Ron P
12-12-2008, 03:58 PM
The Future of Offshore Racing comes to OSS in 2009
Hard work is finally paying off and it looks like Offshore Racing may finally be reaching the next level as a professional motorsport. During this past season, OSS worked to make its racing series into more of a show for the fans. We fully realize that OSS is first and foremost a racing series, but for the communities that host our events, we are entertainment that brings thousands of race fans to the waterfront to witness a spectacle of speed and excitement. For this reason, you saw two new additions to our race program during the 2008 season: Heat Racing and Pro/Am racing.
Heat Racing is the future of our races. We’ll do it whenever possible in 2009, but locations like Biloxi, Lake of the Ozarks and more come to mind. For the racers, it gives them a second chance to nail the setup, for the fans, it gives them two Starts to watch. It’s basically one race with an hour long pit-stop. Heat Racing definitely adds to the excitement of OSS Racing for everyone involved both on and off the water. And for the first time, support crews come into play during a race.
During the 2008 season, OSS opened the rule book to allow open cockpit boats to race in a speed bracket format. The OSS scoring system allows us to use average lap speeds to calculate break out speeds. The four classes have average speeds of 65, 75, 85 and 95 miles per hour. Anything faster than that requires a canopy and needs to run in one of our other classes. We look forward to expanding our Pro/Am series in 2009.
During 2008 we also announced that OSS would adopt the Power to Weight rules that the P1 series in Europe developed over the last few years. These two classes will allow for any engine and any drive combination without speed restriction. It’s a powerful combination that is sure to bring out some new boats and some older hulls that need more power to be competitive. The Power to Weight rules are now on the www.offshoresuperseries.com web site under the racer resources tab. These two classes will be offered in Biloxi and beyond. Our Vee class will become the open canopy class capable of 85 MPH average lap speeds. The canopied class will be called Super Vee and will be for boats that can run about 110 MPH. The Extreme Vee class remains for boats with huge power.
Moving into 2009, in an effort to make our racing classes more distinctive, each boat will carry a color on their bow to signify the class that they race in. This is being done to help the fans distinguish between classes while they are racing within each other. See the 2009 OSS Rule Book, all changes will be in red. New Rules will be out on January 16th.
In 2009 we plan to work to with other organizations as much as possible to raise the overall quality of our events. This year we enjoyed racing with the inflatable APBA class boats, HORBA and The Florida Powerboat Club in Sunny Isles Beach. In 2009 we’ll look to do joint events with them again and we’ll try and bring in a Pro Beach Volleyball Tour as well. It’s all part of making the weekend more enjoyable for our fans.
We developed a schedule for 2009 that includes some old favorites and some new ones. So get your boats ready early, the season starts early this year. Starting a little early gave us the chance to properly timing of the races, giving the racers time to regroup between events.
March 27 - 29 – Biloxi – The home of OSS racing – this site has what is needed to support the heat racing format.
April 17 – 19 – Clearwater – A new site for 2009 and hopefully many years thereafter. Heat racing will work here.
May 15 – 17 – Lake Cumberland KY – This is the party capital of the Ohio Valley region. Expect thousands of houseboats to line the racecourse.
June 12 – 14 – Sunny Isles Beach and the Run to Bimini and back – 22 boats made the Bimini run last year, how many will join them in 2009? Possible Heat Racing
July 23 – 26 – The Al Copeland Memorial Race – You don’t want to miss this party!!! – Great spot for Heat Racing.
August 14 – 16 – Orange Beach and the sunny sands where it feels like coming home. Also the place we started Heat Racing.
September 25 – 27 – Lake of the Ozarks – and back to the Horny Toad for another round of double points National Championship Racing. Definite Heat Racing.
October 19 – 25 - West Palm Beach / Jupiter FL for the OSS World Championships – Back in the Ocean where it belongs.
