DAYTONA 50

I'll be a guest on Racing Roundup Arizona next Monday (Feb. 18). The show airs from 7-9 p.m. (local time) on 1310 KXAM. It originates from Max's in Glendale. You can listen via KXAM.com or use the Racing Roundup link in the right-hand column.


In recognition of Sunday's 50th Daytona 500, here's my list of my top 50 memories of "The Great American Race":

50. PR rep for Marlboro's CART team getting in the press box for the Winston Cup event.

49. The first major impression left by Toyota -- the Michael Waltrip cheating scandel.

48. Go-or-blow Buddy Baker winning his way in 1980.

47. Politicians cruising for votes -- and campaign contributions -- in the garage area race morning.

46. NASCAR closing the garage area to the media . . . that was back in the old days.


45. Underdog, underfunded, Johnny Benson almost pulling THE upset in 2000.



44. Not getting to see Adam Petty race in the 500.

43. Richard Petty. The King.

42. Lee Petty's inaugural victory in 1959, decided days later following review of finish-line photos.

41. Ken Squier's nationally syndicated radio show at the Hawaiian Inn.

40. Cale Yarborough flipping in qualifying then winning in a backup car in 1983.

39. The First National City Travelers Checks' corporate luau in 1976.

38. A radio reporter admitting to me he was excited to snag a press box credential because "I'll be up there drinking beer and eating those sandwiches."

37. Good times at Down the Hatch, Gene's Steak House and the Chart House.

36. Sitting pool-side with Al Unser Jr. late afternoon before his only Daytona 500 start in 1993.

35. Darrell Waltrip's victory lane dance in 1989. The car owner? Some guy named Rick Hendrick.

34. The old, annual STP media breakfast at the Indigo Inn and the hospitality of Ralph Salvino, Jim Vogrin and Harvey Duck.

33. Sitting with Tony Hulman at a race week sponsor dinner in the mid-1970s.

32. Joe Whitlock's stories from the good old days at the 1979 Wrangler party.

31. Salvino riding on the hood of Petty's car on the way to victory lane in 1981.

30. Bill Broderick's fun, fun, fun annual Union 76 Racing Panel of Experts dinners.

29. Turn four -- "Calamity Corner."

28. Bill Elliott showing 'em how it's done in 1985 and 1987.

27. Ricky Rudd's barrel roll in the 1984 Busch Clash -- then coming back to race the next week. (And winning, at Richmond, the week after that.)

26. Richard Petty's barrel roll in 1988.

25. Benny Parsons lugging CBS' first box-like in-car camera in 1979.

24. Jeff Gordon pounding the hood of his DuPont Chevrolet in delight after winning for the first time in 1997.

23. Junior Johnson.

22. Smokey Yunick's "Best Damn Garage in Town."

21. Leonard Wood turning down my interview request in 1976: "I'm too dang busy." He got publicity for sponsor Purolator by winning a couple of days later with David Pearson.

20. Attending the news conference where Darrell Waltrip said he was "very, very happy" to be driving for DiGard.

19. "Golden boy" Fred Lorenzen.

18. "Golden girl" Linda Vaughn.

17. Dale Jarrett backing-off his radio promise to work with Mark Martin to pass leader Johnny Benson in the closing laps of '00. Martin got hung out and Jarrett got to victory lane.

16. Benny Parsons winning in 1975, then writing a poem about it.

15. CART refugee Scott Pruett whispering into my ear in the garage area in 2000, "These cars drive terrible!"

14. A.J. Foyt slipping out a side door at Halifax Hospital to avoid me and other journalists after an overnight stay following his 1978 flip. Soon thereafter, kidney stones made me an unexpected Halifax patient.

13. My friend, Al Holbert, doing interviews before the 1978 race. The subject? He was a "Yankee with a college diploma."

12. Reporter who had one-too-many leaving his rental car on the beach late one night -- only to discover the next day high tide had captured it.

11. Mario Andretti's tale-happy Ford keeping his competitors at bay in 1967.

10. Great guy Neil Bonnett, a couple of days after winning the 1984 Busch Clash, sitting on a stack of tires outside his garage and doing interviews for two hours. It was his first year with Budweiser and I was working on Bud's PR. "Keep sending 'em over," Neil told me. "Just bring me something to drink once in a while."

9. NASCAR suspends Tim Richmond in 1988 and every reporter in town tries to track him down for a comment. I bump into him in the lobby of the beach-front Hilton.

8. Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the winner's circle in 2004.

7. Dale Earnhardt's flat tire on the last lap in 1990, costing him a sure victory.

6. Bobby and Davey Allison -- father and son -- 1-2 in 1988.

5. My 35-minute one-on-one interview with Bill France Jr. in his office the week of the 1978 race, in which he predicted NASCAR would eventually become as popular as baseball and football.

4. David Pearson-Richard Petty coming to the checkered flag in 1976.

3. Last turn, last lap, 2001. Then, watching Dale Jr. hurry over to the infield medical center.

2. The 1979 finish -- maybe the moment that "made" NASCAR. Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison wreck; Cale, Donnie and Bobby Allison fight; Richard Petty wins.

1. 1998. Dale Earnhardt wins. The entire pit road population celebrates.
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The opening weekend of NASCAR TV coverage calls into question whether there really is such a thing as "broadcast journalism." How any announcer can put a "live" microphone in front of Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch and NOT ask if they had a physical confrontation in the NASCAR hauler after their practice crash Friday is beyond my comprehension. Ditto for mentioning a Cup team owner by name yet failing to say that owner is currently in federal prison. Ditto for the interviews by smiley-gushy pit reporters who sound more like the president of the driver's fan club.

Don't tell me how pretty the pictures were, or how crisp the audio, or the usefulness of the graphics. There's nothing more basic, necessary, or important than straightforward reporting from the "broadcast journalists."

Looks like it's going to be a long season for anyone interested in knowing the NEWS.
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Sad Sign of the Times: Longtime Detroit-area radio man Larry Henry recently was informed his broadcast position had been eliminated. Larry is available for multi-media work or a PR assignment. He can be reached at LarryHenry@pitpassusa.com .
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If you missed it last week, please check out my new Business of Racing video commentary -- explaining how the national economy affects the racing economy -- on 1320tv.com. Here's the link:
http://www.1320tv.com/dialed_in/article4.asp?vid=dialed_in/dialed_in_bor_feb08&title=COMMENTARY:&des=The%20Business%20of%20Racing%20with%20Michael%20Knight

Here's a link to my notebook in last Friday's Arizona Republic, featuring Emerson Fittipaldi on NASCAR, A1 and A2, U.S. open-wheel racing and driving the Corvette pace car at the Indy 500:
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/0207racingnb0208.html


[ more next Tuesday . . . ]

ANOTHER EXAMPLE

Watch my new Business of Racing video commentary -- explaining how the national economy affects the racing economy -- on 1320tv.com. Here's the link:
http://www.1320tv.com/dialed_in/article4.asp?vid=dialed_in/dialed_in_bor_feb08&title=COMMENTARY:&des=The%20Business%20of%20Racing%20with%20Michael%20Knight



Two recurring issues on this blog -- doing homework and attention to detail -- came into play in a single E-mail I received last week.

The message, from an Arizona publicist, started with: "Welcome to Phoenix." I've called Scottsdale home for 13 years! The E also listed the track's website. When I clicked to that, I discovered it wasn't the right address!

And some wonder why people like me -- and I KNOW I'm not the only one -- are so frustrated with so-called "PR" people?
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Elon Werner, of John Force Racing, has read here about Jim Chapman and sent me this interesting -- and instructive -- note:

"I had a great mentor at the Dallas Mavericks, Kevin Sullivan, who instilled in me the idea that I was a media services representative and I should remember to keep the 'service' in my attitude with all members of the media whether they represent a national outlet or local newspaper."

That's a great reminder for everyone. Thanks for sharing, Elon. Everyone needs mentors like Jim and Kevin. If you have a similar story to share, I'd be happy to receive it.
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I've been fortunate to have some amazing experiences in life. Few were as amazing as my 90-minute conversation with John Force (facilitated by Elon and Jim Chapman Award winner Dave Densmore) the other weekend at Firebird Raceway.

