BRUCE SEROFF

Mike A ...Thanks for the response. No personal attacks intended. Just curiosity.

I would like to see positive changes just as much as everyone else on here.

Can I do any better? I doubt it. I can only offer ideas.

F1-00 Racing

iTrader: (1)

I agree totally but I have been told directly by the home office that they are producers, there are groups in each city that are the promotors. ie Kevin Brown(Sarasota), the McCann brothers(Morehead City), city of Deerfield(Deerfield Beach)
When I called to find out the vending fee, I was instructed that it varies from site to site depending on the promotors. I would like to have the privledge of calling one person that has a spread sheet of those costs instead of having to make 15 calls.

I would also like to have only one promotor in order to establish a stability for us and like your said, difuse the "surprises" What I am trying to propose is since this is the case as it stands, we need someone to create and maintain that consistancy based off of a template that the racers and the producer create. Will it work, I dunno.

Trent

louietherigger

Hey T,
I read a lot of posts and what I get from yours are that you have been around the block and are a smart cookie, sometimes too smart. I would like the opportunity to critic your list of rules, but before that I wouldlike to get something off my chest. I am sick and tired of hearing the OPA and us bracket racers if you will, being refered to as beginers or 2nd class citizens, we race in any water and take on all comers, we love our fans and they love us! okay thats out of the way.

Okay answer too #
1) BS its hard enough keeping the boat count up as it is, not everyone can afford to run SV or SC or factory for that matter.
2)I agree 100% but see rule #1
3)You can build a 500hp motor and drive package for 1/2 of what the spec motors cost, so who does this really benefit? As far as levelized performance, A Fountain w/ 525's at this time has 2 equals, the rest don't have a prayer.
4)They also recognize racers that let there kids take a picture on the boat, custom cars and bikes, and racers who smile and dont walk around like they fart perfume.
5)Bingo!
6)True as long as the prices and availability are the same for every racer with out any preferential treatment.
7)Indeed but we need the players don't we?
8)And deserve it.
9)True to a point, key word being demand.
10)True, but what I've seen is stadium style racing packs a larger crowd possibly enticing TV to take a look.
11)BS like boxing, just show the so called Heavywieghts. Uh where is boxing now? Show the most exciting battles and snippits of the whole race. How will the developmentally challenged classes attract sponsors if they never get airtime! Showing everyone is seeding the future, and like you said the fans don't know whose who ,Vee's or Cats.
12)Patchogue,OPA
13)You are 1000% right except I like to be happy, not the other 2.
14)I still try

I think we are all on here because we love the same thing, If we don't learn from the past, we will surely repeat it, good and bad.
Keep Racing,
Louie

SHARKEY-IMAGES

National/World Sanctioning : WPPA

NE Div. - Midwest Div - West Div - Southern Div - Overseas Div

OPA - OSS - POPRA - SBI/APBA - Class 1

Press Release Link on WPPA




APBA used to have all Divisional and National events.

Perhaps if all organizations worked under the WPPA Banner as did all of the local clubs back in the day of APBA, it could get back to 1 National/World Sanctioning body?


Just a thought.......

Phantom1

If I remember correctly, "Mother M" owed the LLC a substantial amount in the end as well....................

Gordo

Hey Robbie! Glad to see your input.
I don't disagree with you that fans, (and us racers) love to see boats doing 170+ down the wall coming into the harbor. But it's hard to have the concept of that speed on TV. Also, while 90mph may seem slow compared to what many high end boaters are used to, it is still flat screaming across the water in an open cockpit Factory 2 boat. Remember just 5 or 6 years ago when Factory 1&2 was the most talked about classes on this very website. I agree with you inthat anyone with the $ can buy a pleasureboat easily capable of 130 and more. There is also a ZO6 Vette in a neighbors garage that can probably smoke some of the pure race SCCA cars on the right course. I guess my point is, speed is relative. But remember, we want to sell this show to as large of an audience as possible, including a buttload of folks that own the average weekend open bow. I used that particular speed spread because people really connected with the factory boats since that is what they see on most of the lakes, coves and shores around the nation. I also agree with Rich in that at some point (speed), an open cockpit boat is more dangerous than acceptable. (Please, Let's save that debate for another thread).
I'm not insinuating that Factory 2 should be the premier class. Not by a long shot. But what normal weekend lakeboater or shore runner would know the difference if Super V is running 114mph or 140? And can the average fan really tell the difference if a SuperCat is doing 120 as opposed 145?
On a side note, Rich and Mike chewin olive branches... I'm thinking this single thread could be a huge leap towards shaping a successful future of our sport.

