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View Full Version : Invitation to go racing, would you do it????



roadtrip se
05-23-2002, 12:05 PM
Got a chance to ride in a one-class, bat boat
probably on the sticks. Wheel man has two years experience running APBA F1. Very little cost involved.

Heard about the carnage in F1 APBA at Marathon. Saw Jack Carmody die in Corpus last year. Jason Priestly runs over a bunch of folks at Maimi SBI.
Dangerous sport.

I've got experience running 100 mph sport boats. No kids and a wife that puts up with me. A serious need for speed and a type A, competitive personality.

What would you do? I'm thinkin' I might update my life insurance and go racing.

Personal abuse aside, what would you do?

Todd

Robert Geoghegan
05-23-2002, 12:12 PM
YUP!

waleyetwo
05-23-2002, 02:41 PM
you got no strings? then go for it your a lucky man.go for it :)

PaulO
05-23-2002, 04:17 PM
If you are not kidding about upping the life insurance I would say - don't count on it. I am no insurance expert but, there are specific questions about risky activities. Lying means an out for the insurance company in the event of a disaster. On another note, If it were my decision, It would depend on the confidence level of the driver and of myself.
PaulO

HELLERBOY
05-23-2002, 04:24 PM
racing.HELL YEH!! I used to run super pro & that was a rush, But that rush only lasted about nine and a half seconds. thats why I love my DONZI it gives me a way to go fast and injoy it. Racing super pro was great but the rush ends to soon. So racing boats you say, A sport where you can injoy the rush & it's not over in seconds.I say to you oh yeh, OH YAH!!

Shanghied Again
05-23-2002, 04:43 PM
Todd, Depends on a few things, One the 24 Batboat is a good little race boat, But it is real hard on your body! 1 to 2ft chop ok after that Pure body beating. I used to race and now at my age i will stick to Poker Runs, Leave the racing to the young and the more flexible bodies. Now a 38ZR that might be a different story! :D

Tony
05-23-2002, 08:14 PM
Todd,

If you have to ask, then there is some hesitation. To me, IMHO, that is telltale.

Couple that to the concerns your lovely and way cool wife might have...but is probably not showing you.

Sell me your 22, get yourself a Limited Edition 22 with the baddest-ass engine you can think of, and race when you want to against whoever you want to. With COMPLETE confidence, instead of being subject to conditions, other drivers, wheelman, unknown mechanicals, etc.

Sorry for the negative vote, but I echo Frank's thinking.
Wanna trade me your 22 for my 16, even up?

CDMA
05-23-2002, 08:40 PM
You only live once...Just Do it.

GEOO
05-23-2002, 08:50 PM
I figured Chris would vote Yah..
I was actually trying to figure out a way to do one of those races. If I could find a sponser for half then it would seam possible. All I would need then would be a thottle man. GEOO

CDMA
05-23-2002, 09:02 PM
Ohhhh Ohhhhh Me Me Me :) :) :)

ToonaFish
05-23-2002, 10:33 PM
Must be one heck of a scholarship that Chris is on, that he can volunteer to sponsor GEOO's racing venture...

Bunches,

Celene 'looking at co-ed colleges this time around'

CDMA
05-23-2002, 10:38 PM
Hey hey hey who talked about sponsorship...all I can do is move that stick things and point the pointy end the right direction.

I figure you are sponsoring...

Do you have a boat??? I think I see a need

Chris

tailwind
05-23-2002, 10:41 PM
Racing? Only one spot, ask Dalema!

RENO

oldLenny
05-24-2002, 12:46 AM
Roadtrip.
No Question!!! ONCE at least!!! Put your diapers on just in case,...get pumped,...throw the butterflies away and grin and bear it. I have gone offshore only twice now in my life at 70+ in 35'+ boats in ocean seas. First time had me freak'in when I listened to 3-300 Optimax's heat up, much like a beehive ready to explode, had reservations as to the whole concept once out of the harbour at about 20 MPH. Then the hammer went down, GPS tracking went on, (a safe way home again later at 3am) settled into a bolster, jumped long 3' swells and the rest is history!!!This was just last summer!!!I would go in anything now, and hopefully faster!

DO IT!!! (expect a smile from ear to ear when the Adrenalin lets you go!!!)

We only get older, then speak as "purveyors of hindsight" but secretly wish we had "taken a chance" when it was offered.

It is being offered!

I'd be there and I have kids...

Kent Perroux
05-24-2002, 06:36 AM
Those incidents you mentioned are not the norm.

1) Jack Carmody - Supercat; premier class. He had his canopy cut down which allowed the water to catch as he rolled.

2) Jason Priestly SBI - 1st race in a 4-engine 4000hp sled. Everyone ok, just too hot into the turn.

3) Factory 1: The factory 1 and II classes are the most competitive and have become the spot for professionals. Recommended if you don't mind "rubbin boats"

In the batboat (one-class) you are in a copopy boat, and racing in a class with just a few other boats. You will ussually be running with the P=class boats which will be fairly spread out. You should be able to have a blast without getting too hairy. If you stuff, spin or roll in the canopy boat it should be nothing more than an inconvenience.

roadtrip se
05-24-2002, 08:38 AM
Thanks Gang!

Sometimes you just got to do a sanity check on your instincts.

Got the call yesterday and the insides immediately jumped to attention, but the head said wait a minute.

The wife's first reaction was; "Can I go too?"
without hesistation.

Talked to the Poodle and he is already volunteering to be crew chief!

