The Great Unification

[Scotty B]

At the risk of offended some of you, I will share my thoughts. Simply put, Racing will NEVER be united under the current leadership of offshore, and by leadership I mean us, the racers. Ron, Smitty, and JC are doing great jobs with the hand that is dealt. Until offshore is run by a large corporation who's only goal is profit, offshore racing will continue to be what it is. The inmates are running the asylum so make the best of what it is until then (it may never happen but from a corporate standpoint its probably as close or closer than its ever been). Large Corporations deal in black and white with little or no personal agenda, its a profit agenda wich only will come with a successful series. Racing is run today in grey areas and tons of personal agendas. We as racers have too many different opinions and ideas to be able to do it ourselves. That being said, you can still run a successful race team because the people on these boards are just a small fraction of the people that enjoy offshore racing and most average Joes come out to a race and are completely blown away by the same show that bores us to tears http://lakecumberland.com/forum/view...d=24050&page=2. The SHOW has caught the attention of some large entities and if they jump on board eventually we can RACE.

PS If we were struggling with sponsorship like most teams, I would be ringing
Movin2Miam's phone off the hook because he hit the nail on the head with his post

[Steve Miklos]

At the risk of offended some of you, I will share my thoughts. Simply put, Racing will NEVER be united under the current leadership of offshore, and by leadership I mean us, the racers. Ron, Smitty, and JC are doing great jobs with the hand that is dealt. Until offshore is run by a large corporation who's only goal is profit, offshore racing will continue to be what it is. The inmates are running the asylum so make the best of what it is until then (it may never happen but from a corporate standpoint its probably as close or closer than its ever been). Large Corporations deal in black and white with little or no personal agenda, its a profit agenda wich only will come with a successful series. Racing is run today in grey areas and tons of personal agendas. We as racers have too many different opinions and ideas to be able to do it ourselves. That being said, you can still run a successful race team because the people on these boards are just a small fraction of the people that enjoy offshore racing and most average Joes come out to a race and are completely blown away by the same show that bores us to tears http://lakecumberland.com/forum/view...d=24050&page=2. The SHOW has caught the attention of some large entities and if they jump on board eventually we can RACE.

PS If we were struggling with sponsorship like most teams, I would be ringing
Movin2Miam's phone off the hook because he hit the nail on the head with his post

Yep, and the cycle will continue over and over again.
Steve

[Sean Stinson]

Hold on a second APBA LLC was run like that but then came the big boycott and another split.......

[Scotty B]

Hold on a second APBA LLC was run like that but then came the big boycott and another split.......

Still run by racers and not backed by a ton of cash a large corporation would have. They were the best at it so far

[Wahoo 214]

I believe one way to create Scotty's vision is for the race site developers to create a joint venture. Racers can't race without a site and we all know the value of a well organized and funded site. If the top eight sites joined forces and created a series where racers regardless of affiliation were invited to compete classes could be limited and an opportunity for a series sponsor, tv etc would be much greater. If other sites wanted in they would need to pay to enter the series.

[Sean Stinson]

Still run by racers and not backed by a ton of cash a large corporation would have. They were the best at it so far

I will go along with that.... Here's what you do you need to get all the racers together and form a set of standards that all of you need to agree to then if someones feathers get ruffled oh well....live by your standards...Then get a marketing proposal together and sell yourselves to a large corp and they run the show....If it doesn't go your way then you have to suffer the consequences instead of taking your toys and finding another sand box because quite frankly the sand boxes are getting very slim!!!!

Good luck to all of you!!!!

[Moving2Miami]

Are those "one-time" expenses, or every race?

Rental fees per race...For example, The 9X12 Barco Screens are over $300,000 each...

[Scotty B]

I believe one way to create Scotty's vision is for the race site developers to create a joint venture. Racers can't race without a site and we all know the value of a well organized and funded site. If the top eight sites joined forces and created a series where racers regardless of affiliation were invited to compete classes could be limited and an opportunity for a series sponsor, tv etc would be much greater. If other sites wanted in they would need to pay to enter the series.

I like the way you think

[2TR]

I believe one way to create Scotty's vision is for the race site developers to create a joint venture. Racers can't race without a site and we all know the value of a well organized and funded site. If the top eight sites joined forces and created a series where racers regardless of affiliation were invited to compete classes could be limited and an opportunity for a series sponsor, tv etc would be much greater. If other sites wanted in they would need to pay to enter the series.

This sounds fimilair....

[Steve Miklos]

Still run by racers and not backed by a ton of cash a large corporation would have. They were the best at it so far

There was a substantial amount of funding available to the LLC. The racer's boycott scared off anyone investing anymore myself included.
Steve

[Mike A.]

