A Veteran’s View From the Sidelines
By the time our conversation with Sam Nehme turned toward racing, it was clear he wasn’t speaking as a disinterested outsider — but as someone who has lived nearly every chapter of the sport.
Nehme says fans shouldn’t expect to see him lining up on the start line again. His days of racing full-time are behind him. Still, he remains closely connected, supporting riders, attending events, and keeping a close eye on where the sport is headed.
“You won’t see me racing,” Nehme said. “But you’ll definitely see me involved in any way I can. I love the sport, and I want to see it get better.”
That perspective — invested but realistic — frames how Nehme views the current state of PWC racing.
When Racing Stops Feeling Fun
One of the clearest through-lines in Nehme’s assessment is how the atmosphere at races has shifted over the years. Where events once felt communal and energizing, he believes the experience today often feels tense, procedural, and adversarial.
He points to strict technical enforcement as one example. While oversight matters, Nehme argues that aggressive tear-downs don’t make sense in a sport where most racers aren’t competing for meaningful prize money.
“If you’re racing for a trophy, it’s hard to put a racer through that,” he said. “These guys don’t have the money to tear motors apart and put them back together.”
That pressure, he believes, pushes people away — not just financially, but emotionally. Racers want to compete hard, but they also want to enjoy the weekend and return to work Monday without regret.
“When it’s still fun, people stay,” Nehme said. “When it stops being fun, they leave.”
Too Many Titles, Not Enough Meaning
Nehme also sees structural issues that go beyond any single race weekend. Chief among them: fragmentation.
There are more organizations, more tours, and more titles than ever — and he believes that abundance has diluted their value.
“There used to be a national champion and a world champion,” he said. “Now everybody’s a champion. It doesn’t hold the same meaning anymore.”
That confusion doesn’t just affect racers — it affects fans. With overlapping schedules, competing tours, and different rulebooks, Nehme says it’s difficult for spectators to know what they’re watching or why it matters.
“Other sports don’t work like this,” he said. “There’s one tour, one championship. You follow the racers, you follow the points, and it all leads somewhere.”
The Money and Marketing Problem
At the core of many of these challenges, Nehme says, is money — or more accurately, the lack of it.
Without real sponsorship dollars, racing remains closer to a hobby than a profession. That reality affects everything from payouts to promotion to production quality.
“Until racers are racing for real money, it’s not a real sport,” he said. “And sponsors aren’t going to invest if there aren’t spectators.”
Nehme believes past promoters often struggled to deliver measurable returns, burning through sponsors who didn’t see enough visibility or engagement. Without consistent crowds or polished media coverage, those partnerships rarely lasted.
“If the return isn’t there, they’re gone,” he said.
A Cautious Optimism for Something New
That context is what shapes Nehme’s response to the recent announcement of a new national race series backed by the International Hot Rod Association.
He sees opportunity — but only if it’s done differently.
“I think it’s something the industry needs,” Nehme said. “Starting fresh gives you a chance to fix the things that haven’t worked.”
Professionalism, he says, will be critical. Decisions need to be clear, consistent, and guided by the rulebook — not relationships or emotions. Listening to racers matters, but so does making difficult calls for the good of the sport as a whole.
Nehme also believes change may be necessary in how racing itself is presented.
“Maybe it’s not the same format we’ve always had,” he said. “Maybe it becomes something that spectators understand better and enjoy watching.”
Because, in his view, everything flows from that one missing piece.
“This sport won’t grow until it becomes a spectator sport,” Nehme said. “Once you have fans, you’ll have sponsors. And once you have sponsors, the rest can start to fall into place.”
Still a Fan — Just Competing Somewhere Else
Despite the challenges, Nehme doesn’t sound detached. If anything, watching from the sidelines makes his connection to the sport more complex.
“Every time I watch, I want to jump back in,” he admitted. “That never really goes away.”
Ultimately, though, his priorities have shifted. His focus now is on his family and on continuing to grow Broward Motorsports — a different kind of competition, but one he approaches with the same intensity.
“I’m still competing,” Nehme said. “Just in a different arena.”
And even now, he remains a fan — of the racers, the effort, and the next generation finding their way into the sport.
“I respect anyone who keeps showing up,” he said. “Because I know what it takes.”
