Driving A Champboat Is Even Harder Than It Looks

[spn#43]

DRIVING A CHAMPBOAT IS
EVEN HARDER THAN IT LOOKS


The ChampBoat is a beautiful machine to behold as it flies gracefully down straightaways and carves precise turns at every buoy. From the driver’s point of view, however, driving an APBA ChampBoat Series machine at 140 miles an hour over rough water in the spray of 20 other boats is not exactly a graceful act.

There is more than 350 horsepower strapped on the back of a boat that weighs little more than 1,100 pounds. The boat can accelerate from zero to 100 m.p.h. in about three seconds. The race course, affected by wind, currents and the wakes of other boats, changes every single lap. At every corner, the driver is slammed into the side of his cockpit with the force of three to four Gs (forces of gravity).

“Controlled chaos,” is how John Jensen of Windsor, Colo., describes it.

A tunnel-hull race boat is actually flown just over the surface of the water. The driver trims the boat out of the water as much as possible – a cushion of air is packed under the boat to produce lift. The boat goes faster when less of the hull is in the water. At the world’s top level of outboard powerboat racing, the competition is so close that running on the fine line of control and taking chances are necessary to win – or just to finish in the top five.

The boats are about 17 feet long. Some are made entirely of fiberglass and carbon fiber. Others carry wood hulls topped by carbon-fiber center sections and driver-protection capsules. The 2.5-liter, V-6 engines are electronically fuel-injected. Most teams run highly modified Mercury Racing engines.

“When you get to the Champ level of racing, you’re running with the top echelon of drivers. A lot of these teams have very good equipment,” said Todd Bowden of Monrovia, Calif. “Most of the guys have been in it longer than I have. You have to run on the ragged edge all time.”

If the driver trims the boat too high out of the water – or a gust of wind catches the hull – the boat can blow backwards out of the water and land in an explosive spray of water and splinters. If the boat skips or digs into a wake while cornering, it can barrel-roll into the water.

Experience may be more valuable in racing tunnel-hull boats than any other machine due to the complexity of the controls. “Every part of your body is working at the same time to drive the boat,” said Jensen, whose team is sponsored by Harris Marine. “It has to become a reflex more than a thought.”

“A ChampBoat driver is doing something with both hands and both feet at all times. It takes even a good driver five years to get the hang of it,” said team-owner Bill Seebold, who retired after winning 69 world and national championships. “You’re on the trim buttons 95 to 98 percent of the time. If you can’t keep it on the ragged edge, you’ll be 10 to 12 miles an hour off of the guys who are.”

While a racing boat doesn’t have a brake pedal, the driver has plenty of other controls to keep him busy. Drivers equip their boats to suit individual preferences, but usually the right foot rests on the accelerator pedal and the left foot controls a button that is used to trim the outboard engine closer to or further away from the stern. That movement, although it may be just a few degrees, is enough to pop the boat’s bow high out of the water.

The steering wheel determines the boat’s direction, of course, and also is equipped with five switches that take care of engine trim, engine height and the driver-crew radio.

One of those switches, mounted on a spoke well inside the wheel’s rim, enables the driver to move the engine up or down about one inch. This is used to compensate for water conditions, enabling the driver to run the boat a bit higher in smooth water or try to keep it lower in rough water.

Three of the switches are distributed equally around the wheel closer to the rim so the driver can reach them when the wheel is in any position. All of the switches allow the driver to trim the engine in – effectively lowering the bow of the boat. Driving the boat is much like flying an airplane. The pilot has to keep the boat’s bow at the precisely proper attitude at every instant.

“There’s a fine line between running enough lift to go fast and running too much lift,” said Tim Seebold of Osage Beach, Mo., driver for his father’s Bud Light Racing Team. “We’ve got so much air packed underneath the boat, it doesn’t take much to move them over. A slight gust of wind can blow you over a couple of lanes.”

“You want to fly the boat until you get to the danger zone,” said Max Toler of Baton Rouge, La., who is sponsored by The Advocate newspaper. “Only you know what your danger zone is.”

But a driver knows immediately when he has made a mistake and crossed into the danger zone, he said. “When you’re in a tunnel boat and it gets real quiet, you’re in trouble because you’re leaving the water. If you’re just coming off a corner you have time to react and bring the boat back down. At the end of the straightaway when you’re running at top speed, you don’t have time to react. If you’re going over, you’re going over.”

Toler is one of the younger drivers in the top level of outboard racing and hopes his physical conditioning gives him some advantage over older, more experienced drivers.

