IMPBA Internats Format

[Ron Zaker Jr]

I wonder how many people commenting on the Internats format have actually participated in the event at least 5 or 6 times, hmmmm ?

 

[Tim Kish]

I think this has been a great discusion so far , everyone has remained civil over a very touchy subject and that is awesome.

Some people may feel I should'nt have a voice in this because I have only attended a couple Internats and that is fine.

When I left the event after the heat racing this year it was in know way intended to diminish the importance of the Internats in any way.

I have way to much respect for the people that were there and for the event itself period.

Many people were shocked when I told them I was leaving after the racing.

My response was the same to all of them.

If I was going to take a week off work it would be spent with my family.

My main reason for attending this year was because I wanted to race with some of the best in the world and I feel I did.

I would gladly attend the Internats again in the current format and I would probably end up leaving after the racing again , regardless of how I finished.

I hope that a club steps up soon regardless of the format and I hope I will be able to attend again next year.

Tim Kish

 

[user 115]

I wonder how many people commenting on the Internats format have actually participated in the event at least 5 or 6 times, hmmmm ?

Come on, Mr. Zaker.. I don't care if you've attended once, 20 times or never, it's still just too hard to take off 5+ days off of work to go race model boats. And the main problem is that no one is standing up to host the event. These dicussions are to hopefully provide solutions for the reasons no one is stepping up to host the event and to encourage potential changes that will help increase participation.

Just giving you a hard time, RZJ..

Charley

 

[Ron Zaker Jr]

I wonder how many people commenting on the Internats format have actually participated in the event at least 5 or 6 times, hmmmm ?

Come on, Mr. Zaker.. I don't care if you've attended once, 20 times or never, it's still just too hard to take off 5+ days off of work to go race model boats. And the main problem is that no one is standing up to host the event. These dicussions are to hopefully provide solutions for the reasons no one is stepping up to host the event and to encourage potential changes that will help increase participation.

Just giving you a hard time, RZJ..

Charley

No more 20 hydro prototypes for you. lolol. It was just a question.

 

[bzubee]

THe detailed formats are in an Internats guide John developed it is now in electronic format and available to anyone wishing a copy just e-mail me and it is yours.

The 3rd format was approved & added to the books not to replace US-1 but simply to give an option so hopefully more clubs would consider hosting the Internats.

I skimmed through the most recent version of the rule book last night and only found the US-1 format. Did I miss the other two, or are they not yet in the book? And if they're not in the book, where are they? In the interest of avoiding having people reinvent the wheel, can you either post the details of the three formats, or at least provide a link to them?

 

[Marty Davis]

I wonder how many people commenting on the Internats format have actually participated in the event at least 5 or 6 times, hmmmm ?

I have....

Marty Davis

 

[Marty Davis]

THe detailed formats are in an Internats guide John developed it is now in electronic format and available to anyone wishing a copy just e-mail me and it is yours.

The 3rd format was approved & added to the books not to replace US-1 but simply to give an option so hopefully more clubs would consider hosting the Internats.

I skimmed through the most recent version of the rule book last night and only found the US-1 format. Did I miss the other two, or are they not yet in the book? And if they're not in the book, where are they? In the interest of avoiding having people reinvent the wheel, can you either post the details of the three formats, or at least provide a link to them?

How about posting it. I will be glad to post it and provide the link.

Marty Davis

 

[Chris Wood]

I wonder how many people commenting on the Internats format have actually participated in the event at least 5 or 6 times, hmmmm ?

I have....

Marty Davis

me to.. and i challange anyone that has participated in this type of format to say that 5 rounds of heat racing is harder than 5 rounds of racing plus saw's and ovals.

chris

 

[Scott Norris]

OK lets put this in a different perspective. I run my own 1 man business and I will NEVER be able to shut it down for 10 days to go to a Nats until after I retire, if I live that long. I think that there are alot of other really good racers in my same situation. So how do you know if you are beating all the best racers if alot of us can't do the current drawn out schedule??? I can guarantee you that if you race me you won't see any laying back and finishing in heat racing or bad driving but you better be on the clock and ready to do your best driving or you WILL get Whooped!

Now back to your regularly scheduled program.

 

[Andy Greene]

I wonder how many people commenting on the Internats format have actually participated in the event at least 5 or 6 times, hmmmm ?

I have....

