Keep fightin' it out boys... everybody loses... I'd thought we'd gotten the winter version over with... man alive... I just passed again on a new sport hull graciously offered.... why?.. because I'm too tired and gaining laziness, to instill the work needed to get competitive in the hunt... and in my experience the tunnel hulls take a massive massive amount of time and effort ( read, rowing after, yadda yadda), to absolutely hone down to race condition perfection... its not just the engine... its not. it's the work you install ( read fuel burning) on propellors, to overall hull harmony.... hands down. and... ill throw this out to the new guys after 15 years never winning against Mike Z. Yeah.. he's good...I've also seen him defeated... When the villian s1 came out....i built my "sportie" with the then newer gold head w/c kb then available..head clearance only.... and... I FOCUSED on taking it to a pinnacle sought.... 2 full test seasons.... i still have all the props....( yeah, i have over 100 butchered attempts) and the work paid off... one in a million motor... maybe.... right down to bb's in the r box for balance... I'd done it... without sending the engine away, no tricks, just work... it clocked well, railed the turns and ate water.... and... I only did it to prove to myself that it wasnt engine voodoo, hot fuel, or whatever else i was getting my butt handed to me on the circuit... Zaborowski's mill is wicked... he's more tricks ( read experience, easily), that that clock hits he's in one, and on one every time... every time... and its unexplainable.... cobra... seriously... think he works on his milling?.. sure he does.. do you?.. watch him in his chair tuning his props all day? now.. this aint the Zaborowski show, he just happened to be the man in d4 to beat was all...Wally Marsh happened to be my mentor, also, and... I never have won against either man outright... and wont sadly I'm unwilling anymore to work that hard.. i still work even harder on outriggers i test.... I've seen it ALL in sport.... carbs, flywheels, exhaust, displacement, and what for?.. an edge people mistakenly think they need to "get in there".... you gotta break rules to win, maybe, thats you... sleep with it... I'm not suffering the BS in sport class... and im not at all defending Mike by far.... Bob... id raced against you for years also... youre pretty hot, too... never won to date, either... IMO, the interchanging rule will really really confuse race officials and cause discord nationwide...( like there isnt enough already) somebody will start winning with some conglomeration of something and he'll be accused some time in short order.... guaranteed... if, youre lucky a sharp eyed CD may catch the guy.... question 1, id always wondered, was if the OS XYZ (whatever) buggy timed piston guys were using as an upgrade/replacement was displacement legal?.. ive never seen an engine torn down... and.. i have a .25 p/liner i bought at a garage sale thats micro thousandths away from slipping in.... just thoughts surely... lol...i dont own a sport engine... I was, all for the claim rule, and will admit not having a set enough to enact it, because well yeah, im getting lapped!.... or was, until i learned how to maybe unload the propellor for top end... weight the boat for water conditions, whatever... and i mean overall hull integrity, whatever... its an absolute ton of work.... install it... what do you have to lose?.. another heat?.. had fun doing it though... New guys.. read into this... my pit man, is a tunnel lifer... and an absolute wall of plaques from one thing.... finish the race... tests every sunday, on low airplane nitro,OS engine i dont care to know about, with a good propellor and a hull, take a hurricane... = points to wins... Marty...drives smart too... heres a one heat placement win for somebody: clock hits and 4 boats all diving into one... 99% 2 boats come out... 6 boat heat youre in 4th... boats 1 and 2 are getting racy up front... blow off... 3rd... more to it... points... wood. Keep fighting around... and ill be testing at home and clubs will fail from lack of participants trending every year.... wanna buy performance?.. Mongar helps... Sholunds 442's intensively are the deal... should you possibly get a series until the engine and boat show you whats what.... well maybe, ... aint gonna help, it just isnt until you trim the thing, balance the thing, tip, tilt, tweak, sharpen, dull, time, and RUN it.... then..finish a race.... its all good.... Vote?.. no... you guys fight... My piped boat tested well sunday... see you on the circuit.... Mike