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08-14-2009 10:03 AM
Let me set the scene for another tale from the crypt....................
Mid 80's................. same bar, different (earlier) year. The partying had gone on for hours fueled by a stream of cash from a couple of the high profile "funny money" teams...actually one in particular. Sitting on a stool drinking heavily and eerily silent for almost the entire night was a world renowned, highly talented engine builder, who shall remain nameless (We shall call him "Keith" for purposes of anonymity ). "Keith" was holding the purse strings for a race team he was part of at that time (also nameless but carrying the image of a Native American Tribe ). Aside from an occasional sloppy giggle/belch he had uttered not a word all evening as he perched seemingly in his own little world. The night was waning, and while he slowly and carefully paid the bar tab for about 100 people who had come (and gone)all night long, he suddenly began to speak.
In a very quiet voice he asked a simple question of the assembled racers, announcers, builders, riggers and other assorted riff raff, all of whom fell into a hushed silence............
"Why do you wrap hamsters in electrical tape?" whispered the notoriously shy, semi reclusive, engineering genius and builder of the greatest, most respected (and expensive) race engines in the world.
The crowd, eager for any tidbit of knowledge that the rarely heard maestro might dispense, all replied in drunken harmony: " I dunno."
Upon hearing this, "Keith's" eyes seemed to twinkle and he muttered: "To keep them from exploding when you f*ck em!"
With that he looked around, took a step off his stool, and passed out on the floor.
What was Offshore racing like in the 80's you ask?
That about sums it up.
T2xAllergic to Nonsense
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08-14-2009 10:05 AMNo comment.....
Getting bad advice is unfortunate, taking bad advice is a Serious matter!!
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08-14-2009 10:43 AMI was that young girl......................
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08-14-2009 10:50 AM
It's not offshore racing, but Tim Richmond's story pretty much sums up racing in the 80's.
http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/nascar..._ed&id=4394325
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08-14-2009 11:59 AMGood point. We floated that with Supercat. When we had 18 teams I proposed we limited it 10. The first 10 to commit to the season and put a up a bond. To get into Supercat you would have to buy a team making it worth more then the equipment. If you decided to increase the number of teams the existing group of boats benefited from a cash payout. It was not well received.
Steve
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08-14-2009 12:16 PMWhen Supercat was that large, why?
And why would it need to be limited?Getting bad advice is unfortunate, taking bad advice is a Serious matter!!
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08-14-2009 12:44 PMLast edited by Steve Miklos; 08-14-2009 at 01:30 PM.
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08-14-2009 01:11 PMThanks, kinda like 42 NASCAR qualifyers. Would that model, or the Unlimited Heats model accomplish the same thing?
Getting bad advice is unfortunate, taking bad advice is a Serious matter!!
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08-14-2009 01:25 PMThis story & the story about the Newlyweds, are unique & enjoyable to read.
I am a new member, to the forum. I've learned quite a bit, from reading the previous 10 pages, in this thread. The knowledge that has been shared so far, is just amazing & very insightful. Will definitely keep watching this thread. Thank you to everyone for the input/ sharing knowledge, thus far.
James
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08-14-2009 02:24 PMJim,
It was nice meeting you at the St. Clair race. In spite of alot on this thread, most of us still have a great time racing!!! I'm sure in 20 years, I'll be telling everyone how great it was 'back then".
Bob G. 606 Lock'd Up Racing
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08-14-2009 04:12 PMDuct tape, huh? Does that really work with hamsters?
I'm just asking. I am, after all, a very serious, self-important journalist.
Point of clarification: There was no "dotcom" money influx to offshore racing, because folks ... none of the dotcoms were making any money from 1999 to 2001. What actually burst, was a stock market speculation bubble, most particularly the NASDAQ, that dotcoms would EVENTUALLY make money. Never happened.
The money that fueled the dotcoms was all, and I mean all, venture capital. None of it, and I mean none, was generated by the dotcoms. Trust me, and I mean trust me, I was at dotcom ground zero in those heady, whacky (i.e. stupid and wasteful) days.
On a (somewhat) more serious note: Limiting availability (i.e. field size of a class) can actually create demand. The idea Steve Miklos mentioned is a very good one.
Last, and I think you guys will hate me for this: I think the "for the good of the sport" notion is quaint and lovely and all that—and total rubbish. If you want offshore racing to succeed, make it "for the good of the organizers' and racers' pocketbooks."
It should be approached in true Michael Corleone fashion, that being, "It's business. Just business."
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08-15-2009 12:17 AM
Great Thread.
Start of Miami to Bimini race in 1979. 1st Place Prize Money from February 1978 OPBRA race.
Regards,
Jo - Pantera BoatsLast edited by JO - PANTERABOAT; 08-15-2009 at 12:29 AM.
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08-15-2009 12:37 AMRatickle,
You are quite right, "Let's make a whole lot of money on this sport" is a less than optimal marketing approach. But again, we're talking business plan, and we live in a highly "incentivized" (profit motivated) country. Profitable things in United States, go figure, succeed and tend to get more profitable. Forget General Motors ... yes, they had huge union problems, but they also had a hugely inflated view of their customer base, and what the customer wanted in a product. But I digress.
You want an offshore racing marketing slogan? Off the top of my head, how about, "The Wettest Fun You Can Have." But again, I digress.
My point was this: We all need incentive and, frankly, protecting the "future" of offshore racing" is a pretty weak incentive. This isn't NASCAR and never, never will be, meaning I don't think the high end offshore race team owners will ever turn a profit. But let's say they can participate and break even, or come close. And let's say that, as they break even, they can turn their teams into at least a minor marketing vehicle for their own companies. That translates to free advertising.
Each of us is a "special interest," meaning first and foremost will do what's necessary to take care of ourselves and our people. That is a very good thing. So what does that translate to in a collective economic culture? It means that leaving or forming a "splinter group" will be so economically painful that only a lunatic would do it. Create that climate, that purely visceral capitalistic climate we all believe in, for offshore racing and it will reach another level. For all its flaws, I think the LLC understood that. (But I could be wrong. Smile._
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