Joey Logano was the Newsmaker guest on tonight's The Race Reporters show on PowerUpChannel.com. Mark Armijo (Arizona Republic) joined me in the questioning and John Sturbin (RacinToday.com) was part of the journalists' roundtable.
NASCAR's top rookie (19th in Sprint Cup points with one win) was asked if he's satisfied with the progress he's making, and what grade he'd give his performance (according to NASCAR stats, Joey's average starting and finishing position is the same -- 20.6):
"I didn't know that stat. I think that, compared to what we had at the beginning of the year, compared to now, is night-and-day better. We made one real big step from the beginning of the season until now, and we've got one more to go. As we got to tracks for the second time this season, everything seems to be getting a lot better . . . I never think about what I would grade myself. At the beginning of the season, it wouldn't be good at all. It definitely wasn't where we needed to be. Now, maybe a B. We're coming along. For me, I'm never going to be satisfied . . . Never being satisfied is something that got me to this point."
Click this link to hear the entire show, including Logano's comments on having Kyle Busch as a teammate, and the unprecedented expectations placed on him coming into NASCAR:
http://www.modavox.com/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=40779
Upcoming show guests:
September 9 -- Newsmaker: Scott Pruett. Panelists: John Oreovicz, Jeremy Shaw, Jim Pedley.
September 16 -- Newsmaker: Lee White. Panelists: Matt Yocum, Peter De Lorenzo.
September 23 -- Newsmaker: Jeg Coughlin Jr. Panelists: Alan Reinhart, Mike Kerchner, Jeff Burk.
[ more next Tuesday. . . ]
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
'BIG GO' IS BIG NEWS
Only members of Congress, at Town Hall meetings, have taken more heat lately than NHRA. There's been more controversy than John Force Racing wins. I'm not going to recount all of that now -- Jon Asher on CompetitionPlus.com and Susan Wade in National Speed Sport News, among others -- have done it well. I have my own angle on this and will deal with it later.
For now, let me remind you this is "Big Go" week -- the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals -- and management performance aside, this is worthy of your time and attention.
This is the third consecutive year I've called for attention to drag racing's most prestigious event, at O'Reilly Raceway Park, near Indianapolis. I think it's important because, from my observation, PR and marketing people engaged in other motorsports' series -- and, yes, journalists -- would do well to see for themselves. (Hint to those active in the IRL: It's an off-weekend. Get out to ORP and learn something.) The access fans have to drivers -- and, maybe more importantly, the drivers' happiness to interact with the public -- is the best I've experienced anywhere.
Reporters who don't know much about the straight-line sport but who seek nothing more than a good story, well, this is like going through an all-you-can-eat buffet. Great personalities, interested in telling their tales, and it's easy to get to them. It'll repeat what I've often said: NHRA is an under-reported motorsport, and deserves more respect from the non-drag racing media.
ESPN2 has six hours of coverage Labor Day Monday. I plan to watch it all, with special focus on the endlessly fascinating Funny Car class. Including my friend Jack Beckman, pictured above.
********************************************************************
FAST LINES: When will Speed TV senior production management insist on some standards? Just one week after Krista Voda's crude opening on Wind Tunnel (see last week's blog), Justin Bell said this on Sunday's ALMS-at-Mosport show: "I think I just peed myself." In what lowered the bar for the worst pit reporting anywhere this season (even making Robbie Floyd look OK), Bell's equally amateurish pit partner, Jamie Howe, blew the call on Gil de Ferran's pit stop. Even though Howe was standing on pit road, directly in front of de Ferran's car, she inaccurately reported that there was a driver change even though Gil got back in (he hadn't completed his minimum time behind the wheel.) Howe was looking right at it, just a few feet away, and still couldn't get it right! . . . What were they thinking? Starting an Indy Car race after 10 p.m. EDT (9 p.m. local) at Chicagoland. Ridiculous. And just what does it tell you about how severely the series' fan base has been eroded that the IRL president says the embarrassing ratings on Versus are what was expected? . . . Perception can = reality. Words mean things. Maybe this was just poorly phrased (I sure hope so), but I was concerned to read the following on Krista Voda's website (emphasis mine): "Recently, I attended the Iowa State Fair with Ron Hornaday and Ricky Carmichael. NASCAR sent us there to promote the September 5th truck series race at the Iowa Speedway." NASCAR "sent" a journalist somewhere to "promote" a race? . . . Going back to what I wrote following the U.S. Formula One team's unveiling on Speed, that network needs to stop breathing in the fumes of self-interest, and start asking more pointed, legitimate questions about this enterprise . . . As in years past, I encourage you to participate, if you are able, in the upcoming NASCAR blood drive for the Red Cross. I'll be at Phoenix International Raceway Sept. 10. Check with your local NASCAR track, or NASCAR.com/foundation, for details.
