P-Class shafted again?
 

The final 2004 APBA rules are out. P-Class racers won't like 'em. No prize money for the bracket classes again. If less than 3 register in a class, there won't be any trophies and flags either. I'm calling Bubba.

That is just silly.... even if 1 boat registers there should be at least a flag and a trophy. So what do you get for your registration fees and entry fee's? P classes get very little TV time in apba...so what is the insentive?

I'ts called racing not registering :eek:

OPA and SBI is looking better all the time.

Personally I do not have a problem with it.

If there is not any boats to race, why should you get recognized as 1st place, you were the only place.

Frustrating yes, but I do understand.

Now I am just curious what they are going to do with the "extra" flags, and will the boat owner get his money back if he or she decides not to race since there is no prize on the table.

If we are adament that flags and trophy's are necessary, maybe we as P-class racers should find a sponsor cover these costs.

It is my belief that a class with one boat is not a class, but an exhibition. If you want a class you need more boats, that is what I am reading into this statement. But two boats should be the minimum not one.

So which groups will this effect? Certainly not P4 or P5.... hmmmm lets see..... PT, PX...... on the other hand they can afford to buy their own flags ;) (now that you mention it I still do not have my trophy from St. Pete, was there prize money in St. Pete, if so we did not get that either).

As for the prize money, keep it. Can we see a show of hands of individuals who do this for the money? Only way to become rich racing is to start out filthy rich.

Let's Race,
Rick

One would think so, Hollywood.

But nooooo: "In order for an Outlaw Class to receive trophies and checkered flags at the race site, a minimum of three (3) entries must have been received by APBA Offshore 30 days prior to the event."

So say 10 P-5 boats do race, but only 2 have signed up a month in advance: No trophies, no prize money. That reeks.

Ryoung,I try not to get into the politcs of apba,but if they dont change this to two boats we arent going racing at all this year.On boat no flag or trophy i can see,but when you have 2 boats you have a race and should at least win a flag and trophy. Most of the time it ends up in a 2 boat race anyway. Come on guys,make you feeling known to Bull,Poplin and David on this.They made this STUPID rule. Or is it they dont want the P boats either?? MEL TEAM VIXEN RACING P5-1

I can go without the prize money, but come on!! Gimme a cheap trophy and the checkered flag!!! Those are must haves (if earned). Can you pay for your flag and trophy???

i think everyone will agree if this is the year to run poker runs count me in. p1the only one see ya in 2005:hothead:

Guyes,

All APBA classes & Categories have the 3 boat rule not just Offshore. The specifics may very, but I know that most promotors won't run a class unless they have at least 3 boats on the water from the same class. We don't go to a race unless we can count on 4 boats being there so in case 1 can't run we still have a legal race.

Good points raised, especially Mels with regards to 2 boats. That would indeed be a race at least between those competitors. From a spectator standpoint, maybe yes, maybe no, but I think most of accept that we're pretty much racing for our own enjoyment anyway.

Soooo, you want flags and/or a trophy, I'll speak to Pop and if two of you show up and race in a P class, one of you gets the goodies.

Now, let's get to racing.

Steve David

I can understand why APBA wants you to register early, remember that they are selling a show to a sponsor. They need to know who's coming in order to properly represent their product to sponsors. Wouldn't it be nice to have a race program with the actual boats that will be racing, not just a list of every boat that's registered?

If you want to help the new APBA offshore get moving in the right direction, registering 30 days in advance may not be too much to ask.

Wouldn't it be easy to get all the phone numbers and email addresses for the teams in your given class and then talk to each other to get one another's schedules? Then you can see where and when to race as a group.

Taking role call on OSO is fine but not all the teams are OSO members and it's not enough advanced notice to make your plans. You should lay out the whole season now so you can have the best season possible with the ability to plan ahead.

Sorry for the lecture but as a race promoter knowing who's coming has always been kind of a joke. It's always like a suprise when someone pulls into the pits. It shouldn't be that way. The press needs to know, the fans want to know and the sponsors deserve to know.

