LUCAS OIL DRAG BOAT RACING SERIES TO BE DISCONTINUED

[RaceTec]

This sucks...
http://lucasoildragboats.com/news/3...HRliLOKkk1yxVBEwsBITfUlpVCip0n5F8ekfMz9Gskb-U

 

[Instigator]

That''s messed up!!!

They even cancelled the awards banquet.

 

[Outdrive1]

Damn. [emoji107][emoji2534]. There’s just no money in boat racing.


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[RiverDave]

Surprised they cancelled the awards banquette.

 

[RaceTec]

Surprised they cancelled the awards banquette.

Yeah when someone said to pull the plug they pulled it fast!

 

[obnoxious001]

They even cancelled the awards banquet.

Yep, lots of complaints about plane tickets already purchased for the banquet. Also saw something about 2019 memberships that had been raffled off.

I talked to someone I know on the phone earlier who works for Lucas and she hadn't even gotten the word yet.

 

[KENDOG689]

Too bad.My favorite sport for over 40yrs.What is Forest gonna do with lake Lucas now?No ones gonna what to run there.

 

[WATERDOG]

Cancelling the awards is tacky.

Too bad.My favorite sport for over 40yrs.What is Forest gonna do with lake Lucas now?

Same as Ski Land.

 

[KENDOG689]

Cancelling the awards is tacky.

Same as Ski Land.

No respect for the racers cancelling out the awards.BS deal.

 

[Bob Bitchen]

Eddie Knox's timing was perfect.

 

[farmo83]

I'm sure the series will go on in some way shape or form. I hope it does at least. I've gone to the drag's every year with dad since the 80's except this past year when Lucas and the city of marble falls got into a pissing match. While I love it I just don't think drag boat racing is main stream enough to bring in big dollars. Sure if they could run fuelers down the lane for hours on end it might could make it but that's just not the case. Also I don't know how many times I've taken friends wondering if they would be converted to fans and a windy day blows it all to hell(literally).

Also if there is another iteration of drag boats I hope they run someplace long enough to at least let the big boys go 1000 feet. I get the full 1320 could be a safety issue and if that is the case I recind my comment.

 

[MSum661]

Too bad.My favorite sport for over 40yrs.What is Forest gonna do with lake Lucas now?No ones gonna what to run there.

The good intentions were there with Lake Lucas, but daaamn.....it was straight up out in the middle of No Mans Land.
Plus....I never really cared for the breakdown of the different classes after the IHBA.
They deleted fun classes of racing like Blown Gas Flat, Blown Gas Hydro and a bunch of kick ass Pro Gas classes.

I don't know...I never really caught on to how they rolled after decades of how the NDBA and IHBA layed it out for the racers.
just my .02

Somebody will get things rolilng again just like they always have and hopefully make it a strong West Coast dealeo like it always was.

 

[KENDOG689]

Eddie Knox's timing was perfect.

They haven't had a good last 2yrs and think that was it.

 

[KENDOG689]

The good intentions were there with Lake Lucas, but daaamn.....it was straight up out in the middle of No Mans Land.
Plus....I never really cared for the breakdown of the different classes after the IHBA.
They deleted fun classes of racing like Blown Gas Flat, Blown Gas Hydro and a bunch of kick ass Pro Gas classes.

I don't know...I never really caught on to how they rolled after decades of how the NDBA and IHBA layed it out for the racers.
just my .02

Somebody will get things rolilng again just like they always have and hopefully make it a strong West Coast dealeo like it always was.

Been going for all my life and hope it get's gathered back up.Problem is no good lakes to run on in So cal.Speeds are to fast and libs interfere.

 

[rivermobster]

This sucks...
http://lucasoildragboats.com/news/3...HRliLOKkk1yxVBEwsBITfUlpVCip0n5F8ekfMz9Gskb-U

That sucks.

 

[MSum661]

Been going for all my life and hope it get's gathered back up.Problem is no good lakes to run on in So cal.Speeds are to fast and libs interfere.

If you bump Bakersfield up to a few races, Parker up to a few, Chandler up from 2 to 3, get Mission Bay back on the tour, and go back and talk to the city of Chowchilla and Redbluff that could get ya possibly 12 events a year to help get rolling again.
Castaic might work something in again. Just blabbering off some potentials.

 

[TX Foilhead]

Lucas has been burning through employees for the past year or so. I know the SDBA has been planning what now seems to be an exit strategy. The last couple of years they have been having a lot more of their own races seperate from Lucas and quite a few of the Lucas employees are running them. They even started running the fuel boats at every race this year.

I don’t care for the short courses either, but it does allow them to run in places they normally wouldn’t. I’m not sure it matters after they got all the speed back last weekend.

 

[MSum661]

Lucas has been burning through employees for the past year or so. I know the SDBA has been planning what now seems to be an exit strategy. The last couple of years they have been having a lot more of their own races seperate from Lucas and quite a few of the Lucas employees are running them. They even started running the fuel boats at every race this year.