There's no doubt in my mind John is a changed person as a result of Eric Medlen's fatal crash last year and John's own serious injuries. Twice, our talk got quite emotional. John said to me: "I spent my whole life chasing an ET (elapsed time) slip and a trophy. And then I woke up one day and said, 'How can I be that stupid?'" I have no doubt he meant it.

Here's another: "When I got in that (medical) helicopter (in Texas, after last September's accident), I didn't know if I was going to get out at the other end. I was terrified. I've been in other crashes, and I'd jump out and yell, 'Get me a beer.' I was a tough guy. I was full of bleep."

John's a great competitor and, as such, he's in a uniquely difficult position this season. Ford, and all of his other sponsors, want to WIN. But John -- who has a photo of Vince Lombardi in his Yorba Linda, Calif., shop ("I don't want to go against Lombardi. But maybe he never had anybody die on the playing field") -- now says winning isn't the only thing. "This new (safer, stronger) car may not work. If I don't win a race this year, I won't complain. But if I kill somebody, I quit."

Remember, daughter Ashley and son-in-law Robert Hight are among John's Mustang drivers.
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HD Partners' announcement that it intended to acquire NHRA's pro racing assets was one of last year's most important Business of Racing stories. Last week's admission that HD didn't receive enough votes to finalize the $120 million transaction immediately became 2008's No. 1 biz story.

I can't say I was all-that surprised. I couple of business-savvy insiders told me at Firebird word was spreading the deal was in trouble. Even a casual look or listen to daily news reports would let you know investment capital is tight and the national economy is uncertain. Said Eddy Hartenstein, chairman and CEO of HD Partners: “Unfortunately, in the time since we first announced this transaction in May of 2007, we have witnessed a dramatic shift in both the financial markets and the perceived strength of the U.S. economy, which we believe adversely impacted the final outcome of this transaction."

NHRA says it will operate as before. Even though management invested what proved to be a fruitless 18 months into this effort, I hope the drag racing organization will be able to operate BETTER than before. It's likely going to be a tough summer, biz wise, for everyone. One bit of good news was the release that 21 of the 24 races on ESPN2 will air in the prime 7-11 p.m. (Eastern) time slot.
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Here's a link to my notebook in last Friday's Arizona Republic:
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/0131racingnb0201.html


[ more next Tuesday . . . ]

MORE OF THE SAME

Sorry to say, Racing PR 2008 isn't starting off much better than 2007 ended, as discussed in my Dec. 11 posting in this spec of the cyberuniverse.

At the AARWBA All-America Team ceremony, in the group's January newsletter, and in last week's blog, I thanked -- by name -- PR people who helped us with that event. Unfortunately, and as usual, that worked counter to those who didn't. That list includes someone who touched base with me five hours later than planned -- had to go shopping, you know. I'm still awaiting the common-courtesy of a "thank you" from the person whose boss was honored by AARWBA, someone whose priority seemed to be a parking spot -- and not for the boss.

One of the great disappointments of AARWBA's three Team dinners in Indianapolis has been the lack of outreach from the local PR community. Now, if an event of this sort was coming to my town, I would pick up the phone and call the chairman and say: "It's GREAT you are coming here! What can I do to help?"

I find it noteworthy that Dean Case, who represents MAZDASPEED, got in early and was ready to assist. The locals? MIA.

There are several Indy-based racing companies who employ younger, more inexperienced people on their PR staffs. It would have been nice if at least one of those organizations had thought to assign at least one of those younger staffers to AARWBA. (We could have used the help!) I would say they would have had the opportunity to learn more in a day and an evening than they might in half-a-season of races.

Meanwhile, in the last few weeks, I've received three calls or E-mails from publicists "pitching" me on something for the Arizona Republic. Now, I appreciate that, especially at a time when pro-active PR is rare. In every case, however, they failed to do basic research. The SUPER BOWL is here in the Valley, with the best-attended PGA golf tournament of the year happening this very same week. Newspaper 101 tells you space is tighter than the waistline of John Daly's pants. When I explained that to one agency (typical) rep, the response was, "Ohhh . . . " The same person asked if I was still doing Friday columns for the Republic. I replied, as politely as possible under the circumstances: "Yes, I began again two weeks ago -- with one of your client drivers as the lead item!"

PR done without homework is as bad as no PR.
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It was obvious change was coming to ESPN's NASCAR team. To me, the only question was: How MUCH change?

To my many ESPN friends, I'm sorry to say: Not enough. At least three -- and perhaps as many as five -- other on-air changes needed to be made.

The key word in evaluating the announcer shuffle is: CREDIBILITY.

Dale Jarrett, into the booth while Rusty Wallace goes to the studio, has it. Allen Bestwick brings it -- and it was greatly needed -- to the host role for the race telecasts and NASCAR Countdown. This also plays much better to Bestwick's strength vs. last year's pit reporter job. As I've previously written, Shannon Spake emerged from the wreckage of SPEED's horrendous NASCAR Nation to be a solid contributor, so her promotion to full-time pit reporter (in for Bestwick) is merited.

The entire case-for-increased-credibility, however, went south with the hiring of Nicole Manske as host of NASCAR Now. USA Today described Manske as a "NASCAR TV vet."

What???

No question Erik Kuselias needed to be replaced as Now host -- Congress should pass a law barring him from ever saying the word "NASCAR" again. But Manske, who with her equally fluffy (former) co-host turned The SPEED Report into Entertainment Tonight for racing, brings as much credibility to this assignment as Keith Olbermann did to anchoring MSNBC's coverage of Ronald Reagan's funeral.

There will come a time, as sadly, it always does in motorsports, when Now will have to focus all its attention on the serious -- or tragic. The audience will be served best if Bestwick or Ryan Burr is sitting in the host's chair that evening.
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Last week, I provided a link to my exclusive with Dario Franchitti, in which he revealed he was going to retire from open-wheel racing even if no NASCAR opportunity came along. I believe that is what is known in the trade as NEWS.

Proving once again that ours is a celebrity-driven society, I offer this actual headline from last week:

"Annual NASCAR media tour's hot topic is Ashley Judd"
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In case you missed it, here's a link to my new Business of Racing video commentary on 1320tv.com. It's about NHRA's businessmen-racers: "Before they learned how to speed, they had to learn how to sell."

http://www.1320tv.com/straight_talk/article3.asp?vid=straight_talk/aarwba_dinner_bor&title=The%20Business%20Of%20Racing&des=New%20commentary%20by%20Michael%20Knight

And here are links to my Arizona Republic notebook last Friday and my Sunday story on John Force's return at last weekend's National Time Trials. I spent an amazing -- and sometimes emotional -- 90 minutes one-on-one with Force in his motorhome. Then he personally showed me his new and safer chassis. IMPOSSIBLE to get it all into this story but I'll have more on the 14-time Funny Car champion in future weeks:

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/01240125racingnb.html

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/0126nhra.html
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As one who enjoyed the work -- and social company -- of Lou Palmer (and his late wife, Cal), I was saddened to receive Larry Henry's E-mail last week that Palmer died at age 75 in Indianapolis. An Indianapolis Motor Speedway news release accurately described Palmer's "rich, stirring voice" which was heard on the 500 Radio Network for more than 30 years. He was chief announcer in 1988 and '89. Later, Lou served on the CART Radio Network.

Thank you, Lou.

[ more next Tuesday . . . ]

WHY WE DO IT

CLASS PHOTO: Top row, left-to-right -- Tony Schumacher, Dario Franchitti, Emerson Fittipaldi, Jaime Melo, Alex Lloyd, Jon Fogarty. Bottom row -- Scott Pruett, Tony Pedregon, Carl Haas, Dane Cameron, Mika Salo, Frank Kimmel. (Photo by Dan R. Boyd.)


Take a look at the above picture.

A good look.

Every now-and-then, someone asks me what's the point in joining the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association. OK. Fair enough. We live in a society of skeptics.

