Lucas Oil Dragboats is done
- Thread starter FL350
- Start date
Yep. No awards banquet. Once again, Lucas showed their ass and lack of class. They really screwed over the people of Augusta a couple of years ago. Obviously, they haven't changed the way they display their public image. They could have bowed out and left drag boat racing MUCH better than this.
The signs were there guys! Increase costs to racers and crews, hell they argued with me at San Angelo as I was trying to buy a pass for my wife! Their actions have reflected on their big plan of getting out of the sport! We just didn't want to believe it could happen. Now it's time to look forward! Can the SDBA make a run at this? Obviously if they follow the model that Lucas did, it will probably end the same way. They need a new approach. They have to hold successful events, and bring in spectators. They need new venues that aren't in the middle of no-wheresville. Allot of racers have good ideas, and seem to be willing to help. I guess If I where in charge of the SDBA I would open up my ears, and put the racers/fans to work. They could reach out and network with these folks and potentially form the necessary relationships with the powers that be and pick up venues that have people with in a 40 square mile radius. There has to be people near to fill the stands. As I sat in the stands at the finals, the whole time I was wondering how many of us where spectators, and how many where team members! The day of the finals there where more people, but it wasn't hard to find seating for four! If they don't have a fan base, it isn't going to work. Plus I think the crowd as a whole doesn't understand bracket racing! I think we need to figure out how to get the term "Grudge" into boat racing! Maybe the SDBA can adapt to what people want to see, and figure out how to keep it safe! think.gif
I'd consider what NJBA is or has done. They have been around a long time and seem to attract racers. SDBA has been around a long time too and adapted to what LUCAS OIL did and before that IHBA. It went downhill each time.
It appeared SDBA was stronger this year than they have been in the past. Tommy Thompson seemed to lead the show and appeared to do well. He is well liked, has a personal interest, is a competitor himself and listens to others. SDBA has a decent base of racers, but Dragboats is a speciality sport and probably not one that is a huge money maker, so hopefully the fees can be kept modest. It's the performance boaters and their friends that tend to show up. Honestly, the price of tickets skyrocketed after Lucas Oil came in.
Keep it simple and keep it a dragboat event.
It appeared SDBA was stronger this year than they have been in the past. Tommy Thompson seemed to lead the show and appeared to do well. He is well liked, has a personal interest, is a competitor himself and listens to others. SDBA has a decent base of racers, but Dragboats is a speciality sport and probably not one that is a huge money maker, so hopefully the fees can be kept modest. It's the performance boaters and their friends that tend to show up. Honestly, the price of tickets skyrocketed after Lucas Oil came in.
Keep it simple and keep it a dragboat event.
If they rely on ticket sales to keep these events going, then they need to figure out what will bring folks in. I think ( don't know for sure) Lucas relied on the Top Fuel boats to bring the crowds in. That seems to be what they promoted the most. I suspect they paid these teams to show up. Again I don't know for sure! But Top fuel has gotten to the point they can't sustain what it costs to have them. I have read other articles talking about the Top fuel programs in the car world, and the parts availability at their power levels are starting to decline. So there doesn't appear to be a good outlook for them. The other problem they have is how many bracket classes they have. True racing fans can understand bracket racing, but the general public as a whole don't get it. That also makes it difficult for people to watch and know who won. I did notice at the finals, the announcer was doing his best to explain bracket racing to the fans so they would understand what they were watching. I know the boat guys will hate my next suggestion, but they need to build the PWC class. Let's see some modified PWC's instead of all this slow stock crap. I wouldn't mind watching a PWC that gets after it. They have a large following, that could help pack seats. I know they don't draw them in now, because it's just stock PWC that we are all annoyed by. But to grow a sport, it takes an open mind. I think an after hours grudge match would also be cool! Let some of these racers put their money where their mouth is. I understand it would have to have some rules so they didn't get too stupid, but the Outlaw events are growing. The crowd would love that, and it would be cool to see a mix of boats out their doing their thing. There are a few things I think sanctioning bodies can or will have to do to keep the sport alive. It would be real easy to let it die, it will be hard work for those who are willing to keep it alive and going! As performance boating enthusiasts, we have to support these sanctioning bodies, and participate where we can. The arm chair quarterback approach is not going to help out here guys! :smile30:
73 Sanger Flat
Active member
I wish i had a good answer here .. What keeps me from racing is the expenses of entering the races .. I would not mind racing if they had a class that only charged a nominal amount.. They could just keep the payout money .. It just be for fun and bragging rights only .. The River Race class is kind of like this , but up the speed or have different group for speed for us weekend warriors .. Like I would like to run boats in 110-115 mph bracket in the 1/4 mile or 100-110 mph in the 1000 ft .. Hell I don't know but I sure dont want this sport to go away .. Too many boat friend at the races ..
