Lucas/ Sdba association
- Thread starter Patchman
- Start date
If SDBA added an all out sportsman class, would outlaws show up?
Rules for class:
660' on a standard holding rope start 125' from starting line
No alky and no nitromethane
Same safety requirements of QE/PE
Outlaw 660 has no points championship (at least at first)(this is to keep entry fees down)
Entry fee paid to association $50
Jackpot entry $100-200
Jackpot may vary from race to race based on entered contestants
Just some thoughts...
Rules for class:
660' on a standard holding rope start 125' from starting line
No alky and no nitromethane
Same safety requirements of QE/PE
Outlaw 660 has no points championship (at least at first)(this is to keep entry fees down)
Entry fee paid to association $50
Jackpot entry $100-200
Jackpot may vary from race to race based on entered contestants
Just some thoughts...
Knotty Girl
New member
All of the quick boats have some kind of power addder. Spray, turbo, pro charger, or blower. Those are the guys who want the 660 deal.
whitetrash148
New member
I don,t know exactly how many Lake Racers entered but new members of SDBA is a good thing. I realize that any assoc. has to have capital to operate on but it seems to me that membership fees and entry fees are a bit excessive when combined with long drives ,motel rooms, eats and adult beverages. If you won every race you entered you might break even, and yes I realize this is not a money making deal. The fun of the competition only lasts so long on that 750mi. ride home. I know I,am whining but something has to be done to make this more fun or lose it.
Stacey didn't pay me to say this, but I think both associations are losing out by letting the circle boats go! Again there is a class that doesn't require a million dollars to race, and most folks watching can figure out who the winner is. I unfortunately feel that bracket racing makes no sense to most of the fans in the stands! Why is top fuel the biggest draw to racing, people understand the first one across the line. Circle boats add to the show. There would be more if the sanctioning bodies actually treated the racers with some respect. Give them a pot to race for, and then make sure the check clears at the end of the event. They have lost those guys, and I don't blame them for leaving. The associations need a serious overhaul, and I think the door is open. Just who is going to walk through it? :smile21: :smile21: think.gif think.gif
Knotty Girl
New member
I plan on making a call to Randy Ball. I do not know if it will do any good but there are some issues I would like to address with him. I realize he is only one person and the board makes the call (well it is suppose to, we know some people will not move). I like both organizations but I also feel they have fallen into a rut and there is room for improvement. Great sport and plan on racing for years.
Hello Everyone - Sorry it's been a while since I have posted here. I have really enjoyed reading this topic, each of you seem to have a grasp on the problems our sport faces.
This is how I see it - LODBRS (Lucas) is a for profit business and make decisions based on how well the corporation is making money.
SDBA - (Southern Drag Boat Assoc.) is an association of members and makes decisions based on the needs of the members.
The SDBA has been around for 45years, therefore they have done something correct in the past. However, times change and we must adjust to survive. Please continue to seek the answers!
This is how I see it - LODBRS (Lucas) is a for profit business and make decisions based on how well the corporation is making money.
SDBA - (Southern Drag Boat Assoc.) is an association of members and makes decisions based on the needs of the members.
The SDBA has been around for 45years, therefore they have done something correct in the past. However, times change and we must adjust to survive. Please continue to seek the answers!
Thank you for your input! There are allot of race fans as well as racers here. Any and all ideas or opinions are welcome! This is the only way I see that we can help formulate a change in order to save our hobby. The reality is that neither sanctioning body is guaranteed to stick around. They can disappear at any time. We have seen them cancel races at the last moment. The health of the sanctioning bodies relies on racers and fans. They can't exist with out both! So the questions are, what does it take to get more racers? How do we attract more fans? It's time to get a man or women on the inside! think.gifFirefish said:
Knotty Girl
New member
Little birdie told me we may have a real good board member coming. I’ll let the cat out of the bag when it happens.
FL350
Administrator
Where do I start? I will try to be professional. Lol. I've been racing ALOT of years and will continue to keep racing. Just not with these 2 organizations. When I left dragboat racing in 2001 the IHBA and SDBA were going at it like cats and dogs. You would show up with a SDBA sticker on your boat at a IHBA race and you were treated like crap and vice versa. I left, sold out. Then I decided to go back to the circle boats (where I started) with the APBA. Races were all over the country except close to home but we could pick and choose the good ones.
Fast forward to 4 years ago when Bill Miller called me about doing this with the SDBA. We got excited about it for the "local" races. I sat behind closed door meeting with the SDBA board members and pitched this class with them. Low and behold there were some of those old board members still there from when I left. They liked the idea but said there was no prize money for us but would help advertise to get the class some local sponsorship at the races. We all agreed on that. They never did help.
The next year same meeting same people, no prize money. I said to them "you cannot grow a class without any prize money!" I also said I would like to see the budget. They told me it was for board members only. I said I'm an active member I should be able to see it. So Bill Miller put a deal together and the "deal" was approved. However we still didn't know how much first and second was going to win.
Last year I won 3 races for a total of $30. Yeap $30. Won the Championship and got a $200 check.
This last Feburary I asked again about prize money. Got the line of crap. I asked to see the budget,got the same line of crap. I decided to park my boat.
They begged me to bring it to Paris this year, and I did. Big mistake! They treat the jet ski class better than us and more prize money. Me and Terri Miller got into a "discussion" over that up there.
So in short they've lost the circle boats. I said when they come up with some real prize money I'd come race. I don't do this for the money, but I'm done going out there to win $10.
Fast forward to 4 years ago when Bill Miller called me about doing this with the SDBA. We got excited about it for the "local" races. I sat behind closed door meeting with the SDBA board members and pitched this class with them. Low and behold there were some of those old board members still there from when I left. They liked the idea but said there was no prize money for us but would help advertise to get the class some local sponsorship at the races. We all agreed on that. They never did help.
The next year same meeting same people, no prize money. I said to them "you cannot grow a class without any prize money!" I also said I would like to see the budget. They told me it was for board members only. I said I'm an active member I should be able to see it. So Bill Miller put a deal together and the "deal" was approved. However we still didn't know how much first and second was going to win.
Last year I won 3 races for a total of $30. Yeap $30. Won the Championship and got a $200 check.
This last Feburary I asked again about prize money. Got the line of crap. I asked to see the budget,got the same line of crap. I decided to park my boat.
They begged me to bring it to Paris this year, and I did. Big mistake! They treat the jet ski class better than us and more prize money. Me and Terri Miller got into a "discussion" over that up there.
So in short they've lost the circle boats. I said when they come up with some real prize money I'd come race. I don't do this for the money, but I'm done going out there to win $10.
Knotty Girl
New member
I was a member of 3 professional organizations in my career as a Transportation Director. I held many offices, we always showed the membership our budget. The thing that bothers me the most is they do not disclose their financial report. In my opinion the organization will never be healthy until that is done. Is something being hidden? The membership has the right to know where their monies are being spent. Lucas on the other hand is a major corporation with many fingers, they are a money making organization, I understand them not showing a budget. SDBA is a non-profit organization design for its membership. As Mark McGuier said “Show me the Money†Yes I will continue to be a member and continue to race, just would like to see MANY improvements.
Knotty Girl
New member
I was told they have 6 sites so far for next year. think.gif
whitetrash148
New member
Wheatland?
whitetrash148
New member
Just saw email of increase and payment site of membership dues increase. I plan on requesting a complete and detailed handout of the financial statement , including all receipts and expenses for 2017 to each member at the general membership meeting in Feb. I urge each and every member to do the same. Look for entry fees to increase also!