What other similar organization, I would respond, can bring together such a prestigious group in one place on the same evening? Those above are members of the 2007 AARWBA All-America Team. They were honored with the traditional Horsepower Trophy Jan. 12 at the 38th Team dinner at the Indianapolis Hyatt presented by A1GP World Cup of Motorsport.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway chose AARWBA's new Shav Glick Newsmakers Forum as the place to present Franchitti with his Indy 500 winner's ring and unveil his likeness on the Borg-Warner Trophy. MAZDASPEED, Champ Car Atlantics, A1GP, IndyCar Series and ESPN also utilized the Forum to make announcements.

A strong, effective media organization is GOOD for the motorsports industry. It's that simple.
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SEEN AND HEARD AT AARWBA: Tony Schumacher taking my Sharpie to get Emerson Fittipaldi's autograph . . . Fittipaldi, Schumacher, Tony Pedregon and Frank Kimmel acknowledging Champ Car owner Carl Haas during their podium remarks . . . Haas and Jerry Titus Memorial Trophy winner Dario Franchitti earning standing ovations . . . Haas becoming emotional in accepting the Pioneer In Racing award . . . Fittipaldi revealing A1GP World Cup of Motorsport will create an off-shoot A2 series to crown national champions -- including in America . . . A1GP Chief Commercial Officer Scott Hollingsworth telling A1 Team USA driver Jonathan Summerton one of his jobs is to make next year's All-America Team! . . . Tom Anderson agreeing to a two-year extension of Lowe's Fernandez Racing's support of the Straight Shooter Award, in memory of Art Flores and Ron Hussey, for photographers . . . Scott Pruett revealing he plans to visit an NHRA event this year as Schumacher's guest . . . AARWBA members will choose Champ Car Atlantic's 35th anniversary All-Star team . . . IHRA reps attending the All-America Team ceremony for the first time. Please note, World of Outlaws.
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As is my custom, as event chairman, I want to offer thanks to the PR people and others who helped AARWBA by arranging for their drivers to attend, or in other ways:

* Kelby Krauss
* Ron Green
* John Griffin
* Chris Dirato
* Jerry Archambeault
* Anthony Vestal
* Sophia Kokonas
* Jim Sullivan
* David Higdon
* Don Helms
* Sharon Zeeck
* Bob Dickinson
* Tyra Sitton
* Stacie Shain
* Mike Geylin
* Andy Schupack
* Adam Saal
* Reece White
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Watch Dave Densmore accept the Jim Chapman Award at AARWBA and Susan Wade's conversation with Dave on 1320tv.com. (While you are there, check out Emerson Fittipaldi and Scott Pruett talking drag racing . . . yes, drag racing!):
http://www.1320tv.com/featured.asp?vid=1-1-08/dave_densmore_speech&title=Dave%20Densmore%20honored%20with%20Chapman%20Award

http://www.1320tv.com/dialed_in/article10.asp?vid=dialed_in/dialed_in_densmore&title=Dave%20Densmore%20honored%20for%20public-relations%20excellence

Here's my new Business of Racing video commentary on 1320tv.com:
http://www.1320tv.com/straight_talk/article3.asp?vid=straight_talk/aarwba_dinner_bor&title=The%20Business%20Of%20Racing&des=New%20commentary%20by%20Michael%20Knight

And my story in last Friday's Arizona Republic, where Dario Franchitti reveals the REAL reason why he switched to NASCAR:
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/0117racingnb.html


[ more next Tuesday . . . ]

THE WINNERS

My congratulations to Dave Densmore and Bob Carlson, announced as recipients of the 2007 Jim Chapman Award at last Saturday night's 38th AARWBA All-America Team ceremony presented by A1GP World Cup of Motorsport at the Indianapolis Hyatt.

For the first time in the award's history (it dates back to 1991), two honorees were chosen in the same year. The Chapman, for excellence in motorsports public relations, is decided by AARWBA media members who knew and cared about the legendary PR executive. I have the honor of chairing this committee and, as usual, went to the podium to remember Jim, who was my best friend and had a profound influence on my life and career.

Paul Page (right), now anchoring ESPN2's NHRA coverage, came up to announce and present to Dave. As I've written before, Densmore (center) endured the unendurable in 2007, after decades as John Force's main publicist and media guru. I also know Dave to be a wonderful resource to journalists as a drag racing historian.

Then, the AP's Mike Harris stepped to the stage to announce Bob. The longtime Porsche PR ace was unable to attend as he continues to recover from cancer surgery. The week before, I had the pleasure of telephoning Bob with the happy news. Bob and I worked together on the Porsche Indy Car project in 1988, and mutually went through the experience of our friend Al Holbert's fatal airplane crash that September. Bob sent along this message that Mike read to dinner guests:

"I’m terribly disappointed at not being able to personally accept this wonderful award from you this evening. I’m in the final stages of recuperation from successful cancer surgery and expect to be up and about within the next month. At the same time, I’m very pleased to have my old friend Mike Harris accept this award on my behalf.

"I can’t begin to tell you how much this prestigious award means to me. I knew Jim Chapman during the years Porsche raced on the CART circuit. My initial impression was how much he enjoyed supervising the all-female PPG pace car program. He always had a smile on his face and was an extremely popular man at the track.

"But Jim was much more than a host. Jim Chapman was the consummate public relations professional. He was always truthful and credible. Jim added a great deal to the CART series. It was clear he loved what he did and was always willing to do what it would take to enhance the
series for everyone’s benefit. He was willing to put as much INTO racing as he received FROM it. I believe this was one of his criteria for being a public relations professional. And that is why I am so honored and grateful to receive this award named after Jim Chapman.

"I would like to thank the voting committee for their support. I would also like to thank Michael Knight for organizing and maintaining this award that honors Jim Chapman’s memory and highly professional work ethic. And finally, I would like to thank Porsche and Porsche Cars
North America for allowing me to represent them and provide counsel to them for the past 23 years. For me, this is truly a dream job.

"I look forward to seeing you at the races this year."

Jim would fully agree with Dave and Bob as winners of the 2007 Chapman Award. The honor for Dave and Bob is not the plaque. The TRUE honor is having their names forever associated with that of the great James P. Chapman.
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Congratulations, too, to Dario Franchitti, winner of AARWBA's Jerry Titus Memorial Trophy. The Titus goes to the driver who receives the most votes for the All-America Team and is named in memory of the late AARWBA member journalist-driver.


Dario made a great effort to be with us. His schedule has been in tremendous flux as he prepares for NASCAR. It would have been very easy for him to simply tell me "no" -- and there were times that happened as Dario actually expected to be out-of-the-country last weekend. As a professional, though, Dario kept AARWBA in mind as circumstances changed. In addition to the Titus and his Horsepower Trophy as a Team member in the open-wheel category, Dario received his Indy 500 winner's ring from Speedway President Joie Chitwood during our new pre-dinner Shav Glick Newsmakers Forum. Plus, his image on the Borg-Warner Trophy was unveiled. As the dinner chairman, I can say it was fantastic for AARWBA to play host to this traditional IMS ceremony.

AARWBA also greatly benefitted from the persistent effort of Dario's new team publicist, Kelby Krauss. To "Doctor No" and the other NASCAR team/sponsor publicists who routinely reject media requests faster than their drivers make a lap, please take note of how Kelby hung-in-there with AARWBA and helped make it happen. Thank you, Kelby!

(Photos courtesy of my friend Dan R. Boyd.)


[ more on the AARWBA ceremony next Tuesday . . . ]

IMPORTANT NIGHT in INDY

I'll be in Indianapolis this weekend to chair the 38th AARWBA All-America Team ceremony. This is special to me for a number of reasons; mainly, I just think it's important for the motorsports industry to have a strong, effective media organization. Plus, we'll present the Jim Chapman Award for excellence in motorsports public relations, a man and an honor close to my heart.

