To all IMPBA Outboard Racers.

[Carl Van Houten]

If you have a 3RD channel needle on board this is were the K&D Innovation flow meter comes in real handy.Run your boat with the muffler and get a setting and then change to the tune pipe with the meter and you should be ready to go from class to class setting the needle back with the muffler.

I agree.

 

[Carl Van Houten]

If you race Outboard Tunnels you need to go to this race. To see the info about this race, On this site (IW) go to Race Schedules, Events & Results then scroll down and click on World Tunnel Open Challenge. This is the Outboard Race put on by the SOWEGA Model Boaters. This is the race to go to if you are an outboard racer. You will see the 7.5cc Super Sport class compete at this site. It's Fun and close racing! If you have any questions send Julie Gilley a PM. She will be glad to answer any questions for you. People fly in to the US just to compete in this race. DON'T MISS OUT!

 

[bzubee]

Also for the first time ever the IMPBA International Regatta will be your 1st chance to get US-1 with a Sport 20 Outboard Tunnel Hull! Make sure you do not miss this chance to go down IMPBA history as the 1st person to get a US-1 with your Sport 20 Outboard Tunnel Hull.
The Huntsville Model Boating Association is proud to host the IMPBA Internats is 5-11 Jun 22.
Click here to enter: rcRacingEvents.com

 

[Joey Jones]

Thanks for the drawings, Carl. Much appreciated. I'm just about ready. Missed the Test/Tune in HSV this weekend, looks like garbage weather. I'm running out of time!

 

[Carl Van Houten]

Thanks Joey!

An Outboard Update:

I will give you guys a quick update on this. The Super Sport Outboard proposal was presented to the IMPBA board and it was discussed and some knew what its purpose was and knew that is was a proactive change to the muffled outboard class rules (currently called "Sport Outboard) so that the class could continue with some configuration changes others (others that do not run outboards) did not have a clue what is was for. To make a long complicated process and story short we have pulled it off the table for now and will wait for the one year trial that was granted to the 3.5 Sport 21 for US1 to run out. Once that time frame is past I plan to pick this back up where I left off.

I will add this for you outboard guys to think about.

Many of you are always wondering how so many classes have gotten added to the IMPBA while the outboards have basically gotten very little given to them over the past 40 years. Well if you look, 1) We have gotten the 3.5cc approved for records and 2) We got the LSG Outboard Tunnel class added. That's it. While during this same time many FE & basically all Gas classes have been added. Now I have zero problem with these added classes as I enjoy all of them all but if outboard guys don't wake up and start pulling together you will look back on this one day and wonder why you just let it all go. The guys who have gotten their classes added are the ones who pulled for and made a voice for their classes and as you see they got things done. To that I say GREAT JOB!

I can only do so much and I will continue to fight for what you all want. Mod outboard classes will continue fine with no changes needed but if you like running the muffled class outboards you may want to be thinking about this as currently you have one version of muffled class outboard left on the shelf to buy new in the box and when they are gone there will be no new rule compliant muffled outboards left for new members that are interested in running this class to purchase.

In short, once the last new in the box outboard is sold you will have to tell anybody who is interested in running the muffled classes that they will have to surf the internet and ebay etc. to find enough used parts to hob knob an rule compliant engine together to compete in the class... Yea, now how many people are really going to do that? All your potential new guys interested in these classes are going to go straight to other classes.

The Super Sport Outboard Class is vital for the survival and future of your muffled classes. If you have any questions or suggestions you can contact me and I will be glad to talk to you about it further.

-Carl

 

[Alan Elzer]

Very well said Carl... I'm here to run tunnels to...so let's get this on the table sooner than not at all.

 

[jydracing]

Hi Carl. I have been watching this and have yet to figure why there is a problem here. The proposal you submitted does not affect the outboard rules that are in place. It is only adding 3 new classes. That will give a boater the choice to run any powerhead and lower unit and exhaust configuration and call it a super sport using engine size and inlet and exhaust to designate weather it is a 21,45,67. It could not be any simpler.

The other loss is that a boater that enters a super sport class can also run it in the mod class. If they run a sport B than they can also run the super sport and mod class. That is three classes with one boat. This gives them more run time and extra money for the club in entry fees. Not everyone can afford to have 8 or 10 boats to run all the classes. But one of the complaints from racers is that they only get to run once every hour or two.

I looked up the IMPBA minutes and it seams that tabling the proposal was easer than trying to help the class. But they did add the sport tunnels to the us1 line up on a trail bases. It sure would be bad to Finley get the class in to the US1 line up only to not be able to run it because nobody is making the complete outboard engine and lower with exhaust if or when OS stops making them

What is bad for the hobby is when a person shows up at the lake and starts asking about the hulls and engines. I found that after talking to them a vast amount of them have or had a nitro power car or truck. How much easer is it for them to get started in the hobby than being to use the engine they already have or spending 659.00 on a os 21

I know that some feel that this should be done at the club/ district level but it will only creat problems. For example one club/district say no tuned pipes but any carb will work. Ok who decides what is a tuned pipe. Now another club one district over says only this carb size and exhaust outlet size is legal. This is where the IMPBA comes in. As the governing body they should set the standards to go by.

You know I always here that nitro or tunnels are dead. That will only happen if we let it. Hopefully The IMPBA will figure it out and Lend a hand instead of setting on the side line watching.

 

[Carl Van Houten]

For now we can't touch the 3.5cc O/B Sport rules again until the one year trial for the Sport O/B US-1 falls off. What Jimmy said is exactly why I am taking this to the board. It is important to have a single set of rules for everybody to reference and setup by. We have already seen what a mess having varied clubs rules can cause come race day. Other classes that have tried the "Club Level Approach" to regulating and maintaining rules. Clubs do not communicate together well enough for that to ever work.

If this proactive approach to modify the Sport rules does not go through and the last rule compliant outboard is discontinued, it will spell the eventual end of muffled outboard racing. As long as I feel like this is what you want I will continue to try to save these classes.

-Carl