Gino ,, ithink thats a greate idea. Makes sence to me.

Mike ,,,what do you mean by moving over to OPA.

1st. i whant to run OPA ,SBI and maybe OSS. to get my Sponsors out there and have FUN.

2nd. i dont care who i run against,,,,,,the only person i am after is JIM and his Phantom. LOL

You know i think it would be nice after my first year to win all 3 nationals if they do not interfear !!!!:drink:

You know ,,this year i had so much truoble with my motor and still made a full season out of my pocket with NO income.
So i figured in 09 i will make all the races i can with no engine trouble and get paid from some sponsors. (still NO income),,
more fun ,more titles,more pricemoney,and less to spend.

Sounds like a pretty good plan i got there. LOL:grinser010::evilb:

I thought i make it happen (atleast for me) ,,united we (i) race ?
Thats what everybody taked about in the 08 season but only very few came down to KW,then the blame went to ,,,econemy ,,,no time ,,,,and so on.
Well it aint gonna get better untill we make it better ,so here i go.
No $$$$ anyway, so doesent matter where i go to have fun ,,Hell i only live once !!!!
Nothing is imposible if you whant to ,,,just need to try hard enuff.
SOOOO lets do it.

C-YA !!!

Whats your cost to do a OPA race? Providing you have no equipment cost (brakeage).
Travel $200 fuel
Hotel $250 2 nites
Entry $0000000000000000000000000
Food and ent. $400
Misc. $200
Total $1050 for a weekend cant beat it!

Then again I run a stock Merc. 525 and XR that needs no maintainance. :evilb::evilb:
MD

You forgot, racefuel 500-600 Bucks a race.
From FL up north 1500-1800 Gas.
Beeing a crazy German ,,,,,,PRICELESS ! LOL:evilb:

Rather than pay tow money to a team that might only show up for 1 or 2 races, how about a system that rewards the teams that make all or most of the races. You could
pay out year end prize purse based on points. This way we reward the core teams of the series. To help as well, pay
prize money farther down the finishing order at each race and
lower registration fee for teams that race 2 or less races.
You could put the fund together by lowering the existing prize amounts as previously suggested

This way we help the occasional racers as well as the full season guys.

Just adding to the ideas.

It is a great thing when we are all looking to improve what we have not fix something we think is broken....Thanks OPA!

How about starting with the team that has the most sites raced and the most distance traveled for the year.

Gino, I like your travel plan maybe a little fine tuning,but on a whole looks like it would work. Just my 2 cents, for the Crazy Chicken team, the help in the way of travel $ would make a big change on the amount of races run with OPA. Randy, your also on track big HP dose not mean a win? look at our Itty-bitty 500efi it's got 103 hours on the clock and will still get most teams attention. Duration and combination spells a win !!! We tried to race p4 but really hard to beat a twin engine boat out of a turn. 82 felt like you are really racing, not trying to stir the pot,an 80mph single engine run what you brung sounds pretty cool !!!! MAN-UP WE DID !!!! ALL EARS???

Actually....you can do it a lot cheaper pending your life style...and working on things...
In the last 2 years Smitty has let me store my boat there for a number of races...and with 3 races within 125 to 150 miles from his shop that will help on a lot of traveling..
Hotels....its really depends on you taste...you can find some hotels for under 70 bucks....and at some sites even cheaper...
Food...again...its what your taste is....if you are really on a budget you can go the weekend with $75...
Misc. just don't go to the strip clubs....
Total: If you are really crunched on a budget...and yes this is not counting maintance..you could do a race weeked for around $650 - $700.....and if you recieve $350 for attandance you can possible walk away with spending $300 to 400 for a race weekend....now compare that to your $1050 est. for a race weekend....thats aprox. $650 a race less...and in just one race weekend the team will now be able to afford to do another race....

The reason I posted on this is becasue there was a very small % of teams last year that attended all of OPA's races....and we are all talking about we need to grow...well its a lot easier to find a way to get a current race team who is doing 4 to 5 races to get them to do another 3 then to go out and find a whole new team to run a full race season...and it really dose not make a lot of sence to see a team that only runs the Gieco Tripple Crown because of the possiblity to win $11k or a team that only dose 2 races becasue they know they can win both and pick up $4400, and a team that runs the whole OPA series and gets nothing even though they have put in more time and money and support OPA for the whole year....

The reason I'm posting what can be done...is to get other guys who are thinking about coming out to race..but have only heard of the nightmares of the costs....and trying to find a way to get the other teams that can only afford to do 4 or 5 races to get to run the whole season....

Now look at what a team who races all 8 races with OPA and dose not place all year....what dose he get? ZERO
Vice looking at changing the payout a little in the same outcome they could recieve $3200 and still not place all year....now today..if we approached any of these teams that did not recieve any prize money and gave them $3200....In which senerio would that race owner have a better attitude about keep on racing...

Agian....are we only looking at what the highest possible payout a team can make...or are we really trying to get ever possible race team to every race...BOAT COUNT...

I think that some of the Garvey guys get travel expenses for each team and no purse for winning.

Al,
I agree with your point regarding trying to run a single engine inboard vee against a twin engine inboard vee in Class 4.The difference in the capabilities of the singles and twins is also compounded by the varying water condtions.This is why the OPA classes were re- structured after the 2005 season.The result was a mostly single engine inboard/twin outboard open cockpit vee class(Class 5)...and an entry level small boat single inboard open cockpit vee(other than the bat boats) class(Class 6).Class 5 is strong;and Class 6 is growing.

If there is a class in OPA that could use some tweaking..it is the current Class 4 with its varying hull and engine combinations.Are there enough boats out there to create another class?...to 80mph/32ft single inboard canopied or open cockpit vees.Maybe the speed could be higher..keep it at 85mph?This could provide a place for the current SVL's,former canopied A's and the single engine open cockpit vees who want to race at faster speeds.I think think that the rules for Class 5 should remain as is;except single engine only...twin engines grandfathered.
I actually think that this could also improve competition for the twin vee engine 85mph vees as well;particularly at the calm water races,keeping them seperate from the single engine vee lights.
I realize we dont want to add another class;but the growth potential is in the single engine vee classes for obvious reasons.
Just a thought.

Just a thought on tow money.

The APBA Valleyfield Canada race based their tow money on miles towed. If this helps at all... ?