“Driving one of these things is like taking an Indy car over a million of those reflective highway marker buttons,” he said. “It jars your whole body.”

The trim dance begins the instant the boat leaves the dock at the start of a race. “You get a one-minute flare before the start of the race,” Bill Seebold said. “At about 30 seconds you turn your fuel pump on to build up the pressure and purge air out of the system. When the starting flag goes up at 20 seconds, you are at wide open throttle and have the engine trimmed out to where the boat best accelerates off the dock.”

After punching the starter button to leave the dock, the driver begins trimming the engine in – and bringing the bow down – almost immediately after the start.

“You accelerate really quick. The Mercury engine goes immediately to 6,000 rpms and is at 9,000 rpms as soon as the boat has gone five feet,” Bill Seebold said. You have to be on the trim button almost instantly because these things accelerate so fast they can run right out from under you. At the end of the straightaway you hit the buttons on the steering wheel to trim it down. If you’re going 135 miles an hour, you can’t be two or three inches off the water and expect the boat to turn,” Bill said.

When you get to the turn and the bow drops, you can feel the boat get water through the seat of your pants. Sometimes you take back a little throttle. As soon as you feel the boat touch the water, you bend it. As soon as you get the boat set in the water, you=re back on the left foot trimming it out.

Bowden has been racing at the Champ level of the sport for five years and has won a number of national races, but feels he is still learning how to drive the powerful machines. He had a lot of experience in the SST-120 class, which utilizes similar boats and a stock carbureted, 2.0-liter engine. Thanks to the speed and torque of the full-race Mercury engine used in the ChampBoats, driving them is a totally different experience.

“These boats are not forgiving because of the power they have. It took at least a year to get really comfortable with the way the boat reacts,” said Bowden, who is sponsored by ABC Concrete Cutting and Concrete Coring Company. “Every time you get in the boat you drive better.”

Greg Foster of Orange, Calif., is a national ChampBoat champion who also has raced motorcycles, off-road cars and shorttrack trucks. The superior skills required in boat racing improved his abilities for driving land-based machines. “Experience makes a lot of difference in boat racing. I’ve developed a knack for constantly reading the race course, which is different all the time,” said Foster, whose team is sponsored by Sherwin Williams paints.

Racing in traffic with changing wind and water conditions requires a driver to make instinctive decisions, he said. “I have a mental picture of everything that’s around me and how to react if something happens. If you have to think about what you’re doing, you lose your rhythm.”

As they power down a straightaway, drivers try to look for swirls and caps on the water to tell them what the wind is doing.

“When you see those ripples on the water, you’ll bump it down,” said Tim Seebold, a two-time champion at the Champ level. In the heat of competition, however, it’s not always possible to enjoy the luxury of bumping it down, he said. “The drivers on this circuit are so good and the equipment is so close that you have to run on the edge to win races. When you start a race, you know at some point you’re going to have to do something you don’t want to do.”

Even the most experienced drivers in ChampBoat racing are likely to push too far and crash, Seebold said. “You know you’re going to have to do something that exceeds what you or your boat are capable of doing. When you get in those situations, you get caught once in a while.”

[gdfatha]

Having said all that my friend (Page)..how about talking the wheels to be to have some races in Central Florida. Hell I'd even go down to the keys to see you guys again. The Champ Boats, SST 120s and all OPC's are truly missed.

Someone or group really screwed the fans as well as the drivers/crews/families by depriving them the pleasuer of enjoying the time here..

And as you say... Camp Boats are exciting. Here is Rinker showing off...

marc

[spn#43]

I know Marc,
But unfortunately there are too many single-minded people in boat racing (drags only - Eustis; hydros only - Ocoee …etc) who fail to see that boat racing is struggling and that we can only help each other by making combined events, but NO…like one said on this board “I’m not going to race with bunch a roundy rounds” and with attitude like that boat racing is getting nowhere.

Anyway we are going to two more Champ Boat races this year August 13-15 Toledo, OH and August 28-29 Windsor, CO, and maybe September 18-19 San Diego, CA after that we got some Region 5 local races in October 9-10 Lake Alfred FL, October 23-24 Crescent City FL, and potential November race in Okeechobee FL, so there is plenty of racing still to come before year is over so get your camera and join us for some “ GO FAST – TURN LEFT kind of fun.
Page

[gdfatha]

Page..save all the pennies you can. Do not miss San Diego. For one thing, the Unlimited Hydros are getting their heads together again so the may be 10-12 of them at Mission Bay.

There are four rookies that will be testing up in Seattle and Tri-Cities.

