I'm sorry I have to say it

[Mike Fjeld]

I read the OPC prop article and I can't believe that the Chairman would say something so destructive. Right now I want to rant like a madman, but I won't.

Check this out

http://forums.screamandfly.com/forums/showthread.php?t=72524

[Danny McManus]

It will be O.K. , Mike. Go ahead and "rant"... I'll start with this, many very
highly credentialed and well intentioned leaders discuss methods of recruiting
new participants to our sport. These same people then find it difficult to embrace the very people who join our sport.New APBA racers are often
met by overworked and underappreciated volunteer race site workers. Simple
situations such as, "first come, first served parking" only to have to relocate
their tents when the "stars" show up. Constant schedule changes resulting
in a day and a half of waiting that leads to a shortened number of laps on the
water.Some circumstances lead to new drivers with substantial expenses and
travel time being left to make the long ride home feeling like the proverbial
"red-headed step child". It only takes a few uninformed comments from people
in respected leadership positions to cause these new recruits to wonder why
they bothered to join our sport if they are so unwelcome after all their effort...:confused:

[Mike Fjeld]

I get up to the Nationals a day and 1/2 early to get a good spot and Max Toller comes in a day late and Mike W tells me I have to move. FKN BS

And there is many more stories

[Danny McManus]

I have noticed that many outboard racers at the "top of their game" have been
quick to help the previously mentioned new racers, while the backmarkers and
wannabes are quick to insult the new arrivals, or am I imagineing this??

[Mike Fjeld]

Yep, Lets see here-- I've had Carlos Kuri ( spelling not sure) Jason Cambell, Pete Nydal and Chris Fairchild help me on the dock because I didn't have enough help. It has always impressed me that the drivers at the top are always willing to help with the SS class, but we get so much disrespect from so many other drivers. I can't tell how much it has ment to me when ---for instance--I'm lining up at the dock at the St. Louis Grand Prix and I look in the mirror and see one of these great drivers holding MY BOAT. WOW and the next thing you know they are on my radio telling me what to do. WOW
I get a call from Bill Seebold--- hey Mike , could you come to St Louis early and show the media people how to drive your boat--- what am I going to say ---No problem Mr Seebold-- When should I be there.
My point is that at the very top we have so much support but no respect in the lower ranks.
Hell, I love this class and I just want to race

[Mark75H]

Mike, you should have included a link to the comment or quoted the comment directly in your first post, I bet most people have no idea what you are talking about. Here it is ... directly from the article in Jan 07 Propeller:

Super Sport, as such, has also failed. Yep, I said it out loud. I would like to propose we up the power limit to 200 HP (EPA 2006 compliant only). That could put some more fun in driving Super Sport, perk the drivers up and get the crowd on their feet. Let’s try it.

He is only talking about numbers, and if the numbers don't support a class, that's all there is .... his comment is only a statement of fact, followed by his suggestion to remedy the situation; Mr. W may not be my favorite person in the world, but I do not see his comment as "destructive", though perhaps he should have used the words "the participation numbers in SS have been disappointing this year"

Here's the link to the whole article APBA Propeller Jan 07 OPC (http://www.apba-racing.com/apps/propeller/index.php?Article=Outboard+Performance+Craft+)

On the other hand, I do agree, treating some drivers as "stars" and others as second class is just wrong and should not happen. Find someone else to vote for next time and use that as the issue between the 2 candidates.

[Howie Nichols]

Mike & Danny,
And anyone else, what are some suggestions to get the SS class alive and kicking again? I know Danny has several boats in the yard what do we need besides drivers to build the class back to the way it was in 01? Let me know before LA and I can take your suggestions to the meeting before any changes are made.

Howie

apba113@aol.com

[Ron Hill]

1. Opening Super Sport to ANY V-6. 2. AND, establish an 80 MPH speed limit.

3. Re Name it Nostalgia Sport

4. Allow capsuled and NON CAPSULED BOATS TO COMPETE.

Might surprise everyone at how much fun this would be....

It becomes a RUN WHAT YOU BRUNG CLASS!!!!!