Now for the big news. After three years of filming, editing and negotiating, the Reality TV show that has been developed around the OSS race teams has finally been given a green light for a pilot. There’s one final hurdle to overcome in early February. We are hopeful that the pilot will result in a commitment for eight episodes, one per 2009 race. The producers are hard at work in Los Angeles right now and feel very confident with their progress at this point. If all goes as planned, the shows will air as a weekly series starting in the fall of 2009.
This show will benefit OSS and all of its race teams directly or indirectly, however to make it into a compelling TV show it must feature certain teams and the magic number is three. Three teams will be the “Featured Teams” that the audience will get to know and either love or hate. Of course other teams will be shown on camera since we all interact with each other and how you race against each other. We also intend to continue our flag to flag coverage on Fox Sports Network so between the two shows, we should have plenty of media coverage for 2009. I can’t tell you about the channel yet but it’s a MAJOR Cable channel in about 100 million homes with an easily recognizable name.
At this the Production Company is requesting demo tapes from the teams in order to pick the three teams to be covered. If you are interested in being one of the three featured teams, please see the PDF File. http://ossracing.homestead.com/H20casting5sm.pdf
Where TV goes, sponsors follow. OSS has contracted with a professional sport marketing company to secure sponsors for OSS and its sites and teams. If you would like more information about having them look for sponsorship for your team too, please give me a call.
With a little luck and some more hard work, everything will fit into place and 2009 will be the best year of OSS racing yet. We look forward to having you be a part of it. Also consider what the TV will show and the image we want to portray, so please consider getting new race uniforms and team casual wear. Look your best this year, present the right image and with a like luck we’ll go into 2010 with a whole new fan following, sponsors at all levels and a bright future toward of goal of making racing a profitable venture for the race teams.
Finally, look for the 2008 race from Orange Beach on Fox Sports Network (FSN) at 3pm both 12/19 and 12/24 so you can enjoy Christmas Eve with family, friends and OSS racing. More info will follow as the date gets closer.
Have a happy and healthy Holiday Season,
Ron Polli
President
Offshore Super Series
732 552 0669
Hard work is finally paying off and it looks like Offshore Racing may finally be reaching the next level as a professional motorsport. During this past season, OSS worked to make its racing series into more of a show for the fans. We fully realize that OSS is first and foremost a racing series, but for the communities that host our events, we are entertainment that brings thousands of race fans to the waterfront to witness a spectacle of speed and excitement. For this reason, you saw two new additions to our race program during the 2008 season: Heat Racing and Pro/Am racing.
Heat Racing is the future of our races. We’ll do it whenever possible in 2009, but locations like Biloxi, Lake of the Ozarks and more come to mind. For the racers, it gives them a second chance to nail the setup, for the fans, it gives them two Starts to watch. It’s basically one race with an hour long pit-stop. Heat Racing definitely adds to the excitement of OSS Racing for everyone involved both on and off the water. And for the first time, support crews come into play during a race.
During the 2008 season, OSS opened the rule book to allow open cockpit boats to race in a speed bracket format. The OSS scoring system allows us to use average lap speeds to calculate break out speeds. The four classes have average speeds of 65, 75, 85 and 95 miles per hour. Anything faster than that requires a canopy and needs to run in one of our other classes. We look forward to expanding our Pro/Am series in 2009.
During 2008 we also announced that OSS would adopt the Power to Weight rules that the P1 series in Europe developed over the last few years. These two classes will allow for any engine and any drive combination without speed restriction. It’s a powerful combination that is sure to bring out some new boats and some older hulls that need more power to be competitive. The Power to Weight rules are now on the www.offshoresuperseries.com web site under the racer resources tab. These two classes will be offered in Biloxi and beyond. Our Vee class will become the open canopy class capable of 85 MPH average lap speeds. The canopied class will be called Super Vee and will be for boats that can run about 110 MPH. The Extreme Vee class remains for boats with huge power.
