help a newbie get started in ODRA??

[jesse_james]

I live about 30 miles from the new track they are digging at the lucas oil speedway in wheatland missouri......so i was wanting a boat to do some drag racing with....here is the one I am looking at...please tell me pro's and cons of each different type.....I also found a yellow single seat allison on here i liked also would be great if i could use it to do some morning blast on the lake........i have had experience in the following

about 800 hours in a 23 Velocity (big block alpha)

28 Skater raced briefly offshore in 97 and used as a lake boat on LOTO t-2.5 efi os

32 Active thunder built for f-2 class ran it in 98,99,00

throttled a 36 eliminator (not an experience i care to re visit)

[jesse_james]

here are a couple others that Iliked also, in the first picture what type of boat is in the near lane??

[Fl Boy in ILL]

Welcome to S&F, the boat you have pictured is a true tunnel used for circle racing. As far as the boat well its not been proven to be a winning drag boat in either heads up or bracket racing. In the hands of a inexperienced driver they will blow over very easy compaired to a Mod Tunnel such as a Quartershot, STV or Mirage, and a V bottom seldom blows over!!

The track being built by you is for bracket racing not ODBA (or ODRA as you listed, LOL) the difference is quite a bit, I am a bracket racer that races an outboard.

ODBA is outboards only and the rules very by what class you are run , you have to weigh a certain weight for each class and what motor mods you have. They use a radar gun to ensure a fair start along with a starter that can flag off the start, they use a camera system to determine winners. This type of racing is heads up fist one to the finish wins! THe ODBA and DSRE both have web sites that you can look at and find the class rules. (ODBA guys if I am off on this please correct) ODBA run round robin till the class is complete with a winner using double elimination

In bracket racing we run against car motor boats, V drives, jets and of course other outboards, we have no motor restrictions or weight restriction but time, you can beat the guy to the finish line and loose if you break out of your class. The River Racer class is for slower boats and is the only "dial your own time" class and usually from 12.000 sec to 19 sec. When you get to 11, 10, 9, sec class it is a full second class but if you can't run at the bottom of the class you won't be competitive. As far as the bracket course we get a 125' run to the start and if you cross the start line before the clock gets to 0 you red light just like the Drag Strip, this is done by electronic sensors, the finsh line is also done by electronic sensors as is the speed trap. Our whole class goes in the water we make 1 run and back on the trailer, it is single elimination.

If you have more question here is a good place to ask, there are lots of both kind of racers here on S&F, we do get into the "mine is better than yours" bantering but all in all we are just boat racers, we always want MORE racers

Rick

[Fl Boy in ILL]

It is a Triad DR-20

[Wile E. Coyote]

welcome to scream and fly...

while i admire your enthusiasm, and new blood is always welcome in any type of racing or sport, jumping from offshore racing to small outboard drag is quite a leap, im not saying it cant be done, but what i am saying is that some boats are more forgiving than others.

Im not gonna tell you what to do, or how to live your life, but if it was me, i would purchase a dual purpose boat for begining rather than a dedicated race boat for two reasons, first and foremost, it will allow you a chance to take it out on the weekends and "get the feel" of the boat, and this type of boating in general, all the things that make up our sport....while you can do this in a dedicated race boat, generally, they tend to be more fragile and not lend themselves to lake riding, while you can find many lake boats that will serve your purpose.
the second reason is, if you find this type of racing is not for you, you will still have a kick ass lake boat that will give you much pleasure.

as for what type of boat, i would consider, for a beginner, a quartershot t3, stv pro comp..vee bottoms, while fun, have a much steeper learning curve, and allisons especially can be tricky without experienced help along the way.
capsule boats are really nifty, but also do not lend themselves to anything but racing, tho i have seen some loons who pleasure ride them.....

and while im rambling, in this type of boating, race test and tune IS NOT A SOLO EVENT, you should always have a support boat to help, not just someone standing on a dock, and for the love of god please always wear the appropriate life vest, and connect the dang kill switch lanyard

sorry if i came across as preachy, but these are things, which should be self evident, and i hope they are, but i would rather be damned for doing as opposed to damned for not.

again, welcome to scream and fly, and good luck with the racing, it is a blast to do, no matter what organization you choose to go with...just have fun
bill

[Eagle One]

The boat in the photo is, as others have said, a closed course tunnel boat and is not particularly designed for drag racing although it has and can be done competetively. We build the same type boat but offer several styles of boats for drag racing and although some appear similar to the photo you posted the bottoms are quite different. Attached are some of the models we build. One pictured was actually used in ODBA racing by Scotty McClure a few years ago.We also build a multitude of other parts and accessories for High Performance outboard boats and engines. See all our products at www.eagleoneperformance.com

[jesse_james]

it seems though the opinions are to sway from the tru tunnel, which bucks the offshore theory, does the pod in a small boat aid in acceleration? And wouldnt the tru tunnel still be faster? I understand quicker is what I want, so just trying to understand...

