American Power Boat Association develops new Watercraft racing division

[HRTV]

EASTPOINTE, MICH. Jan. 23 - The American Power Boat Association (APBA) officially announced today that the APBA would once again sanction PWC racing events in the United States. The new APBA Personal Watercraft Racing (PWR) program is something that has been in the works for several months now. The APBA has worked extensively on the development of this new division to manage and market the sport of watercraft racing in the United States and service the current U.S. promoters and racers.

The American Power Boat Association (APBA) is a governing body for power boat racing in the United States. With more than 5,000 members throughout the world, APBA sanctions 200 events each year for just about any motorized watercraft imaginable, from Unlimited Hydroplanes to rough riding Stock Outboard boats, to maneuverable Super Light Tunnel Boats. In 2003, APBA events were broadcast on more than 50 nationally televised shows on Speed Channel, The Outdoor Channel, Fox Sports Net and other national and worldwide sports networks. Last year, APBA celebrated its 100-year anniversary.

The APBA is not new to sanctioning personal watercraft races. The APBA, together with some of the best promoters in the country, sanctioned and promoted the first all-brand watercraft races between 1988 and 1993. Events, including the Yamaha Hot Water Tour, Busch World Cup and Ford Great Lakes Challenge Series, were just a few of the successful APBA PWR events. The new APBA PWR program will become the 14th category of APBA racing. The APBA PWR program will be run out of APBA National Headquarters, which is located in Eastpointe, Michigan - a suburb of metropolitan Detroit.

The APBA PWR category will concentrate exclusively on the business and complexities of regional and professional watercraft racing in the United States. The vision for the APBA PWR category is to be the premier provider of watercraft racing content in the world, providing a fair and stable environment for competitors, and managing the commercial development of the sport in a manner that continuously improves the economic environment for all stakeholders. The APBA PWR program will organize and assist its racing promoters, enforce the rules of competition in the United States and determine class structure for the races in the United States. It will also explore new markets for racing and plans for the long-term success of the sport by attracting more fans and sponsors.

"The American Power Boat Association (APBA) is extremely excited about personal watercraft racing returning under the APBA sanction", said Gloria Urbin, APBA Executive Administrator. "We are confident that the APBA, together with the new APBA PWR staff, will be able to professionally manage the sport of personal watercraft racing. We look forward to working with the personal watercraft racing community, and working toward advancing the sport of personal watercraft racing as a professional sports property".

Patrick Mell, a current IJSBA and AWA event promoter, as well as a previous APBA employee, has been hired by the APBA to organize and manage the new APBA PWR division. Additional PWR staff members will be added in the near future to service the members and promoters, develop marketing programs, and search for out-of-industry support for the sport. "I am very excited to work with the APBA once again", said Patrick Mell. "They are a professional organization and I look forward to being able to use their resources and guidance to help promote the sport. We have a lot of work ahead of us to turn the sport around. To accomplish this, it will take all the promoters, racers, aftermarket manufacturers, and OEM's working together with a positive attitude. We, as a group, need to work together to turn the sport around and get it moving in a positive direction."

The APBA has been elected by the outgoing IJSBA Board of Directors to serve as the United States representative on the newly created IJSBA Transition Coordinating Committee consisting of 10 international sanctioning bodies. The APBA is proud to serve on this Committee and work with these international affiliates on the future direction of our sport. The APBA is following the proper IJSBA procedures, and has submitted the international affiliate application to the IJSBA, which is currently being reviewed.

For 2004, the APBA PWR program will allow racing in the United States to continue just as it has in the past. The top priority of the APBA PWR program is to finalize the insurance program for the regional race promoters, set up the staff and offices at APBA National Headquarters, and finalize the membership program to effectively service the promoters and racers. The APBA will adopt the IJSBA rulebook, however, APBA will set up its own Rules Committee and Advisory Board to look out for the best interest of the riders and promoters in the United States. Due to timing issues, for 2004, a Committee will be set up that will consist of a group made up of APBA PWR promoters and the APBA supporting watercraft manufacturers. The main objectives of this Committee will be to determine the 2004 U.S. regional racing classes, how U.S. National Championships will be determined, and evaluate event and marketing opportunities that can be organized for the 2004 season. A new Rules Committee, similar to the American Motorcycle Association (AMA), will be put in place by the end of July 2004, which will consist of promoters, aftermarket manufacturers, OEM's and racers. A separate Advisory Board will be set up to explore marketing opportunities and ways to advance the sport as a professional sports property.

