Some Thoughts About APBA's Rules

[Albert]

I thought that Sidewinder made them…. Also check with APBA… or inquire here on boat racing facts or hydroracer.

Dean,
I have no doubt they are out there to be had. But I know they are in short supply and the club up in Toronto is having trouble finding motors for kids and parents who want to race.
The ability to buy a 500$ lower unit as opposed to a 1500$ lower unit that’s difficult to find would help a lot.


Ron,
I only know you by what I’ve read online, Dean might even vouch that I retain a reasonable quantity of that read information. I don’t think getting props made en masse would lead to a good product but getting a part cast overseas and having the machine work done here when it lands seems like someone could produce a reasonably priced lower unit to get new racers on the water.

As for the apba banning it…are they really going to turn a 12 year old kid away from a race when the lower unit meets the technical drawings in the rule book? If so they best re evaluate their priorities. I don’t think anyone I’ve spoken to would suggest that what hydroplane racing needs is fewer racers.

[Ron Hill]

As for the APBA banning it…are they really going to turn a 12 year old kid away from a race when the lower unit meets the technical drawings in the rule book? If so they best re evaluate their priorities. I don’t think anyone I’ve spoken to would suggest that what hydroplane racing needs is fewer racers.

Hill Marine casts all their 7,000 propellers, yearly, here in America,

We have CNC machines that could machine billet gearcases cheaper than casting them heat treating them then machining.

I bought a new OMC gearcase a few years ago, and APBA may have some on hand.

THERE IS NOT ONE CLASS IN STOCK RACING THAT ALLOWS FULL SHIFTING GEARCASES WITH NOSE CONES. DO AWAY WITH HEIGHT RULES IN J, AXS, AND A. A PRODUCTION GEARCASE WITH LOW WATER PICK UPS WILL OUT RUN A RACING GEARCASE.

Production gearcases are not legal in any APBA Stock class.

[Albert]

So how did the sport end up in a position where you can’t race a stock lower unit in stock outboard?


I was really excited 2 years ago to see testing of the 25 merc four stroke. Then it seems like it went dead in the water.

[Ron Hill]

I asked Mike if he wanted any help as I HAVE BOTTOM water pick up nose cones. I think his answer was he was working on a steering bar. WHY NOT USE Morris type cable like 90% of inflatables/BOSTON whalers use?

Mickey Schwarzenbach rigged the 55 HP Chrysler with store bought cables. THE MOTOR HAS NO STEERING BAR!

[Ron Hill]

ALBERT HAVE YOU EVERY STUDIED OUR AMERICAN GOVERMENT AND THE PEOPLE THAT ELECTED TO REPRESENT US? Well, I have baring a few, Trump not being one, people in our government are out for themselves. THEY COME IN POOR, FIFTY YEAS LATER THEY LEAVE AS BILLIONAIRES.

Over the year APBA's management, and those behind the scenes in APBA HAVE LOOKED OUT FOR THEMSELFVES.

Mercury has always wanted to win. BUT THEY WANTED TO SAY "WHO" won with a MERCURY.

OMC had SECOND EFFORT AS THEIR RACING DIVISION. but they raced against their "customers". But in fact almost all their customer boats and engines were owned by OMC.

Some will disagree with me, but I feel and have felt that CHARLIE STRANG RAN APBA.

MORE LATER!

[Ron Hill]

Around 1980, a new neighbor moved in from Japan, two doors away. I find out he is Vice President of Kawasaki. Jet Skis are "POPPING UP
everywhere.

I dig out some old Speed and Spray Magazines nd BOAT Sport Magazines, for about a month, every time I see my neighbor who speaks no English, I run over and see him with a magazine that shows Stock Outboard Racing.

My neighbor has someone contact me from Kawasaki Corporation. They seem genuinely interested in racing, but they also would like to buy insurance to sell/give with each Jet Ski sold.

I contact Rick Sandstrom, President of APBA regarding getting Kawasaki into racing and selling them insurance. The APBA convention is two months away, I am Region 12 Chairman. Kawasaki plans on selling 10,000 units next year (1981).

I get a call from Rick Sandstrom that the APBA BOD has appointed me and Russ Kuhlman (APBA's Insurance man) as a two man committee to meet with Kawasaki at the APBA convention.

Russ and I talk on the phone and decide he could write a liability policy for $15 with $1.00 each policy going to Region 12 and $10 would be an APBA membership or $100 grand, not counting renewal.

Russ, three men from Kawasaki, me and Russ's secretary meet at 9:00 A.M. WE DISCUSS APBA'S HISTORY, RACING, PEOPLE. We break for an early lunch, meet back at 1:00. To me, I'M COUNTING APBA'S NEW MONEY AND Region 12's.

The meeting get serious, Kawasaki agrees to buying insurance and an APBA "RACING" membership with each Jet Ski sold. Owner could drop out the second year or renew at $25. Russ's secretary wrote up the agreement, Russ and I signed for APBA. Kawasaki signed, we shook hands.

