Key West 2007
 

I know there are quite a few races in between, but just wondering what to expect. Last year was a let down as far as number of boats are concerned. But, Key West was still awesome. Whos coming??

Areces Rodriguez, P.A./Pollo Tropical P3-19 expects to be in da house......:party-smiley-020:

by dissapointing, I wasnt trying to take anything away from the racers that spent thousands to go...but from someone who loves everything about boat racing.......WE NEED MORE BOATS IN KEY WEST!!

Bryan said that? I wonder when that was...he was probably right though

Awesome!! Looking forward to it.

Offshore Performance series will be there with about 7 to 8 supercats and about the same in Super cat lite.

What about the SS boats?

Most SS boats currently racing will be in KW. This will be a Worlds to remember, don't you miss it. SQ

I thought the SS boats ran with OSS, is OSS going to Key West? That would be good news if thats the case!!

Most of SS boats are running in the SBI/Apba circuit at this time.

We'll be there

BTM Marine will be there with the Pro Series Cats and will have ;your Unlimited Super Vee.

Good deal Bill,

Git'erdone:signs069:

key west or bust
 

:cool-smiley-011: team raven p4-2 radek and ed will :signs069: :D opa oss :party-smiley-020:

where's all the OPA racers ?

i would certainly hope so...otherwise it may be just as lame in KW as it was last year...or atleast thats what i was told..i was in Destin with the Boyzz

Key West, lame? Never. SQ

Not that I remember. KW is always KW !!!! It doesn't get any better. Dave

Hi Bernie, com`n now you know nothing can compare to KW, the Boyz would have prefered to be in KW. The circumstances made them go else where and that is why Smitty said that this year the boyz are back racing in KW.

lame?.....lame comment....if you weren't even there !!!!!

KW might not be lame, but a low boat count can get boring for the fans to drive all that way and watch a few boats run in each class so yes that part would be lame. But there is no party like KW!!

Does the location make a World Champion or the Competition?

Will be there....talk to some OPA guys in St.Clair....
8 teams that I know of are going to K.W.

How much is it again to sign up and run P4?

I beleive the entre fee is $650 + the registration and crew fee for 2008....

I think the entry and registration will run you $1875.00 for a P Class boat.

:eek: - Well maybe I wont race that one.

is this the old spirit of america boat?

yes it is Tague's old boat

Yep, New paint and less power... LOL

great , is a good P 4 boat, hope to see it in KW::party-smiley-020:

Is there a boat race?????????

I was just going for the Party!!!

unfortunately is all about the benjamins $$...

That's unusually pessimistic my friend. It's also about peace, love and understanding. SQ

Maybe SBI could look into how OPA pulled of the ST Clair race with the differen organizations coming in? Money is needed to pay for insurances and etc...etc.... but to get a large boat count and get the site back to how it was, maybe a little give of fees and such would entice a few more teams and santioned bodies to rallie in KW, have to give to get and that goes both ways for the teams and promoters. Would be nice to get over 50 boats down there running for it is an awesome site.

I understand a proposal has been placed on the table by OPA that would give the OPA teams a $1000 discount for coming to KW. In addition, OPA has offered to take $25k it is supposedly getting from Haggin and put that up as additional prize money for the KW P-Class races.

Primary flaw with this proposal is SBI/APBA teams would be paying the full load of fees while non-member teams would get the discount. This would not be very good for the relationship between SBI/APBA and the teams that have been loyal supporters. Those core teams are the ones that keep the organization alive through their support and participation at the races that everyone else either stays at home or goes to some other venue. Giving a non-member team a discount would be a real slap in their face. If this proposal where to be accepted, SBI/APBA would be compelled to give its member teams the same, if not more of a discount as a gesture of customer appreciation.

Furthermore, under the proposal, there would be an incentive for SBI teams to join OPA to receive the $1000 discount. This would undermine the ability of SBI/APBA to raise the funds necessary to finance the KW Worlds, and its membership base. Not a very smart move if you’re SBI/APBA.

SBI/APBA has already made a major financial concession when it opened the 2007 KW Worlds to any team that has raced two races with any organization during the current racing season. When you figure the 45 teams OPA proposes to bring to KW (their number, not mine), this alone has cost SBI/APBA $119,250 in lost membership, registration, and entry fees for the two races the teams where not required to race with SBI/APBA, as required in previous years. That's a pretty hefty concession that SBI/APBA has left on the table.

To ask the organization that is responsible for paying for the KW Worlds to give a discount to any team to race is not realistic. By the time all the discounts are figured in (to both non-member and member teams), the fees needed to cover the cost of the putting on the event would have to be raised to a level that would negate any discounts. Since the fees have already been set and publicly posted, that would be almost impossible to do.

This doesn't mean the issue is dead. We all know that if you really want to do something...there is always a way to skin the cat.

From talking to others who are aware of the current OPA proposal and understand the reasons it just won’t fly in its present form, the consensus is that it would be more feasible for OPA to take the $25k it is supposedly getting from Haggin and apply that to the 2008 OPA registration and membership fees of the teams that go to KW. That $25k would cover the OPA equipment registration fees of 50 teams. If 50 OPA teams do not go to KW, the balance could be pro-rated toward the 2008 OPA membership fees of the teams that raced in KW.

This scenario has a lot of pluses; e.g. it would further Haggin's "United We Race" philosophy by getting more teams racing together; benefit OPA since the organization would be getting the up-front registration fees it needs to cover expenses during the off season; gives each of the OPA teams that race in KW a financial reward for participating in the races (spreads that $25k out among all the OPA teams, not just the podium finishers)...and the list goes on.

This is not the only scenario that could work, there are probably others. However, if you take the aforementioned scenario and carry it forward, it is pretty clear that this could be a first step to something much bigger. If OPA where to keep the 25k it has already offered and apply it to 2008 OPA registration and membership fees; those members who race in the 2007 KW Worlds would also be SBI/APBA members. With the majority of the OPA teams already APBA members through SBI and their participation in the KW Worlds, it would open the door for OPA and SBI/APBA to work out an agreement for OPA and SBI/APBA to unite under the APBA banner.

If OPA where to become, let’s say…OPA/APBA under the SBI/APBA agreement, the racers would reach a monumental milestone towards the dream of unity in Offshore. The infrastructure is already in place for racing clubs and organizations to become members of APBA through the Divisional program. The precedence has already been set. There have already been autonomous APBA Offshore organizations that have previously held club, APBA Divisional events, and hosted APBA National events. The club and Divisional races where held with the member organization’s own officials, rules, inspections…and they even had regional TV. There is no reason this can not happen again…and we are on the threshold…all it takes is a little imagination…finding that win-win scenario…a willingness to cooperate...and the racer’s support to make it happen

Yes, I believe we are very close to something that we all would like to see...more teams racing in KW…and Offshore unity. The proposal on the table is a first attempt that will not work, but that doesn’t mean we should give up and say it can’t be done.

What is it Smitty says….’you never know”

of course its about that...but saying its NOT about the benjamins would be more optimistic...:chill-pill:

good post Ken, i just hope something can be worked out to make it happen.

Ditto!!!!

Well put Ken...

any updates