GLSCS 2005 Press Release
 

GREAT LAKES SILVER CUP SERIES Offshore Powerboat Racing at its best! P.O. Box 7221
501C3 - A not for profit corporation Eastlake, Ohio 44097-7221
Phone: 440-951-0352 Fax: 440-951-4163
Website: www.silvercupseries.com Email: [email protected]



January 10, 2005

PRESS ALERT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GLSCS 2005 Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh, PA

The first 2005 Annual Membership meeting of the Great Lakes Silver Cup Series was held on Saturday, January 8th Downtown Pittsburgh, PA Hilton. Though winter storms in the Great Lakes and the East Coast, made travel difficult, the meeting was attended by a number of Race Producers, Racers and Officials of the GLSCS; and much was accomplished.

A comprehensive review of the 2004 Offshore Racing Season by the Officials and the Executive Board detailed a largely successful year in terms of prize monies paid out and financial assistance to our race sites; both of which showed the largest dollar amount in the History of the GLSCS. Our Medical and Safety report indicated only minor incidents at two races which resulted in no medical injuries and minimal equipment damage. Lower boats counts had percentages consistent with other sanctioning bodies in 2004 and largely reflect changes in the economy.

The Racers and Officials discussed changes to the current class and rule structure in an effort to take into consideration many of the great ideas that have been offered by racers over the past year on this subject. After much deliberation, the following class rules were suggested, that we use a combination of average lap speed and GPS break out speed in assessing penalties. The break out speed would represent 4% of the top average lap speed allowed for the class (rounded to the nearest whole number). Penalties would be assessed based on a racer either going over the maximum average lap speed for the class or going over the break out speed; both would follow our current penalty structure of a time penalty of 1 minute for each mph over for the first three mph over either (for the first occurrence, the second occurrence would result in the penalty being multiplied by two) if either the average lap speed or breakout speed was exceeded by over 3 mph the boat would not be given any points and moved up to the next class for the next race. If a time penalty was assessed three times in a season, the boat in question would forfeit their points and be moved to the next class up). It was also decided that the Referee and Technical Inspectors would assist the teams in assign the boat to the correct class by using standard industry methods of calculation based on weight, horsepower, gear ratios, prop size and rev limit formulas.
Performance 5 60 – 70 mph average lap speed 73 mph Break Out Speed Single Engine 24’ to 29’ in length Cat or Vee
Performance 4 70 – 80 mph average lap speed 83 mph Break Out Speed Single or Twin Engine 24’ minimum length Cat or Vee
Performance 3 80 – 90 mph average lap speed 94 mph Break Out Speed Single or Twin Engine 27’ minimum length Cat or Vee
Performance 2 90 – 100 mph average lap speed 104 mph Break Out Speed Single or Twin Engine 30’ minimum length Cat or Vee
Performance 1 100-110 mph average lap speed 115 mph Break Out Speed Single or Twin Engine 30’ minimum length Cat or Vee Full Canopy with Restraints Req.

The continued offering of other classes including Factory 1 and 2 were discussed and it was agreed that the GLSCS is willing to speak with representatives for these classes and offer them in 2005 if they can establish rules and a minimum registrant base for the classes.

2004 saw the cooperation of the GLSCS and OSS on two race events. We look forward to expanding this cooperation over more events and including our fellow racers from the East Coast, the members of OPA. We feel that the three groups have very similar goals and that this cooperation allows us to each retain our individual members needs while increasing the exposure and enhancing the Offshore Racing experience for the racers, the sponsors and our fans.

Again, the following represents the suggestions that were discussed in Pittsburgh. We hope that these ideas can serve as a starting point for future discussions amongst not only the members of not only the GLSCS, but all parties interested in furthering the sport of Offshore Racing.

Executive and Advisory Board of the GLSCS

Re: GLSCS 2005 Press Release
 

Performance 5 60 – 70 mph average lap speed 73 mph Break Out Speed Single Engine 24’ to 29’ in length Cat or Vee

According to this, it appears that the GLSCS has just thrown me out, and APBA has invited me in. I would sure like to know who was the woosie who decided to impose limits on length and number of engines for P5.