"There are many questions that people may have about the new APBA PWR program, many for which we do not have the answers to right now", said Patrick Mell. "The details of the program being worked on right now, and more information on the APBA PWR program will be announced soon. The good news is that you can be assured that there will be racing next year and we will all be able to get together and have fun participating in the sport we love." A new web site is also under construction for the APBA PWR division and it should be up and running in a few weeks.

[HRTV]

Ok guys this pisses me off !! how come APBA has never put this type of effort into Stock Outboard racing etc.. any thoughts ?

The division is going to get there own web site etc.. this does not set very good with me :mad:

[crankbearing]

Hey Dan,

Do the PWC;s not meet EPA requirements. Something has to pay the fees if were not here to do it in 2006.

Regards,

[HRTV]

Hey Dave I think everyone better wake up becuase this is not just a small move by the APBA but a major ! news topic and I for one am very pissed that all of sudden they have these huge plans for marketing etc. when the average Joe you ask on the street has no idea what a Stock Outboard rig is. Wake up people !

Can someone tell me why this was never done for Stocks ?

"The American Power Boat Association (APBA) is extremely excited about personal watercraft racing returning under the APBA sanction", said Gloria Urbin, APBA Executive Administrator. "We are confident that the APBA, together with the new APBA PWR staff, will be able to professionally manage the sport of personal watercraft racing. We look forward to working with the personal watercraft racing community, and working toward advancing the sport of personal watercraft racing as a professional sports property".

Wow !! what a F------ shame this type of effort could never be put into Stocks ! But now everyone at APBA is so **** excited !

[HRTV]

My point exactly Brandt this is worst then a slap in the face !

[888race]

i'm sure 14-h in do time will responed with the correct awnser
thanks paul:o

[CSR4C]

Check out the IJSBA web site http://ijsba.com/ijsba/index.cfm It my help read between the lines.

[Brian10s]

Guys,

I agree with Paul. Cooler heads need to prevail, for the short term at least. While I understand both your issues and I'm sure everyone on Hydroracer would agree that Dan could use some APBA $ (as could other sites) to help with Hydroracer, I don't think this is the slap that it might seem.

But if you step back and look at this, there are major sponsors and manufactures for watercraft. There are major $$$$ in these. Not to mention there is one in almost every garage. People already know about jet ski's and waver runners.
Look at it as APBA is getting in on the ground floor of what might be on the X games in a couple of years. Think about the snowcross stuff that was just on. Depending on what comes out of this, the PWR might become bigger than the offshore, unlimited or OPC. Heck, they might make so much money for APBA that the rest of us get a discount. Who Knows.

Someone was going to take over PWR sometime soon. If this will help us (Kneeldowners), and I hope it will, then why not give it a chance.

As for kneeldown racing, until we can take a guy down to a "racing" store and there he can pick out a boat, motor, prop, equipment & trailer and have a map of a race site in his area that will have racing every weekend, it is hard to compete with a waverunner.
If some of this can help us out , then why not try it. Like what about a joint saction race or a club that is 1/2 kneeldown and 1/2 pwr. That isn't as far out there as you think.

Just some ideas,

Brian

[Geezeracer]

As for kneeldown racing, until we can take a guy down to a "racing" store and there he can pick out a boat, motor, prop, equipment & trailer and have a map of a race site in his area that will have racing every weekend, it is hard to compete with a waverunner.

Absolutely!...I think you have to take the step to hook up with popular toys that bear relationship to what we do. and build on the relationship to improve our own strengths.

In boat racing, I grew up in a world of "Us and Them" and always thought that stuff hurt us. Starting in inboards, I heard a constant stream of complaint about those noisy little outboards, though my getting lured into the Samammish Slough race (probably the most fun I've ever had) negated that thought in me. And in outboards I've heard the outbursts about arrogant inboarders, thankfully quieted since we've begun sharing a few race dates here, and each side finds that in the end we're all just racers and good guys.

We need to bring in PWC and learn from them to improve our lot. I've seen local events and they're pretty good shows, with support and sponsorship. Last time APBA had a shot at them they blew it by not supporting the customer. Maybe this time they'll get it right, and we can benefit from the connection and additional membership strength, and can change a few aspects of our racing to encourage open commercial interest.

