NBRA is Paying $10,000 Tow Money: APBA Offers $200 Memberships

[Ron Hill]

In 1979, I was Region 12 Chairman, actually back to 1977, I bid for the APBA National Meeting at Las Vegas. At the time Caesar's Palace sponsored a Seebold Tunnel.

I did my usual job of management, and with the help of our Region 12 clubs, and Molly Ballou, Margie Harmon and a few other hard working women, we put on a hell of an even. Rocki Aoki of Bennani Hanna fame was a prop customer, and he put on a two hour booze and food party, OMC spent $2,500 for a cocktail party and Mercury spent $5,000 for a cocktail party, We had a snake charmer put on a show for us, at the banquet and every lady was given a long stem red rose. Every table AT LEAST ONE BOTTLE of Champagne. Roses and CHAMMPAGNE WAS COMPLIMENTS REGION 12.

With tee shirt sales and all we made $25,000. (And I pocketed the money, NOT). I returned the profits to the clubs based on membership.

Fast forward, 2023, Who put on the APBA Convention and why? APBA puts on the convention because no club can afford to do it or wants to do it. What's in it for them?

So, APBA boat racing except for Offshore is circling the drain....not my words, a true fact.

It is time for APBA to GIVE BACK to their members and start promoting races. They need a National Sponsor and they need a national Plan.

How would NASCAR do if they only sanctioned races? No need to answer!

9 Years ago, Marlee Hill...and Dave Hale...me, Bunker Hill put on a driver's school. APBA needs Driver's schools with equipment ready to buy at the schools.

There has not been another driver's school in California in 9 years...

[dandrews75]

APBA just rebranded in November 2022 and we have yet to see any changes. I don’t know why everyone continues to hitch their wagon to the organization. It’s too bad NBRA wasn’t divided into a bigger geographical region. I have another idea though. Since the HRL (Hydroplane Racing League) has an Inboard Series I would like to see them create an Outboard Series. Bob Abbott is busy helping families construct their J hydros as we speak, a foundation to bring outboard racing back to Quebec and hopefully bridge the gap between Ontario and the East Coast. All of these J drivers are registered with HRL this year and they will be on the schedule with the inboards at some races like Valleyfield. HRL has money and gets and produces a lot of media coverage. The vision I have for the Outboard Series would pay. Classes would start with J and at the top would be the T boat classes that guys in Ontario currently race. The series would cover both sides of the border, would integrate production engines into the current class structure or would start with a blank 8 1/2x11 sheet of paper. APBA, CBF, etc. need not apply here, not interested in perpetuating the current situation in outboard racing. The Outboard Series could be a stepping stone for those looking towards the Inboard Series in the future. It all starts with the J’s and how do you bring new people into the sport and stop perpetuating the status quo with the legacy families.

[Ron Hill]

I don't know you but you have some great, and possible good ideas.

APBA is dead and they just keep circling the drain. NBRA has done a great job, except they aren't thinking growth. You can't keep a sport alive with 40 year old ideas. They have not expanded out! They have no new FOUR STROKE classes. Four Strokes have been mandated since 2006 or 2009.

NBRA has no "LITTLE LEAGUE". Off Road Racing has classes for "YOUTH" and at 16, it is an adult class. So, dad can run the boat as an adult. Kid, can run as youth...

Back about1984, I started the Mini Boat Revolution. Tohatsu's were being distributed by the Volvo Distributor. and I talked them into paying our insurance when we raced.

Our first MAJOR race was a Five Hour Enduro. We had like 67 boats in three classes: C-Nod, O-Nod and U-Nod. Nod was National One Design.

This Picture in Havasu...and I have idea whyit is side ways!

[Ron Hill]

The Volvo Distributor (Western Engine) was paying our insurance bills and giving us money for trophies. The Mini Boats were racing with the "BIG BOYS".

Jimmy Johnson, Rick Hoffman, with the help of Ed Land had the 30 Yamaha' doing about 90 MPH.

Because the way I wrote the rules the 31 cubic inch, 40 Tohatsu was fastest in O-Nod.

Charlie Strang, OMC President, hated the Japanese and called them, "Japs". Charlie tried to make a deal with Ernie Dawe, then Stock Outboard VP a deal. He'd make a new "A" motor and anew "E" motor if Ernie would kick the Japs to OPC where he and Mercury controlled the rules. Ernie made a smart move and said, "Get me the motors and I will get these "Sit down Classes" moved to OPC.

Charlie built the "A" and the "45 SS". Trouble was the 45 SS was so fast, OMC broke the test driver's leg testing the motor. So, Ernie kicked C-Nod, O-Nod and U-Nod to OPC.

OPC being controlled by OMC and Mercury changed the rules for these classes.

The 45 had promise on a tunnel but would not beat the Yamaha. So, OMC hired Fred Miller to start a 45 Series. Paying pretty good money for various races. U-Nod became Mod C, and "Dropped" for lack of members. (All members has Yamaha motors)

The 45 was nightmare on a tunnel. Everyone that owned one blew them over. Breaking arms. legs, shoulders. The small prop and high speed wasn't safe like a big gearcase.

So, once OMC had the 45 class being dominate, they pulled their money out of the series.

A new series of classes could easily be started with the new four strokes.

Someone, like a RON HILL, NEEDS TO WRTE SOME RULES.

