HPBCANADA.COM

Were you even at a race this year Mark?

Reason I say that Mark is I don't think there was a T750 this year... maybe one, at one event?

(Sorry, my mind works slow...)

... and if that is one of the problems (it was stated like there was more than one issue though)... ASR and CSR was left on the beach several times after some drivers drove 6 hours to get to a race. There is no favourtism there. At least the T750 got on the water, even though it is illegal in the T class rules.

Good to hear this class is going to be more of an entry level class. There is no favoritism in the way classes are broken up, and there is no hydro vs. T vs. the world thing. We all need, and will continue to need each other into the future. It is the only way to keep boat racing alive and inclusive to everyone. If T750 has a 3 boat field and want to run together we'll run them as the 3. Problem this year was everyone was running T850 and wanted to split up before the max heat number, we don't do that for hydro guys either, just the way it is especially in a busy schedule. That being said, we had made special consideration in the past for T class to split them up with veteran and novice drivers... so when the time is right there is leeway, but that is always the Race Directors call.

I like the way T750 can act as a feeder for T850, its a good class to promote particularly for guys who need some more seat time, I'm, glad guys are seeing that.

Mark, we had 6-25s at dunnville, we have added 3 more for next year (no joke, real racers) and were almost into elims in ASH all season, I think our lowest number was 8. We have had a favorable boat count increase in specific classes, and have lost other classes (such as ASR). I feel as if we have a great schedule going and are really filling the key classes up, even the new Thundercat group had 5 boats I believe in Dunnville. Great job guys!

Ok, so I was trying to get a bit of a rise out of some of the Hydro guys, but no harm was intended! I started watching TORC events in 1997 and knew that boat racing was something I wanted to be involved in. I don't want this to be T's vs Hydros, but there are differences as far as racing goes and I think we may need to discuss that...

We all could look back at every race season and see room for improvement. The boat split for T850 was half and half(for the most part) all the way up to Dunnville. Being used to a 5 boat heat and then running 10 was not fun! (for me) A T boat is not a hydro. 10 T's makes racing much rougher than 10 hydros. I know some guys don't mind it that way, but others don't feel safe. Is it a safety concern for others? Does anyone ever think what if??

So, I have addressed these concerns for myself by running T750 next year. Its more of an entry level class with a lower boat count as of now. Can we keep it that way? Is it unreasonable to look at a 6 boat max for the the T750 or even T850 future?

Overall, as my first season racing I survived and had a blast. I have now outlined a few concerns I have been thinking about... but I may have started this discussion the wrong way! Much thanks goes to all of you experienced (mostly hydro) guys that put so much into racing every year!

I really didn't understan where that comment was coming from either WWM...but Andrew...relax...he didn't call out your Mom lol.

With regard to the boat count vs. splitting we should NOT have split the class at any of the races when we didn't have the numbers to do so. We've run up to 9 boats at Waterford in the past and had no issues. Waterford actually is the calmest venue with the soft shoreline. When the class gets split and doesn't follow the outline for heats/finals/consi etc the scoring gets messed and therefore the points are messed. In addition it waters down the racing as well as the show. Erik said it best...the boat has a throttle!! If you feel unsafe running in the rough..back off. There is no pressure to win, no sponsors or prize money or whatever so there is no reason to put yourself in a position you do not want to be in. I ran in the back and in the middle at Dunnville and it was rough...about as rough as Gravenhurst or either race previous years...it wasn't exceptional. It is possible to push the boat through this stuff in a safe manor with out spinning or hooking...just drive within your limits.

That being said...I helped most of the T boats get back on the trailers and EVERYONE (Including Dave) was smiling. This is fun...

T750 will likely be easier even with lots of boats because the boats are slower and easier to handle.

Thanks for Your input Rick! This is the kind of feedback I was hoping for. I am really looking for general feeback to determine if I am way off base or ?? Andrew, Sorry, I can understand now how you took offense. I have been misunderstood before! ... I was just feeling a bit saucy!

Here's another item for discussion... Can you really anticipate when your T boat will spin out? Some guys have an awesome handle on this and some don't!! What should a new racer do to his/her setup, driving style to minimize this issue?

Talk amongst yourselves...

Seat time is one of the biggest factors. The more time you spend behind the wheel, the more familiar you get with the feeling, sounds, and attitude of the boat. From a setup point of view, a wider pad and a higher propshaft height can make the back end come out. A narrower pad sets quicker, but is slower to lift and harder to handle in a straight line. A deeper motor is slower in a straight line, but handles around the corner.

I played with a lot of different boats before I had the v-bottom and most concepts apply in a similar way. Setup can have a pretty drastic effect on the way they handle. You can make it totally conservative or on the edge with only a few changes.

Thanks! This great Info for a new racer. Even a T750 boat could be setup in way that is dangerous. Prop selection and the design of your skeg also makes a huge difference in boat control...

This is funny and true in theory, but does Erik have a throttle?? Or just an on and off switch??



Thats a good point. This class will be better suited to the the entry level T racer. We need to encourage guys to start here, get some experience and then decide if they want to move up. LC is a great example of this senario as well as driving a boat within his limits.