2009 OSS Race Info
 

Posted By Ron Polli

Thanks for everyone's input. It's not falling on deaf ears.

This schedule is not official yet, but it's real close.

Biloxi - March
Clearwater - April
Lake Cumberland - May
Sunny Isles Beach – June - with run to Bimini and back
Kenner – July - Al Copeland Invitational
Orange Beach - August - Invitational
LOTO – Sept
Worlds – Jupiter - October - Invitational

We also have a new TV show that should be announced next week or the week after.

I'm going to Lake Cumberland next week to meet with the authorities to hopefully get a green light for the next few years.

As for unification it won't happen anytime soon if ever, but joint races should be simple to do and a benefit for everyone involved. We did a few joint races with POPRA in the past. Hopefully we'll do some races with OPA in 09. As for SBI, I've tried 3 times in 08, it's clear to me now that working with SBI will never happen so I've given up on that one. (not SBI Bashing, just fact)

OSS is working with Stu and the Florida Powerboat club to bring racing and Poker Runs to the same FL venue. We'd love to work with other Poker Run groups at the other race sites outside of FL.

We are interested in improving our sport and our production. Like Pete B said, we are also in the entertainment business. Cities pay a lot of money to bring our show to their town, we need to give them their money's worth in return. So in 09 you'll see OSS doing HEAT RACING (like we did in Orange Beach this year) wherever possible. You'll see the elimination of the 525 Vee and Vee Extreme classes and in their place will be the two P1 style Power to Weight ratio classes. We also added 4 classes to accommodate the P-Class racer. No GPS units, we do it using average lap speeds.

I continue to be a fan of the sport and work for the betterment of OSS and the sport in general. I'm open to new ideas and concepts. If you'd like to talk, call 732 552 0669 or send me an email [email protected].

Lets work together to make 09 the best season of racing yet. Thank you for your thoughts and assistance.

Ron

Great news...attended the last two at LOTO and we had a blast....hopefully we can make a couple others next year...

I am thrilled to see Lake Cumberland on the list. And I think you will get an incredible turnout for that race. Keep us posted on when the dates/details get firmed up. Thanks!

Our Indiana race will be on the schedule next year. A few conflicts in dates and the remodel of the hotel will not allow us to move forward with this in 09. We really look forward to seeing all of our racers in Indiana, for the first ever offshore race on a lake in Bloomington Indiana.
Stay tuned for all the news. Cant wait toi begin the war again in 09

Clearwater? Cool!

I agree!

Clearwater or Clearwater Beach? Great Location. Any information available?

WOW !!! Clearwater FLA. would love to race there in an open boat, might be able to drag a few guys single engine racers to this one !!! Haven't raced without a gps for 3 years,hope I remember how? Ron I'll call you, Al Culbertson

Ron,please give us some details on how the 4 open -average lap speed classes would work thanks, Walt

p classes
 

just wondering why if OSS is venturing into production class racing, you guys would not use either sbi or opa rules.

either one would work since some teams are set up to run both orgs. just seems that OSS p-class is heading in yet another direction?? UNIFICATION??

also with the way the economy has been what about merging atleast a few races.

i think the orginal idea was they (oss and the teams) don't have to add anything to do it, they just time them the way they time all the classes with lap times. maybe it keeps teams from gps watching too, i don't know. the teams that raced it in at loto were just local pleasure boaters who wanted to give it a try. they could easily add the gps's later if that is what is wanted, buy why mandate it from the start?

merging classes? have you seen OPA's and SBI's growing lists of classes lately? basically, nobody is gonna turn down a boat in these times right now...

Hi Walt, please go to this page and download the Pro/Am rules
http://www.offshoresuperseries.com/racers.cfm. They are still in draft form and we have until Jan 15th to adjust our rulebook. We also have the rules up for the new Power to Weight classes.

OSS is owned by the registered race teams. Those teams make up thier own rules, then OSS enforces them to the letter. If some teams want to register for the Pro/Am classes then you can dictate the way the rules work for your class.

