MANITIE

Craig.....exactly.....there is no benifit at all especaly when that money would have to come from the OPA race teams prize money...the same guys that have join into the OPA family and has made it this big so fast....its good to have a president that knows a class 6 team with no money is just as important then a million dollor team...

MANITIE

Jim...glad to see you back buddy....you already have 2 to 3 F1 boats now in SBI/APBA....it would be great to see you guys back and bring back a great class.....there are at least 5 or 6 additional F1 boats out there right now that could jump in....

AB From Windsor

As a race fan I have to agree. I was upbeat about the United We Race thing and have seen some great races in 2007 and was really looking forward to 2008. But after what I have read here today are things going back to where they were. I also know nothing about the inner workings of the org.s other then what I read here and what I have seen at some races. I really don't care what you call yourself OPA, OSS,SBIP/APBA,OPS and POPRA etc. you are all racers no matter what org you race in. Each and everyone of the org. must sit down together and work this out now before it starts to fall apart and everyone is back at square one again. Racers will get fed up and quite and so will the race fans. I'm not blaming any one person or org but you are all equally a vital part of the future of this sport. In other words it's future is now in each and everyone of your hands. Choose your next moves very carefully, there is a lot riding on it. No person is a god but one and it ain't any of you. Also from a spectator's view more boats are always better then less. It makes for much more excitement watching a large group of boats racing at once then a few boats.

MANITIE

You will never get all racers to race in one schedule.....more then 60% of the racers can not make the trips it would require to run one National schedule...to have 2 main Orgs like OPA most races up North and Mich area and SBI/APBA running mostly from N.C. and South is a good schedule....the big money teams like the Pre Series guys have the resorses to travel to any of these sites plus one World Championship, like they did last year....

Who cares what the Org is called....it makes no differance if one is call OPA and the other SBI/APBA....this year OPA and the Pro-Series ran under the SBI/APBA banner for a World Championship..its pretty simple....and if POPRA dose there Series out West and then joins in for the Worlds in K.W. its done......this is not rocket science.....

Have OPA and SBI/APBA....the Pro Series will suport both if wanted..and we all meet up in Key West under the SBI/APBA banner since it is there race site....

Sean H

no org. only has 10 boats.... OSS ran last year with 20 or more canopied, spec class boats every race...

maybe they confused the numbers with some of the SBI races... they had several races with way less than 20 boats that included spec AND p class boats...

and as a fan, i have spent my money traveling and watching the "big boats" for years now... so that is just my opinion on what this fan wants to watch.

MANITIE

Sean....nobody is questioning your loyalty to OSS....but as some OSS racers have said in the past 25 boats in 12 class's is not racing....but even this year OSS has had 21 boats in 8 class's....that 2.5 boats per class.....so is that is racing...it was the OSS racers who have been putting down SBI/APBA for years on there boat count....and one boat racing against itself is not winning a race....well OSS had races with only one boat in it also...

The bottom line is OSS has been invited to join in both OPA and SBI/APBA to race....that is there choise....if they wish to continue with there own schedule....there is not a Org out here thats complaining if they do....some are even incuraging it....and if you as a fan are enjoying that type of racing you should let them know to continue the path there on....

Sean H

so they should join a org that doesnt have classes to fit the boats that those guys have worked so hard on to test and make fast? or they should join the org that has even less boats per class at their races? or join the pro series that 3 or 4 boats show up at some races? slim pickens for the OSS guys it seems...

i am a fan of racing, the numbers or letters don't really matter to me... been to all of them. but don't down play what the OSS teams can bring to the table...

bidpro

Not trying to play anything down, just trying to "back into" a dollar amount that represents "value" putting on a Promoters hat if you will and asking "what is this show really with to me" if I was a Promoter. The $50K should be justifiable, it should not just be a number that is pulled out of the air (or somewhere else). I am simply trying to anchor the number to something that makes sense.

Gregg Reichman

MANITIE

Sean....don't get me wrong.....I'm not telling anyone to do anything....I for one hope OSS continues with there Org and have there own races.....I'm just responding to what OSS wants OPA to do for them....OPA had the highest boat count per class then any other Org.....and its done by keeping the class down....OSS has gone from 4 to 8 class's in 3 year....that's there choise....but if Smity wants to keep his class's down and keep the boat count up.....that's what we all said Offshore needs...not more class's...he has 12 to 14 boat in both class 4 and 5 and 10 in Class 6......

So you mention they want to stay in Spec racing but don't want to race with the Pro Series guys....thats fine....then race with Sbi/APBA....there are 4 STOCK boats racing over there....Super Vees racing over there....SCL racing over there.....the OSS stock teams are already registered for SBI/APBA for 08....along with some of the SCL boats.....
It can't be that bad...becasue teams from OSS race the Worlds there.....

If they don't want to race with SBI/APBA....so be it ...then race with yourselves....OPA and SBI/APBA has open the door to OSS....but you don't also get to come there on your terms....I'm sure you can see that they are not being unreasonable.....you don't always get what you want....and thats how this all started with the boycot.....funny today...JC whos is still running his bussiness with SBI/APBA after 29 years...and now OPA has the biggest boat count in Offshore racing....and both are working together.....I'm not saying its the perfect relationship and I don't know of a lot of perfect bussness relationships.......but I do know they respect each other in what they are doing...

So tell me.....were is the problem in offshore....if there is even one...maybe everyone is happy and we can all race were we want in 08.....

It looks to me like everyone is set for the 08 season....OPA has there schedule out....SBI/APBA has there's....POPRA has theres and the Pro Series are alreay talking on were there going to race and OSS has theres..hell Smitty even offered to help OSS get a race site in Atlantic City...hows that for helping out other Orgs.....everyone is set for the 08 season....maybe we are just blowing this all out of proportion and all ORGS are happy were they are racing this year....

Sean H

i understand your question, especially with the number of boats you were given... i don't think anybody should get a premium to show up, especially if its not their race site.. i was just pointing out accurate boat counts, some people actually believe what they read on here without actually looking things up.... i would like to think that somewhere there is a common ground that you can get bracket racers and the spec racers together once an awhile and let them run their boats the way they were intended. but it appears that is less and less the case all the time.