John

[Fast Freddie]

The PWR press release is not bad news, it is good news.

Basically, IJSBA has closed its doors. The successful PWR racing series became available. One of the PWR event promoters, a former APBA PWR promoter, Patrick Mell, has gotten the IJSBA to turn over operation of the USA events to him. Patrick Mell is now the promoter of the PWR category, under license to APBA. These events will now be APBA-sanctioned! The riders will be APBA members!

There will be no APBA money spent on PWR that isn't created by PWR. Patrick has sponsors and race sites and a fully functioning racing series that he is bringing into APBA. He is even renting office space at APBA HQ, which will lower our overhead. This adds a large number of members to the APBA family, and we should greet them with open arms.

As Brian points out, this could reduce the cost for all of us.

I hope this helps answer a few questions. Now for a question of my own: David Scott is trying to make "new" engines and parts available for stock outboard racing. He is constantly having to beg for orders so he can have the parts made. So, if the SO members really are asking why money isn't being spent on SO, why aren't we helping the individuals who have spent money to make parts for them?

Fred Hauenstein

[stu_racing]

it may be a good move but i don't see much good out of it
i know here in brockville for the inboard races they brought the PWR's in for the first year and it was a bust. no one could figure out what was going on half the time and they were only put out when it was too rough for the inboards to run. everyone loved the inboards in comparison to these things.
i agree that there are pre existing problems within already existing divisions in apba that could have used that money for development or even someone to put together professional proposals to major sponsors. if someone went to yamaha or some company that could put together as many motors for different divisions within apba that would do better for all of us. maybe this is their version of my own idea but i highly doubt it. right now they have a one track mind.
i think what would have really benefitted everyone would have been 30 minute to an hour show on tsn, espn, and /or speed network about all the racing apba has to offer. all the people see on tv is the expensive stuff that apba runs. well if we put that stuff and video clips of the stuff that never hits the tv then people will actually see there's a way to get from their couch to a big unlimited.
i personally just sent in a proposal to a teen oriented canadian television show about stock outboard racing and how its great. but the main things they said they are interested in are :
1. it is family oriented
2. it can be used as a gate way to the unlimited class.
that gateway from amature to pro really appeals to people. so having an entire collection put together of apba could turn a few heads in my mind.
even when the inboards were shown on tsn regularly during the early 90's they never showed the link between grand prix to unlimited, even though they did show the link between 2.5 litre and grand prix. they also did not show that most of boat racing in north america is connected through apba and cbf

so i guess what i'm trying to say is that there is a lot better things they could of invested in to benefit all the other classes instead of an entire new category of racing.

[Abbott Racing]

Fred, I first off have to agree that dave Scott is doing a valiant job at saving the DSH class, by doing all he can to resurrect parts.

But I think the bigger concern is getting the APBA PR machine to jump on board, and help out. APBA has clout to talk with Mercury, OMC, Yamaha etc.... to pull together a racing motor deal. The right marketing can make the new engines available. I'm currently working with a few others on a CBF venture to pull together a motor/tower/lower unit together to put a new engine together. This would be so much easier if our sanctioning bodies were behind us and worked things through with us.

I'm sure a simple Nascar team didn't walk up to Dodge and asked them to help with a car. I beleive it was Nascar who went courting Dodge.

Stock outboard racing has always been the lifeblood of racing, the J program is a credit to Mr. Dawe and the team for keeping it going. The new kids in the sport inject new blood into stock racing. Efforts to combine classes etc.... injects more numbers in the classes to keep old racers in the loop. If we lose Stock racing we lose the history and heritage of what made APBA what it is today.

[CSH12M]

Cmon everyone calm down....

People have to be kidding me if they thing their is a APBA PR machine or even a marketing program!!

Trust me APBA did not go out and court PWC.....they have been up to their butt in a law suit until a few days ago. APBA is a bunch of 9-5 people with real jobs. I swear the majority of racers think their is some fully staffed organization who are just ignoring my category for kicks.

Stocks get as much attention as they deserve. As does every other category. The budget was given at the meeting last year S.O. is not missing out on any APBA Marketing dollars, as their are none.

I am guessing PWC was having a hard time making it as a "stand alone" organization, they have not been on T.V. nearly as much in the last few years. APBA probably saw an oppourtunity to gain another category of water racing and jumped on it. THIS WILL BE GOOD FOR ALL OF US!!!! Our insurance is partially based on the number of event we have. This could mean potentially lower cost insurance for all of us. if nothing else the cost is spread over more people and you have additional membership funds. Maybe someday APBA can grow enough to have a Marketing budget and a manager to run it!

