APBA's Days Numbered?

**Poky** · 10-25-2022, 09:35 AM

now the fun part, which path is the right one? I prefer non sanction racing, open lake, open roads. When you see more fast machinery watching than racing at a event. you might have your answer, even if you don't like it

**WaterZebra** · 07-16-2023, 09:42 AM

Originally Posted by Instigator

I quit renewing when they stopped printing rule books and record books.
30 some yrs ago.

I noticed yrs back that was more and more difficult to even find records or tech specs on their website.

On my side, when they dropped oval course size from 1 2/3 miles to 1 1/4 then 1 mile, that was a huge knock for me.
You spent more time in the turns than flying the boat down a straightaway.

After 9 yrs of travel and being broke, I threw in the towel but planned to re-enter when finances improved.
When they did, I wanted nothing to do w/going in circles.

They said they shortened the courses due to gas shortages of the late 70’s, early 80’s.
But never went back.
Always wondered how much fuel we saved anyhow.
Dont think I ever burned more than 5 gls in my kneel downs for a weekend.
Even w/testing.

Later they said the shorter courses = lower speeds which meant cheaper insurance.

In about 1980/81 we ran for 1 1/4 mile records in Dayton Ohio.
I took 2nd and the guy that beat me set a world record in the new Yamato 20 SSH class.
I won a t shirt and they were out of my size!

That was the beginning of the end for me.

Add the over the top safety regs for us in the US.
I remember seeing an A Stock Hydro (55 mph boat) w/a capsule in it!

They moved the organization to Florida as they said they would because the weather there would support boat racing year round. Hah! What a bag of hot air! They moved there for retirement not to mention nobody wants to live in Detroit anyway. Take a look at the board nominee photo on the website. You would be hard pressed to find one person in the group who is under FIFTY?

**Poky** · 07-16-2023, 10:08 AM

you may not have notice this, but any sport your involved in nowadays rarely has much of anyone younger than 50 in. I'm 52, and I'm generally the young guy. younger generation just aren't involved with doing things. Might be just that they have way more options for entertainment than I did when I was young. So most of the sparkplug involed sports are fading away

**WaterZebra** · 07-16-2023, 10:25 AM

Originally Posted by Poky

you may not have notice this, but any sport your involved in nowadays rarely has much of anyone younger than 50 in. I'm 52, and I'm generally the young guy. younger generation just aren't involved with doing things. Might be just that they have way more options for entertainment than I did when I was young. So most of the sparkplug involed sports are fading away

Yup..........and the persons who keep on doing it past 55 run the risk of dying from "medical complications" from motorsport injuries. I'm convinced that 90% of Harley accidents involving riders who are over 50 that "failed to negotiate" a curve had a "senior moment" aboard the bike and didn't make the turn and died. Happened to me twice and I was lucky to recover the bike in the turn.

**Poky** · 07-16-2023, 05:51 PM

yep, and our sport is dying out. I'll keep running my checkmate with my Promax. I love it anytime a little kid hears it fire up and smiles. and I hope he grows up and wants a fast boat, maybe even go racing with it.

**JPEROG** · 07-16-2023, 06:20 PM

To race takes time, money, and commitment. You have to have parents or grand parents willing to step up and support the cause until you reach the point of having sponsorship getting involved. That recipe is few and far between, and then you need a kid that wants to participate without having to push them.

Boat racing is not something a kid can do on their own. When we, (guys born in the early 80's and before), we all had a place that we could ride a dirt bike. Then you only needed one other kid close by and it was a race. Then you got the fever and made your way to the local track. Today, try and find an area that you don't own where you can ride dirt bike to (like you did when you were a kid)---not gonna happen. The world of litigious fear killed it.

If you want to see what young gearheads are doing, go to a drift event or an import drag race. It is nowhere near the participation numbers of years past but thankfully there are still some young guys that want to play with motorsports. Every time I see (or hear) a car with a "fart can", I complain to myself but I need to realize that there were a lot of people who didn't approve of my 4 into 1 motorcycle exhaust and or my flowmaster equipped cars when I was younger. Hell my PJS exhaust on my jet skis even wore me out.

Joe

**WaterZebra** · 07-18-2023, 11:05 PM

Originally Posted by JPEROG

To race takes time, money, and commitment. You have to have parents or grand parents willing to step up and support the cause until you reach the point of having sponsorship getting involved. That recipe is few and far between, and then you need a kid that wants to participate without having to push them.

Boat racing is not something a kid can do on their own. When we, (guys born in the early 80's and before), we all had a place that we could ride a dirt bike. Then you only needed one other kid close by and it was a race. Then you got the fever and made your way to the local track. Today, try and find an area that you don't own where you can ride dirt bike to (like you did when you were a kid)---not gonna happen. The world of litigious fear killed it.

If you want to see what young gearheads are doing, go to a drift event or an import drag race. It is nowhere near the participation numbers of years past but thankfully there are still some young guys that want to play with motorsports. Every time I see (or hear) a car with a "fart can", I complain to myself but I need to realize that there were a lot of people who didn't approve of my 4 into 1 motorcycle exhaust and or my flowmaster equipped cars when I was younger. Hell my PJS exhaust on my jet skis even wore me out.

Joe

Remember "Purple Hornies"? How they were ever offered for sale by performance shops was a miracle?

**CUDA** · 07-21-2023, 08:38 PM

Originally Posted by WaterZebra

Yup..........and the persons who keep on doing it past 55 run the risk of dying from "medical complications" from motorsport injuries. I'm convinced that 90% of Harley accidents involving riders who are over 50 that "failed to negotiate" a curve had a "senior moment" aboard the bike and didn't make the turn and died. Happened to me twice and I was lucky to recover the bike in the turn.

HD riders just CAN't ride

Few years back I was a light and the HD rider just fell over, was not even moving, I'm laughing to my self till he waves me over to help Fat boy pick up fat boy, some people should NOT ride.