Offshoreonly.com - Opa 2007

2006 was a banner year, thanks to the efforts of all our teams. We asked for support, and you all stepped up to the plate. We ran some pretty cool races, at some really awesome sites. Good news is, all of those sites want us back. Bad news is there are some new sites that want some of this. In an effort not to dilute our series, more is sometimes not better. As a racer myself I realize the commitment it takes to attend an entire series of races. We have received a number of calls in ref to the 07 schedule. It will be a repeat of last year, except. Our brothers from Long Island, seem to want to bring this game to their home town. Louie, Curtis, Jimmie, JC, Eric, and the rest of the L.I. Crew have invited us all to their sand box. This race is in the preliminary stages, but rest assure we are going to make it happen. I will post the exact dates by next week. The sites are.

Algonac, Ocean City, Mentor Ohio, St Clair, Long Island, Cambridge, and either PT Pleasant, or Atlantic City. There is one more that is going to be out of control, BUT we will keep you in suspense on this one. Yes we will continue our No fee racing, and the purses in many cases have been increased, but none less than the guaranteed 25K. We are very anxious to see how the ORL develops. We have given Brian and the ORL a no cost place to run their boats. And are looking forward to the Factory One class, being part of the show.

With the sites established, the work load over the winter is greatly reduced. Our next mission is a Contingency fund, much like what the NHRA uses. Where we will look for suppliers to support the winning teams with contingency money or parts. I already have a number of suppliers interested.

The goal is to gradually grow our series, in small steps, to maintain our integrity, and stability. You have all shown your professionalism, and it shows in the end result.

When I look back at 06, I am amazed at what we all accomplished. It was the result of the efforts, of all the teams, volunteers, and a lot of dedicated individuals. The credit goes to everyone involved in the LOVE OF THE SPORT.

We will be very busy trying to raise the bar for 2007. So enjoy the winter, spend some time with your families, and Happy Holidays to all. God Bless. Smitty