Reply With QuoteHow damn cool would it be to have a race at Irvine Lake? Better than watching v-drives from the beach.........
well as with everyone else i see problems here though somewhat different than some of the others i' feel i'm a lake racer i hav 500ci 1050cfm carb and 14.25:1cr/ i can't run pump gas & i'm surely not going to run change my engine to comply to these rules but i also dont feel this is a class for blown(etc) anything and as always rules that aren't specific lend to racers trying to bend the rules in their direction but all this is why boat racing has failed as a big time sport to many associations with differnet rules making it impossible to race & be competetive in different assn you may need to look more towards new bracket classes than a name class like skijet etc and if you really want more partcipation you need more venues than just ming more chowchilla and maybe new places like the port of sacramento or camp far west to bring in more racers then start talking about rules etc
How damn cool would it be to have a race at Irvine Lake? Better than watching v-drives from the beach.........
that would drive the spectator turnout through the roof!!!
Not to mention really help on the $$ to compete aspect for all the So. Cal guys
Chris
The problem you have with NJBA is the that it is geared soley towards Jetboats, thus NJBA.
The new board members that have come about are cleaning up the mess of past board members who have ruined the organization. Willis, Mike Doll and Bill Diez are doing a good job of trying to build the club and draw in spectators. In the past, board members only cared about racing thier boats and did not give a crap about the spectators. I personnaly was told by a NJBA board member that he didnt care if there was one person out there watching. Nice way to operate.
Let's look at the new rules.
Any Flatbottom over 145 needs a capsule
Any Hydro over 155 needs a capsule
Any Jet over 145 needs a capsule.
Why not make the Jet mph limit 195? Nobody is gonna run that either. Currently, not 1 jet runs near 145mph so everyone is safe there.
With the Hydros you have countless boats that will over 155. Ooops, there is no sandbagging. So these boats have some quality choices to make.
1) build a different motor and slow the boat way down without sandbagging.
2) Build a capsule $$$$$$$$$$$$
3) QUIT
There are several flats that run over 145 so they have the same options.
The NJBA could have the world by the tail but with the exception of a few refuses to grab it.
If you want solutions to the questions here are some
Allow sanbagging. It is still racing and it requires the equal amount of skill.
The more you can make it like NHRA the better.
Try and find promoters.
Do not allow Board members to be racers (major conflict of interest)
(no disrespect intended Willis or anyone else)
I have lots more to say here but will wait until I get slammed, I mean some feedback
Tony i agree with you on this too i was a new racer but already saw some probs coming up.Its good to willis getting some ideas also to try to improve things.You probably remember the first time i went to watch the races and the first time i raced.There was a drop in boats and it only got worse.The capsule rule i dont agree with many flats are running that 145 range and from talking to some if they have to capsule it they are done also.I know the white boat would have stopped(jims boat)
if it were for a capsule requiremwnt
Originally posted by Jetboatguru
The problem you have with NJBA is the that it is geared soley towards Jetboats, thus NJBA.
The new board members that have come about are cleaning up the mess of past board members who have ruined the organization. Willis, Mike Doll and Bill Diez are doing a good job of trying to build the club and draw in spectators. In the past, board members only cared about racing thier boats and did not give a crap about the spectators. I personnaly was told by a NJBA board member that he didnt care if there was one person out there watching. Nice way to operate.
Let's look at the new rules.
Any Flatbottom over 145 needs a capsule
Any Hydro over 155 needs a capsule
Any Jet over 145 needs a capsule.
Why not make the Jet mph limit 195? Nobody is gonna run that either. Currently, not 1 jet runs near 145mph so everyone is safe there.
With the Hydros you have countless boats that will over 155. Ooops, there is no sandbagging. So these boats have some quality choices to make.
1) build a different motor and slow the boat way down without sandbagging.
2) Build a capsule $$$$$$$$$$$$
3) QUIT
There are several flats that run over 145 so they have the same options.
The NJBA could have the world by the tail but with the exception of a few refuses to grab it.
If you want solutions to the questions here are some
Allow sanbagging. It is still racing and it requires the equal amount of skill.
The more you can make it like NHRA the better.
Try and find promoters.