I want to welcome A1GP World Cup of Motorsport as the new dinner presenting sponsor. On behalf of AARWBA, I negotiated a three-year agreement with A1GP. If you are wondering why a series that doesn't have a U.S. race would do this, well, that's the point. A1GP wants to raise awareness of what it's doing among American racing journalists. Chief Commercial Officer Scott Hollingsworth will lead the A1GP delegation. Emerson Fittipaldi, A1GP ambassador and Team Brazil seat holder, will be our featured speaker.

Drivers elected to the Team, as voted on by AARWBA members, and confirmed to attend include: Dario Franchitti, Scott Pruett, Tony Schumacher, Tony Pedregon, Alex Gurney, Jon Fogarty, Alex Lloyd, Frank Kimmel, Mika Salo and Jamie Melo. The top vote-getter gets the Jerry Titus Memorial Trophy. Carl Haas is coming to accept AARWBA's Pioneer In Racing Award.

ESPN, MAZDASPEED, Budweiser and Edelman Motorsports are co-hosting the reception. The evening will start with something new, the Shav Glick Newsmakers Forum, a series of brief news announcements. Franchitti will receive his Indy 500 winner's ring then and his image on the Borg-Warner Trophy will be unveiled.

If you need last-minute ticket information, go to the http://aarwba.org/ site.
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The response to my last posting of '07 was unprecedented in the short history of this blog. Will it ultimately help improve the state of racing PR? Time will tell. It did lead to communications with THREE sanctioning organizations. Several journalists wrote to tell me of their own stories and the senior executive of a prestigious motorsports publication let me know that well-known outlet is not immune to neglect by people who carry "PR" titles.

I hope the dialog will continue . . . I can assure you it will in this space. I urge others to speak out as well to the team owners and sponsors who give paychecks to people who don't visit media centers, return phone calls or answer E-mails from reporters. It's time to act, not just complain, or accept the situation as-is. Fixing the problem is in the best interest of the motorsports industry.
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Here are two things I was reminded of (again) during the holidays, due in part to my last blog:

* Any organization interested in a proper and professional relationship with real reporters makes a big mistake combining media/PR work with a marketing function. Penske Racing South and Grand-Am were the latest to do this, in December, announcing senior-level appointments where "communications" falls under the responsibility of a marketer. Anyone who doesn't understand why this is wrong doesn't understand the relationship dynamic of working with journalists. Contact me and I'll explain it to you.

* Most journos I speak with hate it when they are sent releases as a PDF or Word document that must be downloaded. (I'm told many who do this want to show-off a logo or a graphic.) As stated in my last posting, news releases are for the MEDIA, not corporate executives or team owners. Keep it simple and easy to use. In the case of E-mailed releases, that means plain text. If an image is key to telling the story, attach a link.
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Sign of the Times: The Orlando Sentinel announced last week in a staff memo, ". . . we've decided to eliminate our national NASCAR coverage and focus more on local sports coverage. Following a joint decision by the Sentinel, Chicago Tribune and the Sun-Sentinel, we won't be covering as many NASCAR races and will spend more of our budget on local news. With this decision, award-winning reporter Ed Hinton has decided to leave the company. He is the best NASCAR writer in the nation, winning more awards than anyone, and will be missed dearly."

Sounds like "spin" to me. The Tribune Co., under new ownership, is cutting costs. Now, will all those NASCAR team/sponsor PR people who don't bother to visit the media center take this as justification for their attitude that newspapers no longer matter? Or as a wake-up call to get pro-active and work to build relationships and generate stories?
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A VERY difficult 2007 closed with the news that my friend Mike Hollander was diagnosed with a form of colon cancer. For those who don't know, Mike is a true pioneer of online motorsports journalism. In 1979, Hollander worked with the then-fledgling CompuServe Information Service to provide racing news on a real-time basis worldwide. I remember times when I joined with Mike Harris to argue with track PR directors who didn't want to issue Hollander media credentials -- because they didn't understand this new information source.

That service evolved in 1983 into the AutoRacing SIG and later into The Motor Sports Forum. In 1995, Mike brought the service to the web, where it continues today as http://www.motorsportsforum.com/ .

Mike is AARWBA's national VP and received the Dusty Brandel President's Award at last year's All-America Team ceremony. He edits the dinner program book and produces all the audio-visual elements. You can reach him at racing@motorsportsforum.com .


If you didn't read Bob Margolis' reflection on his year battling cancer, here's the Yahoo Sports link:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news;_ylt=AqeO92elavD.Ca2ZxEyqlzTov7YF?slug=bm-bobsstory122507&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

[ more next Tuesday . . . ]

THE SAD STATE of PR

I needed to speak with the PR rep for a championship-contending team at a late-season major event. I didn't have this person's cell number and didn't make contact when I went over to the team's pit area. No problem, I figured, we'll connect in the media center.

The day passed. That evening, I sent an E-mail: "Need to see you tomorrow." This is the actual, for real, reply I received:

"Call my cell. I don’t visit the media center much."

A publicity person who doesn't come to where the journalists are located. (!)

Welcome to what passes for contemporary public and media relations.

This is my final blog of the year. I'm sorry to conclude on a negative note. But this is one of the most serious issues within the motorsports industry and, I hope, one that will draw careful consideration by series executives, team owners and sponsor managers in 2008.

I covered last month's Phoenix International Raceway NASCAR weekend for the Arizona Republic. The listed PR reps for the top 18 (18!) drivers in the Nextel Cup standings went the weekend without interaction with writers for the state's largest newspaper. The listed contact for the Busch Series champion didn't respond to requests for assistance for a special section story.

How is that acceptable to those who make the hires and sign the checks?

Would at least one of you, please, write me with the answer to that question?

I've made this serious suggestion to NASCAR: As a test, post a sign-in sheet for PR reps in some press room early next season. The evidence, as I know it, is not much paper or ink will be required.

I encourage anyone interested in this subject to read my Dec. 12, 2006 posting. My great friend Jim Chapman (left, photo courtesy Dan R. Boyd) knew PR was ALL about working to develop one-on-one relationships with the media. Read about it in Jim's own words, as he shared his insights about the once-proud PR profession.

Jack Duffy, who as Hurst' PR VP was Linda Vaughn's boss, was an early influence on my career. Jack, who died earlier this year, used to personally invite me and other journalists to Hurst receptions. He'd say, "Please come." When we'd arrive, Jack would shake hands and say, "Thanks for coming." When we'd leave, Jack would again shake hands and say, "Thank you for stopping by. I appreciate it."

Whatever happened to that personal touch? To common courtesy? To professionalism?

The executive management of EVERY sanctioning organization should be concerned. No matter how large their own staff, or sizeable their budget, the individual team/sponsor reps will ALWAYS be the front-line soldiers for all series. Those who say, "There's nothing we can do," well, the NFL requires its teams to follow certain standards . . . why is it motorsports can't do the same?

While you're at it, please mandate some Journalism 101 courses. There's no excuse -- none -- for the "we're excited about/looking forward to" non-news "news" releases. A recent example: The open-wheel team whose announcement revealed the organization "is both flattered and excited to have" two new drivers.

Here's how that was handled on my keyboard: Ctrl/Alt/Delete.

How sad this person doesn't understand press releases are written for the PRESS, not for ego stroking of the owner. And, even more sadly, she's not alone.

Things MUST improve in 2008. No matter what it takes.
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When will they ever learn?

A news release last week informed us that Hermie Sadler is now a professional wrestling broadcaster. TNA Wrestling, on Spike TV, "delivers a distinct brand of high-risk, athletic entertainment." At least, that's what they want us to believe.

Sadler, who retired as a NASCAR driver in 2006, is a SPEED analyst. Even so, I guess Hermie forgot about the Tony Stewart-yellow flag controversy of some months ago, in which Stewart questioned the validity of debris cautions. That brought the very legitimacy of NASCAR into question and drew comparisons to -- yes -- pro wrestling. Sadler allowed himself to be quoted thusly:

“Commentating for professional wrestling is, in a lot of ways, quite similar to commentating on NASCAR.”

Great, Hermie, thank you. That's just what NASCAR needed. I, for one, will consider whatever you say about NASCAR in the future in that context.