Re: GLSCS 2005 Press Release
 

Why can't everyone run the same rules :mad: ?

Re: GLSCS 2005 Press Release
 

These are only proposed changes discussed by the advisory board and racers presant at the Pittsburg meeting. They will be discussed and voted on by the racers. If you have an indea put it out there so we can put it up for discussion and vote.

Andrew Bloom
GLSCS Chairman

Re: GLSCS 2005 Press Release
 

My Idea is only that everyone get on the same page so we can race where we want.
Right now, the way the rules are in all sanctioning bodies, I can only be competative in APBA. I really enjoyed the SBI races I did last year but they wiped out my boat with there latest rule changes and I wanted to race one race on the Great Lakes this year and your proposed rule changes render and APBA boat uncompetative (unless your a sandbagger)

Re: GLSCS 2005 Press Release
 

It's good to hear that it's not exactly set in stone yet. One question, when P5 rules are voted on, does everyone get to vote on that, or just P5 racers?

If this new rules stands as is after the vote (my guess is, it will), what class can I race in?
My boat is 37', 11,000 lbs. and tops out at 71 MPH (not exctly sure because the new motors are still at the engine shop).

Re: GLSCS 2005 Press Release
 

37' and 11,000 lbs does not belong in P-5 or P-4.
I will go back to my original statement. Build boats for classes not classes for boats.
If your boat doesn't fit into a particular class, build a boat to fit a particular class.
No offense.

Re: GLSCS 2005 Press Release
 

I agree with your statement, in Factory racing and up. Correct me if I am wrong, but the Outlaw classes were designed to get boaters involved in racing.

It's not like I bought this boat so that I could race P5. And I surely am not going to sell it to buy a boat that will fit in P5, just because the rules won't allow it. It's about wanting to get into racing. This is what I have. If I use it and try racing and I like it, then it would be more inclined to sell it and get a FII boat or something.

That's what an entry level class is supposed to be about. The problem with P5, is that people ARE building boats for Outlaw classes. Because they have no incentive to leave Outlaw and get into Factory I or II.

Re: GLSCS 2005 Press Release
 

Regarding some history here on P-5 length and engine limitations ---- There indeed have been restrictions on P5 since 2003.

Up until 2003, none of the racing organizations had any size/engine limits on any of the classes. In 2002, however, my team (Erie Stinger) along with another GLSCS team (Offshoregasm) showed up to race in the GLSCS with a 39 Chris Craft Stinger and a 38 Cigarette Top Gun, respectively. While both of these boats fell into the accepted speed bracket, lots of other P5 teams who were racing in APBA, SBI, and OPA were quite upset about the advantage that these (2) boats would have under rough water race conditions, and as such, in 2003 the length and engine limitations were placed on the P5 classes in APBA (I believe they may have been placed in SBI and OPA as well, but I'm not sure). Both of the teams that were running were grandfathered in the GLSCS only as long as they continued to race in the series. This did not apply to APBA, SBI, OPA, POPRA, or any other series. GLSCS did not have this limitation for 2004, but since Offshoregasm upgraded the 38 Top Gun and Erie Stinger no longer races, you have to give the GLSCS credit for attempting to bring their rules into some form of conformance with the other sanctioning bodies. After being at Cape Cod and watching Key West this year, the rough water advantage is real. I don't now if APBA has let the length and/or number of engines off the books for 2005, but I'm sure that most of the current P5 racers will once again make their voices heard if it has been removed.

This isn't going to help you out with your 37 Scarab, but no matter what sanctioning body that you may choose to race in, you are going to have to deal with these restrictions.

Similarity of rules between bodies always is a hot topic on this board - and it would appear that this is what is happening.

Re: GLSCS 2005 Press Release
 

I couldn't agree more with you. Similarity is definately the key. In fact, in a smaller organization like GLSCS, they should be following the big guys, like APBA.

APBA 2005 Technical Rules
http://www.apbaoffshoreracing.com/do...nicalRules.pdf

Page 44... notice, no restriction on length for P5 (as opposed to the 2004 rules).