APBA is doing a great job considering it is a volunteer organization. Take a look at race cost over the last ten years. I have just produced a presentation for the annual mtg. It cost more for sanctions and insurance for an event in 1991 than it does for 2004. The cost have actually gone down!! Your membership has only risen $40 in ten years. You get what you pay for and you get back what you put in. If you want a new motor go build one, or find one, no one says you can not make a contact or phone call on behalf of APBA. All you have to do is ask, I have requested permission a few times to contact a company representing APBA and have never been denied.

If you want a web stie build one, if you want equipment figure out how to get it, if you want a marketing program execute it. Don't ask APBA to do it for you as they are primarily made up of a bunch of 9-5 like you and I.

DONT ASK WHAT APBA CAN GIVE YOU, ASK WHAT YOU CAN GIVE BACK TO APBA!!

From my soap box,
Dean Sutherland
Proud APBA number 8738!

[Joe J]

I cannot see why people would view this as a negative thing. This will put APBA in every store that sells PWC's. Most of us also go into these stores from time to time, so maybe this will help us get our own forms of boat racing out to the general public.

If this draws people to APBA as a whole, who knows where it will lead.

Joe

[Greg Jacobsen]

The membership numbers that PWC racing will bring to APBA will only help our credibility in the marketplace. In addition, APBA will benefit from the marketing that PWC racing can give to all of us. Patrick Mell is really a good guy and knows what he is doing - just having him in the office will prove beneficial to all categories of racing - he is a professional!

I believe Fred Hauenstein 100% when he say's that the money spent on PWC within APBA will come from there activities. This folks is the way it has been for so many years in APBA. From a financial perspective - this can only benefit the S/Mod/Pro categories.

The benefits and marketing opprotunities of this union are unlimited. The Prop Tour had joint sanctioned events with PWC that brought new fans and sponsorship opprotunities to both sports. Maybe you can schedule a PWC race to help with the cost of a struggling local event. Maybe Kawasaki would have and interest in providing a powerhead for use in S/Mod/Pro. Maybe they will buy and Ad on this site to help with its funding - who knows.

Let's give it a chance and welcome these new members into APBA with a positive outlook - and trust those in power to protect all of our interests.

Greg Jacobsen

[form-e one]

apba has been doing this crap to us average joe boat racer along time guys wake up...hence aof....think about it...

[David_L6]

Originally posted by Fast Freddie
Now for a question of my own: David Scott is trying to make "new" engines and parts available for stock outboard racing. He is constantly having to beg for orders so he can have the parts made. So, if the SO members really are asking why money isn't being spent on SO, why aren't we helping the individuals who have spent money to make parts for them?

Fred Hauenstein



Originally posted by Abbott Racing
Fred, I first off have to agree that dave Scott is doing a valiant job at saving the DSH class, by doing all he can to resurrect parts.


These hit a tender spot with me! (This is not directed towards Fred Hauenstein or Abbott Racing.)

First: Dave is not only trying to help D stock with 44XS parts, he is trying to help the 25XS class also.

Phil McDaniels has had parts made in the past that didn't sell very well. Some of that could have been due to people (like me) not knowing he had done so. I didn't know that he had 1:1 gears until he put them on sale. All I knew about was the 13:14 gears.

We need to help the guys that are trying to help us! D Mod racers: buy a prop shaft or a drive shaft or something to help Dave get the orders together. Stock racers: buy a spare something! - preferably a whole motor. The "antiquers" that are here: Same thing goes for yall - buy something from the guys that are trying to help! Dave and Phil don't have the resources of Brunswick. Same goes for Tom and the Hot Rod parts. If you think you'll ever need it, buy it now. Don't make those guys sit on the thousands of dollars worth of inventory that they had to order to get the price somewhere near reasonable where as racers would have only a few hundred dollars each sitting around.

To the guys that still fool around with the 20/40/60 cubic inch Merc motors: Phil can have pistons made at a reasonable price. They would be something like .060 over. Instead of sitting around hoping that a set of .015 or .030 over Mercury pistons hits eBay someday, order a set of these from Phil. That helps out a lot more people than just you.

