SHARKEY-IMAGES

I will be attending both. If the damn bickering would only stop, there might be a chance at saving this sport from total distruction. They can both survive with or without each other. They don't need to trash each other. Racing is racing no matter what water you are in. Let's just see some peace for a change and it just may better the sport and attract more sponsors. Just my 50 cents worth.

Kent Perroux

boatinjoe, I believe APBA's shedule was in concrete before SBI's on most accounts if not all, so you comment is a bit biased.

SBI and APBA never really competed before. Their venues, courses and general racing conditions have been very different. (especially thier Superboat class). Many people races both sanctions. Now it looks like the new Force/SBI thing is trying to be a joint venture to compete directly against APBA. At least that's the way things are starting to look.

I am not a racer, but I am an active spectator. I will go to the APBA races because I like head to head racing; much more exiting to watch.

boatinjoe

Kent how is the Sarasota vs Savannah scheduling biased? Sarasota has run for how many years? Once again my contention is Savannah won't happen at least not downtown the river simply isn't wide enough. Maybe off of Tybee Island but not downtown. The race could have been scheduled the week before the 4th of July. That would have been OK with Savannah, why the conflict?
The FORCE Series is an existing series of the OPBRA. They asked APBA to sanction along with APBA. If SBI says yes and APBA no then who's fault. I would love both sides to get together a combined race would be awsome!

Kent Perroux

Sarasota was officially "OFF", for (unknown reasons) until the new group that Steve David put together worked a plan to put a race on in Sarasota for the same weekend. The Georgia race had already been announced (And I would bet a signed contract) before the new group announced they would set up a race in Sarasata.

A combined SBI/APBA race? Don't think so. SBI and APBA are two different animals; you have two sets of rules, two sets of officials, several of the boats that race in Manuf. Class at SBI would be disqualified in APBA, and who would control the race? Racers from APBA would be at a significant disadventage. The most profitable option for both SBI and APBA, is to be two distinct entities segregating the market. SBI courting the "money is no object" group, and APBA courting the closely controlled racing. They would not be cannibalizing from one group to another. Many people already know that boat racing is not a very profitable venture. Even Fountain, seen his stocks lately? Unless one body was aborbed by the other body, rules were made into one, a joint race would not be condusive to a friendly atmosphere (in my opinion).

Hauling Trash

i like that. mjh

Gordo

Back to the big show with APBA !!!
and in a Super V light no less...
<Gordo, grinnin like a big dawg...>

Ted Zoli

APBA

Critical Lift SCL/ob3

rwilson

Watching ABPA! No SBI races on the West(BEST) Coast. I think they're scared of the REAL swells... Miami is nothing compared to the SF Bay

DanL

I'll be in driving and throttling in Daytona. Blue Lightning is having the boat balanced, re-rigged and mostly gone through in FtLauderdale this winter. I'll also be running the P class if I can get a decent driver, in my 41 apache race boat.

Kent Perroux

DanL, Daytona will be an perfect for the Apache.. Last year wicked. Looking forward to seeing it run.