Upcoming The Race Reporters guests:
September 2 -- Newsmaker: Joey Logano. Panelists: Mark Armijo, John Sturbin. Plus Mike Dunn to preview the U.S. Nationals.
September 9 -- Newsmaker: Scott Pruett. Panelists: John Oreovicz, Jeremy Shaw, Jim Pedley.
September 16 -- Newsmaker: Lee White. Panelists: Matt Yocum, Peter De Lorenzo.
September 23 -- Newsmaker: Jeg Coughlin Jr. Panelists: Alan Reinhart, Mike Kerchner, Jeff Burk.
[ Joey Logano news nugget Thursday . . . ]
For now, let me remind you this is "Big Go" week -- the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals -- and management performance aside, this is worthy of your time and attention.
This is the third consecutive year I've called for attention to drag racing's most prestigious event, at O'Reilly Raceway Park, near Indianapolis. I think it's important because, from my observation, PR and marketing people engaged in other motorsports' series -- and, yes, journalists -- would do well to see for themselves. (Hint to those active in the IRL: It's an off-weekend. Get out to ORP and learn something.) The access fans have to drivers -- and, maybe more importantly, the drivers' happiness to interact with the public -- is the best I've experienced anywhere.Reporters who don't know much about the straight-line sport but who seek nothing more than a good story, well, this is like going through an all-you-can-eat buffet. Great personalities, interested in telling their tales, and it's easy to get to them. It'll repeat what I've often said: NHRA is an under-reported motorsport, and deserves more respect from the non-drag racing media.
ESPN2 has six hours of coverage Labor Day Monday. I plan to watch it all, with special focus on the endlessly fascinating Funny Car class. Including my friend Jack Beckman, pictured above.
********************************************************************
FAST LINES: When will Speed TV senior production management insist on some standards? Just one week after Krista Voda's crude opening on Wind Tunnel (see last week's blog), Justin Bell said this on Sunday's ALMS-at-Mosport show: "I think I just peed myself." In what lowered the bar for the worst pit reporting anywhere this season (even making Robbie Floyd look OK), Bell's equally amateurish pit partner, Jamie Howe, blew the call on Gil de Ferran's pit stop. Even though Howe was standing on pit road, directly in front of de Ferran's car, she inaccurately reported that there was a driver change even though Gil got back in (he hadn't completed his minimum time behind the wheel.) Howe was looking right at it, just a few feet away, and still couldn't get it right! . . . What were they thinking? Starting an Indy Car race after 10 p.m. EDT (9 p.m. local) at Chicagoland. Ridiculous. And just what does it tell you about how severely the series' fan base has been eroded that the IRL president says the embarrassing ratings on Versus are what was expected? . . . Perception can = reality. Words mean things. Maybe this was just poorly phrased (I sure hope so), but I was concerned to read the following on Krista Voda's website (emphasis mine): "Recently, I attended the Iowa State Fair with Ron Hornaday and Ricky Carmichael. NASCAR sent us there to promote the September 5th truck series race at the Iowa Speedway." NASCAR "sent" a journalist somewhere to "promote" a race? . . . Going back to what I wrote following the U.S. Formula One team's unveiling on Speed, that network needs to stop breathing in the fumes of self-interest, and start asking more pointed, legitimate questions about this enterprise . . . As in years past, I encourage you to participate, if you are able, in the upcoming NASCAR blood drive for the Red Cross. I'll be at Phoenix International Raceway Sept. 10. Check with your local NASCAR track, or NASCAR.com/foundation, for details.
Upcoming The Race Reporters guests:
September 2 -- Newsmaker: Joey Logano. Panelists: Mark Armijo, John Sturbin. Plus Mike Dunn to preview the U.S. Nationals.
September 9 -- Newsmaker: Scott Pruett. Panelists: John Oreovicz, Jeremy Shaw, Jim Pedley.
