Kankakee OPC NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS Never again!!!!!

[Ron Hill]

We went to Bakersfiled. We showed up Saturday morning, we raced all day...We showed up Sunday morning, we raced all day...I never lifted a hand to help anyone that was putting on the race.

We paid $250 entry fee to run a Formula Light and we may have paid $50 more to run 45SS....

Turst me...the best race of the weekend was Formula Light.....But ask Rudy Raymos what the best race was...Or ask Gery Lewis....The best race is the one you care about...Ask Mark Conavay...Body Palace..Outdoor Network...Cracker Box.....was the best race...

Holly Cow...some of the best boat racing I've seen in 20 years were this weekend........Spectators had free admission....All 50 enjoyed the race...

I may have not liked how all the raced went...or the schedule or the.......but I didn't do anything but race...We didn't expect prize money or trophies...we went to RACE...

Because you spend $35,000 on a Cracker Box or A Pro Comp Motor or an S3000.....You can't say, "OK, I won't race unless I get $20,000." Money comes from sponsors and a big time show....and paying spectators...

Truth is: We aren't what people pay to see...

I don't care how Kankakee paid or when they paid...for 40 years they have put on a QUALITY RACE....From 1956 until 1977 I raced at almost every Stock Nationals......The only money I ever got was from Champion Spark Plugs for winning $100)....But those 20 years were the best years of my race career.......

See, we went to boat races to win...Like George C. Scott (Patton) said to the Russian...I'll drink to one SOB to another....I raced to beat all those SOB's...Harry Bartolomei taught me that in 1967.....

I had won the first heat of A Hydro in Valleyfield, won $100 Canadian dollars...I won the first heat of the John Ward Trophy Race and a $1,000 Canadian...I wanted to race the second heat of A Hydro...Harry, my sponsor, said, "REST." I said Harry, "They pay $100 to win..." Harry reached into his pocket, pulled out 2 one hundred dollar bills and said, "SIT DOWN"....Right then and there I realized I didn't race for the more..I raced to WIN..To beat all those "OTHER" Guys...

When prize money came in, people started thinking the sport owned them something....If we don't have paying fans, and you work for a living, then you aren't a PROFESSIONAL...I know no professional Boat Racers....

We're ALL HOBBISTS!!!!

[mercguy]

Anything I say on remark like that it would be ugly, so I just won’t say a thing.

I did not mean it to come out sounding that bad!!

[Miss BK]

I loved to race too. I raced solely for the love of the sport.

But the only people who can actually say that are the people who have already raced.

So where does that leave potential racers? Those who have never raced? That's not much of an incentive for them to join us. That is evident all across the country.

I remember loving the "family" atmosphere of boat racing. But what about the "outsiders"? I actually saw someone on Hydroracer call another racer an "outsider" simply because he didn't know that the guys who were harrassing each other on a particular thread were actually relatives and just giving each other a hard time. When I saw this guy being called an "outsider", I thought "is that really how we want to sell our sport?" As a tight-knit clique where we call those who don't already know us as "outsiders"?

Right now, other than the big series, that's about all we have to sell -- friendliness and fun. But it shouldn't be reserved for only those who "are part of us" already or we can kiss this sport goodbye.

Even BINGO draws big crowds. That 'sport' is just a hobby too, but there is incentive to buy a card. If you are creative enough, any "hobby" can include a payoff. All you have to do is offer something they can't get anywhere else and convince them they "CAN'T MISS THIS EVENT!"

Getting the "NATIONAL" title is a big payoff, IMO. I went there in 1988 and took second place. My check was $34.00. I spent $200 just to have my boat towed from Arizona to Illinois. I also bought a flight from LA to Chicago and had about 5 days in a hotel room. Total cost was well over $1,000. And then my checked BOUNCED!! LOL!!!!! No kidding!!!