Here's some free PR advice: Use an overnight service to send your letter of apology to Brian France. Copy Mike Helton and Jim Hunter. And, what say you, SPEED management? I'll say this again: That network needs to follow ESPN's example and retain an independent viewer ombudsman.
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Thank you to those who have contacted me about my Arizona Republic work. The feedback I've received from editors, readers, and those within the industry is we've made a least a little progress toward the goal of re-energizing enthusiasm for motorsports coverage in this state. The current plan is I will write Friday notebooks for Dec. 14 and 21, pause for two weeks, and then resume. There's a link in the right-hand column for the Republic's website, AzCentral.com. Here are links to two stories from last week:
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/1206racingnb1207.html

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/1207racingnb1208.html
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It's been a very difficult year. One forever marked by the passing of icons Bill France Jr., Wally Parks, Benny Parsons and Shav Glick. Personally, I've lost several other friends as well, like Jack Duffy, Nick Fornoro and Pat Mittman. John Force Racing endured the unendurable, with Eric Medlen's fatal accident, and John's own serious injuries.

So, let's end with some happy news, regarding my friends Bob Margolis and Bob Carlson. It was tremendous for me to speak with Margolis, of Yahoo Sports, last week. He sounded strong and positive after his latest and difficult cancer treatments. Bob's outlook going into the New Year is much improved and he's hoping to cover Daytona. Carlson, the longtime Porsche PR pro, was able to return to his Atlanta-area home last week after cancer surgery and serious post-surgical complications. God Bless.

[ more Tuesday, January 8, 2008 . . . ]

AND THE NEXT STEP IS . . . ?

I'll guest next Monday (Dec. 10) on Racing Roundup Arizona to review the 2007 season and look ahead to 2008 with host Jamie Reynolds. Now in its 11th consecutive year, RRA airs from 7-9 p.m. on KXAM (1310). You can listen using the link in the right-hand column. The show is broadcast "live" from Max's in Glendale.


Helio Castroneves won Dancing With the Stars and Jimmie Johnson was officially crowned Nextel Cup champion last week and the question now is:

What does it really mean, going forward?

Depending on your point-of-view, it was either amusing or frustrating that ABC -- NASCAR's multi-billion dollar TV partner -- flew double Indy 500 winner Castroneves (left, with dance partner Julianne Hough, photo courtesy IMS/Ron McQueeney) to New York to make the media rounds . . . right in the midst of NASCAR's annual "Champions Week" activities. As far as I know, Helio didn't cost Johnson any Big Apple interviews. I suspect, though, that stock car's PR executives would have preferred the most famous open-wheel driver not to defect to NASCAR not to have taken a bite from their media feast.

Which ended, by the way, in reverse gear -- on third-tier ESPN Classic. The Cup awards aired on the main net during ESPN's previous NASCAR tenure. (Thanks to ESPN's Andy Hall, I watched the show "live" on ESPN360.com -- quite an amazing technological marvel.)

Those I know, who have a direct involvement, quietly admit some of the energy and excitement has gone out of NASCAR's New York adventure. And, of course, no less than Bruton Smith himself has suggested the ceremony be moved to Las Vegas. Conveniently, the site of the Smith-owned Motor Speedway.

From an entertainment standpoint, Bruton has a point, especially since a strike kept Broadway dark until the night before the Waldorf festivities. (Speaking of "entertainment," David Spade was a dud, like Jay Mohr before him. Spade told "jokes" that played into the stereotype of New York City -- an area in which ISC would like to build a track -- and about flying coach to a crowd who either own their own jets or use charters. Hint to Spade: Rule No. 1 is to know your audience!)

But that's NOT the point here.

For business, media and political purposes, NASCAR has every reason to keep haulin' back to NYC. It's simple: It's the easiest way to gain access to ad and marketing and PR agencies, participate in industry conferences, and get in front of media decision-makers. And keep whatever chances of a New York-region track alive. If Brian France eventually does decide to move, I'll take it as a clear signal all realistic hopes of a speedway there in the near future are gone.

As for IndyCar, the series did work to promote Castroneves' DWTS success. It was worth doing, as are the stated intentions to continue on that course. It sure can't hurt, especially considering known names/ticket sellers Sam Hornish Jr. and Dario Franchitti have split, replaced by Ryan Briscoe and Hideki Mutoh. Ouch!

I'd be fascinated to know how many gross media impressions Castroneves' DWTS title run generated compared with the combined numbers from his two Indy triumphs. Something tells me that data won't be forthcoming. The problem, however, is the next ICS race doesn't happen until March 29. In our contemporary society, where attention spans aren't much longer than a Sweet 'n Low packet, we'll cycle through dozens of "celebrities" before the green flag waves at Homestead.

Four months from now, will most people remember who won Stars? Probably more than who will know the winner of Survivor, but no where near as many who will be able to rattle off the contestants on American Idol. As Robert Bianco, USA Today's TV critic, wrote about DWTS: "Watch and root if you must, but if by some chance your favorite doesn't win, please take it well. You know in the grand -- or even the tiny -- scheme of things, it really doesn't much matter."

Of this, though, I am certain: When ESPN turns on its cameras for the ICS opener, we'll be shown Helio dancing. The only thing I'm not sure of is will that be before -- or after -- they interview Danica?
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Budweiser has joined ESPN and Mazda as a co-host of the reception prior to the 38th AARWBA All-America Team dinner, Saturday, January 12, at the Indianapolis Hyatt. I'm dinner chairman. See link in the right-hand column for more information on tickets.

Here's a link to my story in last Friday's Arizona Republic. It focuses on Rick Hendrick and his championship management style:
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/1129racingnb1130.html

NASCAR reporters think they have it tough with some drivers or at tracks with inadequate work space. Read what it's like out on the campaign trail with Hillary Clinton:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/29/AR2007112902165_pf.html

Do you know about changes at the Associated Press? You should. Read here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/03/business/media/03apee.html?ei=5065&en=401d36c5dc11efa8&ex=1197349200&partner=MYWAY&pagewanted=print

Read about John Force publicist Dave Densmore's incredible year, from his own major heart surgery to Eric Medlen's fatal accident to Force's serious crash:
http://www.competitionplus.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4665&Itemid=24

Adam Saal will leave Grand-Am Dec. 14 to operate his own communications business. First client is Rolex Series champion Bob Stallings Racing.

[ more next Tuesday . . . ]

DeLANA HARVICK, Part 2

Two weeks ago I posted Part One of my lengthy interview with DeLana Harvick. Kevin's wife is very involved in the management of Kevin Harvick Inc., their Craftsman Truck and Busch Series teams. Ron Hornaday Jr. won this year's Truck title in the Harvick's Camping World Chevrolet Silverado. DeLana began her formal racing career as two-time Busch champion Randy LaJoie's public relations person.

Here's the conclusion of our conversation: (Championship photo of Kevin and DeLana courtesy of KHI/CIA.)

Q. What about the perception some people have that KHI is basically a Richard Childress team?
A. Obviously, there’s going to be some information that transfers because Kevin’s in both cars. He can’t be involved in RCR and not have some knowledge that he brings back. But that really couldn’t be further from the truth because we do everything (except engines) in-house. I’m proud we have our own body shop, we have our own paint shop, everything else is done in-house. I think that’s probably the biggest misconception, that we’re just a satellite team for RCR. Although Richard’s been very helpful, especially with advice, we’re pretty proud of what we’ve done on our own.

Q. Do you give your drivers PR advice?
A. Absolutely. If there’s an article that comes out, and I think there was one (where) Ron wasn’t happy with how a quote came out. He called me pretty upset and I talked through it with him. PR is my first love and I think that’s what I do best. I think that’s helpful to Kevin, and certainly, with newcomers like Cale Gale. I try to introduce him to all the players in the sport because it’s my hope he’s going to be around a long time. With a new kid coming from Mobile, Ala., who races a late model, he doesn’t understand the day-to-day duties the guys in NASCAR, the time that is needed to do these things. We’ve got him going to schools, to hospitals, just to get him used to being in public and around people and speaking.

