Another Race Association????
 

THIS JUST IN.....

A group of prominent lower Keys Business people have formed a non-profit organization to oversee and promote powerboat racing in the waters off Key West and the Lower Keys.

The Conch Republic Offshore PowerboatRacing Associatiion (CROPRA) led by long time local attorney and buisinessman Bill Spottswood-hopes to return stability to racing in the florida Keys much like Key West buisness people have done over the years with fantasy fest.

Anyone else recieve this Press release???

yep!

I got one also. Bill Spottswood and Marc Rossi are both great guys with a ton of credibility in the Keys. Should definately make it much easier for us to race there in the future.

Sounds interesting

Would they be acting as a sanctioning body, or run under one of the current bodies?

Bruce,
Are these the gentleman that John(SBI) is working with on the Marathon and Key West SBI races next year?Or is this totally seperate from that?

i have no idea

Key West group
 

Kilocat is right on target. The Spottswood family owns the LaConcha Holiday Inn on Duval, Faro Blanco Resort in Marathon and others. They are a long time well respected Keys family. Pretty good insurance that there will be Offshore racing in the Keys for the forseeable future. Together, cooperatively the future is looking better :)

Hey Steve, WHere you been lately? Roger

SBI ,APBA,OPA ,OPBRA,LLC,ORL,M.O.u.s.e ??? What class are we gona run in ? WWC {WHOPPER WITH CHEESE}??? Poker runs are sounding better and better every day!!!

Now Now Lobsterboy...dont get your claws in a tiff. Everything is gonna be ok

You know me , i have got to stir the pot !!!:D

Marc,

Really tell us how you feel!!!!!

Bruce - They will simply provide the venues with solid financial support. It is my understanding that these guys do not want to be a sanctioning body.

Hey David ! What's up ? Are ready for a shot of tequila ? Marc

Yes ,David is right ! They are just trying to bring some sort of consistency to their city ! Because god Knows all of this B.S is only doing harm !!!

Well..in that case...first round is on me

I got the fax and it said it was recieved by SBIP inc.....Superboat international???? anyone???

Looks like somebody got Lee Mills a baby sitter. BH

Q-Ball.....

...Im sure there is an affiliation

PRESS RELEASE

Conch Republic Offshore Powerboat Racing Association

For more information contact:

William B. Spottswood (305) 294-9556

Mark Rossi (305) 294-4890



12/5/2003 1:52:52 PM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Key's Business Leaders Look to

Save Powerboat Racing



KEY WEST -- A group of prominent Lower Keys business people have formed a non-profit organization to oversee and promote powerboat racing in the waters off Key West and the Lower Keys.

The Conch Republic Offshore Powerboat Racing Association (CROPRA) -- led by long-time local attorney and businessman Bill Spottswood -- hopes to return stability to racing in the Florida Keys much like Key West business people have done over the years with Fantasy Fest.

"Powerboat races in the Florida Keys have become too important to our economy to not know from year to year if, when or where we are going to have them," said Spottswood. "Do we want to get involved? No. But we feel like the time has come for the business leaders to step up and ensure the survival of the sport in Monroe County."

A cross-section of Key West's hospitality, entertainment, financial and business communities is joining CROPRA, including local bar owner Mark Rossi and Certified Public Accountant Randy Moore - serving as vice president and treasurer, respectively.

Others stepping up to fill seats on the board of directors include Historic Tours of America founder Ed Swift, First State Bank's Kurt Lewin, Shades of Key West owner Barry Gibson, Island City Flying Service co-owner Paul dePoo, car dealer Jack Niles, CPA Johnny Parks, local builder Larry Bliel, hotelier Michael Knowles, Sloppy Joe's Bar co-owner Heather Rodger and printer Scott Curry.

Races throughout the Keys have suffered in recent years due struggles between race promoters and national sanctioning bodies resulting in lagging interest from locals and visitors.

Tourism industry members estimated a 30- to 40-percent drop in visitors and spending this year in Key West related to those factors, severely curtailing the overall economic impact on the city.

Spottswood said one of the major concerns was that this year, because of infighting between promoters, racers, national race organizations and the business community, leaders didn't know until two weeks before the Key West races whether or not people were going to show up.

"The sport has become so fractious over the years and is so important to our community that we felt it was time for an independent group to get involved," Spottswood said. "Rather than being exclusionary, we want to be all-inclusive. Key West has been one of the most sought-after venues in powerboat racing for almost 90 years. We want everybody to feel they are welcome to come race, stay and enjoy our island city. Big boats, little boats. We don't care. We want them all. But more importantly, we want to continue the tradition of great racing that has brought competitors to the Florida Keys since 1917."

Spottswood, Curry, Parks and Murray were original members of the CROPRA and bring more than 20 years of racing and promotional experience to the table including events in Key West and the Lower Florida Keys.