Frank and Tony. Thanks for the words of caution.

George and Chris. Your boat would have to be named "NO FEAR!", "WHAT ELSE YOU GOT?", or "YOU CAN'T DISH IT OUT FAST ENOUGH!".

A lot of things will have to come together, but given the chance, I'm there!

Throttle boy in waiting,

Todd

GeneD
05-30-2002, 01:41 AM
Good choice.
The bat boats...what can I say that hasn't been said. Driven a few of them, all different in handling and power.
Go racing, it's something that will live with you forever. Take lots of pics!
Can't think of a better choice for crew chief than the MP himself, unless of course I was still on the market! wink
Don't forget to hold your nose when you do the dunk tank test, you'll regret it if you don't!

boldts
05-31-2002, 10:55 PM
Hey Roadtrip,
How about an update? Got to ride in a B Class boat once because I took the owners wife out on the course in my Donzi to get in action pictures at a Lake Erie regional race. I'd be glad to be the picture man for ya for a ride in a batboat. wink Enjoy the experience!

Hum, signature pic is a little big isn't it. I'll have to down size it, but looking good! (Not working on Cumberland 2003 just yet.)

roadtrip se
06-01-2002, 12:10 AM
Just waiting on the phone to ring for Cape Cod...

Everybody here will be the first to know when we get the seat!

Wondering how Team Donzi decals are going to look on a Reindell bat boat??????

Todd

BigGrizzly
06-01-2002, 07:24 AM
Todd, I started racing for several reasions. One important reasion is: I didn't want to be as old as I am now and than look back and wonder if could have done it and been good at it. Well I did and I was. I'm 56 years old and l look back and say I'm glad. Racing isn't for everyone. It is more of a love than a want. You may be great or not but you will never know if you don't try. Here is the catch. If it doesn't feel right when you do it than walk away. You can still luve racing and not do it. You can still be involved and not be in the boat.

Randy

FlatRacer, aka BarrelBack
06-03-2002, 09:35 AM
Hey Grizzly,

What classes did you race in? I agree 100% with what you said about it looking back. I always felt that if I'd been better equipped (financially), or I had been more willing to sacrifice EVERYTHING else in my life, and commit myself totally to a racing career, I could have run at the top level of flatbottom racing.
The simple fact is I wasn't born rich, and I was unwilling to mortgage the house for a pair of $35,000 Lingenfelter engines (like one of my competitiors ran).
Looking back on it, I have so say, honestly, that I could have spent a lot less money, done a lot less work and had a lot more fun had I done something else with my time. However, I'm glad I tried it because if I hadn't, I'd be sitting here right now wondering what it would've been like, and if I could've done well. At least now I know what it feels like to be out there driving my balls off, even if it was for 3rd place!
The thing you can never discount is the friendships you make along the way. I have become good friends with a couple of guys that, god willing, will be my friends for the rest of my life. It was worth all the money spent and hours sweating and bleeding for that alone. Ultimately it's the friendships I made that are worth more than any titles, trophies, or accolades that I won, or would have won "if only......."

Eric :)

P.S. and after all that, I still have the fastest boat on my lake! :p

GeneD
06-04-2002, 10:59 PM
Flat Racer...
Well said, and very true.

BigGrizzly
06-04-2002, 11:50 PM
Flat, I did several kinds in the 1960's through 2000. I use to run one of the old JS series boats, then Hydros for awhile then drag racing(cars), SCCA then concentrated on AMA motorcycle circuit. Than ended up doing mainly road racing. My last retirement was in vintage road racing with the 2000 Formula vintage championship. I quit racing myself years ago and found other people to ride my equipment, I was a better builder than rider. Now I just do engines for a hobby not a living and let Honda take care of me. The answer to the next question is (will I stay in retirement) " hell I don't know" I have retired 5 times so far.
My only problem is that we use to race to race and have fun, now they race to win the big bucks, most of the fun is gone in the pro classes.

Randy

FlatRacer, aka BarrelBack
06-07-2002, 05:22 PM
Randy,

You sound like me, only with money! I'd say we're truly rennaissance men. Or in my case, perhaps I simply suffer from a short attention span! wink
I figure there are only so many weekends in each summer, and only so many summers left in our lives. Do we really want to spend them all doing the same thing over and over again? (How's that for a rationalization?)
When a small pile of money did drop in my lap, from an inheretence, I was faced with a decision: Do I spend it on a top shelf race engine for the raceboat (that could blow up tomorrow), or do I invest in a toy that is at least insurable? Of course I took the safer route and bought a Pantera resto project. Yeah, it was another money pit, but now that it's done and fully insured, a tractor trailer truck could back over it tomorrow and I'd get paid.
As far as the boat racing goes, I wish it were more about driving and less about engine building (aka spending money). I got really tired of building all those motors. If you ask me, I always thought there sould've been a spec motor flatbottom class. Just buy a $5,000 lump from Mercruiser, or whomever, rev limit it, wet exhaust, etc. At 350 hp, you'd still have a 90 mph boat to play with. It would have been a real driver's class. Just look at the success they're having in Offshore with the Factory classes. Oh well, now the capsules are coming and I've lost interest.
My latest forray into racing has been autocross. Mildly entertaining, not too much grunt work. We'll see how that goes.
Other than that, at this point in my life (newlywed w/ baby #1 on the way), all I want to do is buy a Donzi and cruise around with my wife and kid in every lake I can find.
The competitive fire seems to have banked down to glowing embers...........at least for now.

Eric :)