Kankakee OPC NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS Never again!!!!!

[spn#43]

Our local race had more expensive equipment than the OPC Nationals, yet you feel you needed prize money...

Shame on me.

I disagree with you...we have a whole generation of boat racers that think the sport is supposed to work for them...

Yup, it’s called professionalism, you pay them and they work for you.

When is the last time you set up the course? Worked as a turn judge? Wrote a press release to you local paper??? Drove the patrol boat? Donated time to APBA??? Or AOF???

Never, guilty as charged.
What is the sentence?

[spn#43]

NO CHAMPBOATS AT SAN DIEGO...

But the 400,000 fans didn't seem to notice...

I actually heard that there was more like 40.000.000 fans.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Tried uploading this a half dozen times a few days ago and each time I did the satellite kicked me off BRF. See if it works today/

[RichardKCMo]

Heck, we do that for all the girls in novice class here in the midwest.
I know it's the shoes.
RichardKCMo

[RichardKCMo]

Don( Swamp Rat) Garlits said it best , they pay me to unlode that thang.
RichardF

[Master Oil Racing Team]

This is an excerpt from the book THIS SPORTING LIFE, THAT SPORTING DEATH by John Kiely 1973.

"Billy Seebold, he just stands there. Marshall Grant has the boats that Billy drives. 'So she finally comes up,' Grant is talking, 'and she says to me, Well, I've been watching and it looks to me like this Billy Seebold doesn't do anything but drive!' And I said, 'Lady, if he does it right, that's enough.'"

[Miss BK]

I remember the AMSOIL thing because Mike came to Havasu without a scorekeeper and my sister-in-law volunteered me! We were there with a friend and scoring him in the Mod-VP class which was at a different time - so I got to do double-duty that weekend. A guy on Mike's team told me that he pays his scorekeepers $1,000 if he wins. I got all excited, then learned later that he was just joking...LOL

So I watched that #286 AMSOIL boat go round the Havasu course for a solid 3 hours, never getting to leave my seat, and marking down each time he went by, which was about every 2 minutes. After scoring hours on end like that, you don't ever forget what the boat looks like.

I didn't think I had any pictures from that weekend (Havasu 1979) but I was wrong. Mike Seebold was in 1st place the first day but blew his motor just before the end of day #1. At that time, changing powerheads was not allowed, and you had to finish with the same powerhead you started with.

So his crew said they could take out one piston, and he could try running on 5. That evening, Mike still wasn't sure if he wanted to run like that....

So the next morning I showed up in the scorer's stands anyway, taking my spot back in the #1 position, ready to keep score for 1st place Mike Seebold. Remember, at this point, I'm still thinking that he gives his scorer's $1,000 when he wins! LOL So I start praying that he'll be back.

The day before, the lady sitting in the seat ahead of me was Mildred Sherrer. But her husband Dick's boat had caught on fire right in front us - so that put Mike in 1st place. If I'm not mistaken, I think Dick had just opted to run on 5 cylinders too, and that may have been the cause of the fire.

But as the boats continue launching that brisk morning, I still don't see #286 - but I'm still hopeful. I finally ask Molly Ballou (Chief Scorer) if she knows if #286 has scratched. She breaks the bad news to me -- Mike Seebold has withdrawn from the race.

I was just a gullible 18-year-old at that time. I later find out that the "$1,000" thing that 'Ken' told me was just a joke. At least I think it was ???

I've always wondered who that guy 'Ken' was in Mike's crew, who told me this? Boat racers are such jokesters.....We'll have to start a thread called "Practical jokes, boat racing style"

[Ron Hill]

Well, you read all my posts, but you didn't UNDERSTAND THEM....


I'll TRY AGAIN....Like I say, "IF at first you don't succeed, try, try a gun.."

I feel I started this web site, along with Ted March because we felt the WORLD needed a Boat race Encyclopedia....

As is, along with others, start wrting the history of Boat Racing, we see that many things have changed...and in most OLD TIMERS EYES, the changes have been for the WORST....

One reason NASCAR became popular was the fact that the drivers LOVED THEIR FANS...Rich Petty would sign autographs as long as people stood in line. They would slos take sponsor moey from anyone who would give them a dime....Many an early NASCAR had 50 small sponsors name on the car....but the other thing that NASCAR HAD and HAS is a SHOW...........

AND as much of a boat race lover that I AM and will continue to be......Their ain't one boat race, that I've seen, that will get people to pay to watch, except the Unlimiteds and DRAGS.....and LIKE IT OR NOT that is the truth.........The rest of the LCASSES are SIDE SHOWS.