The other thing is it a wonderful venue. Lottsa great restaurants and many things to do. So get there early and stay late..

Good luck in your Champ races, be safe.

I am already booked for the Offshore Nationals at Deerfield Beach in October and the Offshore Worlds at Key West in November.

I'll do my best to attend the Champs & OPC local races..

Here is some action at San Diego..

[gdfatha]

and the famous double blow over

[spn#43]

Originally posted by gdfatha

I am already booked for the Offshore Nationals at Deerfield Beach in October .

Let me know when you get to Deerfield Beach, maybe we can go for a beer or something since I live in Pompano Beach witch is only few miles away.

[gdfatha]

Sounds like a plan..Deerfield is 8-9-10 of October and Key West is 14-21 of November..

Take care

marc

[CDave]

Originally posted by spn#43
I know Marc,
But unfortunately there are too many single-minded people in boat racing (drags only - Eustis; hydros only - Ocoee …etc) who fail to see that boat racing is struggling and that we can only help each other by making combined events, but NO…like one said on this board “I’m not going to race with bunch a roundy rounds” and with attitude like that boat racing is getting nowhere.

How would you combine say a Drag Race and a Champ boat race? Run them both at the same time?

[gdfatha]

Originally posted by CDave
How would you combine say a Drag Race and a Champ boat race? Run them both at the same time?

==============
It's called share the time.

-Run a couple of heats of the drags
-Then a couple of heats of Champ/OPC
-Let the water settle down a bit
-Then start over

That is the way Eustis was conducted a few years ago and was very successful and delighted and held the attention of the fans.

-If the wind is too high and water too rough for the drags, put the Champs/OPCs on the water and let them run. Don't sit there waiting hours for the water to smooth out so the drags can be run.
This happened at a few races and the Champ/OPC guys who travelled at great distances got screwed and didn't get to race.

-The drags and OPC's (SST45/60/120-Mod U-Supersports and Vs and SLTss) have all run together in a well coreographed program at Eustis and Crescent City in the past.

-Mixed classes used to run together at Lakeland and Lake Alfred.

-Earlier this year at Eustis the drags and the Jersey Skiffs ran so it can be done.

-At all races, second to safety is TIME, and the mutual SHARING of time.

- Boats for the next heat/class should be in the water and ready to go at command. If it isn't ready, it should not hold up events.


-At least 5 different classes are run at the Unlimited Hydro races.

-The Offshore even had the Supersports run at St Pete and plannned to have the Kneeldowns and Mod Us at Marathon but (water too rough for the smaller craft).


*****Races have got to start on time. That is the responsibilty of each and every driver/crew and the race director and includes the initial race of the day through the final race of the day.

marc

[spn#43]

Originally posted by CDave
How would you combine say a Drag Race and a Champ boat race? Run them both at the same time?

I was referring to local regional racing, not Champ Boat series.
And yes it can be done but some people are scared that OPC’s might steal the show and then what???

[1BadAction]

Drag racing is fun and all, and i enjoy watching it, and pitting for guys that race it. truthfully its not near as interesting as opc when you are just a spectator that doesn't know boats. theres just something about the "door to door" that roundy rounds have and the drag guys dont. Opc seems to draw more "virgin" spectators than the drags do...

when is the next race in this area?

[gdfatha]

The next "Tentatively" APBA sanctioned race in Florida is Oct 9-10.
1324 Tentative
Lake Alfred FL
Region 5
Contact
PRO-KPH-MOD-SO-OPC-SLT-J-

Unfortunately (at least for me-and another of my gripes) the dates conflict with the Offshore Nationals at Deerfield Beach where I made reservations before the Lake Alfred event was scheduled. About 80+ boats are expected at Deerfield.

There are some drag events going on at Crescent City but I don't know if they are sanctioned or just a get together or how many participants there are.

The Only other "Scheduled " race I am aware of is the Offshore Worlds at Key West in November. Over 100 boats are expected there. The large number is due to at least 5 of the Offshore organizations working together.

marc

[Simon]

SPN#43 are you coming out to the san diego race? If so I can help.

[spn#43]

It would be so cool to have someone like you in the pits, but San Diego is 2700 miles away and I’m looking for some sponsorship help to make it happen.
What kind of help are you offering?

page@f1racer.com

[sho305]

That is some real cool racing. Sometimes I can't figure out why the networks can only carry b-ball and nascar for sports. I'd watch jetski racing first just to see some real racing. They don't do drags even for cars...not everyone has speed, and the major networks wonder why they can't keep all those viewers. Ah, make another cheapo human conflict show....mtv grown up.