Moving into 2009, in an effort to make our racing classes more distinctive, each boat will carry a color on their bow to signify the class that they race in. This is being done to help the fans distinguish between classes while they are racing within each other. See the 2009 OSS Rule Book, all changes will be in red. New Rules will be out on January 16th.
In 2009 we plan to work to with other organizations as much as possible to raise the overall quality of our events. This year we enjoyed racing with the inflatable APBA class boats, HORBA and The Florida Powerboat Club in Sunny Isles Beach. In 2009 we’ll look to do joint events with them again and we’ll try and bring in a Pro Beach Volleyball Tour as well. It’s all part of making the weekend more enjoyable for our fans.
We developed a schedule for 2009 that includes some old favorites and some new ones. So get your boats ready early, the season starts early this year. Starting a little early gave us the chance to properly timing of the races, giving the racers time to regroup between events.
March 27 - 29 – Biloxi – The home of OSS racing – this site has what is needed to support the heat racing format.
April 17 – 19 – Clearwater – A new site for 2009 and hopefully many years thereafter. Heat racing will work here.
May 15 – 17 – Lake Cumberland KY – This is the party capital of the Ohio Valley region. Expect thousands of houseboats to line the racecourse.
June 12 – 14 – Sunny Isles Beach and the Run to Bimini and back – 22 boats made the Bimini run last year, how many will join them in 2009? Possible Heat Racing
July 23 – 26 – The Al Copeland Memorial Race – You don’t want to miss this party!!! – Great spot for Heat Racing.
August 14 – 16 – Orange Beach and the sunny sands where it feels like coming home. Also the place we started Heat Racing.
September 25 – 27 – Lake of the Ozarks – and back to the Horny Toad for another round of double points National Championship Racing. Definite Heat Racing.
October 19 – 25 - West Palm Beach / Jupiter FL for the OSS World Championships – Back in the Ocean where it belongs.
Now for the big news. After three years of filming, editing and negotiating, the Reality TV show that has been developed around the OSS race teams has finally been given a green light for a pilot. There’s one final hurdle to overcome in early February. We are hopeful that the pilot will result in a commitment for eight episodes, one per 2009 race. The producers are hard at work in Los Angeles right now and feel very confident with their progress at this point. If all goes as planned, the shows will air as a weekly series starting in the fall of 2009.
This show will benefit OSS and all of its race teams directly or indirectly, however to make it into a compelling TV show it must feature certain teams and the magic number is three. Three teams will be the “Featured Teams” that the audience will get to know and either love or hate. Of course other teams will be shown on camera since we all interact with each other and how you race against each other. We also intend to continue our flag to flag coverage on Fox Sports Network so between the two shows, we should have plenty of media coverage for 2009. I can’t tell you about the channel yet but it’s a MAJOR Cable channel in about 100 million homes with an easily recognizable name.
At this the Production Company is requesting demo tapes from the teams in order to pick the three teams to be covered. If you are interested in being one of the three featured teams, please see the PDF File. http://ossracing.homestead.com/H20casting5sm.pdf
Where TV goes, sponsors follow. OSS has contracted with a professional sport marketing company to secure sponsors for OSS and its sites and teams. If you would like more information about having them look for sponsorship for your team too, please give me a call.
With a little luck and some more hard work, everything will fit into place and 2009 will be the best year of OSS racing yet. We look forward to having you be a part of it. Also consider what the TV will show and the image we want to portray, so please consider getting new race uniforms and team casual wear. Look your best this year, present the right image and with a like luck we’ll go into 2010 with a whole new fan following, sponsors at all levels and a bright future toward of goal of making racing a profitable venture for the race teams.
Finally, look for the 2008 race from Orange Beach on Fox Sports Network (FSN) at 3pm both 12/19 and 12/24 so you can enjoy Christmas Eve with family, friends and OSS racing. More info will follow as the date gets closer.
Have a happy and healthy Holiday Season,
Ron Polli
President
Offshore Super Series
732 552 0669