BUT....I got SECOND PLACE at the NATIONALS! Might not mean much to other people, but it sure meant a lot to me - nobody can ever take that away. (And I've got the plaque to prove it too )

Back then there were no local sponsor opportunities. Now that I think about it, I can't understand why that tool wasn't being used back then. But maybe nobody had a thought of it? That's is exactly our problem. Marketing and Promotions has always been our major weakness. We rarely ever try to "Sell" ourselves. Other "hobbies" have taken advantage of this tool for years, but we're only just starting to take notice and are using more creative approaches. It's gotten to the point now where we HAVE to start getting creative, or we won't be around much longer.

Just because this is our "hobby" does not mean we can't create something saleable and put on a good show that people WILL pay to see or sponsor. We just have to think "outside the box" and not just do things because that's they way they've always been done.

What can "draw" both crowds and racers - and sponsors too?

Crowds want: Comfort and constant action. They want to know what's going on. (PA and good announcer and a souvenir program). They want to know WHO the drivers are. Who is the favorite? Who is local? And definitely NO dead time - that creates boredom.

Drivers want: A fair shot. Even competition. Smooth program with qualified, dependable officials (perhaps even paid to prevent volunteer burnout). Prestige and recognition (local TV? Newspaper? Awards banquet? Special Driver's Party?). And certainly a valuable prize (monetary or donated item) for the winning teams.

Increase both Crowds and Drivers and you'll have more opportunity for getting quality sponsors and money.



Every club that is looking for more success should ask themselves, Does my race provide most of these things? If not, what can we do to improve?

[Ron Hill]

What MANY OVER LOOK, is that boat racing has tried to attract new members with the "PROMISE" of "FAME AND FORTUNE"....

I've frequently told peopl that the way to end up with a small fortune in boat racing, is to strat with a large fortune.

I was talking to Fred Bowden, today, about his 6 crusier cars....I said, "What do you do at car rallies?" His answer was basically, we look at other cars, women, and have a few beers...They ain't racing these things, and they don't win prize money and some cost a hundred grand...

WE NEED TO TELL PEOPLE THAT THE FUN IS FRIENDS AND FAMILY....My daughter-in-law (Corey) met Spencer Love's wife at the races this weekend...Three times on the way home my Corey said what a nice person Spencer's wife was ...and that she's 16 weeks pregnant... Maybe, that was a HINT, HINT CHAD......

Point is: No one is an outsides, unless they want to be!!!!

No one that went to Bakersfield last weekend went with the expectation of coming home with any prize money, and I'll bet there were 85 entries in two days...

New people need to be told, up front, that the rewards are family, friends, and fun...

[spn#43]

I’ sorry Mr. Hill but I completely disagree with you, and my feeling is that thinking like that is a main reason for our situation today.
1) You are comparing Car collectors show with a Boat race? …………..?
2) Bakersfield race was “local regional” race and like I stated before regional local club races are what they are (just a gathering), and I support local racing every time I can and don’t expect anything in return, but let’s not confuse regional race with nationals or even worst with a series. With right people and support, regional race can grow to a divisional, from there to a national and even maybe to a series, I think it’s just natural to look forward just like in any business and to try to improve on whatever you have. Imagine if people were satisfied with a Ford Model – T……where would car industry be today….in the same place boat racing is….NOWERE!!!
Thankfully Champ Boat people are trying to improve every year and so far they succeeded, and every year was better than previous. Way to go Wayne, Pat and the rest of the crew. Looking forward to 2006 racing season.
I’m sorry but I’d rather drive in Ferrari Enzo than Model – T in this day of age when everything is one big billboard and everybody is cashing in on advertising except boat racing, promote; promote and promote try to sell what you got and it can just get better.
Just one more thing, “billboards”……where are they in boat racing , you know how many times I get in a town that’s hosting a race and I stop to ask locals for directions to a race site and they look at me like What race?????, nobody knows……HELLOOO!!!!
Here in South Florida NASCAR race is in November, right after the race they post billboards all over in 50 miles radius on every major highway for next year race!!!!!!, and it’s not like they need any advertising. We need business people to run boat racing like NASCAR has.
I can go on forever but looks like I’m fighting already lost battle, if I wanted a Hobby I would collect stamps.

