People are outcrying to get a manufacturer with no interst to make a product. Is there another one on the horizon? probably not but then who knows. Are there .45 motors out there that can be adapted? yep. Nova-Rossi doesn't make an outboard but there are sure a lot of .21 Nova OB's. The .21 class is doing very well without much K&B presence. (sorry Robin no offense) You can order a Rossi or Nelson today that will fit K&B Hyperformance or Lawless lowers. OMG Nelson a made in the USA motor. A lot of classes may be obsolete in few years so just kill them now and go to FE? Nitro has options other than CMB and the plug may be halfway out so whats wrong with trying to push it back in for a while.
Mic
Ok let's keep this on the up and up Mic as now you are generalizing nitro for the sake of arguing and attempting to justify one motor class of outboard that is
DEAD manufacturing wise. Last I heard Nelson isn't interested in doing any more marine motors (there's only a few out there anyways) and even if they were readily available how many are going to spend that much coin to hang a Nelson on a Lawless to run a "Superstock" class???? I might feel differently if there was a current readily available mainstream production of at least one 7.5 o/b complete assembly (powerhead, muffler and lower unit) but there's not. Chris in my opinion has offered the only viable option in modifying an existing class to suit what you are wanting to do. To create a new class for something that's not supported en mass by the manufacturers is unjustified, we need classes that are supported, not ones that are made by what's laying around collecting dust and not made anymore. If by some miracle of miracles production of a complete 7.5 were to return it might be worth considering but until such a time it just makes zero sense. Sorry if some of you don't like it and I mean no offense to anyone but that's how I feel.
Good idea to keep this on the up and up......
......These remarks should start the xxxxstorm........
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Outboarders over the years have been handed the short end of the stick from the IMPBA powers to be when it came to the promotion of nitro "outboard" boat racing......That is what has precipitated the "Tunnel World Championships" race in SC.....and going away that race has been a resounding success.....That race is to outboards what Hobart is to riggers.....
Even at the Internats the outboarders have been treated like the "Black Sheep" boaters of the IMPBA.....Every year the largest [or next to the largest ] class at the Internats has always been the Sport.21 tunnel class and hell that class has only been around in the IMPBA since 1996....If any class should have been a US-1 class it should be the Sport.21 tunnel class......I have never seen 30+ twins,F monos,E hydros etc,etc etc..... at any internats I have attended.....Tradition and a successful boat race are not necessarily good bed fellows......I.E.....It took years to shove Sport40 into the US-1 rotation.....
Unfortunately,this governing approach is systemic to just about all membership run organizations,but that is another subject for another time........
That being said.......
You do know,there is another way to look at this.......The classes we [The IMPBA] should encourage,promote and support should be the classes that show up with the most boats to race,no matter if they are supported by the motor manufacturers or not......once again I reference the World Tunnel Championships......The outboarders are out there are mobilized......
IMO.the end result should be the point of focus.........after all,we are a "boat racing organization"....right????....
That being the case lets carry this to the next logical conclusion....there is a pretty strong contingent of Sport.21 outboards currently being campaigned in virtually every district in the IMPBA.....
Everyone of these "outboarders" is a candidate for an .45SS [un-piped] sport tunnel class of some sort......There are a bunch of 7.5 boat manufacturers out there already so half the problem is solved and only God knows how many 7.5 K&B outboards out there that are not being used or show up daily on ebay just waiting to be tapped......To a died in the wool "outboarder"I don't even think $$$$ is a problem.......Just make the rules simple and inclusive and boats will start to show up.....
It is obvious that NAMBA will also eventually be forced to adapt rules very similar to the IMPBA Sport .21 Tunnel rules......In fact, IMPBA and NAMBA will eventually be forced to drop the "all parts must be made by the same manufacturer " provision to their Tunnel rules........All you need for "Sport Tunnel" racing is a set of go no-go gauges for intake and exhaust , pipes or no pipes and build em' and bring em' and eventually you would have a gaggle of outboards at most races.......The interest is already there,all the "outboarders" need is a venue.......