Eagle 1.....I like the boat in the top left and top right photos as well as the bottom photo, are the top left and bottom photo the same hull? and 2.5 merc 300hp on a hull like that what type of speed can I run....

I also am learning that alot of boats run 800 and 1000 feet...why not 1/4 mile?

also what speed are the boats going (approx) when the flag drops/hit the starting line?

Sorrry for all the elementry questions

thank you to everyone for taking the time to anwser questions and offer feedback and opinion

I also forgot I have a couple hundred hours in a 8 foot aqua lark with a merc 25ss..bought it when I was 15 had it for 6 years, also had a 17 laser with a 2.4

[Fl Boy in ILL]

JJ

Well for ROPE racing I can tell you that with our T-1 Quartershot we run a 300 Drag. I run the 10 second bracket class and can run 9.8's on all motor but thats too quick so we try to run 10.000 the typical speed is 105-110 with a Yami drag. The guys running a Merc ET have a few more MPH but a little less hole shot. In the 11 second class a typical outboard either a 260 or a drag will run 11.000 at 95-103 mph I have run several different types and brands of boats doing this, a Laser LTV (my son drove it) a Mirage, several Allisons SS2000 and 2 drags and my Quartershot T-1. I did run 9 sec for 1 years on NOS and a 300 drag in the T-1 ran 9.0's at about 115-120.

I hope this answers your ????'s, if you want more info email me
conklinracing@sbcglobal.net
or PM with a # and I'll call you, I am working 13 hour nights right now but love to talk racing

Rick

[jesse_james]

thanks for all the help, i am learning alot....so here are some conclusions I have made (dont know if they are right)

If i am going single seater may as well go canopy

looks like a 10 second bracket class is where I would most likely be

still like the allison in the top post with the in line seating...what type of speed will a boat like that run with a merc drag on it?

thanks alot......

the scare the hell out of all my offshore macho buddies is also something that weighs heavily....it seems most of the wallet racers I have encountered...have never been fast in anything under 30 feet...

[Fl Boy in ILL]

Well a single seat boat limits your use and ease of getting in and out of it. As Wile Cyote mentioned if you get a dual purpose boat to start then if you don't like the drag racing you still have a KICK ASS lake/river boat!!!! As far as having a canopy well it adds some other requirements, seat belts and an air system, I have and use both, blew it over and had very minor injuries so the safety equipment works

The Allison is FAST but is harder to be consistant if you are going to bracket race, if you go to a DSRA or ODBA race you will see a TON of Allison cause they are fast, and in heads up fast is where its at. I believe the inline seat boat you listed is SOLD! But with a drag motor would run 10 sec class in the 105-110 range w/24 or 26 yqami drag.

Will try to call you later today and chat RACING with you.

Rick

[Sam Baker]

So far, you're getting great advice already. That's typical of this website.

You have great experience - at least you understand the idea of high performance boating. The easiest way to get involved is to consider buying a package that has proven to be successful. Even better is to buy a rig that has already won from somebody who is looking to move up, etc. If a boat/motor/prop/setup ran 10.00 or 11.00 seconds before, you know it's capable of doing it again. Then it's a matter of getting some practice....and there's only one way to do that - make sure you get to each and every race so you can get the passes in.

One thing you touched on that is key is the capsule aspect. If you have a canopy or seatbelts, you must run an air system. That's already installed in many of the SST-120 and Champboats but not in many of the outboard drag boats you'll see for sale here, so that's an added expense. Plus, holding the rope is made slightly more difficult by a canopy. You can't beat the safety though.

I would recommend not going with a speedmaster gearcase in your first boat just because it is easier to get started by having a boat you can run in neutral and then shift.

Just my 2 cents. Welcome to the website and to the sport. We're looking forward at getting a look at that new site...The Lucas Oil Drag Boat Series should be awesome next year.

I would also recommend coming to the SLDBA (St. Louis Drag Boat Association) annual banquet/meeting in January (the weekend of the 20th). It's in Earth City right between St. Charles and St. Louis, MO. You'll be able to learn about the sport and can talk to a lot of great people. The website is http://www.sldbaracing.com. I'm the Membership/Points Director - so feel free to reach out to me directly at 847-533-9773 or sam.baker@scaryfast.com. I'll be glad to help you in any way I can.