Just a thought.

Ask and you shall receive..........

Thank you Steve David.I think we finally have someone who is willing to listen to the racers. Maybe when we have our class reps in place this can be settled before it comes to this.Like i told Jim on the phone yesterday,before the rules came out,We have always supported offshore no matter what and will continue to do so.Its just a shame that one thing like this has to happen now when so many P boats are riding the fence and we could lose them to SBI. Mel

Mel:

You have always been a class act! And thanks Steve for clearing that up with the flags! St Cloud is next weekend! BH

Joker,Steve said two boats are a race but the sponsers might not think so.Two years ago we got in Marathon with SBI and sat with Smitty alone in P3 we were alone in P4 an Pump it with one other boat in P5.Well big said if anybody got out front and raced by themselves no TV time.So we decided to stage a race between us three an make it look good.When it wasal over Smitty took 1st Vixen was 2nd an Pump it 3rd,the fans never new the diff.and Dave an i could hardly keep a strait face when everybody cong.us on the great race we gave Wassup.They never seen numbers all they seen was 3 boats racing thier hearts out.Big John kept his word and we all got some tv time,and the fans thought it was the greatest. MEL

this seems to go back to my theory on a handicap system, there is not enough entries for all these classes and takes the fun out of it, if i wanted to race myself or 1 boat why go to a sanctioned event we can just go out here and run around an island, all kidding aside i have never been involved in any form of racing event where the turn out is so poor, it needs some life injected into it, it has to get back to the grass roots somehow to where your average guy can show up and run for fun. now its the milion dollar budget racing club.
my o2

yo hollywood,what the heck are you up to brother!are you going to st.cloud?

Some of you may remember a few years ago when those of us racing APBA complained that the P classes were entry level racers for the most part, yet we were paying the same big entry fees. Made it kinda tough on the guys, (and gals) that wanted to try offshore racing for the first time, or the guys (and gals) that just wanted to race for fun once in a while.
So, ask and tho shalt receive.
APBA said they would lower the entry fees to $200, but they would not get as much TV time and no prize money. Just trophy & flags. Everyone agreed, and to my knowledge, everyone racing at that time was happy. Actually, many of the P class racers still got some good quality TV time if they had a good battle going. In fact, two years ago Ben Hedrick and I raced my Active Thunder in P-4. Went from 5th to 2nd and had a great battle with the leader-"Scott Free". We still finished second, but got as much if not more air time for that race than Bill Park and I got in the Super V Lite against Miklos and Decuices, (which we won by the way).
My point is, everyone in P class knew they were exchanging prize money for cheap entry fees, and everyone, (at the time), was happy with that. Now that many of those teams have moved up, some of the new teams/racers feel like they are getting the short end of the stick, which is not the case.
Hopefully this fills in some of the history and explains the classes as they are now. Seeing the efforts that Steve David, Jim Poplin and Bob Bull are putting into the new APBA Offshore, I'm sure you guys can make it whatever you want it to be.

Yea, but they jacked the entry fees back up last year.

P Class Racers:

There is much to the history of why things are the way they are. Some of it is good and some of it is less than perfect. But the fact is that the "New APBA Offshore Racing Association" is interested in the opinions and ideas of our "active" racing class members. That is why we have created the "class representative" structure to introduce, discuss and enact rule changes that make sense to those racers actually investing their time, money and energy in racing APBA.

As Steve in earlier posts indicated we will look at anything that makes any of our racing classes more interesting, entertaining, competitive and most importantly right for our racing members.

The format is in place now to not look over our shoulder but look forward to the future. Nominate a class rep or become one. Help us plan and execute exciting races by letting us know "in advance" that you will be racing. We need your support on the RSVP thing. Be their for us and we will be there for you. That's a promise from the entire APBA staff.

Show up at St. Cloud next weekend as a racer or spectator, get a start on the 2004 season and attend the APBA General Info update meeting/luncheon on Saturday! See you there!

Mark Skrzypek