SCL class.

Will it be possible to update the old peppers to give a new life as per the new rules adjustment.

Here is an example : Innovation 500efi / Weismann 4-speed transmissions / Weismann #6ssm dry-sump drives.

This would clear out George and Mikes garage. I am sure they are happy yo sit on the stuff. It is nothing that was not in the boat in the past.

pat W

Come on Pat you are beating a dead horse here!!! They havent had those drives on that boat in almost 10 years. They ran IMCOs for the last several years that they've ran the OLD 36. I am sure they could have sold that stuff 10 times over if they really wanted to, but I've never seen it advertised anywere. If you want to get something allowed in OSS you are going to have to get it through a whole class vote first. So you need to come up with something that EVERYONE in a class must feel that they must have. I know you guys have mead some VERY TRICK stuff for many years but in this day and age of spec raging classes not everyone wants to spend money like the Sheiks and the Rum makers........

oh its advertised ryan, we are selling everything.

Ryan,
The Weismann dry-sump #6ssm has been banned for 10 years now. We can talk about the 17 other products that we have done that are out too.

I am not after the whole class just a few boats to show how much better our product is than my competition.

We have been systematically removed from the rules by a select few.

So far there has been no good answers if any answers to my questions why we are not allowed to race.

Why don't you start a trend by answering some of these questions?

pat W

Bob Teague is the OSS tech. director he would be the person to ask and the one to start with to get you products approved.

Teague @earthlink.net

I certainly did not mean for my comments to suggest that we are the inventors or only innovators of the 496 engine platform. We simply offer what we believe are real advances to this engine platform as did many before us to bring the GM Gen 5 - 6 engines to their current level of aftermarket advances which Mercury uses to provide their racing motors.
I also realize that GM did a good job of supporting their 496 Vortec program and it was a loss for the performance offshore racing community when this program met its end due to some mis-steps by a few.
All I am saying here and in support of any of the manufacturers or engine and drive people in the industry, is that the sport will always be healthier and garner more support among its sponsors and fans when there are more choices for engine and drive combinations as well as hulls. I think I can realize and understand why OSS has made its rules and changes up to this point in its efforts to stabilize its racing program and remain successful. In no way would I want to see Mercury out and someone else in, thats the whole point, get more in to join Mercury and really grow the sponsors and participating teams as well as fan support thru parallel product usage. where would Nascar be today if the teams only used Chevrolet cars and engines??
As for free engine programs, your not going to see Raylar, Mercury or others with that hat on! "Racing costs money, how much do you wan't to race!"
The real point here is just to make the rules and participation by all sponsors user friendly not some sort of gauntlet to run.
You guys do a great job of racing and your teams an individuals are a great bunch of people and deserve a great deal of credit and respect for their sometimes selfless contributions to the sport of offshore racing.

Regards,

Ray @ Raylar

Just thinking out loud here but I was wondering how much longer the Merc HP525 will be around. If you think about it this engine is due to be deleted based on past history. The HP500 carb ran from around 1994-99, HP500EFI from 1999-2002 and now the HP525 from 2002 till? See the pattern here....it's a run of around 4-5 years. Maybe Mercury Racing will bring out a HP555. The 525 is already just about making the power and it's old technology so with a few minor tweaks we could see a very reliable HP555.
Thoughts?

This is what P-Class rules were designed for...companies like Raylar, Weismann Drives and so forth. I truly believe that the other classes need to run on products that support the sancationing body with the purse payout, growth marketing and such.
So back to my other thoughts ... is Mercury stepping up and helping this way? If the other classes are going to run Mercury only products then you all really need to look at how much longer the HP525 will be around. It's due for a change and it would be detrimental to any class to approve this engine and have racers buy stock into it and then Mercury discountinue it and then the class is obsolete...history will repeat itself.

I gotta chime in here because this thread contains comments from a group of very bright and sophisticated members of OSO, I will go out on a limb and make a post even though you Guys are smarter them I am.

Wimpster ("Rik") and Pat W. are pretty much in line but I think Wimpster has accepted the environment for what it is in terms of preventing, or limiting competative products in "private" racing organizations. Pat's stuff works, so does Rik's stuff for sure, maybe better than the "standard" stuff. There is nothing new about a little "payola" to get a Mfg's product endorsed by a Sanctioning Body, have you guys (Pat and Rik) extended that "olive branch" yet?

As for Fever Mike who spends a lot of time keeping up on issues, I am a little confused by the comment that the 525 should be eliminated because it is time for a change?, almost everyone is the "spec" classes owns at least a few of these and they run great, why would we arbitrarily change it?.

Gordo, (miss you man), bring back the Vortec's???, holy crap, isnt that the big complaint everyone has had for years, that just when everyone has make a change and bought new equipment and seems to be happy with he equipment, the sanctioning bodies make a sweeping change and piss everyone off because of additional costs.

Everyone running the exact same boat, with the exact same equipment... Hummmmm... probably an unrealistic goal, but that sure would bring out the talent wouldn't it?, if you won a race you could really pound your chest.

I think OSS is on the right track as far as Parity, yeah, they are Merc proponents, yeah, there is paola, but is that anything new or really all that bad??.

Great thread though, everyone calm, cool and collected and making great points.

Gregg Reichman

I think that Rik and I would not mind a little payola from the sanctioning body for the loss of sales and customers.

If the rules were justified I could see why we are banned, but they are not. I cannot get an answer for even a basic question.

It is a one horse race right now and if that horse goes away what will they do?

pat W