Gt Pro -- New Class For Region 8

**Jeff Larson** · 11-24-2008

Originally Posted by Ron Hill

I'm interested in knowing how many e-mails you get about your boat plans....as I know I get about 100 prop questions, per week, for boats about this size...
http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forum...4200#post64200

Also, do you know how many Mini GT's and Pro GT's cross the starting line this year??? (In Region 8)...How many Sport C's cross the starting line in 2008, in Region 8???

My estimation is that GT Pro starts following VP in 2009...8 minimum and up to 10-11 (I hope) in 2009. Our usual number of Sport C's has been 4-5...I'd like to see that climb to 6-8 every weekend but haven't heard of any newcomers...yet. That's actually the class I'd like to run for a couple years but probably not in 2009 (god knows how many boats I'd personally run if I didn't buy a N. WI cabin a few years back). I'd really like to see the SST 60 class grow....I suspect in 2-3 years we should be fielding 7-8 of those but then again who knows what the future holds. Chairman probably has the best estimate of the 2009 GT Pro class.

**TABARARACING** · 11-24-2008

Sport C numbers will be increasing by Bob Dillon making the lateral step over to Sport C. There are 2 people interested in going sport c racing in '09 in region 8. Much of our numbers have been depreciated this 08' year in sport c due to the traveling expenses. We lost our Kansas, and Illinois boats due to the rising fuel costs. With some luck, the fuel prices will remain low and we will have the extra 4 boats in the lineup from down south with Bob's additional boat. Mr. Kratochwill has also indicated that he is building his own boat that will be raced sometime in the future. We look forward to having him again. He was very competitive driver in the 90's and in the early decade and can't wait to see what he comes up with.

Hope this answers questions regarding the Sport C boat count in Region 8. Our members did do a very good job of turning out for the OPC Nationals in Region 7 by putting on a very good race.

Line-up who ran sport c in the midwest in '08:

1. Allan Hunting (National Champion 2008)
2. Mike Hodges
3. Duane Hodges
4. Denise Talcott
5. Nancy Langraf
6. Nicole Hansen
7. Alyssa Petroni
8. Ross Rolshoven
9. Bob Dillon's boat made it to a race but was not ran. (Probably on display?)

Additions for next year: Mark Nelsons entry, Tom Kratochwill hopeful, and 2 other interested parties. Carl Barrett's boat also wasn't able to make it out last year, but hope to see it next year. He was in attendance at the race and sure seemed to miss it.

Hope this helps.

Brian Tabara
(612) 578 1220
Brian@TabaraRacing.com

**Chairman** · 11-25-2008

GT Pro started seven boats in seven races, and six boats in the remaining one. There were nine boats overall in the class. One of those will not be back in 2009.

At least one more racer, from northern WI, stayed away due to travel expenses. I'm hoping he'll be able to come race next summer. Also for 2009, a couple of boats from Upper Michigan, and two under construction in MN, one of them in my shop. So maybe we can hope for a dozen boats or so.

Let's hope gas prices stay low.

**RTM** · 11-25-2008

Any chance of seeing GT Pro in Region 5? It looks like a great starter class, that I would be interested in running.

**Chairman** · 11-26-2008

It would be up to you to do that, in conjunction with your local APBA-affiliated club. You'd also need at least two more racers ready to get into it with you.

Of course I'll be happy to provide you with any technical or other information I can provide.

bob@dillon-racing.com

**Chairman** · 12-05-2008

The boat that I am currently building is a tunnel boat of my own design. When the bare hull is completed, it will be purchased by another TCPBA (Twin City Powerboat Association) club member for finish and rigging -- a new boat and new racer for our GT Pro class.

Progress on this project can be followed here: http://www.dillon-racing.com/pro-tun...tion/index.htm

If time allows, I hope to build a second boat this winter, this one to my Mini Vee design. This boat will be for sale to someone who is, or will become, a member of APBA and TCPBA and will race the boat in GT Pro in TCPBA-organized races next season. The bare-hull price will be very low, basically my cost, although there will be plenty more to invest before the boat is race-ready.

I DO have a possible buyer lined up for the Mini Vee, but this is by no means assured.

Bob

**willie42t** · 12-05-2008

Its about time somebody started an entry level class in order to get new young drivers into the sport- My son Shaun started in the MGP class and worked his way up, eventually running F1. Hope this class takes off across the country-Great design

**Jeff Larson** · 12-16-2008

If Sport C was a true lateral move...I'd jump into that...but with the volatile economy...I may have to start as GT Pro for my first tunnel class due to cost factors...of course if someone is luggin around an extra SST 60...I'd be hip to driving that for ya

**Ron Hill** · 12-19-2008

Here are the first three I've made. They have brass splines, but have a broach for future props....

10 X 15, 10 X 16 and 10 X 18.....wait for the spring thaw!!!