This has turned into a non-contructive joey -v- mike forum. Pick up the phone and put down the keyboard. It is way off base from the original topic.

yes i have TO...but i found that working for a large company allows me to leave work at work at the end of the day...allows me to pursue not only other things i enjoy, but also the pursuit other income generating (or LOOSING)ventures.

"Are you genuinely looking for reasonable solutions to move the sport forward"...without a doubt, i would like to see this sport move forward!...i put a TON OF MONEY into it! Well a TON for me i should say!

"or is this coming from anger?"...anger gets ya in trouble most of the time...i will say i am very disappointed in what has happened and where things may end up??

"There's little time for argument if all concerned are going to pull this back together."....i don't know at this point TO???...maybe this is kind of like preventing forest fires?...i know there is a lot of small fries behind the scenes that have been put out, we have extinguished many ourselves this past year! all it really did in the end was burn out-of-control!...i think it sums up a lot of the offshore industry!...lots of fires and robbing peter to pay paul

Q-Ball,

Actually this is not only constructive but instructive. Any genuine businessperson with a brain knows that businesses ask their customers for feedback all the time and the ones that do not = FAIL. Customer surveys, focus groups, etc., etc.

Now, the Boycotters left us because they claimed we did not listen to them and they wanted more control over their destiny, rules, and all sorts of other business decisions relative to the sport.

Joey argues that we should not ask them for assistance or help but instead should simply make decisions, deliver what the racer customer wants and then accept the consequences - including very public, no holds barred, fairness, truth & accuracy be damned - internet criticism of our decisions. He says the racers should not have to provide input into the business or lend advice or provide ideas but if we do not deliver everything they want then they will simply leave and go somewhere else.

Two polar opposite, but extreme viewpoints from the same so called "customer" base producing the same negative result. Anyone see the irony in that? Anyone see how the loud minority of offshore racers are sending the message to every potential legitimate corporate partner or event promoter that we are a sport to avoid at all costs?

So this is a very instructive discussion. What it says to me is that if the good people of this sport who want to see it continue to grow and prosper do not seize control NOW and prevent the inevitable slide back to obscurity, it is over. Then we can all do what virtually every other category of boatracing has been doing for the last 20 years - lament what could have been, express anger and outrage over why corporate America ignores us, and then argue over rules.

Hmmmmm.

Too Old is right. Listen to him.

Mike

qball...this is ALL about the "Future of Factory Class"...we can not have a future in factory calls with out a future in offshore racing now can we?

really...you know how many times i have called there!...at one time i told myself i would call EVERYDAY and leave messages to call me back...that grew old quick, i conceded...

Mike, answer this to yourself...if you ALWAYS have the right answer!? why do you have problems with so many sponsors, promoters, racers, and fans that you do??? you always say it's not me!...it's there fault!

TO has the money, brains, and the love for the sport...if there is such GREAT opportunity here?? then why so many people standing on the sidelines...why the increase of racers, sponsors, manufactures, and fans going poker running??leaving racing or taking a step back for a year!???

mike, don't listen to anyone...LOOK at what they are doing!,,,don't make me out to be the "minority" with a grudge...i am speaking up here while most of your "people who have been around for a few years" have just simply picked up their toys , moved on, and said nothing!

"joey -v- mike forum"...i was just thinking that ...but with damn near 4500 hits on this thread....there are a lot of people looking at the questions being raised here!

"So many" sponsors? Mercury Racing is the only big one that comes to mind, and that was costing us, THE RACERS way more money than APBA Offshore was making. SO, did APBA lose a sponsor? or finally get out from under the control of a corporate monopoly on behalf of us racers?

These racers that have problems... just happen to be sponsored by Mercury Racing.
Coincidence? I think not.
The fans want racing. Good racing. APBA has a responsibility as a professional motorsport to provide close racing as entertainment for the fans, and have tried to offer that with classes they have designed and refined.
We as racers ALSO share some of that responsibility in competiting in the classes and under the rules of the competition based model that APBA Offshore has created or followed.
The difference between you and I?
I think Factory racing needs to make a big change to get back to it's roots. Back when it was "da Bomb" for the fans to watch.
You think APBA needs to say "phuck em" to the racers and make everyone race 525's, which you conveniently already have.

""So many" sponsors? Mercury Racing is the only big one that comes to mind, and that was costing us, THE RACERS way more money than APBA Offshore was making""...OK gordo,,,let 's say i give you this one 100%!...why did APBA make deal with a sponsor that was not paying them anything to speak of, portray them to be a major sponsor in turn? then turn around and not only have it cost the racer a ton of money, but also turn people away? it's sounds like a loose loose deal to me!! OK i exaggerated the usage of the phrase "so many"??..OK,,,,SO, ONE sponsor, ONE promoter, ONE racer (me), and ONE fan have caused this mess???LOL...again, why is it structured like this?


"You think APBA needs to say "phuck em" to the racers and make everyone race 525's, which you conveniently already have."...NOT AT all!!! but tell me what was charging thousands of dollars in penalties for using the Merc engine over the XX engine proposal saying!?? this is what SPARKED the SCL revolt in the first place!

"fans"...there are 14,240 fans right here on OSO...what percentage of them do you think attended 1,2,or3 races this year? chances are one happened within driving distance of their home! and you know the have the $$$!


Hope we still are friends Gordo,,,don't you have a fire to put out of something???

why did APBA make deal with a sponsor that was not paying them anything to speak of, portray them to be a major sponsor in turn? then turn around and not only have it cost the racer a ton of money, but also turn people away? it's sounds like a loose loose deal to me!!

Now you're catching on. I never said APBA made the smartest moves in this deal.

ONE sponsor, ONE promoter, ONE racer (me), and ONE fan have caused this mess???

Well, things were going pretty good until "One sponsor", (Merc Racing) and "one promoter," (Lee Mills) brought things to a grinding halt the last part of the season.
This led to a handful of racers screwing the rest of us racers just so they could say "neener neener neeener" to Mike Allweiss.
I never said you caused this mess. You just ain't doin a lot to help right at the moment. I'll give you a couple of hints...
Tommy Bahama and Nigel have nothing to do with F2 or the conversation.
No changes for 5 years? In all fairness, do we really think Mercury Racing, or any other engine supplier is going to stop the advancement of their products for 5 years? Or should we close the doors to any advancements for 5 years? How about 3, I think it works a little better.

this is what SPARKED the SCL revolt in the first place!
Actually, everyone was aware that there would be one motor for SC. It was the announcement that the one spec motor for Supercat would NOT be Mercury Racing. THAT's what sparked the revolt.
Never underestimate our fans. That's like us underestimating a customer. Like APBA underestimating us racers. It's just bad Karma.
While we may strongly disagree on matters discussed, I too hope we are still friends. After all, We're racers. We like to win, and H8 2 Luz.
Now, if only some old barn or something would burn so I'd get off this danged computer...