Dave needs to get orders in for 44XS flywheels and drive shafts. Don't sit around thinking that you'll never need those just because you're running C stock and your kid is running J. What if someday you or your kid wants to run D stock, but there aren't any parts available? What if you decide to race D mod, but can't find the parts you need to get it together because Mercury quit building the parts years ago? (Dammit, if I'd only bought some of those D stock parts... :( )

Think ahead.

[David Weaver]

THE PWC people ran with us before and quickly went on their own way. Really very little similarities with their sport and ours. The only viable concern I see if is the PWC category were to take control of APBA by "running an election". Of course this would require a considerable effort on their part to get organized and get their participants to vote. This is something that none of the other categories has been very good at.

I agree with Dean's comments. We need to continue to push our own categories into the new century and APBA will follow.

As to APBA's backing of this board, I hope that does not happen. I would not wish this board to lose its objectivity.

[Dave M]

If you want to promote Stock racing, go do it. PWC has someone working for them, promotingit, going getting the sponsors. Stock does not such a person, neither does Mod. FORGET Merc, OMC, or any other outboard manufacturer, they are out fo rthe big bucks, instead you should go after fast food chains, hotel chains, beer, soda, dept. stores, convience stores, etc. The motor factories really don't care a bout investing into stock or Mod, so why bother promoting them ?

Now I can't blame APBA for what they did, but I am also not to happy about it, because I know it will take away from the coverage outboarders get, face it, the money makers get front page. Offshore first, next PWC. Give it a few years, it will end up the same way.

Just my 3 cents worth.

[Geezeracer]

Now I can't blame APBA for what they did, but I am also not to happy about it, because I know it will take away from the coverage outboarders get, face it, the money makers get front page. Offshore first, next PWC. Give it a few years, it will end up the same way.

What coverage could they take away? For the most part that I can see everybody just wants to have fun racing their boat and really aren't concerned about coverage or promotion unless the racing stops or gets too expensive.

I think we could get the interest and support of manufacturers and media if we really tried, but that would require tailoring our racing to appeal to casual fans, and working to get the average guy interested so manufacturers can use us as a sales tool. We can get all the media attention we want as well, but that means some will have to do less racing and lots of writing and contact work...And they'll have to be reliable and feed information and reports on a timely basis instead of three days after the event...If ever.

The only advantage the PWC folks have is that their toys come from a competitive market where manufacturers want to look like the hot ticket. Perhaps if we ran a standard foot and tower and allowed a variety of powerheads of a given power range and adjusted through something like restriction to let racers pick, manufacturers might see us the same way. I don't think PWCs are nearly the threat to us that we are, all by ourselves, from our own apathy.

John

[deverhart1]

Guys and gals
We all work hard to race. Some work harder to help put on races. I think that this can only help us with exposure. I have worked real hard to run antique pro C serv and Crace for 13 years and can tell everyone out there that when you have no real supply for parts and have to build them yourself it seems to be more fun when something really works at a race. I hear a lot of crying and moaning about all kinds of complaints but I can tell you that you need to help yourself because no one else is being paid to do that. Look in the mirror and figure a way out to help not complain and things will look better this summer when you are out there turning left very fast.
Thanks for letting me blow
D Everhart S52:)

[Dr. Thunder]

Note to John et al... right on target with your last post. Contrary to the opinions of some APBA Racing does have marketability ... you just have to understand your market. Stock and Mod racers (as John points out) really, for the most part don't care about promotion. They just wanna have fun ... go racing. And that's not bad. But it doesn't mean you can't fine a public for your product. Were talking "grassroots" "sportsman racing" or however you want to label it. Look at the locales where we hold our races ... it looks like we take pages out of the Wal-Mart store placement strategy book in finding race venues. Maybe we (APBA) can cobble some kind of promotional relationship with Wal-Mart ... how about the "Wal-Mart Dr. Thunder Soda Presents the APBA Nationals" :D

On the Pro category side we need only to look at the USTS format for a highly marketable commodity within APBA .. ride the coatails of that for a few years ... promote "big time" Professioanl Outboard Racing ... big crowds ... big sponsorships ... racing classifications that the general public can understand ... fast ... noisy ... a formula for success if ever there was one.

Use some cross branding between PWC events, Stock/Mod events and the Pro races. Ah well, one can only dream ... but with a few dedicated individuals all pushing in the same direction who knows what might happen.

Just my two cent opinion ... for what its worth.