Points Drive THE SPORT

[Ron Hill]

APBA NATIONAL MEETING IS COMING...

Anyone but me think some of the point systems should be "TWEAKED" A LOT???

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

We can agree to disagree, but, tweaking the points is not going to do the sport any good when its dying of self consumption. Most racers got into the sport because it was exciting and it was a spectator sport. It has lost its spectatorship base because of a host of factors that were and still are preventable and doable. The sport now is introverted being "races for racers" now instead of racers for spectators, and that includes prospective sponsors and the media too. I think there is little to see because of the politically split factions and fractious aspects of those still racing. Racers have been lulled into keeping the same technology going years after the world has kept going on and progressing technology wise. Like it or not the "noise factor" is a real thing even here in the great brown (no snow yet) north. Out of the 8 race sites here its either noise or scandal and noise that has curtailed racing and I do mean Quincy and the like type pipes used by the older deflector technologies.

Most race sites are near some populations and those populations like being near scenic and quieter waters that happen to be our old venues. Other motor sports using newer technologies and quieter engines with tuned expansion chamber racing exhausts for example the Pro Outboard racing classes (old C-Service engines the exception) are found to be as acceptable as stock outboard racing (Mercury 20H popper is the exception), moto cross, snowmo drags, stadium cross etc., but slap on a bell system exhaust and call yourself a Modified and your all dead and without descrimination! Coupled to that the belled Modifieds kill it for everyone else too even if they run Pro or Stock as only those doing it know the difference so we are being tarred and tarring them by the same brush.

These days you say stock outboard and it invokes people seeing in their thoughts Mercury, Johnson, Evinrude, Suzuki, Yamaha, Tohatsu, Honda and the Chinese are looking at getting into the act too! But, that is not so, its pretty much engines there is virtually no known to brand association like Yamato, Hot Rod, old OMC(s) and old Merc(s) is also getting there too because they are not in the game anymore where name association does not exist and produces no proof to the bottom line through racing anymore or in cases never did to begin with.

I think there are two factors here to look at real hard. The product association of name brands and their technologies and what kind of sound racing engines give off and if that means killing off deflector technologies with their belled exhaust systems in favor of newer and almost totally prevelent Loop Technologies and the quieter Expansion Chambered or internal closed exhausts and then that decision has really been made for us and we have little choice but to go name associated brands, newer technologies taking over from the old and if that means exhaust systems then that means bells are going to have to go completely out of service in favour of internal systems or tuned length expansion chamber systems to keep everything fast and quieter. So be it! Now we have to get back the spectators too but at least they, the differing older and younger spectators and the greener and environmental stalwarts won't have to wear ear plugs to enjoy themselves with a well constructed and executed race program and event.

Ron, we are very much behind the times. I can only wonder if we can still push it and keep it in the hands of the weekend warrior of modest means who would like to indulge in a motor sport where now that is no longer possible to one degree or another. We have become remote from our beginnings through our own failures to adapt. We have to look at updating and innovations to get something back. There are no guarantees other than the collectors are the ones prospering from our sport and you can see a touch of it in the dispersal sales of the late Ron Collins collection of engines and boats. They are mainly what were as opposed to what are. Pretty ancient history are they not? but nice just the same.

[Miss BK]

John Taylor --

You hit the nail on the head, and covered just about everything that I feel could be improved to help our sport. You are right on the mark.

When I hear complaints about race sites being lost, I think back a few years when the Offshore series was getting kicked out of a lot of "manatee" areas. The organization knew they could not fight a lobby that protected something so cute. They'd surely lose the battle and appear to the world as ugly, selfish beasts at the same time.

So --- they approached the problem in a very unconventional way. They decided to be proactive instead of defensive. They INVITED the animal groups to become a part of their show, and to "help them" save turtles and manatees. They let the state know that they weren't "ugly boaters" and that they DID have hearts and wanted to race in safe waters where nothing was harmed. You could hear the applause from the Floridians all the way to Maine.

So the animal rights groups brought in their own plane and scanned the race course for turtles or manatees. If they spotted any, the race would be halted until it was safe again. Boat racing was back on track.

I thought that was a brilliant plan. I feel similar compromises can be had at other venues as well. But it does take a little sacrifice, and meeting in the middle to achieve the harmony we all want. The noise situation could be approached in a similar way, I would imagine?

Good post.