Is the OB class doomed?

[Julio Almazan]

Hi:
Yes... it's true: there are fewer and fewer drivers competing in this category... however, nobody, NOBODY gets rid of their Tunnels boats; NOBODY throws them into the garbage container. They stay there and sleep for a while... some Spanish and Portuguese people (many of whom participate in this forum) have decided to recover this beautiful category and, SLOWLY, step by step, we are achieving it.
Each new race the grid gets bigger... new water spaces are appearing to carry out the tests... WE ARE NOT GIVING UP!!

 

[Grimracer]

Awesome stuff Julio!

 

[Carl Van Houten]

Hi:
Yes... it's true: there are fewer and fewer drivers competing in this category... however, nobody, NOBODY gets rid of their Tunnels boats; NOBODY throws them into the garbage container. They stay there and sleep for a while... some Spanish and Portuguese people (many of whom participate in this forum) have decided to recover this beautiful category and, SLOWLY, step by step, we are achieving it.
Each new race the grid gets bigger... new water spaces are appearing to carry out the tests... WE ARE NOT GIVING UP!!

Yes! Keep running those O/B tunnels! I see a few that came from Deatsville Alabama in that line up! I hear there were some very fast tunnels at the Nationals in Huntsville. I heard that Mike Z was there. Maybe he can post some pictures of that race?

 

[Grimracer]

ONE NAME.. JOEY JONES!

I would list him as a Huntsville (SUPER CLUB MEMBER) he was there as much as he could to help AND.. he is your IMPBA National Champion in Sport Tunnel. Lynx hull, OS motor and Grimracer Prop.

Truth is the entire club did a nice job with the race.

GOOD PEOPLE and good weather make a race like the internats so much fun!

We had a nice time.. I took VERY few pictures.. we missed ya Carl!

Grim

 

[Carl Van Houten]

ONE NAME.. JOEY JONES!

I would list him as a Huntsville (SUPER CLUB MEMBER) he was there as much as he could to help AND.. he is your IMPBA National Champion in Sport Tunnel. Lynx hull, OS motor and Grimracer Prop.

Truth is the entire club did a nice job with the race.

GOOD PEOPLE and good weather make a race like the internats so much fun!

We had a nice time.. I took VERY few pictures.. we missed ya Carl!

Grim

Joey is one O/B tunnel loving guy! YES he was on cloud #10 for sure. I have always enjoyed his willing to help and be a team player! All I could do is send some hit men up there. LOL I heard that the old cliche "My name is Mudd" wasn't such a bad name to have either. LOL! Now that I'm retired I will make it out a little more often.

Y'all missed me? You have forgotten what a pain in the A I can be...LOL.
Thanks!
- Carl

 

[Grimracer]

I will tell ya what.. KENNY HAD IS &^% together!.. CLEARLY had his program ready.

Was fun to race with him again.

Grim

 

[Dave Gilles]

where is everyone getting the PTO's for like CMB outboards and stuff?

 

[Dave Gilles]

I agree with the very low participation. It's just a fact and if it were that way across the board I would say "its dusted" as well BUT, the decline is the result of multifaceted issues. Other classes are on the rise. Just recently a new gas class was added: Super Boat. So why is the current class attraction moving away from outboards?

For the ones who are still interested in racing O/B's the core upfront issues are still first availability and second price then third comes glow plug prices. Gone for ever are the days of the $3.00 glow plugs. They are $8.00 to $12.00 now days and then there is fuel prices. Feeding a 7.5cc fuel all afternoon can get a bit pricy.

At the moment the neat & simple left handed power head that we have enjoyed for many years can not be purchased new anymore and we are now left with lower units that require them.

If a comeback is possible from this point, a lower unit needs to be built around a right hand engine to prevent this from ever happening again down the road. Will it be gear drive, belt drive or right hand direct drive? Somebody that is interested in outboards, retired and owns a decent CNC can fix the current availability issue fairly quickly but who is that person?

I use amazon glow plugs $20 for 5. aliexpress has 12 OS 8's for $40 shipped

 

[the german]

For reference tunnel participation at the NAMBA Nationals:
2022 tunnel classes:
Gas - 5; 7.5 stock - 18; 3.5 stock - 18; 3.5 mod - 16; P limited - 10

2024 tunnel classes:
Gas - 4; 3.5 stock - 7; 3.5 mod - 9 ; P limited - 8

Lohring Miller

I ran all the nitro/gas outboard classes at the NAMBA nats. They even didn't offer any 7.5 OB classes and I know for sure that a ton of boaters have shelf queens sitting at home and not bringing them out. When I talk to guys at the lake I always get the same answer ...... gas is so user friendly and cheaper to run.

A big thank you to Carl for all his work to keep those outboards alive !!!!

Alex

 

[Joey Jones]

Wow, thanks for the kind words fellas. Much appreciated. I had a lot of luck on my side!!

Also, huge shoutout to the HSV club for hosting, performance and planning. I think they organized a great event - I'm just glad that I was finally able to help out my long time clubmates at an event. I've not been present for a lot of them.

Big congrats to the US-1 and other award winners. I wasn't able to make the banquet, so I don't know who won those awards, but my hat's off to you all! It was absolutely worth a week away from my normal routine, and I am very much looking forward to the next one.

Of course, thanks to all that keep outboards going....from designs to entering races. It all counts.

 

[Kris Flynn]

I use amazon glow plugs $20 for 5. aliexpress has 12 OS 8's for $40 shipped

These are fake plugs last about 2 maybe 3 good runs...the seals are crappy and they discolour (in an OS Sport motor). Definitely worth using proper plugs like genuine OS, Rossi and Odonnel.

 

[David Krienke]

These are fake plugs last about 2 maybe 3 good runs...the seals are crappy and they discolour (in an OS Sport motor). Definitely worth using proper plugs like genuine OS, Rossi and Odonnel.

I was reading they may be made out of platinum wire and not the rhodium wire as well. I don't know how the catalytic reaction would be with just platinum wire.