Nitro Neil
Member
It was only a matter of time. The writing has been on the wall a long time.
That's where I think a grudge class would be cool. Let all the lake and river warriors duke it out for the second half of the day. Get your qualifying done in a timely manor, and then open the track up to them. Mite bring some more folks in. But they would have to meet the safety gear requirements. think.gif
I think there could be some pretty good racing go on. Kind of like watching the Winter nats on the San Jac. You never know what is going to pair up. :smile30:
I think there could be some pretty good racing go on. Kind of like watching the Winter nats on the San Jac. You never know what is going to pair up. :smile30:
73 Sanger Flat
Active member
That what I was thinking .. I have all the safety gear . Just need to get my jacket recertified . That one thing I don't understand .. My jacket has never seen the water and only been test fitted a few times , but I will have to spend 150 ?? to have it recertified . This is where I think the spec person could just look at a jacket and say yes or no by just looking at it . You can tell it is in great shape .. It would be fun to do something like this .. let say pay 100 and you can test your boat and then get paired up against someone .. Hell i would not win , but it would still be fun to do .
I get why they require the certification. Anyone who gets injured, is a liability to the sanctioning body and the sport as a whole. So the current gear would be a must. I do hear what you are saying, but they have to have insurance to hold such events, and that expired cert would be grounds for the insurance not paying up or dropping them as a client. So I get the rules. But it would be cool to see you run that boat for all she is worth! :smile17:
Nitro Neil
Member
Patchman said:
I fully agree with you. you can look at the asphalt brothers, drag racing, circle cars, etc. The other boat racing circle boats and others of all kinds. The sanctioning bodies are not doing any good. You do not have to support sanctioning bodies that do not do anything for you as the racer or spectator.
So you do what is being done on the asphalt side and some of the boat side and follow there models of success. You all know who are successful and the way they do it.
end the traditional classes and go with the more exciting format and go racing. No matter if it a cash days invitational, grudge race, classes of heads up racing, circle boat shootout of races, etc etc etc. You all know what works. So try it on a small scale. Make it work. The final goal in this to have boat count, people that want to race, and SPECTATORS AND VENDORS or there is no money or program. A couple 3 logistically placed races to handle all the above and big payouts, and everybody gets to race and have fun again.I always go back to the example of SMOKINTHECOVE. A great venue and fast boats. A little tweaking and a format that make it happen.
IF YOU BUILD IT THEY WILL COME. They are people here that know how to organize and have the necessary contacts to put this togethor. Build a new sanctioning body, go fast and have fun.
I agree Neil, changing up the program is most necessary. I wish I could have attended Smoking in the Cove. The Winter Nats has been pretty successful from what I can tell. And it is in January where only the die hards show up. With Lucas going away, it would be allot easier for SDBA to do things their way. They really don't have to have a co-points situation if they don't want one. They could grow the sport with out having regulations of other sanctioning bodies. So I see it as an opportunity for them to do it their way for once. :smile30: