Drag Boat racing shut down ! (1 Viewer)

[Al]

I can't say that I follow the Lucas Oil Drag Boat racing series, but I am absolutely shocked that Lucas Oil has pulled the plug on the entire series. To see a racing series of any type die is very scary ! Thank goodness NHRA runs a very efficient and successful program. Having said that, racing fans of all motorsports need to think about supporting our favorite motorsport and all of its sponsors to try to ensure that this does not happen to us ! I wonder how this will effect the Scott Palmer / Tommy Thompson and Shawn Reed's Top Fuel Dragster operations ? Anyone out there know why this happened ? And does anyone know if there is anyone planning to try to keep the series alive ? WDIFL.com has a folder of drag boat racing photos that goes back to 1963. So this series was around for a LONG time !

 

[ScojoDak]

Nice profile pic. I know locals here in Kingman, Az are surprised as well when we heard Lake Havasu was no longer having the hot boat races because of the pullout. As someone mentioned, there's a hand full of other sanctioning bodies that may fill the gap.

 

[Jeff]

Sad to see this. I hope Lucas doesn't pair back other sponsorships (especially traditional drag racing!). i enjoy following drag boat racing.

A few years back I sold an old RV to a drag boat racer. It had been sitting in my shop for literally 10 years. Sold it for a penny. The guy did not understand diesels and asked me and my son to spend 15 minutes to try and get it running while we waited on the previously agreed upon wrecker to show up. In hind site I realized it had never been called and he was going to back out if we couldn't get it running. We had it running on 10 year old diesel in 5 minutes and it quickly caught on fire .... we got that put out, fixed a fuel line, and at his request wired open the fuel cut off solenoid (which got consumed in the fire). He paid his penny, signed a bill of sale that said the vehicle wasn't even safe to drive off the property and I guarantee he had it up to 35mph on my long driveway.

After thinking about it for 3 minutes I jumped in my very quick JCW Mini Cooper and attempted to follow him down the freeway to his shop an hour away. He was driving over 80 mph on just aired up tires that were probably 15 years old. I checked in on him a couple of years later and he was still loving his one penny RV. I heard he has enjoyed telling the story of buying the RV as much as I have enjoyed telling the story of selling it!

 

[Cliff]

Jeff, that is a wild story! Glad that fellow lived to tell the tale.

 

[Old Guy Rookie]

I would expect the local racing associations to pick of the slack, I've heard ADBA will be racing and I expect the NJBA, SDBA, CDBA, and KDBA to do the same. We've been here before 10 years ago when Lucas picked it up from the IHBA, so we'll see what happens between now and the time the Spring Nationals would normally start; but, don't look for Tommy Thompson to step in either. That's too bad, Top Alcohol Hydro was looking killer for next year, Travis Tutle was a green blur all weekend at the WF.

 

[NITRO JUNKIE]

Wow I don’t watch drag boat races but I thought it was really cool. I think we can are do a better job of marketing our sport, Let’s think of it like this all of us are sponsored race car drivers and we have to market our (sponsors) in our case we would market our sport, Hit that share button, Tell people about our sport etc.

 

[Toejam]

I followed IHBA from 1995-2008? When Charlie Fegan ran it! He knew to Bail out once he knew Lucas was getting involved and Sold everything! Then earlier this year talking to Scott Palmer, I heard 3 Races were cancelled this past season?

 

[Nitroguy]

This was in the works for the last couple years. Most of us knew it was coming. Forest Lucas set a time limit for it to become profitable and it did not happen. I don't see this effecting Scott Palmer in anyway he's only raced boats for the last four years and always with a driver in the boat. He was asked by Forest to put a dragboat racing program together in 2014 then teamed up with Tommy Thompson. I don't think it will effect Shawn Reed other then him being bummed that there will not be a National Event series. Tommy Thompson bought the SDBA last year. I've been told he's not interested in taking over the Lucas oil dragboat series but Tommy's been known to change his mind.
KB

 

[Old Guy Rookie]

Tommy Thompson bought the SDBA last year. I've been told he's not interested in taking over the Lucas oil dragboat series but Tommy's been known to change his mind.
KB

I don't see Tommy taking it over, I'd figure it would be too big of a headache for him with all he now has going on with NHRA and people like him, Eddie, and Dewana, et al, are probably getting a bigger bang for the buck on the drag strip anyway. AFAIC 2019 will be the "Support your local Drag Boat Association" year.