September 16 -- Newsmaker: Lee White. Panelists: Matt Yocum, Peter De Lorenzo.
September 23 -- Newsmaker: Jeg Coughlin Jr. Panelists: Alan Reinhart, Mike Kerchner, Jeff Burk.
[ Joey Logano news nugget Thursday . . . ]
Thursday, August 27, 2009
ASKING ASHLEY
Ashley Force Hood was Newsmaker of the Week for the second half-hour on last night's The Race Reporters show on PowerUp Channel. Holly Cain, Jeff Wolf and Bobby Bennett joined me in asking questions and for the journalists' roundtable.
We covered many topics with Ashley in advance of the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. Including what she experienced in a major engine explosion last weekend and what she's doing to improve her reaction-time skills. I asked Ashley if she was more pleased with five No. 1 qualifying runs and six final rounds, or more frustrated at only having one win:
"I'll take No. 1 qualifying spots and I'll take final rounds all season long, because that means we're going rounds. We're getting experience and we're gaining points. Of course, you always want to have a win, but it's the toughest thing in the world to have a win and then, in the next race, not qualify or not be able to go a round. When we get on a roll, like we were earlier this season, when we were going to semis and finals week-after-week, as much as we want to win, we do want the points . . . I can see a team getting frustrated by that, but we're not."
Listen to the entire show using this link:
http://www.modavox.com/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=40638
Upcoming show guests:
September 2 -- Newsmaker: Joey Logano. Panelists: Mark Armijo, John Sturbin. Plus Mike Dunn to preview the U.S. Nationals.
September 9 -- Newsmaker: Scott Pruett. Panelists: John Oreovicz, Jeremy Shaw, Jim Pedley.
September 16 -- Newsmaker: Lee White. Panelists: Matt Yocum, Peter De Lorenzo.
September 23 -- Newsmaker: Jeg Coughlin Jr. Panelists: Alan Reinhart, Mike Kerchner, Jeff Burk.
[ more next Tuesday . . . ]
We covered many topics with Ashley in advance of the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. Including what she experienced in a major engine explosion last weekend and what she's doing to improve her reaction-time skills. I asked Ashley if she was more pleased with five No. 1 qualifying runs and six final rounds, or more frustrated at only having one win:
"I'll take No. 1 qualifying spots and I'll take final rounds all season long, because that means we're going rounds. We're getting experience and we're gaining points. Of course, you always want to have a win, but it's the toughest thing in the world to have a win and then, in the next race, not qualify or not be able to go a round. When we get on a roll, like we were earlier this season, when we were going to semis and finals week-after-week, as much as we want to win, we do want the points . . . I can see a team getting frustrated by that, but we're not."
Listen to the entire show using this link:
http://www.modavox.com/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=40638
Upcoming show guests:
September 2 -- Newsmaker: Joey Logano. Panelists: Mark Armijo, John Sturbin. Plus Mike Dunn to preview the U.S. Nationals.
September 9 -- Newsmaker: Scott Pruett. Panelists: John Oreovicz, Jeremy Shaw, Jim Pedley.
September 16 -- Newsmaker: Lee White. Panelists: Matt Yocum, Peter De Lorenzo.
September 23 -- Newsmaker: Jeg Coughlin Jr. Panelists: Alan Reinhart, Mike Kerchner, Jeff Burk.
[ more next Tuesday . . . ]
Monday, August 24, 2009
BIG SHOW
Chris Economaki, appearing on my The Race Reporters show, lamented the absence of "drum-beaters" in motorsports. So let me take his words to heart and say I'll have a BIG SHOW this Wednesday, 7 p.m. Eastern, when Ashley Force Hood (left) will be the Newsmaker interview subject for the second half-hour.Depending on whose survey or metrics you use, Ashley is one of the five most popular drivers in the country. Better yet, she's a legitimate contender for NHRA's Full Throttle Funny Car championship. Ashley is third in points, with one win, six finals rounds, and five No. 1 qualifying runs, heading into the Labor Day weekend U.S. Nationals. Last weekend, at Maple Grove, Ashley went No. 1 but had a major engine explosion that meant she had to race a backup Ford Mustang. She won in the first round only to have the car DQ'd as underweight.
For my journalists' roundtable, and to join in interviewing Ashley, I have: Holly Cain, of AOL Online Sports and AOL Fanhouse; Jeff Wolf, of the Las Vegas Review-Journal; and Bobby Bennett, editor of CompetitionPlus.com.