I feel like I do have an influence over our drivers. Obviously, Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte, they don’t need advice from me. I think that’s what I get excited about, the kids coming up, like Cale Gale, I feel like I can be a benefit.

Q. What about when Kevin is in a controversial situation, like with Juan Pablo Montoya at Watkins Glen?
A. As a wife, I’m watching my husband having a pretty heated discussion with someone else. On the same token, I’m watching Kevin kind of through a PR person’s eyes, and I see the passion. Just a couple of years ago, he would have had him in a choak-hold, or done something a little more abrupt. I’ve seen Kevin grow so much. I think a lot of that has to do with KHI and owning his own team.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong, if you’re mad about something, tell somebody, you don’t have to be so politically correct that you’re vanilla. I never want to see that, even for my own drivers. I think, obviously, there’s a line you can’t cross, but I was happy to see that he was so passionate. That cost us a lot of points that day and we were coming down to the wire of the Chase and every point matters. If that had happened, and he wasn’t passionate about it, I don’t think I would have been as happy with him because the passion is what I love so much about Kevin.

Q. Teresa Earnhardt took a lot of criticism for not reaching an agreement to keep Dale Jr. at DEI. As a female team owner, and a PR person, what was your reaction to the media coverage and fan reaction?
A. The hard part about this sport is you have to make decisions on a daily basis and sometimes they’re not popular decisions, whether they're budget-driven, or personnel-driven. It’s unfortunate because the sport has grown to the point that, sometimes, these things plays out in the media.

The part I think everyone has to remember is, there’s always another side to the story. Obviously, we see the outcome of these situations. When you’re not there, on a day-to-day basis, and you don’t know everything that has transpired, it’s hard for me to accept people making opinions about that because they’re not informed. They're fed little bits of what the people involved want to feed them.

I hope I’ve matured a little bit, even in my personal life, where I realize there’s so much more to a situation than the final outcome. I think I put those pieces in play when determining how I feel about a situation. Whether it’s KHI related, or even my personal life. I just know, typically, there’s three sides to every story.

Q. You are the only wife who wears a fire-resistant uniform during the race. Why?
A. When we lost Dale (Earnhardt) and Adam Petty and Kenny Irwin, there was a big safety push in NASCAR. As a wife, I asked Kevin, ‘What are you doing to be safer?’ I became really interested in the safety aspect. We were talking about this one night and he said, ‘What are you doing to be safe?’ I never really thought about that. There’s a lot of moving parts and pieces that go on on pit road and I’m actually pretty astonished that more people don’t do it on their own, but they’re not required to wear some fire-safety protection. The pit boxes have gotten to be such monstrosities that, if something were to happen quickly, I couldn’t get out of harm’s way. I’m pretty much stuck.

I felt like it was only fair when I’m asking Kevin to do everything he possibly could to be safe in the car. Turnabout is fair play and I should do everything I can do to be safe on pit road and I felt that was a good solution.
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Bobby Labonte recently joined the ranks of drivers who get into the PR-marketing business. His company is called Breaking Limits, LLC. I find this interesting because I was part of a brief, and not very serious, attempt by Mario Andretti's then-manager back in 1987 to trade on Andretti's name by offering to provide such services. Several companies were "pitched." I remember a few corporate representatives came to me, privately, and expressed concern that their business would always play second fiddle to Andretti's own sponsors. The idea never really went anywhere, partially for this reason.

In 1988, Al Holbert had a similar idea. We were deep into planning a partnership when Al was killed in a private plane crash.

I couldn't help but notice this language in Labonte's news announcement (emphasis mine):

"Breaking Limits mission is to go above and beyond expectations for every partner with business professionals that have the integrity, morals and values that Labonte encompasses."

Wonder if a copy of the release reached Chip Williams?
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Wire reports last week said Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson compared his Democratic rivals to NASCAR drivers. (!)

"It's like they're all in training for the NASCAR, you know, nothing but a left turn, just steady as she goes, all the way around," Thompson was quoted as saying.

Thompson, a former Tennessee senator, wasn't knocking NASCAR or its fans, traditionally a friendly audience. Meanwhile, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani campaigned at the Cup finale at Homestead.
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Here's a link to my column in last Friday's Arizona Republic. It's a look at the state-of-play among the four Nextel Cup series automakers:
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/1122racingnb1123.html
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If you didn't see this article in the October Esquire, "A plan to rescue sports journalism from the same sorry fate that has befallen the regular news," here's a link:
http://www.esquire.com/features/chuck-klostermans-america/klosterman1007
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AARWBA will offer an audio-visual tribute to Bill France Jr., Wally Parks and Shav Glick at the 38th All-America Team ceremony. That's Saturday, January 12, at the downtown Indianapolis Hyatt. I'm the dinner chairman. A new element of the evening will be a pre-reception news conference, featuring brief announcements from various team, sponsor and industry representatives. Officially, that will be the Shav Glick Newsmakers Forum. For more information on the dinner, go to http://aarwba.org/, or E-mail me.

Thank you to Judy Stropus, of Don Schumacher Racing, who organized a group of NHRA team/sponsor PR representatives to jointly sponsor the November AARWBA newsletter. Their message is a "thank you" and "happy holidays" to AARWBA media members.

Others, in other series, please take note.

[ more next Tuesday . . . ]

TOO MUCH HYPE IN NASCAR?

Is there too much hype in NASCAR?

I asked Brian France that exact question during my extended one-on-one exclusive interview with him Friday of NASCAR weekend at Phoenix International Raceway. His answer:

"There’s always too much hype when the competition on the field or on the track doesn’t fulfill it. It’s OK to have hype but it’s even better to have a great race or a great baseball game that matches the hype."

I don't know how anyone could disagree with France's answer.

The truth is, the 2007 Nextel Cup campaign was not a great season. So that means, yes, there was too much hype.

It was a Chevrolet and Hendrick Motorsports blowout. In achieving its 31st manufacturers' championship, Chevy won 26 of the 36 races. Led by Jimmie Johnson's 10 victories and second consecutive Cup, Hendrick visited victory lane 18 times. Jeff Gordon was second in points with six wins. Kyle Busch and Casey Mears combined for two more.

I realize some of you will find this strange, coming from me, but there IS such a thing as too much hype. Here are my two favorite examples from the season past:

1. At California Speedway, in February, an MRN announcer told us the race was important because "after today, there will only be 24 more races until the Chase." ONLY 24!

2. At New Hampshire, in September, an ABC announcer told us an upcoming series of gas-and-tire service was "critical, because it's the first pit stops in the Chase." ONLY ABOUT 50 MORE TO GO!

Please . . .

I've been asked several times what I'd do to "fix" NASCAR's two-year TV ratings/attendance/media coverage/popularity slide. My advice:

Give it a rest, guys!

Not every race is a "great" race. Not every lap is "critical." Not every driver is a "champion." Not every driver who spins or crashes does "a great job" saving the car. Not every driver is "driving his brains out." Not every event is "exciting." Not every speedway has a "huge" crowd.

I've learned this: Relentless, baseless hype eventually will EXHAUST the public. No one can keep up with it all. No one believes it all. The credibility factor eventually comes into play.

I hope, in 2008, at least for a little while after the 50th anniversary Daytona 500 "Great American Race," NASCAR and Humpy Wheeler and Eddie Gossage and Fox and ESPN and SPEED and MRN and everyone else involved will take a step back. Study the way CBS televised the recent New England Patriots-Indianapolis Colts game -- just let the action tell it's own story.

For that to have any chance of happening, of course, the Car of Tomorrow needs to produce great racing. Fans didn't like what they saw in the second Bristol and Talladega races. If Daytona is an entertainment dud, I know the hype machine will be fed nitro.