[Miss BK]

4. Allow capsuled and NON CAPSULED BOATS TO COMPETE.



Why did we start using capsules in the first place?

Oh yeah, I remember..It's because these boats (Mod-VP) tended to spin out in corners - even at 60mph - causing trailing boats to land on them - which was not good a thing for the driver pinned underneath. Yes, I remember this so very clearly! I also remember all the hospital visits while they recovered...such as the time my friend Keith Yunger had to have 8 inches of Mod-VP plexiglass extracted from his rump! Once a J-Stock racer, after that, he didn't want to race boats anymore. Next time I saw him he was still using a CANE to walk! I can count dozens of people with similar stories and lingering injuries that you don't see at the races anymore.

So why are we even talking about NON Capsuled boats?? As mentioned here a dozen times - Hosptial bills are WAYYY more expensive than a gosh darned, life-saving, impact-resistant reinforced cockpit! And how about the rehab these guys have to endure? Reduce the chance of major injuries by 99% by using a capsule!~ Now there's one heck of a recruitment tool!

IMO, forgetting the past - which was improved upon to prevent those things from happening so we wouldn't see so many people QUIT boat racing forever - is not the way to attract new people. Those days left too many people hurt... or worse. I would be so sad to see us go backwards on safety. :(

Ok. I feel better now. Just had to let off a little steam with my safety rant. Sorry all.

Continue with the discussion...

[Miss BK]

Now, about SuperSport.

The racing with SuperSports was just as exciting as any of the other classes. But it was strange hearing nothing after they left the dock... and I heard several people complain about the silence....so....Make some noise!

When I watched a SuperCross stadium race with SUPER QUIET four stroke motorcycles, I realized what SuperSport needed. MUSIC! At SuperCross shows, the music is LOUD and hard and up-tempo - like a pumping heart beat, with an announcer yelling over the music. Nobody even notices that we can't hear any engine noise.

Some of the BEST boat races I've been to had FANTASTIC sound systems with good rock and roll playing during the racing. Just an idea!

Val

[Ron Hill]

Two or three things seem to be happening in Nostalgia Racing, maybe because we have discussed GENTLEMEN RACERS or maybe becasue we had red zones at Parker, or maybe INBOARD RULES of LANES......But Nostalgia Flat Bottom and Nostalgia Endurance have very few capsules, have had about ten boats a heat for three-four years now....And basically, been without a problem...One boat at Long Beach, two years ago, turned on the 45 course and got hit....A CAPSULED GN got a hole knocked in the side at Parker.

I didn't SAY NO CAPUSLES, if you want one, use it....For The Blue Water Resort and Casino 300, patrolling the big course wasn't possible, we felt....So, for that race, no capsules are allowed...

We are running Super Stocks, Pro Stock, Cracker Boxes and K's without capsules, right now, NATIONWIDE.....All these classes go faster than 80....

Right now, an OUTBOARD is LEGAL as a Nostalgia Endurance. I was thinking that LOCAL OPC CLUBS that need MONEY.....could establish a class that someone might want to race.....John E. Lane bought a Sleek Craft MOD VP for next season, after racing Nostalgia Thanksgiving.....I ran John Roth's Stoker...Roth may run his Stoker himself, as he co-drove with John at THE BLUE WATER RESORT AND CASINO 300 LAST OCTOBER. Ernie Dawee and I just got back from driving to Knoxville, TN to pick up a V-Hull for Nostalgia Endurance.... So, outboards will be and have been running without capsules...Dangerous, yes, but not THAT DANGEROUS....A "C" Stock hydro runs almost 70, on your knees with 10 foot long boats....A Super Sport is a 100 MPH MOD VP boat going about 80, right now, with more power and a speed limit, they'd be safer...


Not everyone wants to go 120 and not everyone wants to be strapped in a capsule....We had 25 MOD VP's at Havasu, 1981, four hours of racing....no injuries...I finished 3rd at 84 MPH...Within thre years, we were running 100.............................