I hope I didn’t offend anyone, with all due respect,
SPN Motorsports

[Miss BK]

Well, the point I was trying to make is that "Friends and Family" is not working anymore. Just look at the boat counts.

On any given weekend, I'll have a list of 30+ things that my family can do. All of which promise "Friends, Family and Fun". As a family, we have to choose which activity will be the best value.

And even though they are 3rd generation of a boat racing family, my kids never pick "boat racing" as the activity they want to participate. When they go to a race, they don't see much that really tickles their fancy. I tried to introduce them to friends ----their first 'buddies' were Dustin Hoffman, Cody Foster, Dylan Anderson......now none of those kids come to the races anymore.

Kids these days have all kinds of weekend events: Baseball, Boy Scouts, Soccer lessons, Frisbee golf, Steam engine excursions, Zoos, Science Museums, playlands, Chuck-E-Cheese, Public pool, Travelling soccer teams, Scout-O-Rama's, summer camp, trips to grandma's house, etc.



You don't have to promise fame and fortune to attract new people. You just have to promise them "something" that they can't get anywhere else.

The most successful boat racing I've ever seen was in Valleyfield Quebec. They were successful in all aspects - but one. They allowed one boat to dominate for too long and that killed their premier class. (Gran Prix Hydro).

Even the lady at the hotel desk knew the story of this one boat and how he was killing the sport (Reminded me a LOT of the Miss Bud story).

Racers want a chance to win.

But all the other needs were satisfied: Excellent fast-paced program, quality officiating, PRESTIGE, giant trophies, real money awards, Grandstands that went down an entire straightaway, vendors that sold everything from leather purses and shoes to fortune tellers.

There was a kids area with about 10 different moon walks, where you paid $10 for an arm band, and the kids could play as long as they wanted.

The fans paid a pretty good clip, but they PACKED those grandstands and they were never forgotten -- if there was any downtime at all, a MasterCraft ski boat with a man shooting wadded up T-shirts through a bazooka gun, aimed it at the fans that made the most noise!

At one point, the PA system played "YMCA" and had thousands of people standing in the bleachers, singing while making the "Y" "M" "C" "A" with their arms. (The sst-120's were launching right at that moment and thought the crowd was going wild over them! LOL).

I was in the grandstands, and we were shoulder-to-shoulder with the people who all had their own favorite driver. They had so much pre-race publicity that everyone already knew who was going to be racing. There was not a single place left to sit. It reminded me of the prestigous days of the Havasu World Outboard Championships when the prize money drew all kinds of celebrities and racers from across the globe.

They even had a local TV soap celebrity sky-dive into the water. The fans went ballistic!

This was not a "boat race", it was a magical event.

I'm afraid that if those same Valleyfield fans came to one of our boat races, I'm quite sure they'd be bored to tears. We need to get creative like they have.

[spn#43]

Well, the point I was trying to make is that "Friends and Family" is not working anymore. Just look at the boat counts.

On any given weekend, I'll have a list of 30+ things that my family can do. All of which promise "Friends, Family and Fun". As a family, we have to choose which activity will be the best value.

And even though they are 3rd generation of a boat racing family, my kids never pick "boat racing" as the activity they want to participate. When they go to a race, they don't see much that really tickles their fancy. I tried to introduce them to friends ----their first 'buddies' were Dustin Hoffman, Cody Foster, Dylan Anderson......now none of those kids come to the races anymore.

Kids these days have all kinds of weekend events: Baseball, Boy Scouts, Soccer lessons, Frisbee golf, Steam engine excursions, Zoos, Science Museums, playlands, Chuck-E-Cheese, Public pool, Travelling soccer teams, Scout-O-Rama's, summer camp, trips to grandma's house, etc.



You don't have to promise fame and fortune to attract new people. You just have to promise them "something" that they can't get anywhere else.

The most successful boat racing I've ever seen was in Valleyfield Quebec. They were successful in all aspects - but one. They allowed one boat to dominate for too long and that killed their premier class. (Gran Prix Hydro).