I don’t care for the short courses either, but it does allow them to run in places they normally wouldn’t. I’m not sure it matters after they got all the speed back last weekend.

I was just thinking about "if" they ever went back to 1,320 in Alcohol or Fuel what the numbers would look like after Kinsley's runs last weekend. Seriously...adding back the other length of a Football field to the new existing numbers would be ludicrous.
It's a conundrum.

 

[RitcheyRch]

Not good to read. Wonder if the same thing is going to happen to the circle boat races.

 

[RPM RACING]

The LODBS has been hemorrhaging money almost since it's inception and to the tune of over 1.5 - 2 million per year (on average). When Forest announced his impending retirement two years ago and pulled Morgan out of the fuel car (to learn the family business) it was only a matter of time before either the series would either hold it's own (think new series manager/director) or not. Apparently this season they (LODBS) still lost money which is why they chose to end the series rather than continue. Forest Lucas was never going to leave a financial quagmire to his son when he retired. Sad day for boat racing period. Feel very bad for all the race teams involved.

 

[KENDOG689]

If you bump Bakersfield up to a few races, Parker up to a few, Chandler up from 2 to 3, get Mission Bay back on the tour, and go back and talk to the city of Chowchilla and Redbluff that could get ya possibly 12 events a year to help get rolling again.
Castaic might work something in again. Just blabbering off some potentials.

Redbluff has a small fish that they are saving Mission bay sucks cause they run them with the other boats,Ming is too short for tfh and Chowchilla has 0 parking.

 

[stoker2001]

Bummer,hope the likes of Tommy Thompson or someone can step up to plate

 

[rivergames]

The Drags were fun to watch and all.... But the real crowd pleaser for the Lucas Show were the Crackerboxs!

 

[obnoxious001]

Eddie Knox's timing was perfect.

Eddie basically posted exactly the same thing on FB today.

 

[rrrr]

While it sucks, you have to give Forrest Lucas some props. He has spent tens of millions on motorsports of all kinds, and I'm not surprised something had to give.

 

[twocents]

Very sad indeed but not unexpected. The revolving door of alphabet soup boat racing organizations/associations/sponsors never changes or ends. When it doesn't make financial sense, the plug eventually gets pulled. Drag boat racing never really fully recovered when the two cash cow venues (Long Beach Marine Stadium and Irvine Lake) closed for good. Over and out.

 

[JDub24]

Knock, knock, knock... Monster Energy calling!!

 

[Bullet28]

I always enjoyed going to Chowchilla the drive from Stockton wasn’t to bad.

 

[USMC2010]

I have a buddy that races in Pro Outlaw. When I asked him what was next he said ADBA...or he will have one expensive piece of garage art.

 

[bagged97taco]

I have a buddy that races in Pro Outlaw. When I asked him what was next he said ADBA...or he will have one expensive piece of garage art.

I assume you mean Chris. He told me the same thing today. Hopefully tommy Thompson or monster energy or rockstar energy etc pic it up. Sucks cause boat counts were very high lately, best it’s been in years

 

[monkeyswrench]

Well crap...I was just thinking about starting a thread, asking drag boat guys what type of stuff is needed, and what way is best to start off. Damn, I hope something comes up. Pro classes are beyond my means, and I probably wouldn't be real competitive in sportsman classes, but looked like fun. It looked like what guys used to say drag racing was...fun.

 

[USMC2010]

I assume you mean Chris. He told me the same thing today. Hopefully tommy Thompson or monster energy or rockstar energy etc pic it up. Sucks cause boat counts were very high lately, best it’s been in years

Yup, that's who it was. Sounds like he has had to respond with that a lot today.

 

[Boat 405]

Been telling folks they’ve been circling the drain for a while now. I’ve kept my focus with our club NJBA for the last two years and things have gone well. We have had great turnouts the last two years. We welcome racers to join us next year. And FWIW Ming is longer than lake Lucas. We can and do run TFH. Also new for the second half of 2018 we updated our computer timing system goes to 4 decimal places and we are the first to have a 660ft mph trap. Prior to this the 660 mph was an average from 0 to 660. So beams at 594, 660, 900, 1000, 1188, and 1320. Giving racers great information for all their runs.

Kjell Adams.

NJBA Vice President

 

[poncho]

Bummer,hope the likes of Tommy Thompson or someone can step up to plate

Cat litter sales to the libs

I was just thinking about "if" they ever went back to 1,320 in Alcohol or Fuel what the numbers would look like after Kinsley's runs last weekend. Seriously...adding back the other length of a Football field to the new existing numbers would be ludicrous.
It's a conundrum.

I literally was thinking the same thing after watching him run this weekend, looking at the markers and thinking the candles still being lit, holy cow....that boat was still making power.