Click on the show logo in the right-hand column to listen.
********************************************************************
FAST LINES: Need proof on the power of celebrity? Look no further than golf. The PGA Championship final round on CBS was up 150 percent in household ratings over the previous year, when Tiger Woods wasn't in the field. Meanwhile, the LPGA -- which recently bounced its Andrew Craigesque commissioner -- has fallen way off the media scope post-Annika Sorenstam, who was in the hunt to win in virtually every tournament she played . . . Can't let the Sprint Cup season go on without noting Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch's pro-active media relations efforts. Kurt comes to the media center for his NASCAR-required media avail, a move his team describes as "his effort in reaching out to the media rather than making them come to him at the team transporter" . . . Oh, my, how the bar has been lowered: Nicole Manske and Brad Daugherty chosen to interview the President of the United States. It wouldn't have been more gushy if the South Lawn sprinkler system pipes had burst. And, by the way, it would have been journalistically appropriate to have respectfully asked the president about appealing to the voting force known as "NASCAR Dads" . . . The death of political reporter-columnist Robert Novak deserves mention here, because Novak was one of -- if not the -- last of the true "shoe leather" journalists. In a half-century of covering the political scene, Novak was not one to sit at his desk, rewriting news handouts, or waiting for a newsmaker to come to him. He worked the telephone relentlessly, was up on Capitol Hill, traveled with the campaigns, and -- yes -- ate and drank with the decision-makers. As every writer wishes for, Novak was a "must read."
Even though her NASCAR assignments have shown she needs to sharpen her interviewing skills, one might have reasonably thought personable Krista Voda a good substitute host choice for vacationing Dave Despain last Sunday night on Wind Tunnel. One would have been wrong. What turned out to be the worst episode in WT history began with Voda introducing herself by saying -- and, NO, I am NOT making this up -- "I may not pee standing up" but had less hot air. What was she thinking? What did that crude remark accomplish? Not too classy! Which only served to undercut the credibility of her subsequent response to a caller's question, a by-rote defense of female pit reporters. (Yes, there are plenty of bad male announcers, too. Speed employs more than its share.) This was followed by a desperately-in-need-of-media-training Ken Anderson's (of the start-up U.S. F1 team) pitifully bad interview. Followed by the embarrassing Rob D'Amico, who Voda probably would trade a Despain bobblehead to for his earrings. Meanwhile, Robin Miller -- with legitimate news on Danica Patrick apparently staying in Indy Cars -- was relegated to the show's Internet afterthought. Voda then put one of her shoes on the desk as a prop. Voda closed by plugging Tommy Kendall and Danica for the next show and said she was sure they'd be talking about the upcoming motorcycle race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.(!) What?
THIS is destined for the political sound-bite Hall of Fame:
http://www.breitbart.tv/obama-on-dc-handwringing-everybody-in-washington-gets-all-wee-weed-up/
********************************************************************
National Speed Sport News, marking its 75th anniversary, issued a report on the history of advertising in the weekly. It's interesting and here's a part of it:
"The first issue of National Speed Sport News contained 13 advertisements with a combined total of 41-column inches, or less than half of a page. The list of companies purchasing space included: Midget Parts Co., Green Engineering Co., Clymer Motors, Paterson Body Co. and Vorhees Photo. The only product advertised was Pyroil, a racing lubricant used extensively in midget racing.
"By 1936, classified advertising appeared on a weekly basis and ads for upcoming races across the country had become a major part of the paper. Champion began using National Speed Sport News to promote its spark plugs and Montgomery Ward ran several advertisements for its line of midget racing tires.
"As corporate involvement in racing grew, so did the number of companies purchasing advertising space. Race ads continued to be the cornerstone, but by the 1960s ads for companies such as Firestone, Autolite Spark Plugs, Humble Oil & Refining Co. and Oilzum Motor Oil appeared regularly. The Feb. 13, 1963, issue marked a significant milestone when Pepsi placed the first non-automotive consumer product advertisement.
"As corporate sponsorship became an integral part of racing during the 1970s and '80s, brands such as Winston, STP, Goodyear, Valvoline, BFGoodrich, CRC Chemicals, Wrangler and Gatorade supported their racing efforts with ads in the pages of National Speed Sport News. Isuzu Trucks was the first advertiser to include spot color when red appeared in the company's Dec. 5, 1984, advertisement, and Chevrolet published the first four-color ad in the Feb. 3, 1988, issue."