[Mike Fjeld]

Thanks for your input Mark. I should have been more informative and clear. Mike W should have talked with Danny M before making such a statment. Danny has a new group of drivers for this year and from what I understand very excited. ( new membership for apba ) One of them was going to drive my boat, but now I have different plans. I want to race my boat out west so people can see what it is about out here.
Mike W wants to change the engines to merc 200 -- Why??? so merc can have anothe all merc class-- not going to happen. There are about 10 SS boats out there right now that have spent from 8 to 12K on the engines they have now--who's going to pay for these 15k mercs, not the drivers. This class was designed for 2006 and the problems that would exsit. In OPC the ONLY classes that you can buy NEW engines for is Champ and SuperSport. This was the plan from the beginning. People like Charlie Strang, Stan Fitts, Ron Hill and Jeff Titus had MAJOR input to this class for the future of boat racing. There will be no changes in SuperSport, I'll bet on it!! Changes have killed classes in the past, like mod- vp. Danny has talks with the top of APBA regularly and like I said there will be NO changes for SuperSport. By the way, I heard rumors that there some good sponsoships that are looking at SS right now.
Mike W should have asked someone what was going on, he did not and put BS to print

Mike Fjeld

[Mike Fjeld]

By the way

Capsules are not mandetory in SS. If you don't have a capsule then you have a roll bar cage

[Miss BK]

Wow Mike! I didn't know all that good news was going on. That's great! Let me know what you guys get planned for this year!

Take care!

Val

[Mike Fjeld]

here's another good one

SuperSport wasn't allowed to go to the Orange Cup in Florida because our boats were to "big" LOL were about the same as a 120 and it was ok for them.
I remember we were all talking that we would go and enter as mod-u, which we are legal for, but we didn't

[Mike Fjeld]

Val, so much thanks for everything. You have always been behind us and what we are trying to do.
Please say HI to Brad and the family

[Mike Fjeld]

Everytime I watch that video I want to go racin

The 2nd one with the music Danny M Was the PRODUCER and did a really good job --Don't you think?

[jphii1]

I need to keep up on what's going to happen in SS. It sounds like a lot of fun. I'd give it a shot if I could come up with a motor.

[Danny McManus]

Hey Joe,or anybody interested,
Please call me at the marina #352-357-2411 days or at #352-343-0517 home
evenings 'till 11:00 .... Promotional engine assignments are available from
most of the Super-Sport engine manufacturers. Thanks:D :D

[jphii1]

Hey Danny, I'll give you a call as soon as I get a chance. I'd like to do Palatka at the end of February if I can swing it.

[afr]

i know some of you guys dont think much of me
but here it goes anyways
i would and can build these capsules as im about to build one for my boat
as i see it no way im going to race without it my family dont need the stress
and they will have the proper apab and umi testing etc
and i am willing to do it all for time and material cost plus a sponsor sticker on all boats and trailers etc im sure i can bring these prices way down for saftey
i am the manufacture of a similar type hans device as well but nascar is in bed with hans so they would not aprove my device even if it passed delphi,s testing
so i shelfed the project my device saw and passed with over 150 g test
but you still would be hurt if you saw those kind of numbers no matter what device you had on it only takes a sudden stop of 5 g to get a concusion
i dont know if this would work for you but i thought i would just let you all know you do have options there are companies out there you can work with to better the sport
im a little gun shy about posting with my heart as they tossed me for talking to much on the hdr site or what ever reason i dont know
i say its there loss
i dont watch tv so im on here almost every night
and please dont judge me with out knowing me first i am contacting the test faclity soon as for the numbers on the capsule and will not build one with less than 4000 i think the max number is now they want
well there it is its on the table it up to you guys now
i enjoy this site and dont want to get tossed fom here too
but saftey is so important for everyone family and racers

[spn#43]

i
i am the manufacture of a similar type hans device as well but nascar is in bed with hans so they would not aprove my device even if it passed delphi,s testing

Can you please send me some info on your Hans device.
page@f1racer.com

[Miss BK]

Is your device anything like the D-Cel?

http://www.hutchensdevice.com/instructions/images/D-Cel3.gif



Here's more info (http://www.hutchensdevice.com/instructions/dcel-instructions.html)

[afr]

no but works just the same closer to football shoulder pads
this project has been shelfed and is only for my use
i like it better so i maid it custom fit just for me