We’re back on the road again this week, running the boat in Long Island, N.Y., in the Offshore Powerboat Association (OPA) Racing Tour presented by GEICO. We’ve made quite a few changes to the boat over the past several weeks and are excited to run her. Our sponsor will be present, so we are especially pumped to put on a great show.

The Lake of the Ozarks (LOTO) Shootout is the following weekend and it promises to be an awesome display of power, pitching the JBS Racing boat against Dave Scott’s alky Mystic. From a competition standpoint, Scotty B (Begovich) and I would love to show off what we’ve got to the power hungry LOTO crowd, but it is not on our schedule of events this year. We wish the teams competing in both events good luck.

While the term “racing responsibility” seems to be a contradictory statement considering the dangers involved in running offshore boats, there is a level of decorum that any racer/team should aspire to achieve (Scotty B and I have to remind ourselves often). That level can vary, but to ultimately gain the respect of the fans and fellow racers, the ability to exhibit a constant level of professionalism is essential.

This is not just for the racing crew but the team as a whole. Part of this equation is personal responsibility is not an easy task considering the environment. And I don’t necessarily mean acting like a clown if you’re out with the guys one night. What I’m talking about is how you express your feelings in public about your racing program, other racers or a particular series. Believe me, there is plenty I’d like to sound off about lately.

The Miss GEICO racing team has had its fair share of deals gone bad, poor value from vendors, inferior parts, mistakes and disappointing results, but we deal with it internally—apply blame where it ultimately makes a difference … upon ourselves.

The way we see it, if we have a problem with our race boat, as the pilots (Scotty and I) it is our job to oversee it. It is our responsibility to run the boat within its performance capabilities as well as surround ourselves with competent individuals who know their job.

It’s our responsibility to ensure that when we climb into a boat that each “wear” item has been checked, the bottom tapped, the shafts black lighted, the fittings and hatches secured and safety system operational. There is nothing more distasteful than a racer whining about how he has been wronged when he clearly should have taken the time and effort to treat the boat and team at a level they are purporting to run at.

Look, it really hurts when you put your trust in another party and they let you down, but if you make your expectations and timelines clear you should be able to catch a problem before it gets out of control. I run through a list with my crew before each test and race, including an all-important post-race review. The bottom line is it is mine and Scott’s duty to make sure it’s right … and no one else. I live by a rule—responsibility wears responsible shoulders.

Some will say, “Well you guys have a big team and a bunch of resources so you have the luxury of a crew.” I’m talking about taking responsibility for missing the setup, not checking a prop bolt, low batteries, clogged filter, breaking a rule, the boat not being ready to race ... you get the picture. Start taking the blame and your whole game changes.

I’ll leave you with a little story. After the race was flagged early during our event in St. Clair, Mich., at the end of July, we met with Tony (Marcantonio) and Mark (Kowalski) from JD Byrider. It was a tough discussion. Scotty and I had limited visibility because our internal rear camera had failed and everyone was stepping on each other over the VHF radio. We turned off the course without confirming a boat on our inside because we were sidetracked in the cockpit. Unfortunately, JD Byrider was on our inside and we narrowly missed causing a major accident. We made a huge mistake and we were really embarrassed about it, but knowing it was our fault we quickly took responsibility. They thanked us for acknowledging and we went back to our jobs and being friends.

Man up. Take responsibility and see what happens to your game.