Basically - Average lap speed - 65, 75, 85 and 95. No need for any equipment and no need to download GPS units after the race. It's all done through our scoring system. Plus you can't race by watching a GPS. Set your boat up right and the system will work.

Dave, as for unification. I've tried to work with SBI. It's clear to me now (after banging my head against the wall) that SBI doesn't want to work with OSS in any way shape or form. Period, the end.

Smitty and I talk from time to time about joint races but nothing meaningful yet. I'm still hopeful that we can find time to talk and put something together for the betterment of the sport. My number is 732 552 0669 if anyone wants to talk.

Clearwater Beach on the Gulf.

p class
 

just curious, do you let the production boats go out and test. how does one set up for a average lap speed race.

this seems to me even more bias. one could figure out the time needed for one lap. blast around the course and just slow up at the finish line. or the bigger boats will just run WOT down the striaghts and baby it around the corners. it would be more like and enduro than a race?

are for having to buy equipment(gps) i don't know too many boat that don't have them.

Yes, of course the Pro-Am boats can test.

I would think you could figure out from when someone has raced before or in a similar boat, and use some common knowledge to figure out a rough lap speed on a given course. Of course when you throw in any sea conditions that will change things.

The Pro-Am format in OSS is so anyone can come out and race there boats if the meet the safety requirements. It is to get new blood into racing. We had 4 boats in LOTO , one of which is ready to now buy a raceboat.

I think the Pro-Am idea is more run what you brung ,than enduro. The local / outlaw class started that way. OSS isn't trying to take anyone elses ideas, just offering what many people have been asking for. People from Mi and the North east have a place to race, people in Fla have another, and outwest POPRA has them covered, and the people and fans and racers everywhere else have asked OSS to do this.

The figuring out the lap times is what happend in the P classes a few years ago, all of the guys would race the whole lap and all almost stop before the start finish line every lap.

I don't have a GPS in my 24' Skater........

The figuring out the lap times is what happend in the P classes a few years ago, all of the guys would race the whole lap and all almost stop before the start finish line every lap.

yes thats my point, all you now is a stop watch!

just thought that a top speed is better suited. this way any average boater can go run their boat. see how fast it goes. then jump in that specific class. kinda hard to say, hea what kinda of lap speed you guys running. and then assign them a class.

Skaterdave, I think it very easy to see a sand bager in this class format, pull that move in a race and you just graduated to the next class!!!How to figure out where a boat belongs is fairly simple max speed[gear ratio & prop pitch] and the distance of the race course, factor in the water conditions and you can pretty much place the first timer in the right class.

Thanks for the info Ryan,well be at Biloxi,Kenner,Orange beach races:ernaehrung004:


Biloxi - March
Clearwater - April
Lake Cumberland - May
Sunny Isles Beach – June - with run to Bimini and back
Kenner – July - Al Copeland Invitational
Orange Beach - August - Invitational
LOTO – Sept
Worlds – Jupiter - October - Invitational

Ron who is promoting the event for Clearwater?
Mike

A new race producer. Wanna help? Send me your info and I'll pass it along. Seems like a lot of interest in this race site.

Whats the next class after the 95 mph class?

supercat or evolution vee

That's the top speed in our Pro/Am classes. We could add a faster class but we'd mandate canopies. If that's the case, you might want to run in the Extreme Cat class. We don't want to have overlapping classes.

Safety of our race teams is our paramount concern.

RON, I think the 4 open class racing idea sounds positive ! At the HOC awards and meetings 4 years ago ,a meeting for equipment owners and a board headed by Bob Bull , of APBA ,and JC of SBI -APBA decided that top speed, rather than average would be the future of P-class racing ,all org. adopted that deciscion and set up their boats accordingly,and have raced top speed since. To insure competitive, deck to deck racing, in P-class,stay with top speed. thanks Walt

Look forward to seeing some action in Cumberland!!!