere......So if the majority of the F1 teams want to keep the current ruls I will race it...if the majority of them want the 496...I will race that way.....the reason I say that is that everyone is not going to be please with the out come and this can turn out to ba nothing more than a bi#ch match with only a few teams that don't agree.....
So time "who side am I on" I want to race...If I have to make all these changes to my boat to keep me in it....well maybe I am going to fast..because my plesure boat dose not have all that....
Agian talking about safety is great start a post on it and get some ideas....but remember the rules were put out in OB for 2004......I don't see all these teams sayingthey will race for 2004 with them....if everyone thinks the rules at hand are good were are all the teams....what I did see is alot of teams say they would race and would come back to racing with the 496....and some questions have been asked about the engine and Mike S. said if we got together he would answer them....
So "time" if you are going to race for 2004 and the saftey issuse meet what you think are safe I would think you would be out there for 2004.....
I will speak for myself and say...this running at 81 -82 in 3 to 4 footers their were a number of times when we came out of our seats and into each other...but landed strieght in and did'nt stuff thanks to Mark.....If we would have stuffed I can tell you we would have been ejected at least 4 or 5 time if not more....but thats what I like..being on that edge of coming out of your seat...is it safe....no....
thats how I see it and that comes from being their this year in that seat.....now I don't want t get into a argument on this I just want to see were the teams will race and what pack.....I have a hard time beleaving that if the only issue is APBA's saftey checks...that it could be easally worked out with the teams that are going to race......
Gino

APBA

Could you show your members how many boats were registered to run Factory 1 and Factory 2 in offshore in 2001 / 2002 / 2003 seasons and in what year the BOATS was built.
Thank You

gino...this thread is about what engines to run for ORL/APBA LLC in 2004...the reason for this is safety...so a discussion of safety is a very legitimate concern here in this thread...the next reason is to improve the class with yet another change, all the while history shows the class will decline...so, yet again, another issue contributing to this discussion/thread of changing engines...and you also have the guys on the sidelines not saying anything one way or the other because they just want to see how the mess works out!then determine a direction to go. if any AT ALL!


ps..i love this one....no seems to mention anything about anyone "upgrading" their 500efi's to the 525's at the end of the season at CRE do they?...nah,,,,that would never happen!!!!because i never saw it in the 2003 rule book!

Anyone questioning Miklos's involvement with offshore racing has not done the following:

1. Met him personally
2. Been to his shop
3. Hung out with him at Danny's drinking Tequilia.

There is also another guy named Gary Decucies that has the offshore needle stuck so far in his arm that he's pathetically a lifetimer in this sport. I ran against Phantom1 in the old SVL with the 700hp engine. If it were not for the advice of Miklos to sacrifice the chicken on the deck we would of never finished a race! BH

well I started my posts with the caveat that I was a newcomer and that this was not intended to be a finger pointing post. I want to be a part of a first rate organization. Steve, I hope that you read my post correctly. My portion of the suggestion was based upon anothers assertion that you were given some sort of preferential treatment and the general perception that this statement gave me. Nothing more, nothing less.

Brett,

I have spent a few days with Steve and Gary. They understand boats and what makes them go fast and handle well. Steve & Gary do their homework. Their only advantage is they live and breath performance boats everyday. If you want help in your program, go to them first. They are open, honest and willing to help anyone. These are two guys you will enjoy knowing!!!

Jim

d-hlaw:

Yea Steve definitely gives preferential treatment to certain people. I was one of those persons back in 1999 / 2000. I came to this sport as a Rookie in 1999 and brought a tricked up F1 boat and a world class throttleman to my 1st race. You should of seen the greeting I got when Steve saw the new Warlock and Lance Henrichsen throttling that boat! The year before Steve had set the kilo record in F1 and won his division. I was his worst nightmare. We battled him every race that year(we beat him too). My championship came down to Islamorada and we fried the electrical system (batteries- alternator- ignition) testing the day before the race. I can't even remember Steve and Gary speaking to me the whole season prior to this race. Steve and Gary personally worked on my boat and loaned me tools and parts while I held a flashlight , as they performed a miracle repair job in a parking lot. They were still working on the boat during the National Anthem. Why? Beats the hell out of me. We clinched that championship due to thier efforts. Then in 2000 I sold my boat and was boatless. Steve loaned me his F1 Boat for (2) races until I got my new boat. Why? Beats the H E L L out of me. Then Steve calls me in 2001 and reccomends me to drive a new SVL. Why? Beats the H E L L out of me. Here is a guy that I could not even spell his last name and he gave me everything. Why? Beats the H E L L out of me. Thank you Steve and Gary and no matter what people say or think about you, I know you are 100% a true professional and your only doing what you feel is best for our sport. Brian Hollis

Joey,
I'm not going to back and forth with you....I have said my part and you have 4 or 5 times thats all we spoke...but you now see the people some of us asked to help are not going to.....I hope with all this agruing and LLC stepping out is going to bring out all these boats you are talking about on the sidelines.....just remember some teams are trying to get everyone to race OSS and will say what ever they need to for teams to leave APBA...I hope people are not coming on OSS to do the same.....So to keep agruing with you dose not help everyone here...and the help some of the F1 ones wanted we just lost......I don't want to take the conversation to just e-mails for only certain teams because you seen it brought interest to teams that were not before on this open forum...but I think at this point we have to do what we have to do.....and if that leaves some teams that would have been interested in racing and they loose out then I'm sorry.....but this was going in the right directions along with another post "How many F1 teams or teams thinking of racing for 2004" with postitve input and F1 teams comming up with good ideas...
Gino

Jeez Joey, if you lose one argument you start another? WTF?
Nothing "Suddenly" got too fast. There have been discussions of the Factory boats being too fast since 2000. If you'd been around and paying attention, you would have probably been part of those decisions.
One more time gentlemen, the HP500 is going by the wayside. How can we keep talking about the future of a class yet keep trying to bring back a motor that will no longer be available to the buying public any week now?
Another point I will repeat so Joey can get it straight. The reason APBA was forced to allow the HP500efi was because Mercury Racing quit making the carb version. The reason the Mercury Racing 525 was allowed was because Mercury Racing told APBA they would soon stop production of the HP500, meaning the 500's wold no longer be available. Again, Mercury Racing forced its hand, (product) upon APBA. The GM Vortec wasn't allowed till after the 525's were forced on us.
Now, do us a favor, either get with it, or get out of it.

Gordo,,,bro...come on; "Again, Mercury Racing forced its hand"...if anything because APBA let them....there is a TON of racing going on where the same powertrain has been in place for years!...not APBA though...you got $$$ in hand??...we'll change the rule book for ya!

"till after the 525's were forced on us."....i found out about the 525's on OSO/ted z!...NOT the APBA/LLC site...i then called Don at lake-x...then steve m....then had to call steve s. to stop working on our boat!

"Now, do us a favor, either get with it, or get out of it."...you should have used the word "me"..."us" implies your speaking on EVERYONES behalf...sorry bro, but there has been some people taking a few steps back from racing because of my "favors".

funny last year this time i was trying to talk more people into the F2 class, stating; "the rules are going to be set for sometime"....hummmm