Still run by racers and not backed by a ton of cash a large corporation would have. They were the best at it so far

Oh please. They were comprised of mostly (not all) guys pretending to have money who had their own personal agendas. The LLC guys had plenty of personal capital and invested a small fortune. We had a solid competition model, technical model, TV program, and staff. We had a good sponsorship base AND a big name corporate series sponsor in GM. Like it or not, the OSS founders and Mercury Racing boycotted the LLC's Worlds, the LLC members realized there was NO profit potential as a result, and made a business decision not to waste any more money and closed up shop. Now, the OSS founders are mostly gone and the sport is where it is precisely because of their choice. Period.

[Mike A.]

And one more thing: It is personally offensive to suggest they (OSS founders) were the best at it so far. They did nothing to advance the sport, and they did nothing innovative at all. They basically copied the LLC's rules and then ran it into the ground from there, leaving a few well intentioned people holding the bag. Please, they lost boats, race venues, sponsors, TV, and control over the rules. The result? 19 boats per race. By any objective standard, they were an abject failure compared to virtually every past governing regime from APBA Detroit forward.

[Scotty B]

Mike, I agree, You misunderstood me. Don't take my post the wrong way, you did it best, not OSS. When I talk about a Corp taking it over, I mean a Panasonic, GEICO, Viacom, Hard Rock. A group that can throw enough cash to make it work and has enough pull for major TV to be influenced. If a group boycotts or walks, they would be be able to power through it. Plus the only place to run in todays racing world is home.

I was your biggest supporter back in the day, I am just trying to survive and do the best for my sponsor now

[Mike A.]

Sorry Scotty. I did misunderstand you. Think I am still just a teeeeeeeeny bit sensitive even 6 years later? hehehehe.

[Mike A.]

The point is that the LLC did have a good model and with GM we were on the precise track you suggest is the right one. But in hindsight, now that GM is effectively bankrupt, it appears our horse was headed to the glue factory anyway. We just had no way of knowing.

[TYPHOON]

Mike there is no way to turn back the clock. Yes it was the best there ever was and much has been lost. We need to look forward as to what was working and go from there. If it moves forward I am sure many of your ideas will be used. We all know the saying ( coulda, woulda,shoulda ) You had 99% of the package. What you didnt have was the money to say I dont care if you leave the show will go on without you. The smaller teams will always follow the money, they have no choice if they want to stay in the game. Thanks for the great years and I hope one Org. will rise to the top soon.
Steve, you were a big part as well.
MD

[Sean Stinson]

This, gentlemen is exactly why I am going to bow out.....A great person told me not to long ago that I should concentrate on my family and leave the boat racing alone....As much as I want to see ONE UNIFIED BODY it will never happen!!!! Good luck to all of you and those of you that took the time to listen to me or gave me the oppurtunity to ask questions thank you from the bottom of my heart!!!! I am going to buy a sailboat!!!! Anybody that wants to have umbrella drinks in a marina slip somewhere feel free to email me and we can enjoy a rum runner and tell lies of the old days!!!!

Hope to see all of you on the water!!!!

[Steve Miklos]

Gentleman this sport is dead. As long as the racers are middle aged guys spending their own money for their own fun it will always be dead.
If the sport was made up of young guns making a living racing rather then what it is you may interest a large corporation. When a potential group come to a race and see a bunch of ego's they will never see a return on their investment. Just a bunch of self centered people with personal agendas.

If they do get past that, when they do their due dilligance. They will see a group that will throw out and boycott a major sponsor when a company like Mercury Racing gives a team the equivalent of glass beads and trinkets.

Steve

[Steve Miklos]

Scotty
I love ya and think it is great to see an F1 guy get a top notch ride. I truley mean that. The problem is to have commercial success you need a compliant group so a product can be created. Once you create a valuable product it cannot be fragile it needs to be robust.
The best thing you could do for your sponsor is buy 20 boats and find 40 Scotty's to run them. (plus 10 alternates). That could make boat racing a viable product.

I think this is why you see that John C. can make it with a loyal but small group. Like it or not John C. and Smitty are the last guys standing.
Steve

[smokeybandit]

This, gentlemen is exactly why I am going to bow out.....A great person told me not to long ago that I should concentrate on my family and leave the boat racing alone....As much as I want to see ONE UNIFIED BODY it will never happen!!!! Good luck to all of you and those of you that took the time to listen to me or gave me the oppurtunity to ask questions thank you from the bottom of my heart!!!! I am going to buy a sailboat!!!! Anybody that wants to have umbrella drinks in a marina slip somewhere feel free to email me and we can enjoy a rum runner and tell lies of the old days!!!!

Hope to see all of you on the water!!!!

Umbrella drinks and lies. That actually sounds like the best plan so far. Sean, you can count me in.