Do not allow Board members to be racers (major conflict of interest)
(no disrespect intended Willis or anyone else)
I have lots more to say here but will wait until I get slammed, I mean some feedback
I've never agreed with the sandbag rule at all. If a guy wants to let off the throttle for whatever reason, let him do it. Very difficult to let off the throttle and be as accurate as one who tunes to run the number.
But I wonder what your opinion is of the capsule rules...both NJBA and IHBA. You have experience driving either and I would like to know what you think.
Hello everyone,
What I'm going to do is bring all the comments and valid suggestions to the NJBA Board meeting July 13, 2004 and present them with the suggestions the general public made.
The questionnaire will get the members comments and suggestions.
The New class/Bracket may not fly! Adjustments to and existing category/bracket may get adjusted to reflect as many changes as required to keep attendance and racing.
As for publication of the races and dates, I have prepared a form letter to 13 auto parts and boat dealer venders in the Bakersfield area asking them to post a flyer on their counter tops so the customers will have that discount coupon. Each vendor will receive 200 flyers I in tend to print and distribute.
Im trying to take some new ideas to the governing body so we can meet the racers needs as best as we can and remain solvent.
Willis
As far as the capsule rule goes I am all for capsules. I actually agree with the number (145mph) for the flats. They are unsafe at that speed. Running 6.98 or 7.00 in an open flat is rediculous.
The mph limit for the hydros is weak, but you really can't argue it because you are arguing against safety.
My problem is with the mph limit set for the Jets. 145 is a number that is not seen by jetboats thus making them totally immune to the capsules. Another Jetboat fringe benefit. In the last 15 years you have had 1 death in an open hydro, 0 deaths in a open flatbottom and 4 deaths in open jetboats. (all of which were going under 120) So explain the logic. This is absolute "Golden Rule" at its finest.
Here is another one for ya.
In Ski Flat and Ski Jet the rule states that the boat must have a general Ski appearance. There were several people at the board meetings pushing for the class to dissallow Pontiac or Oldsmobile style heads. Everyone voted against these heads being allowed except for 1 person. Jim Guthrie. Why would he vote against it?
I am yet to see in my lifetime a Ski jet with a 460ci motor cruising the rivers with Pontiac heads. This would make the class real competitive.
How about this winner.
It used to be that in the case of a red light vs a breakout in the same race the red light boat would come back. What kind of logic is that. The race is over before it even started. How stupid was that?
Another one..
In the event of 2 red lights or 2 breakouts in the final, both boats were losers and no money was paid out. Where did the money go? How can you have no winner?
It is little stuff like this that has brought the NJBA to its knees.
These rules have recently changed but the damage was done.
i agree that those rules needed changing. i suppose they were there for a reason at one time or another. while those problems existed, they don't anymore. like anything else we do, if a problem is identified, rectify it and move on.
i have two thoughts about the sandbag rule. first, if forced me to learn how to set up my boat. from that perspective, i think it's good for new racers. second, at this point i don't care. bring all the bags ya want, and lets race.
as far as ski and mod classes, i'm continuing to wonder why we even have those things as they are. ski should be iron and one 4bbl, kinda like pl. i dunno why jim would vote against that; i'll have to ask him.
as far as capsules go, you capsule guys decide. good thing hartsfield and molina were in 'em.
I think some simple promoting could go a long way.
I think the races are held in the BEST place they could be. Ming is the closest you could hope for to the middle of the state for the Nor Cal guys and the ones comming up from San Degio.
I don't think a new class is the answer but I do think Cyclone has some good points about a class with no winners or loosers. Just a class to run your boat and get a time slip. But that also opens the doors to let others (like IHBA racers) use it for a cheep test and tune class.
I don't agree at all about 4 seats and single carbs. I've owned a few REAL lake racers and they all had tunnel rams with a couple of holley's on top. If a guy like HBjet has to change his intake you can bet your a$$ he won't be running with NJBA.
I still think simple promotion will help. Heck, if it was not for people taking about the races here I would have no idea when they are going on.
And to all the guys that don't want to get tossed out with the wolves right off the bat. Don't sweat it and just do it. My first pass ever was in Blown Gas Flat. (Olny because that class ran before the bracket that day) It was bitchen to be out there with the big dogs right off the bat. I would not have changed that for anything.
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