If you didn't read my Q&A with France, click the first link below. The second one is my Arizona Republic column of last Friday, which includes even more questions-and-answers with him. (His future plans? Status of diversity program? Criticism of TV coverage?) The third is my Republic story on open-wheel drivers coming to NASCAR, which has Brian's comments on that trend:

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/1110france1111.html

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/1115racingnb1116.html

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/1109openwheelers1110.html
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I made this point during my XM Satellite Radio interview with Claire B. Lang at PIR:

“The Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team made the National League playoffs this year. They did not sell out all of their home playoff games which is really incredible for the National League Championship Series. All the reserve tickets at PIR (Phoenix International Raceway) for Sunday’s Checker 500 kilometer race are sold out. What does that tell you about the strength of NASCAR even with some of the issues going on in the day? Very impressive.”
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In case you missed it, please take a look at my latest "Business of Racing" video commentary on 1320tv.com. I look back on the sad 2007 NHRA season, and look ahead to the two big issues of 2008:

http://www.1320tv.com/dialed_in/article11.asp?vid=dialed_in/dialed_in_mk_bor_02&title=2007%20Powerade%20Drag%20Racing%20Series%20Recap

Thanks to popular California radio personality Joe Benson for the nomination in AutoWriters.com's search for the 100 top automotive blogs, as mentioned in AW.c's November newsletter.

Congratulations to Barry Bronson, Valvoline communications director, elected last week as secretary of ASE (National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence).

I've noticed, for a while, that AP's NASCAR boxscores list winning average speeds in kilometers per hour as well as mph. The Homestead results sheet went a step further, though, showing Matt Kenseth's first-place purse not only in dollars, but also euros. (!) For the record, AP calculated Kenseth's $359,941 converted to euro245,700.

USA Today's Monday odds on the Dancing With the Stars contenders put Helio Castroneves at 8-to-1. The story also called him "the Formula One race car driver . . . "

It was sad to receive news of Bob Holbert's death last week at age 84. Bob was a four-time SCCA national champion and U.S. Road Racing Championship titlist. He stopped racing in 1964 and saw son Al's successful career, which included three Le Mans victories. Al was one of my closest friends -- he recruited me to do the PR for the Quaker State Porsche CART team he ran in 1988 -- and Al died in a private airplane crash in September that year. The Holbert's showroom, in Warrington, Pa., is America's oldest authorized Porsche dealership. Porsche Cars North America President Peter Schwarzenbauer said that Bob "helped establish the Porsche brand in America" and called him "a true American Porsche pioneer.” Indeed.

It's Thanksgiving week, so in that spirit, I'll refrain from naming names of the terrible "PR" people I dealt with (or, in some cases, tried to deal with) in my coverage at PIR. I will say this: There was no legitimate excuse -- none -- for Kyle Busch's boorish behavior upon exiting his hauler after the Cup race. As Busch's handler yelled to reporters, "He doesn't want to talk!," the PR rep (who, apparently, had not thought to educate Kyle beforehand the media would need his comments no-matter-what since he had won the weekend's first two races) stood by and did nothing.

I am thankful, however, to Jim Hunter, Ramsey Poston and Owen Kearns (NASCAR), Judy Dominick (Chevrolet), Bill Janitz (Interstate Batteries/JJ Yeley) and Steve Van Houten (Ford hospitality).


[ more next Tuesday . . . ]

DeLANA HARVICK ON THE RACING BIZ

DeLana Harvick is one of the more impressive people I've met in the more than four decades I've been in-and-around professional sports.

She grew up in motorsports. DeLana's father, John Paul Linville, drove in NASCAR's Busch Series until 1995. "I was at the racetrack every weekend, so I didn't really do a lot of kid things," she explains. "I didn't do soccer or brownies or anything like that. I was always with my dad at the track."

What's of interest to readers of this blog is DeLana began her racing career as double Busch Series champion Randy LaJoie's public relations representative. "PR is my first love and I think that’s what I do best," she told me.

She married Kevin Harvick in February 2001, less than two weeks after Dale Earnhardt's death. Kevin was suddenly thrust into the national spotlight as owner Richard Childress' choice to take over the white and renumbered No. 29 Goodwrench Chevrolet. He won a thriller at Atlanta just over a week after their wedding.

Kevin Harvick Inc. fields teams in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck and Busch Series. Ron Hornaday Jr. will go for the Truck championship this Friday at Homestead in KHI's Camping World Chevrolet Silverado. KHI has about 80 employees and DeLana's office is in the 70,000 square-foot shop in Kernersville, N.C.

This is part one of our conversation.

Q. Why did you and Kevin decide to start your own team?
A. It started with the Truck. Kevin had never won a Truck race. So, in 2001, we decided to build a Truck, just to go out and race. We had a fifth-wheel trailer and guys who would just come in and help, no employees. The first time we ran we finished second and almost won. That was just more of a prodding, ‘We can do this. We can go out and run these races.’ Kevin finally won in a Truck we built.

It evolved into a full-time Truck team with full-time sponsorship. On the Busch side, someone came to us and said, ‘I’m interested in running some Busch races. Would you want to do that?’ We thought, ‘Yes, sounds like fun.’ That was the beginning of our Busch team. It just grew and evolved from there.

Q. Ron Hornaday Jr. told me you are the "boss." How do you describe your role within KHI?
A. I don’t have a typical 9-5 job. I think I do a pretty good job putting on different hats depending on what the situation calls for. I hope the employees view me as a good sounding board and someone who’s fair.

When you run your own business, sometimes your heart tells you to do one thing, but your head tells you to do another. That’s been the hardest part for me. Especially when it comes to having to let people go, or make tough decisions when it comes to budgets. Really understanding what it takes to run a successful business is not always necessarily what you want to do with your heart.

Q. Do you have a formal title?
A. I think I’m secretary. I think that means I’m the one who signs all the checks. I guess that’s a good title to have. If the trash needs to be emptied, I’ll empty the trash. If the toilet paper needs refilling, I’ll do that. If there’s a sponsor I need to go do hospitality for, I’ll do that. I think, sometimes, when you put formality into it, I don’t like that. I want people who want to be at KHI that are willing to do anything to make it successful and that’s part of what I hope to instill in people who come here is, you can’t do just one thing, and if you’re closed-minded on that, you’re probably not going to be what we need at KHI.

Q. Is this a seven-day-a-week job for you?
A. It depends on what part of the season. Sometimes I’m here from 8-to-8. There’s no one day that’s the same. Sometimes I choose to work from home, depending on what I’ve got lined up for the day. But, again, I never shut it off. My cell phone never goes off. I’m always in contact whether it’s E-mail or phone calls. You can’t step away from this, because if you do, you’re going to miss something.

Q. How did you learn the different aspects of running a racing business?
A. I can’t say I’ve completely learned. I’m learning every day. I think that’s the part that I’m so challenged by. It's not the typical desk job. I’m out on the shop floor listening to competition-related things, listening to marketing and public relations issues, and trying to come up with solutions for everything.

I think my background, being involved in racing from such an early age, I first and foremost was intrigued by the competition part. Then, as I graduated from college and started to work in the business side of the sport, I realized how much more was out there for me to learn. It’s challenging because I don’t do the same thing every day. I’m still learning and trying to get better and I think that’s what continues to drive me.

Q. Do you negotiate directly with Camping World, Dollar General and the other KHI sponsors?
A. I have a good group who does that but I am involved when it comes to budgets and expenses and portions of the program. That’s the part that I’m most uncomfortable with because, at the end of the day, I want to race to be competitive but the budget is the hard balance. When you’re a competitive person your initial reaction is, ‘I need everything.’ What you have to realize is, you are racing on a budget, and at the end of the day, we have to be successful on what we have coming in. The more support we have coming in, the better, but it’s always a business for the sponsor and it has to make sense for them as well.

Q. Is Richard Childress a resource for you?
A. There’s always an open-door policy with Richard. He’s a good sounding board, but Kevin and I have taken this responsibility of running our teams on our own. We realized from the beginning we had to take baby steps. People assume we’re going to go Cup racing because that’s the next step. That’s not necessarily what we’re interested in. We’re racers. That’s what we do. But we want to have fun.

To me, Cup racing, owning Cup teams, is not necessarily the direction I see KHI going. I would go almost so far as to say that I would likely rule it out. The Cup series is so competitive and if you’re not a multi-car team, almost a powerhouse team, you’re going to struggle. Kevin and I don't necessarily have a life outside of KHI, but I know we wouldn’t have a life outside KHI if we had Cup teams. That’s not really interesting to us.