The Canadian Hydro League would be a perfect place to start a new "GRASS ROOT" group of classes.

Keep in mind anything FREE from big business, probably has a catch to it. In Canada's Hydro Plane League, RACING is their business. I could see real growth here!

John Rinker in an Evinrude power O-Nod Parker 5 Hour. #9 Chad Hill one of if not the last Mini Enduro with 45's in it. Chad finished Second to s Stock Formula 50 Tohatsu. Formula 50 was a great classes, killed by APBA. Capsuled tunnel with 50 Tohatsu... Trouble was the motor wasn't Merican.

[dandrews75]

Flashback, I attended my first boat race in 1981, I was 11 years old, Detroit Unlimited Hydroplane race, my dad took me. I’ve been involved ever since. In those early years we would go over to Belle Isle and watch R/C races on the saturday and watch the big boats on Sunday. APBA did nothing back then to promote the other classes in boat racing. I knew about offshore because earlier in the week they would race from the Detroit River out across Lake St Clair and back. GP’s raced with the unlimiteds and the other inboard classes like JSS, 5L, Inflatables, followed the program in the 1990’s. I didn’t know about stock and mod outboard racing and all the other classes until I picked up a Propeller magazine at the Detroit race in 1986. You would have thought with the Merc Challenge Series starting up that someone would have set up a display at the Detroit race show casing hydroplanes and utilities with the 25 and 44xs on the back and nearby races and other promotional materials, especially with the spectator attendance back then. Very few people have ever had a wholistic approach to boat racing. It wasn’t until 2015 when Steve David (David Hale was also involved) was interim manager for H1 that stock outboard racing was brought in as a promotional partner with the Unlimiteds. I have never understood why all the divisions of boat racing haven’t cross promoted? It’s the safety in numbers argument. Look at the Unlimited drivers that have race stock outboard. I messaged Dylan Runne pre-covid about creating a series using the 15 and 20 ci Sidewinder engines and using sponsorship dollars from the Unlimited division and using the Sidewinder engines and racing series as a promotional vehicle to get new people involved in racing and be able to fully fund the production of engines. I still waiting for a reply on that one and at this point that ship has sailed into the abyss. Now touching on Bob Abbott’s situation with getting J racing off the ground at Valleyfield. Again people not looking at the big picture, I’m pointing the finger at people involved with the Toronto Outboard Racing Club in Ontario since they are the main outboard game in Canada. People to busy worrying about APBA and their attachment to that wagon. Well, there is a “Golden Rule” who has the gold rules, end of story. Follow the money as they say, where does it lead? HRL that’s where. The attendance at Valleyfield is approximately 125000 people for the week, brings in about 5M in revenue to the area. What race in North America these days is going to bring that kind of exposure to your division/class of boat racing these days? Those same TORC people have short memories, they forgot that the SW 20 rules in BSH actually happened at the club level first at TORC and APBA adopted them for the next racing season. To be continued…………

[DeanFHobart]

All of the above….Right On…. Especially APBA needs to start promoting Boat Racing. APBA has never promoted Boat Racing and they need to do that. How about an APBA booth at all the Boat Shows around the country. That would seen very easy to pull off. Whadya think?

And they could have a booth at all the racing venues…cars, motorcycles, etc. Whatdya think?

[Ron Hill]

I was to say that from about 1967 till 1977, SCOA had a Boat Show with equipment for sale at the Unlimited Hydro races in San Diego. The race was in the last week of September, and for about ten years we recruited about ten new racers a year at San Diego.

Frank Pruess was our Race Chairman and a hard working SOB, and his wife Ernie worked just as hard. After the 1977 Bakersfield Nationals I drifted on to MOD VP racing, my two children took a ton of my time. Frank moved to Colorado. Ernie Dawe was teaching, like me and raising three kids.

But alass, in '82 or so, it was Ernie Dawe and Ron Hill that started the Mini Boat Revolution.....

OMC and Mercury were so dishonest with the Japanese Outboard companies. Both were glad to see Yamaha and Tohatsu disappear from racing.

I saw my first Unlimited Hydro, in Detroit, 1956. I was 12, on our way home from Cambridge, Maryland where we'd raced the Stock Nationals.

[Ron Hill]

Let's see: You have a boat show in SoCal. Races are 500 up north or 500 miles east...two or three races are within 300 miles. No Sidewinders to sell, no Yamato's to sell. Those that have Yamatoes don't want to sell them. You need a $1,200 cut suit but no one makes them. Let's see what can we sell at the "SHOW" T-Shirts? Oh, I've got a motor for sale! 1960 650 Merc on a speedmaster...no class for it but I have a motor.

[dandrews75]

Hmmmm? I have racer school at SoCal…………….i get the picture. When I got involved with this program my friend and mentor the late Larry Solski told me when he came onto the scene all the good B equipment was taken and all that was left over for him was used up junk. Along came the Yamato Y80, purchased one, promptly blew the doors off the popper and never looked back. Funny how we’ve come full circle.

[tlpyamato]

Along came the Yamato Y80, purchased one, promptly blew the doors off the popper and never looked back.

Same here. I bought a Y80 when they first came out and got rid of my popper. I still have my Y80 and "shovel nose" hydro, but now only show them at a local yearly antique boat show so the kids can see what early (70's) boat racing looked like. Sadly, the kids have no interest in getting into boat racing..........and I live in an area surrounded by lakes.