 

[bagged97taco]

Been telling folks they’ve been circling the drain for a while now. I’ve kept my focus with our club NJBA for the last two years and things have gone well. We have had great turnouts the last two years. We welcome racers to join us next year. And FWIW Ming is longer than lake Lucas. We can and do run TFH. Also new for the second half of 2018 we updated our computer timing system goes to 4 decimal places and we are the first to have a 660ft mph trap. Prior to this the 660 mph was an average from 0 to 660. So beams at 594, 660, 900, 1000, 1188, and 1320. Giving racers great information for all their runs.

Kjell Adams.

NJBA Vice President

We love Ming and would love to race njba but it’s a long haul for us slow guys. We will see what happens. Would be sweet for njba to expand to Parker and firebird.

 

[white tortilla]

We love Ming and would love to race njba but it’s a long haul for us slow guys. We will see what happens. Would be sweet for njba to expand to Parker and firebird.

NJBA has racers that come from as far as Iowa, some from Oregon, Texas, Oaklahoma, quite a few from Arizona. If you do decide to make the trek you wouldnt be dissapointed. Probably no closer of a community of racers then the NJBA club. they know how to run a successful race at ming, been running there for over 20 years, its a well oiled machine. Ive seen NJBA change venues a few times but its alot of work, you have to remember its a volunteer organization. Id say its a possibility that they may reach out to other venues in the future, but all those decisions are made as a club, voting, etc. No king at the top, every member has a voice.

 

[KENDOG689]

Been telling folks they’ve been circling the drain for a while now. I’ve kept my focus with our club NJBA for the last two years and things have gone well. We have had great turnouts the last two years. We welcome racers to join us next year. And FWIW Ming is longer than lake Lucas. We can and do run TFH. Also new for the second half of 2018 we updated our computer timing system goes to 4 decimal places and we are the first to have a 660ft mph trap. Prior to this the 660 mph was an average from 0 to 660. So beams at 594, 660, 900, 1000, 1188, and 1320. Giving racers great information for all their runs.

Kjell Adams.

NJBA Vice President

Been years since I was at Ming and remember Tim Morgan and a few others run up on the beach.Glad to here they still run there.Remember standing on the docks watching 16 TFH and TFF's run down to the holding rope.Great times there.

 

[bagged97taco]

NJBA has racers that come from as far as Iowa, some from Oregon, Texas, Oaklahoma, quite a few from Arizona. If you do decide to make the trek you wouldnt be dissapointed. Probably no closer of a community of racers then the NJBA club. they know how to run a successful race at ming, been running there for over 20 years, its a well oiled machine. Ive seen NJBA change venues a few times but its alot of work, you have to remember its a volunteer organization. Id say its a possibility that they may reach out to other venues in the future, but all those decisions are made as a club, voting, etc. No king at the top, every member has a voice.

That’s what I love about the njba. This past Lucas/njba race at Ming we wanted to run the super E class that njba has. Obviously we are Lucas members and I asked the nice lady working the table if it was possible for us to run that class without being a njba member. She said no problem and we ran 2 classes that weekend. Gotta love an organization that is for the racers and not the money. Trust me Grady I wish we could run njba all the time. But Parker and firebird are in our back yard. We will see what happens.

 

[KENDOG689]

 

[KENDOG689]

 

[KENDOG689]

Me up top at Ming....lol I'm 53 now.

 

[KENDOG689]

Madness at pudding stone.

 

[KENDOG689]

Freddie Bray's Spirit Of America.First capuale tfh.

 

[KENDOG689]

My Fuckin CRS kicked in and can't remember the name of this one.

 

[monkeyswrench]

View attachment 700492 Madness at pudding stone.

I remember Madness running at Puddlestone! I grew up about 5 miles east, backed up to Walnut Creek.

 

[KENDOG689]

I lived in San Dimas.Remember Eddie Hill and Bill Todd going at it hard there.Worked with a buddy that always needed help.

 

[monkeyswrench]

By any chance you have a pic of any of Bob Hewitt's boats? He lived up the way, many years ago his daughter and my sis were friends. He was the go to in the area when we needed AN fittings...in high school that stuff was like unobtanium! Last time I saw him was near 20 years ago.

 

[pwerwagn]

Awe man, this sucks.

 

[guest hs]

Maybe now the Cracker Box class can reunite! Come on guys let’s have a huge class Thanksgiving weekend in Parker.

 

[boatdoc55]

Not bagging on any boat racing and the wife and I watched a ton of it in our early years, late 70's early 80's but what happened to heads up racing? All this bracket stuff just doesn't do it for us old timers that used to watch, RR jet, comp jet, blown gas jet and the equivelant classes in prop driven boats. Of course big boys are much the same minus TFF. Tommy Papp was a VERY good friend and built my 18' Earl Smith gullwing way back when.