Even the lady at the hotel desk knew the story of this one boat and how he was killing the sport (Reminded me a LOT of the Miss Bud story).

Racers want a chance to win.

But all the other needs were satisfied: Excellent fast-paced program, quality officiating, PRESTIGE, giant trophies, real money awards, Grandstands that went down an entire straightaway, vendors that sold everything from leather purses and shoes to fortune tellers.

There was a kids area with about 10 different moon walks, where you paid $10 for an arm band, and the kids could play as long as they wanted.

The fans paid a pretty good clip, but they PACKED those grandstands and they were never forgotten -- if there was any downtime at all, a MasterCraft ski boat with a man shooting wadded up T-shirts through a bazooka gun, aimed it at the fans that made the most noise!

At one point, the PA system played "YMCA" and had thousands of people standing in the bleachers, singing while making the "Y" "M" "C" "A" with their arms. (The sst-120's were launching right at that moment and thought the crowd was going wild over them! LOL).

I was in the grandstands, and we were shoulder-to-shoulder with the people who all had their own favorite driver. They had so much pre-race publicity that everyone already knew who was going to be racing. There was not a single place left to sit. It reminded me of the prestigous days of the Havasu World Outboard Championships when the prize money drew all kinds of celebrities and racers from across the globe.

They even had a local TV soap celebrity sky-dive into the water. The fans went ballistic!

This was not a "boat race", it was a magical event.

I'm afraid that if those same Valleyfield fans came to one of our boat races, I'm quite sure they'd be bored to tears. We need to get creative like they have.

Right on Val!!!!!
We need people like you to run the show!
Why don’t you get involved more? Please for boat racing sake!
If I ever decide to put on the Race you’ll be first on my list to coordinate everything.

[B VALACHOVIC]

It is SUPER DIRT week this week in Syracuse New York . It is not a Nascar event.They broke from Nascar years ago . This is the largest race that there is drawing The Modified Dirt racers from all the US and CANADA. A few are Profesional racers The majority are what we are calling here hobbiests. If you complete the 200 lapper main event you are crowned Champion and receive the $50,000.00 + contingingy grand prize and considered the best there is doing this type of racing . This is basicaly the National Championships for this. And no when you run every week they do not pay that much but there are enough larger paying events throughout the season to keep everyone interested.
I really had reservations about writing any of this but i have to say that i have been around the block and if you have something that isn't really working to everyones expectations Start looking around and see what the heck everyone else is doing. I see everyone saying that we have a sport to save so i will put my two cents in here.

[spn#43]

My point exactly!!!!
Look around in other successful forms of racing, and try to figure out where lays the problem, what are you doing wrong, how they get their support, and who is running their shows. Most important of all is to try to see how they are thinking regarding the future of their sport like business with pleasure (doing what you love to do and getting paid) or like Hobby just in free time.
Hobby = SELF DESTRUCION

[mercguy]

My point exactly!!!!
Look around in other successful forms of racing, and try to figure out where lays the problem, what are you doing wrong, how they get their support, and who is running their shows. Most important of all is to try to see how they are thinking regarding the future of their sport like business with pleasure (doing what you love to do and getting paid) or like Hobby just in free time.
Hobby = SELF DESTRUCION

"Hobby = SELF DESTRUCION"

what is the largest class in outboard racing today? It is not because of the ability to win money! Boat racing, as Ron has stated, is a "family sport". Most race for "the fun of it" and the prestige of earning a National Championship title, not to earn a pay check. Yes, I imagine a payout is AWESOME and welcomed, but not why racers race. It is the thrill and challenge to beat others on the race course and the feeling you get, when you are a National Champion! Another reason boat racing has suffered is due to lots of race courses being lost, either due to "tree huggers", environmetal concerns, or RICH home owners that now have homes built near our race courses (which the race course existed LONG before the homes were ever thought of being built. Those are the California issues and will continue to migrate towards the east coast. If you are only racing for the money, then I GUARANTEE you will NEVER will a National Championship.