Coming soon, more with DeLana Harvick, including what she has to say about PR -- including the public image of her sometimes controversial husband.
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Let's turn to NHRA for a moment: Please check out my "Business of Racing" video commentary on 1320tv.com. It looks back on 2007 and the two issues that will be foremost going into 2008. Here's the link:
http://www.1320tv.com/dialed_in/article11.asp?vid=dialed_in/dialed_in_mk_bor_02&title=2007%20Powerade%20Drag%20Racing%20Series%20Recap
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Here are links most of my Arizona Republic stories from last weekend's NASCAR events at Phoenix International Raceway. Please note the first one, a transcript of my exclusive one-on-one conversation with NASCAR Chairman Brian France. Space in Sunday's paper didn't permit me to use it all, so there will be more of this interview in Friday's Republic. And, I'll have more from France in next week's blog:

Brian France Q&A:
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/1110france1111.html

The NASCAR Super Teams: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/1107nascarteams.html

Open-wheel drivers to NASCAR:
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/1109openwheelers1110.html

JJ Yeley's Race Day:
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/1111yeleyside1112.html

Busch Series race preview (Carl Edwards):
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/1107pirbusch.html

Craftsman Truck race preview (Mike Skinner-Ron Hornaday Jr.):
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/1107pirtrucks.html

Who/What to Watch for at PIR:
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/sports/articles/1108pirhotnot1108.html

Thanks to Claire B. Lang for an enjoyable interview on XM Radio last weekend.

[ more Blogging the Chase next Tuesday . . . ]

POMONA POWER POINTS

DANCING WITH HELIO: The IndyCar Series is pro-active about promoting double Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves in ABC's Dancing with the Stars. A package, with campaign-style sign, T-shirt and "Vote for Helio" letter, was distributed last week. Castroneves and dance partner Julianne Hough were in Indy last Friday to stump for votes. Viewers of the hit show vote for their favorite via a toll-free phone number (1-800-868-3409) or online at www.abc.com. It's good to see the series taking this publicity opportunity as seriously as Helio obviously is the dancing competition!


Despite the smell of nitro in the air, I usually find it refreshing to visit an NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series event, and last weekend's Auto Club Finals in Pomona was no exception. As broadcaster Paul Page has said to me a few times, from a media and fan standpoint, the atmosphere at NHRA races is what it used to be in CART. For whatever reason, it seems easier to get access to any driver on short-notice, or set up a last-minute meeting, than in any other series.

A main purpose of my trip to Pomona was AARWBA's present-
ation of its Rick Mears
"Good Guy" Award to Gary Scelzi (right). AARWBA offers this honor, on an occasional basis, to show appreciation to a driver for longtime cooperation with the media. We did this Saturday in the Shav Glick Media Center, with a second present-
ation by AARWBA Western VP Susan Wade, during Sunday's pre-race ceremonies. Susan kindly posted video on her 1320tv.com site. To see my introduction, President Dusty Brandel's presentation and Gary's comments, use this link:

http://www.1320tv.com/racevideos/autoclub.asp?vid=11-1-07/scelzi_aarwba_final&title=Gary%20Scelzi%20Receives%20AARWBA%20Honor&des=2005%20Funny%20Car%20champ%20becomes%20first%20drag%20racer%20to%20be%20presented%20Rick%20Mears%20Good%20Guy%20Award

As usual, NHRA provided AARWBA with plenty of cooperation. President Tom Compton stopped by for the ceremony. Thanks to NHRA's Jerry Archambeault, Anthony Vestal, Michael Padian and Glen Cromwell to working with me to accomplish what needed to get done. Plus, of course, Judy Stropus of Don Schumacher Racing.

NHRA's new Countdown championship format -- designed to create drama -- worked in Top Fuel and Pro Stock Motorcycle. Tony Schumacher and his amazing Don Schumacher Racing Army Top Fuel team did it again, winning the title (his fourth straight) on the last pass of the season. The same for Matt Smith on the bikes. Funny Car was basically decided the previous week at Las Vegas, when Tony Pedregon won, and his three rivals all lost in the first round. That's the downside to a two-race shootout, and I'm among those who think that's not enough racing to settle any title.

Plenty of Business of Racing news came out of Pomona, including:

Budweiser renewed its "official beer" partnership with NHRA, which now will go more than three decades. I'm told the deal is for two years, through 2009, which will match Bud's current sponsorship with Kenny and Brandon Bernstein.

NHRA made a contribution of $2,500 to Pasadena City College in honor of legendary Los Angeles Times sportswriter Shav Glick, who died Oct. 20 at age 87. The college foundation annually presents two $500 scholarships -- The Shav Glick Journalism Scholarship -- to outstanding journalism students who are active members of the college newspaper.

With Geico on notice it will have to wrap-up its sponsorship in what will become NASCAR's Nationwide Series, NHRA jumped on this and signed a multi-year marketing partnership. Geico will continue its sponsorship of Karen Stoffer's bike team.
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Controversial questions are unusual on media teleconferences, but there was one last week. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was on the phone with reporters from Atlanta Motor Speedway during his first Hendrick test. Someone asked if Junior felt a responsibility to speak out on military-related issues, since the National Guard will be one of his sponsors next year, and the Navy backs his Busch Series team.

Earnhardt Jr.:

"I'm not in a position to blast opinions on anything like that. I mean, certainly when it comes to knowledge of those various and specific situations that you just spoke of, I'm not intelligent enough about them independently to be able to sit here and think that I would be able to tell a cameraman or a print reporter what I thought should be done.

"You know, what I enjoy doing, I do got some friends in Iraq. One of my buddies just went there recently. I just ask them what they need. They tell me. I try to mail it to them. You know, I think if there's one responsibility, obviously my job with my race team is to try to let young Americans and young adults know that that's an opportunity, to join the Guard, to join the Navy, that that's an opportunity, and try to give them all the information that they can have to make that decision.

"But I feel like, as a citizen of the United States, you know, being able to take some time out of my week to put together a care package to send to a couple of buddies of mine that they can disperse throughout their company and whatnot, that's probably the best thing. I remember being in military school. That was the coolest thing that could happen, when your parents sent you a box of stuff, new socks, candy bars, whatever.

"As ridiculous as that sounds to us, to just be able to walk up to the corner store and pick it up, it's really hard to get over there. You can get an iPod, but you can't download music. The things we take for granted.

"They tell me what the kind of things they wish they had or hadn't thought about bringing over with them, and I try to mail it to them. When we're all on our XM radio show we try to tell our listeners that that's a good exercise for them, too, is just to put a care package together. Takes five minutes. Makes a big, big difference to those guys, the morale over there."
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Danica Patrick picked-up some useful publicity for a couple of companies she is endorsing during a New York City PR tour the other week. (Congratulations to whoever pushed the button for that Oct. 25 USA Today piece.) She's been in the IndyCar Series three years and already is being asked how much longer she'll race? Answer: 10 years. As best I could determine in reading about/listening to her, one of Danica's big things right now is trying to launch her own fashion line, plus more beauty-products endorsements.

Here's what I DIDN'T hear: What Danica is doing to make herself a better race car driver! To try to actually WIN a race, not just in the ICS, but anything. Seems to me she could be spending off-season time in various types of cars, keeping her skills sharp, and working to improve her aggression level on starts and restarts. Even if it means spending some of her own money to rent rides/tracks.

THAT would impress me a lot more than what diamond-studded watch she's wearing.
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Best wishes to Robert Clarke, the president of Honda Performance Development, who will retire from Honda on June 30, 2008. Effective January 1, Robert will move into an executive advisory role at HPD, as Erik Berkman becomes HPD president. Berkman currently is Executive Engineer, Honda R&D Americas, Inc.

I'll be at Phoenix International Raceway Thursday-Sunday, covering for the Arizona Republic. Please check out the paper or http://azcentral.com/ . Here's a link to my column last Friday:
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/1101racingnb1102.html

[ more Blogging the Chase next Tuesday . . . ]