Top Banana

Richie...I was talking to Harry Schoell yesterday and we were going over the same old ground....old days vs new. But Harry had a very revealing comment about how different the new days are.

When we raced, say way back in the early days.....a 70 MPH boat speed gave you the water hitting you at 70 PSI (Pounds Square Inch). It could hurt, but you could shake it off.

Today a boat that goes 200 MPH, has the water hitting them at 588 PSI. It could peel the skin off you in a milisecond. Ouch!

Chris Sunkin

Old days- One sanctioning body, a few simple classes, consistent rules. And what an entertaining bunch of charachters- real people.

Today- How many sanctioning bodies? How many non-cross-compatible classes? And the rules?

I used to love watching the big boys race and I loved competing locally in my own small-potatoes way. Now, I couldn't tell you enough about the organizations, the classes or the racers to fill a teacup. And that's sad.

Phil M

Richie, Chris, Charlie, all so right - Racing was Racing then - and a great group of people. I got out when I realized it was breaking up - a shame too - I started with a simple idea, cheap camera, and built it up to where I had what a major Network or Studio had - I reinvested every penny to make the product better. No sponsors for me - just reinvested constantly. I too miss the old days - Miss many friends some who have left us too - At least some of us have some films to watch - as for myself - no one would even know me except for a Cameo appearance in my last film - 8 seconds - If any of you want it - I still have it on DVD - the 1996 Key West Worlds, which I did for Ohio Steel. Was great knowing you all - PHIL

Top Banana

Oh no...don't pull that modesty crap with those of us who can still remember.....Take a look at the Bushmills tape....you were doing all the interviews, you let the drivers get an answer in every now and then, to keep it entertaining.

You old fart, you better be at the reunion and bring your camera.

Airpacker

I personally think that the early 90's were the best years for Key West. Amazing number of boats racing. Some heck of an interesting crowd as well. The dry pits were a spectacle of both people and machinery. I still think fondly of walking thru the pits very very early one Saturday morning after swapping 3 of four powerheads on a friends Shadow cat, half covered in two stroke stink and grease, several beers to the wind and just admiring all the beautiful boats as the sun came up. The support vehicles, cars, bikes, tow rigs, huge service tents with overhead cranes, transport trucks racked full of exotic engines and spare parts galore was almost too much for a greenhorn like me at the time.

I think I was fortunate to have caught the tail end of that era and met some of the legends of the sport before it all seemed to just fade away in a fog of sanctioning bodies.


Heck, even the Duval Street 3am crawl was better then. I remember in 93 leaving Sloppy Joes and ending up in a back roads rally on pink scooters with several other racers and crew with the police hot on our tails only to lose them by riding THROUGH an open air market and then hiding out and laughing our arses off. ( the time limit is up for being charged for that one isn't it? )

Ahhhhh, the good old days

BOBCATMATHEWS

had a few friends at the worlds this year, they asked me who was winning? had to tell them I did not know, too many classes.

Ryan Beckley

You guys are too much....I guess those of us still racing today will never add up to what happened way back when.......I might as well sell my boats now!!!! I looked up to most of the names mentioned before and always wanted to do what they did, now I spend every nickel I have to do it like so many others and you call us a bunch of pansies.....THANKS. Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda, the older you get...the faster you WERE.

Chris Sunkin

I believe that was top fuel drag boats. In one season, something like half the competitors didn't survive the year. Maybe '84? I know Eddie Hill quit that year after a big crash.

There was a period where the cats speeds out-paced their stability and crash-worthiness. Right about that same time.

TOASTY

WOW how about we stop bashing each other, get ourselves situated, get richie a spot on webcasting with sanborn so he continues to feel loved by the new racers and the rest of the human race and we get picked up and sponsered by some real money...instead we make it a pissing contest... paaahlllleassse. here is some homework for you young and old: try to stop thinking negative, i wonder if the big cats in the day were rigged like peters skaters now or the super vs then rigged like the 38 bad boy or outerlimits now...?? they are all great- get over yourselves. some of these racers today have more F money then anyone but they are all afraid of what is going to happen next...think before you type, b/c we have a bunch of cry babies who can read!

Christian Del Collo
856-904-1961
Bad Boy Powerboats
Sutphen race boat
28 years old

Chris Sunkin

You can take what you want from these comments. I can't speak for anyone else but myself when I say, I didn't go away mad, I just went away.

Any reasonable person with a sense of history will agree- the sport has changed. The boats have changed. They got faster and that cost a whole lot more. That necessitated sponsorship and nobody sees the boats out in the open ocean which necessitated a beach leg and a bay leg on the course. Like Richie alluded to- I've seen rougher Unlimited races. Nothing wrong with Unlimiteds- it's just different.

If you're feeling insulted, you're reading too much into this. The boats today are way cool- so much more than some of the stuff "back then". Sort of like NASCAR vs. Formula One. At the same time, I think you'll agree that having multiple sanctioning bodies and a broad variation of classes hasn't made the sport all that friendly to the spectator. Nor is is very friendly to someone who has invested the better part of a million bucks in a boat he can no longer use because of rule changes. Lastly, if you want to be associated with a gladiator-style sport it isn't going to happen running in sight of the beach.