I got up to my room about 4:00, told me wife Russ and I had just put APBA on BROADWAY.

At 5:00 Rick Sandstrom called and said come down to his room. I was ready for a drink and celebration.

MIKE Jones in there and so is RICK. Mike says, "We have a little problem, CHARLIE THINKS KAWASKAKI should start their own organization. WITH THEIR 10,000 VOTES THEY COULD CONTROLL APBA. Go tell the Japanese the deal is off...." CHARLIE'S EXACT QUOTE WAS LET THE JAPS START THEIR OWN CLUB.

A lot of air went out of my balloon that night.

I never spoke to anyone from from Kawasaki again. My neighbor was later promoted President of Kawasaki CORPORATION.

I'm not done!

[Ron Hill]

Because CAESAR'S PALACE sponsor a Seebold Tunnel Boat I thought it would be a great place to put on the APBA convention. I made a few calls and cut a deal with Caesar's for the 1979 APBA Convention (This was in '78).

I had a sponsor of considerable means. HE OWNED 92 DEL TACO fast foot restaurant, owned CRAZY HORSE CAMPGROUND IN HAVASU, plus a lot more investments than I could count.

With the help of Fred Hauenstein and the Stoker's of John's Custom Marine, we won the 7 Hour Enduro at Parker. Fred went to work for Mercury and "WE", MY SPONSOR AND I WERE TO GET THE BEST STUFF MERCURY HAD. We gave them our Evinude stuff, they gave us carbureted motors when Team Mercury ran fuel injection.

After Havasu 1979, I told my sponsor I was DONE getting beat by Mercury FUEL injection. I WAS GOING TO GO MOD VP RACING.

JIM JOST was Evinrude's PR man and he gave me a 235. TIM SOARES and I RAN 4TH THAT YEAR AT HAVASU.

Dick Sherrer and I wrote the rules for MOD VP. No racing parts. All part must be in warrantable condition. Dick was a Mercury dealer and sick of Mercury's dealings and OMC was head off toward V-8's. We wanted these to companies to help pay for racing rather than us paying them.

Mercury made all their races parts, "STOCK" in their catalogue....the warrantee rule disappeared.

MOD VP GREW INTO THE LARGEST CLASS IN OPC RACING..... THEN CAME YAMAHA, MERCURY AND OMC WANTED MOD VP DEAD.

[Ron Hill]

Around 1982, I WAS TEACHING SCHOOL, MAKING LOTS OF PROPELLERS (and MONEY), plus racing MOD VP.

MOD VP was so fun in the early days, STOCK production motors that we could work on anyway we saw fit.

Volvo had a four bolt main 350 that they sold to everyone (8 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR). BUT IT CAME WITH AN ALUMINUM PROP ONLY.

I made a stainless steel Volvo prop that Western Engine bought about 400 props a year. Eliminator bought about 2 a week and that is how I SAW THE FIRST DAYTONA. I designed an outboard bracket for this jet boat and BOB LEACH, OWNER OF ELIMINTOR boats, gave me a boat to race for the design.

About this time I went into the Volvo Distributorship and they had 500 TOHOTSU motors in boxes. I ASKED WHAT A "TO HOT SHOE" (Tohatsu) WAS.

I bought three 30's on the spot for $1,350 or $450 each. My price for 4 props...

I find out that Sleek Craft is building some Addictor boats. So, I buy two.

[Albert]

ALBERT HAVE YOU EVERY STUDIED OUR AMERICAN GOVERMENT AND THE PEOPLE THAT ELECTED TO REPRESENT US? Well, I have baring a few, Trump not being one, people in our government are out for themselves. THEY COME IN POOR, FIFTY YEAS LATER THEY LEAVE A BILLIONAIRES.

Over the year APBA's management, and those behind the scenes in APBA HAVE LOOKED OUT FOR THEMSELFVES.

Mercury has always wanted to win. BUT THEY WANTED TO SAY "WHO" won with a MERCURY.

OMC had SECOND EFFORT AS THEIR RACING DIVISION. but they raced against their "customers". But in fact almost all their customer boats and engines were owned by OMC.

Some will disagree with me, but I feel and have felt that CHARLIE STRANGE RAN APBA.

MORE LATER!

I’ve read up on the American electoral system a few times but I usually reserve my comments on it as I live in Canada. And there’s a saying about glass houses and stones…


Humour me as I railroad this thread for a minute. I’m really intrigued by the merc 25 and would jump at a chance to build a motor with fuel injection and modern ignition. As someone born in the 80s I have a much better handle on manipulating efi than I do a carburateur.

But how hard would it be to put together a good prop for a set up on a 25merc/tohastu/Suzuki?


Also I can’t speak to why they wouldn’t run cable steering other than the runabout probably already had ropes and when a steering bar is what you know a steering bar is what you use.

[dandrews75]

See you almost fell into the trap Ron. You want to make a small fortune in boat racing start with a big fortune! Kent over at Lifeline finally saw the light, can sell a lot more life jackets to the general public than he ever could to racers.