Ron P

Jim, welcome to OSO and thanks for posting your comments. Your thoughts are well founded and what is needed in this sport. However, change needs to happen from the top down, not the bottom up. Your brother did a great job of bringing people together last year. This year I feel the loss of his leadership.

Your comment about the branches of the armed services working together doesn't seem to apply here (I wish it did). The US armed forces work together for a common goal, whereas the racing groups don't seem to have any sort of working relationship or common shared goal.

I believe if just these two items would occur, harmony would prevail.

1. Hold a summit, right after the Worlds. SBI/OPA/OSS should try to pick race dates that don't conflict with each other, allowing teams to do some cross racing if they choose to.
2. Hold a joint - unified World Championship in Key West each year. Letting each group have a turn at running the show from year to year.

If each group would realize that the other isn't going to go away, and some mutual respect shown, I believe you'd see things would turn around very quickly.

I personally don't believe that everyone needs to get together under one flag...as long as we all get together in Key West and race for a unified World Title.

If you recall, last year, harmony reigned through the entire season as everyone looked forward to racing together in Key West. That's what the sport is about, and that's why 97 boats showed up in Key West last year. It was AWESOME!!!

Thanks for posting your comments, your heart is in the right place.

paintkahuna

Jim, love your post. I wish there were more people like you and your brother that cared for the sport as much as both of you. I hope you get driver of the year. It will be tuff to beat out the stunt driver that Mitch Miller hired for the Miami Vice movie. He was incredible, but you definitely got my second place vote, or at least rookie of the year.

Good luck at the The Real Worlds

cuda

I'm not a racer, but I am a fan. I still don't understand why one racer cares where another racer races. If you are happy with your organization, why would you care about another? Let people race with whichever group they want, and don't try to tell another organization how they "should" run it. I used to attend several races a year, but the last couple of years, it's been real hard to get pumped up about racing with so much bickering going on. Many times, these arguments sound like a bunch of second graders arguing over who's daddy can beat up who.

Like my momma taught me, if you can't say something nice.......................

Xtremeracing

Cuda , I agree it is what it is and thats not going to change !!!
SBI/APBA WORLDS CHAMPIONSHIP is in KW same as late year.
OSS WORLDS in St.Pete

Both races will be great, and every team has its own reasons to race where they decide.
Speaking as a racer we are excited and looking forward to 3 great days of racing. With 70-80 boats exspected it should make for some really exciting deck to deck racing. KW is the high light of our year and what we work so far for.
I wish everyone the best of luck no matter where u race, because the bottom line we are still all racers and doing what we love to do.

TYPHOON

OSS really, honestly tried that. All we wanted was the same deal as last year and as agreed. We were disinvited, told that our racers had to join SBI & UIM, race two races, pay lots of $$$$ and whatnot. Finally OSS recieved a letter from thier lawyer telling OSS to remove Key West from their website. They did. They removed themselves totally by unanimous vote. This thread is called "enough is enough" .. it is. If they don't want us at thier party we wont come Simple as that

Xtremeracing

Randy,

Good luck in St. Pete be safe.

adrenalineracing

Hey Jim,

Good to see your name on here. Had a great time racing with you guys last year and some good laughs. Say hi to everyone and good luck in your racing.

Ken Bowen
Adrenaline Racing