"The name comes from a group that was formed nearly 20 years ago to do the same thing," Spottswood said. "But it went into hibernation after it looked like the community was doing well with the races. Now it's time to pull the old jackets out of the closet, dust them off and zip them up. There will be powerboat races in Key West for years to come."

I don't think this has anything to do with Mills. I think this is the formation of a local club that will assist in running SBI races in the Keys. Remember SBI has Marathon and Key West on their schedule for next year. And GOD FORBID they actually worked with Mills to produce races as well as SBI.

No matter who they are, any new racing club is a good thing. A local presence by a stable racing club can only help make racing safer and more organized.

Just like NJ Offshore Racing Association. We've run races in Point Pleasant for 35 years, yet we've never santioned a race. We always invited a sanctioning body to run with us. It was APBA, then US Offshore, then SBI and now OPA. We've seen it all.

Same deal in the great lakes. Like Steve and David said. This is a good thing. Think of this as Key West fighting back.

What impresses me so much is that racing is so important to them. I wish Point Pleasant NJ felt the same way about racing after all these years.

Hey Marc - you need to get off that stuff! It's gonna hurt you someday like it did me in Miami! ttt

Dave the only guys drinking that stuff was you and Nick ! I was drinking Jack , not much better ! :drool: :crazy:

Hey Kilo Kat,
Did you find my Bat Light yet???

Lobsterboy, Did you move yet?? Miami was fun!
BG XO

Hey Karen ! No i haven't moved yet ! And yes Miami was great ! As far as i remember :crazy: !!! And so was Deerfield , KW, FT Lauderdale and the rest is a blur ???:D

SBI is working closely with the new group in Key West and does have signed contacts for 2 races in the keys for this comeing year.

Frank
Koolhand

Where does Lee Mills come into play with this group? SBI looks to be strong next year - BH

Now if you could only get SBI to run the same rules as APBA we could be on to something.
MD

I think this group will be an obstacle for Mills and will embrace Carbonell.

I agree with Typhoon, if SBI had and upheld rules they have the greatest venues I think the racers would come and play.

Maybe SBI / APBA and the new KW group can all get together. SBI definitely has the stock boats wrapped up and the Super Boats could combine with the PX Boats. APBA would bring the UIM Sanction and add the boat counts in with SBI and we would have a record number of boats at some great events. BH

BH Joker
With all due respect. I'm not picking on you and never have & I am not starting an argument with you but why does everyone (associated with APBA LLC) always have to bring UIM into this????
Who cares? How many people from UIM race with the LLC.?
I don't know any racer who cares what UIM has to say about anything. They are over there, we are over here. If an LLC boat went over to Europe, whould any of the classes be the same? If so, could you tell me which classes would be?

Dave

I would think the APBA / UIM status brings alot to the sport. OK scrap the UIM comment , it would still be awesome if all (3) groups could merge and not split our sport into different directions next year. BH

Just for fun, try going to UIM and find ANY mention of APBA. Forget LLC, just Detroit.

It took me a half hour to find one place where APBA was mentioned. Look under World Champions. ABPA is not even recognized. So what is the big deal with UIM sanction? I don't get it. Joker, please explain what the big deal about UIM santioning is, cause I just don't understand.

www.uimpowerboating.com

I agree 100%

joker,thats what iys about get everybody together and we'll have a hell of a race circuit. we all need to get carbonell and kraft to sit down. calling gary the man.

Shuron
You guys havent raced SBI this year. Trust me things have changed for the better. we buy new motors in N.Y. drive up and mount them, race the next day. we got lucky and won. SBI still made us pull off our heads. when I asked why? the comment was your pertty handy with a file. I think John has seen the light.
LA

I would love to see that happen also ! But i unfortunately can't see it happening the way things are now ! Too many ego's in the way ! Dave if you remember a couple of years ago In SBI there was some bitterness in the pits ,and we had the pit party's {bar-b-Que 's ,miss wild child and of course those world famous Lobster party's :D } It brought everybody together , and made everybody realize why we were doing all this for ! For fun and a 5$ trophy , and i think that would be one of the only way's you would eliminate some of the barriers ! A big block {pit} Party , something like when we were in 1st grade "meet and greet day"!! And every team would have to either donate something like a minimum sum of $$ {??} and the difference would go to some children's charity !!!

Ron,

I have wondered the same thing many times about the UIM. Then it occurred to me. It gives credibility to the history of the sport. UIM sanctioned champions are recognized as World Champions in the history books. Without the UIM, we simply have national champions. Somewhere down the road, UIM may have more meaning. Having it today prepares us for tomorrow when we may actually have international events. Just my thoughts.

Jim

Ron:

Jim's response answered your question. Gordon Kraft it would be a good move to see if you can pull this off. It is time for unity not seperation. This could only benefit the racers and fans! BH