Marty Davis

me to.. and i challange anyone that has participated in this type of format to say that 5 rounds of heat racing is harder than 5 rounds of racing plus saw's and ovals.

chris

No disrespect intended Chris, but its not about it being harder. Its about the amount of time and money involved to get someone like me(my name is Andy- and Ive never raced an Internats) interested in coming to the event. There is NO DOUBT the combined SAWS-OVAL TRAILS-HEAT RACING, is WAY more challenging. I would LOVE to be able to attend such an event, but its just not realistic for the "average joe" and newcoming racer. Once again, maybe its MEANT to be out of our field.

 

[Chris Wood]

OK lets put this in a different perspective. I run my own 1 man business and I will NEVER be able to shut it down for 10 days to go to a Nats until after I retire, if I live that long. I think that there are alot of other really good racers in my same situation. So how do you know if you are beating all the best racers if alot of us can't do the current drawn out schedule??? I can guarantee you that if you race me you won't see any laying back and finishing in heat racing or bad driving but you better be on the clock and ready to do your best driving or you WILL get Whooped!
Now back to your regularly scheduled program.

bring it on big daddy. i am ready for ya.

if the time is the issue then what can we do to shorten it up.. is there classes that we need so split up.. over the course of the year.. or do we shorten up the races all together.. like ron said.. where is everyone? no vacation, no this or that.. we all have to deal with it.. it is hard on me to take that much time off but i do it because i want to race..

I drive 2 1/2hrs just to test every other weekend for god sakes.

what if we did atlanta in the spring for say hydros and sport boats.. then summer we did mono's?? what if we did qualifiers like brian said earlier.. if you qualify you are in.. in not, you can't go??

chris

 

[Chris Wood]

I wonder how many people commenting on the Internats format have actually participated in the event at least 5 or 6 times, hmmmm ?

I have....

Marty Davis

me to.. and i challange anyone that has participated in this type of format to say that 5 rounds of heat racing is harder than 5 rounds of racing plus saw's and ovals.

chris

No disrespect intended Chris, but its not about it being harder. Its about the amount of time and money involved to get someone like me(my name is Andy- and Ive never raced an Internats) interested in coming to the event. There is NO DOUBT the combined SAWS-OVAL TRAILS-HEAT RACING, is WAY more challenging. I would LOVE to be able to attend such an event, but its just not realistic for the "average joe" and newcoming racer. Once again, maybe its MEANT to be out of our field.

andy,

that is what i am talking about.. we need more newcomers..

I get the concesous and maybe i am wrong.. but alot of this discussion is about time.. so what can we do to shorten it up?

if we don't get more new comers to the nats.. we will get the same draw.

chris

 

[BigChuck]

SCOTT.........!!!

What you have said is what the MORE RACERS HAVE ATTEND IN IMPBA...............THIS YEAR..

OH . While I am out here. U.S.-1???

NOT even the powerboat racing bodies that offer that classification, use the

" KILO RUNS" to determain the winner for U.S.-1...................FACT:

JUST...................???

 

[Scott Norris]

I think there are 2 issues going on here. The first is getting a club to host an 8 day event which includes timing equipment and a surveyed course if it is to be legal for records. The second is the fact that if a guy wants to Heat Race a 20 mono on Sunday and a 40 rigger on Monday and he should happen to get in the top 5 he has to sit there until Friday or Saturday to run the Trials. How do you make a Hotel reservation with a " I might leave Monday or I might leave the next Sunday?" Only way I can see to make it easier and more appealing to the participants is to run certain classes on a certain day and leave time for the SAW and Oval Trials for those classes at the end of the day. As Larry the Cable Guy Says, "Git Er Doooooooooone!"

 

[Chris Wood]

I think there are 2 issues going on here. The first is getting a club to host an 8 day event which includes timing equipment and a surveyed course if it is to be legal for records. The second is the fact that if a guy wants to Heat Race a 20 mono on Sunday and a 40 rigger on Monday and he should happen to get in the top 5 he has to sit there until Friday or Saturday to run the Trials. How do you make a Hotel reservation with a " I might leave Monday or I might leave the next Sunday?" Only way I can see to make it easier and more appealing to the participants is to run certain classes on a certain day and leave time for the SAW and Oval Trials for those classes at the end of the day. As Larry the Cable Guy Says, "Git Er Doooooooooone!"

Scott,

Me and a buddy was discussing this tonight..