They DRaGS had 47,000 PAID ON sATURDAY, AND 35,000 ON sUNDAY, IN Oklahoma...With that income, you can pay some prize money. My attorney, Donald P. Ermshar raced in Oklahoma, after winning in Augusta, Georgia....He blew a $65,000 motor in Oklahoma... (That is the price of 6 Formula One S-3000 Powerheads)....What kind of prize money could this 160 mPH boat win to pay for a $65,000 motor????

Don Ermshar, like most Drag Racers are SPORTSMEN!!!! He loves those Blown Alcohol Motors and those DAMn Flat bottoms....(He runs a capsule becasue of me...I said I was going to take my business somewhere else, if he didn't get a capsule)...

Champboat/Formula One needs some changes....Period!!! 14 boat final at the Nationals, and in 40 laps no one passed anyone???? In horse races, they call it a "BOAT RACE" when it is boring!!!

Sealed motors for 2006???? What is that going to do??? A format chage is needed.... Rev limiters need to be tossed, restrcitor plates need to be added...


Drivers should be required to work patrol boats, and on the judges stand, at least an hour a day...


You'ver never worked at a race, you said....Well, we paid, $600 entry fee, for two boats, had our friends help patrol the race, brought three new drivers to the races....

With no minor leagues, there is no big leagues...

Greg Foster, Jason Campbell and Todd Bowden all came from a Mod VP background (Minor Leagues)....

We didn't expect anything back from Parker...we went as family...We went for FAMILY, FRIENDS AND FUN!!!!! That is waht got boat racing somewhere...Guys DEMANDING money when their isn't money IS ONE MAJOR PROBLEM with the sport...

Start out by making 100 pictures of your boat and giving them away to local business...and tell them, you'll put their name on your boat....for FREE...maybe, next year, one of those 100 will help you.....with sponsorship....

Why would I want to sponsor you??? My props get 6,000 view a month on E-bay, for free!!!! If I sponored you, what would I get??? Would youtell me I SHOULD GIVE YOU MORE MONEY???? If you won, my props would not see one prop sale increase......and they way Formula One is, winning for the new guy isn't POSSIBLE...You can't even win a heat under the current plan!!!

[Miss BK]

AND as much of a boat race lover that I AM and will continue to be......Their ain't one boat race, that I've seen, that will get people to pay to watch, except the Unlimiteds and DRAGS.....and LIKE IT OR NOT that is the truth.........The rest of the CLASSES are SIDE SHOWS.

There are a LOT of other sports who claim the same thing. But the problem wasn't with their vehicles, it was with their own ability to produce an exciting program. The KEY is in the program.

Page has one thing that a lot of other racers don't: He's seen it work, and knows that it can work with the right tools. He's seen guys in the same class make MONEY. So to hear people say he HAS to race for free must be extremely frustrating for him. Because he KNOWS that is not true.

Ever wonder why Scott Gillman races overseas with UIM F1? Probably because he found people who don't say "It can't be done".

At first glance, why would anyone think that a TWO BOAT drag race is exciting? Of all the boat racing I've seen, DRAGS (cars and boats) have the most down time of all motorsports. So why does this attract so many people??? The key is in THE PROGRAM.

In Valleyfield they have never had Unlimiteds or Drags to wow the crowd, but they have permanent grandstands to hold 100,000+ people and a jugdes tower to die for. Their main concern is comfort for the fans - and one main problem boat racing has is proper seating where you can see the entire course. These big grandstands eliminate that problem. And the PA system is loud enough to keep all the fans informed.

Since it's just "side show" inboards, then why do thousands flock to this venue every year? Because they utilize EVENT EXPERTS who know how to put on a show and create a wide-scale program that everyone can enjoy.

It will cost $35 (CAN) for a 3-day pass. (That's about $28 US)



http://www.regates.ca/index.php?lang=en


These people are not watching Drags or Unlimiteds. The classes that run are all inboard
1.5 liter
2.5 liter
5 liter
Can-Am
GNH
JSS
UL

[Miss BK]

Here is a shot of the judges tower at Valleyfield -- the flags and flares were visible to everyone in the grandstands. The clock is just at the end of that runway. Just behind the grandstands are food and clothing vendors, arcade games and a giant children's playland. And best of all -- real washrooms with running water!

Look at the people ---- the announcer has them so excited about this heat that they can't even sit down!

Each night the same area hosts a major concert and fireworks display. The organizers think of everything, and leave out no one. And that's why they have such a huge success rate.

This coming year they are going to try and bring the Unlimiteds, but the course is quite narrow so they are going to run "two boat" shoot-outs. Normally, this would spelll "BORING" but I'm sure these people will know how to make it super exciting. All it takes is some imagination and thinking "out of the box".