wil ros

I agree with just browsing,make the teams earn the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP.The present format luck is a BIG part of the race.Just my thoughts.

audacity

the idea in p class is show up and run what you got...see if you like it,,,get some seat time, and buy a race boat. you have everything from small cats to a huge v in the same class.

"Entry level is in one's ability not in the equipment".....i think entry level is defined by the organization. if they say it is...it is. just look at bacardi,,,,THE bad ass boat at the APBA events!...F1's get WAY MORE media coverage and they should!

AugiePensa

Hey BH,how is everything? Just a FAST note,The Jersey Boyz were told WE could not race in Key West as WE didn't run any APBA throughout the year which we understood but were disappointed, then when we arrived in Key West and went to the APBA Trailer to discuss the upcoming year everyone there was asking where our boats were so there was a little lack of communication there.What APBA meant was WE could race but not for a flag and that would have been fine with myself , Eddie Smith of WAZZUP and Bruce of Simply Awesome as well as the rest of the crew that didn't show up because they were told they couldn't race, but we will be there this year GOD willing and the engines hold up. We'll see you in Daytona and good luck on your upcoming season. Regards Augie.

mrv8outboard

i don't think you can use the combined divisional and national points to tabulate national champion because not all divisions have races.

if you want to stay close to home and or race just two races just to qualify wouldn't be fair . maybe make the winner at tampa's race "NORTH AMERICAN OUTLAW CHAMPION" which is similar to what they are doing for the bahama's race. but the highest national points is the national champion.

the next topic would be the worlds, to qualify for that you should have to do more than for the nationals. either one more race (meaning three) or the top in your division.

teams need to be rewarded for there participation as well. putting more boats into each race site p-class or pro is only going to help the show for the fans. that means participation is the key.

just some of my thoughts...... fyi

wil ros

Well said,MRV8.

THEJOKER

MRV you are correct - I give you the vote - BH

Agitator

If you can afford it then move up! If you want to run for a national championship, then buy a boat that has a national circuit. I know a guy who has 5 world championships in the larger classes but last year he raced in P class for fun.(?) Bottom line is there are to many classes already. My.01 cents, recession you know.

mrv8outboard

to a point i agree. but to have your equipment moved out of a
certin class , or removing a class is not one pesons fault. as for too many classes , you could get rid of p-classes and have no racing on saturday,give more money to the big guy's. but two days of racing has worked out good for the fans and the sport. the more boat at a venue the bigger and better the show. now of we look at the total number of registered equipment in a perticular class you will find larger numbers in the smaller classes.
just because some one has deeper pockets than the next guy doesn't mean you can't run for national points if you put the time and effort in just like every one else. if you ran a national class , attented every event , showed up at the national championships with the most points , got second place behind a boat that raced only two races in his back yard you wouldn't think that was unfair ? so a that point were is the incentive to move up let alone go to more than two races a season ?

the year we won the world,national,and the northeast championships was because we were at every race , finished , and in the top three. hard work, but nothing good comes easy.

more on this later.

Gordo

After getting somewhat flamed previously in this thread, You'd think I would be smart enough to stay out of it,
but I've never been accused of being that smart.
There are some great points listed here, and a good arguement could be made on both sides.
While I don't think the P classes should be considered pro classes, I certainly don't consider P-class teams "rookies or old timers". My point is, remember that "P" class originally started as "Local" class. A class where any boat that met the safety requirements could race and have a fair chance at a win. This class was supposed to be a feeder class for people to race a few races and get some experience in racing conditions before jumping into a larger class. Or a chance for a local guy to be part of the big show and try an offshore race just for fun. With boats like a full dress 38 Top Gun, a 140mph Outer Limits, and a 200mph Skater, and some of the best racing of the year in P-4 and P-5, P class has become one hell of a show. It's obvious to see how much this class have grown with racers and fans alike. Still, while there are some really serious race teams competiting in the P classes, we still have to remember that last year, by popular demand, entry fees were reduced drastically so they would be more affordable for the "small teams" that wanted to get a start. And even though P class does not compete for prize money, they still got some great TV time last year.
Bottom line is, At a time when everybody wants APBA to streamline, and have fewer pro classes, you guys want to turn P class into Pro Series Bracket racing. Cool. I have no problem with that. Just remember that this will probably mean much higher entry fees and other added expenses. Are you sure you want to do that?

THEJOKER

Gordo - ya know me and you see eye to eye on most of this racing stuff. I here ya running P-4 in the Corsa. Now that should be fun - damn you went from a professional class to a entry level class - hahahahaha - I had to say that - kidding bro - BH