Could we run say all the mono and scales classes on monday tues... hydros and sport 40 and tunnels on wed thurs.??

might work..

chris

 

[Andy Greene]

what if we did atlanta in the spring for say hydros and sport boats.. then summer we did mono's?? what if we did qualifiers like brian said earlier.. if you qualify you are in.. in not, you can't go??

chris

Now were talking, a Dist type qualifier. Your either in or out and I have to tell you from other type racing I have competed in, it LOTS of incentive to show if you qualify.Not to mention to make the qualifiers, grows the dist level all in one shot. The only problem there is the NAMBA clubs ???? How do you work a qualifier format in to include clubs that only run NAMBA ??

I think there are 2 issues going on here. The first is getting a club to host an 8 day event which includes timing equipment and a surveyed course if it is to be legal for records. The second is the fact that if a guy wants to Heat Race a 20 mono on Sunday and a 40 rigger on Monday and he should happen to get in the top 5 he has to sit there until Friday or Saturday to run the Trials. How do you make a Hotel reservation with a " I might leave Monday or I might leave the next Sunday?" Only way I can see to make it easier and more appealing to the participants is to run certain classes on a certain day and leave time for the SAW and Oval Trials for those classes at the end of the day. As Larry the Cable Guy Says, "Git Er Doooooooooone!"

Well said Scott.

 

[piper_chuck]

I would encourage the continuation of the current format. All the POSITIVE comments for this should make it obvious of the importance of OVAL and SAW trials. Of the total time spent at the Internats (9-10 days), only 2 days were spent to run those events.

It seems the numbers and the positive comments are telling two different stories. I don't have time to get the exact numbers, but Atlanta had what, around 300 boats at a 3 day event? The NAMBA nats had close to 600 at their 10 day event. The Gas Nats had how many in 4 days? Meanwhile, the Internats had around 300 boats for a 9 day event? If the format is so great, why is the attendance so low compared to the other events? Is it possible that many people compare the amount of time the internats takes with the amount of racing they get to do and choose to spend their racing time elsewhere?

Just to set the facts straight, Atlanta handles 300+ boats each year in two racing days, Sat. & Sun. as Friday is open water. B)

Thanks. I was including the official open water days in the event lengths.

 

[piper_chuck]

I wonder how many people commenting on the Internats format have actually participated in the event at least 5 or 6 times, hmmmm ?

Many probably have not, and will not, for many reasons, including that it's too **** long. Are you suggesting that people who have not participated are not entitled to voice their opinions on how to fix the problem of declining participation at what is supposed to be IMPBA's premier event? Discrediting other people's opinions may not be the best method of finding solutions to this problem.

 

[Andy Greene]

I think there are 2 issues going on here. The first is getting a club to host an 8 day event which includes timing equipment and a surveyed course if it is to be legal for records. The second is the fact that if a guy wants to Heat Race a 20 mono on Sunday and a 40 rigger on Monday and he should happen to get in the top 5 he has to sit there until Friday or Saturday to run the Trials. How do you make a Hotel reservation with a " I might leave Monday or I might leave the next Sunday?" Only way I can see to make it easier and more appealing to the participants is to run certain classes on a certain day and leave time for the SAW and Oval Trials for those classes at the end of the day. As Larry the Cable Guy Says, "Git Er Doooooooooone!"

Scott,

Me and a buddy was discussing this tonight..

Could we run say all the mono and scales classes on monday tues... hydros and sport 40 and tunnels on wed thurs.??

might work..

That would be a huge difference in attendance for me. Once again, Im Andy - and I HAVE NOT been to the Internats......LOL

This has been a peaceful productive thread so far guys- lets keep it on track to resolve the issue.

chris

 

[Scott Norris]

I think there are 2 issues going on here. The first is getting a club to host an 8 day event which includes timing equipment and a surveyed course if it is to be legal for records. The second is the fact that if a guy wants to Heat Race a 20 mono on Sunday and a 40 rigger on Monday and he should happen to get in the top 5 he has to sit there until Friday or Saturday to run the Trials. How do you make a Hotel reservation with a " I might leave Monday or I might leave the next Sunday?" Only way I can see to make it easier and more appealing to the participants is to run certain classes on a certain day and leave time for the SAW and Oval Trials for those classes at the end of the day. As Larry the Cable Guy Says, "Git Er Doooooooooone!"

Scott,

Me and a buddy was discussing this tonight..

Could we run say all the mono and scales classes on monday tues... hydros and sport 40 and tunnels on wed thurs.??

might work..

chris

As long as you go ahead and get the whole deal done, as in heat racing, SAW and Oval time done in the same day or close to it. It's an idea. Same Format just rearanging things a bit. This would help the racers but I'm not sure it would help as far as getting host clubs.