phragle

iTrader: (3)

being an average guy..it doesnt matter if the boats go 90 or 200, as long as it looks fast, what looks fast to the average guy watching tv?? big roostertails..big splashes, big air, big noise..the average guy has a "monster truck " mentality..it needs to be exciting. to the average tv viewer watching a big cat doing 180, floating along nice level and in control is BORING!! that same cat in big water doin 95 8 feet in the air half sideways..thats exciting. since Im trying to work my way into doing rescue at races, I can honestly say I pray no one stuffs it, rolls it, gets ejected etc.. I would much rather watch the race than fix someone. but in the mind of joe tv viewer...when he is watching nascar and the cars are going round and round single file, he gets up makes a sandwhich and grabs a beer..but when he hears tires squeal on tv, he drops the sandwhich, spills the beer and dives over the couch to see the wreck. we dont need to wreck boats..we dont need to kill people, we need good even classes where several boats are banging it out head to head racing hard, and that will get the guy leaning foreward off the couch glued to the tv screaming for the "red boat" to kick the yellow boats ass..then you cut to the onboard camera to see the driver and throttleman bouncing around like rag dolls screaming at each other to go faster!!! the yellow boat passes the red boat at the finish by inches...pulls up to the dock, tv camera in his face he throws his helmet in the air and does a backflip off the boat into the water..joe tv viewer sits back on the couch, takes a drink from his beer and thinks " damn that was cool" as he daydreams about being the back flip guy as the viagra commercial plays in the background.. when you get guys all across the country to sit in front of there tv's and do that, you will have a good second tier motorsport, you will get bigger sponsors and the money will come in.. if you dont, the second its gets boring joe tv is changing the channel..shows over, grave diggers doing donutes on channel 13

FunHome

Good point. As much as I love to watch boat racing, even I get bored watching the same camera angle from a Helicopter all the time, you don't get the sense of speed. You need to have multipul cameras set up around the course (in the helicopter, in the corners, from boats, shore, etc.)

Oh, and when I say in the corners I mean a waterproof camera on the turn bouy, so you see the boats zip by and see the spray and everything. And let the sound of the motors be heard!!!! That is the coolest part!!!

Gordo

Phragle,
Great post. He11, you had me on the edge of my seat just reading a good race and finish!

Louie, I agree with a lot of your points. However, in regards to #3, It's a lot easier to control cheating with a spec motor than havine everyone build their own motors. While I agree most folks can build 500hp much cheaper than some spec motors, there will also be some that will spend WAY more on a supermotor by a top end builder than what they might spend on a spec motor. In other words, spec motors keep everyone equal regardless of bankroll. (hopefully).
All that being said, a spec motor doesn't have to be blue, (read- expensive)
I'll be the FIRST to look at spec motor built by someone other than MR.

louietherigger

Hey Gordo,
You are right, in theory it is easier to control the cheating, but it still can be done if the engine supplier has a vested interest in any one team. In our class which is class 2 or P-2 we race a 35' Fountain Supervee 525's that came with it and it will run 105 in water up to 3' maybe 4'. Put the same power in a Cigarette Supervee (please don't take this as a snipe at Cig. my friends who race them will attest to this) and they are not going to run this fast. Put bigger power in them and we are more competitive. The same goes for a few other manufacturers whose hulls are on the heavy side. The prop calculations keep it pretty level out there, but the sea conditions can give a vee an edge over a cat or vice versa. As usual I'll make a long story longer, Horse power alone does not keep the playing field level some hulls are faster then others and on any given day one of us can win. Now all we have to do is get the Perfomance Classes lined up speed wise so we can all compete at the Worlds!!
Louie
PS please don't take this as a beef I have with Mercury, the 525's are the best motors we have ever run by far. I just think to keep people racing they should have a choice in what motors they can run, competition keeps the prices competitive.