[ Ashley Force Hood news nugget Thursday . . . ]
Thursday, August 20, 2009
WHAT FORD's BRIAN WOLFE SAID
Brian Wolfe, director, Ford North American Motorsports, was last night's Newsmaker on my The Race Reporters show. Dustin Long, Larry Henry and Bob Margolis joined me in the questioning and for the journalists' roundtable.
Wolfe said he's in favor of fuel injection for NASCAR engines, that Ford will debut its new Cup engine before this season is finished, and that technical assistance is available to teams which might want to change manufacturers for the 2010 season. As for the No. 1 reason Ford remains committed to motorsports, Wolfe said:
"The main selling point in all of motorsports is about marketing. We have a couple of different metrics we use. J.D. Powers has a survey and we also have an internal survey. What we find in both of those surveys is somewhere between 45 and 50 percent of people that are market-active are race fans. So, if you want to appeal to a large portion of the car-buying public, racing is a great way to do that. Also, then, you look at the favorable opinion of Ford Motor Co. for race fans vs. non-race fans, we see that we get a significant improvement. It's just working."
Listen to the entire show using this link:
http://www.modavox.com/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=40516
Upcoming show guests:
August 26 -- Newsmaker: Ashley Force Hood. Panelists: Holly Cain, Jeff Wolf, Bobby Bennett.
September 2 -- Newsmaker: Joey Logano. Panelists: Mark Armijo, John Sturbin. Plus Mike Dunn to preview the U.S. Nationals.
September 9 -- Newsmaker: Scott Pruett. Panelists: John Oreovicz, Jeremy Shaw, Jim Pedley.
P.S. -- Thank you to "West Coast Kenny on the Daly Planet" for his blog technical advice. Now, you can click on the TRR logo at the top and go directly to the show page.
[ more next Tuesday . . . ]
Wolfe said he's in favor of fuel injection for NASCAR engines, that Ford will debut its new Cup engine before this season is finished, and that technical assistance is available to teams which might want to change manufacturers for the 2010 season. As for the No. 1 reason Ford remains committed to motorsports, Wolfe said:
"The main selling point in all of motorsports is about marketing. We have a couple of different metrics we use. J.D. Powers has a survey and we also have an internal survey. What we find in both of those surveys is somewhere between 45 and 50 percent of people that are market-active are race fans. So, if you want to appeal to a large portion of the car-buying public, racing is a great way to do that. Also, then, you look at the favorable opinion of Ford Motor Co. for race fans vs. non-race fans, we see that we get a significant improvement. It's just working."
Listen to the entire show using this link:
http://www.modavox.com/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=40516
Upcoming show guests:
August 26 -- Newsmaker: Ashley Force Hood. Panelists: Holly Cain, Jeff Wolf, Bobby Bennett.
September 2 -- Newsmaker: Joey Logano. Panelists: Mark Armijo, John Sturbin. Plus Mike Dunn to preview the U.S. Nationals.
September 9 -- Newsmaker: Scott Pruett. Panelists: John Oreovicz, Jeremy Shaw, Jim Pedley.
P.S. -- Thank you to "West Coast Kenny on the Daly Planet" for his blog technical advice. Now, you can click on the TRR logo at the top and go directly to the show page.
[ more next Tuesday . . . ]
Sunday, August 16, 2009
SHOW WILL KEEP ROLLING ALONG
Thank you to those who have asked.
Yes, the original 13-week pilot run of The Race Reporters concludes with the August 26 show, when Ashley Force Hood will be on for the entire second half-hour as Newsmaker of the Week.
And . . .
Yes, TRR will continue. VoiceAmerica.com and I have agreed to an extension, taking the program through the end of the year on PowerUpChannel.com . Depending on how we decide to do things around the holidays, this will mean an additional 13-15 shows. We'll still be on Wednesdays, live, at 7 p.m. ET. You'll still be able to download or listen on demand by going to the show page (see link in right-hand column). All the previous shows are there to be heard.
I think the strength of TRR has been the very strong lineup of Newsmaker (Richard Petty, John Force, Dario Franchitti, Tony Schumacher, etc.) and media (Ed Hinton, Robin Miller, Gordon Kirby, etc.) guests who have found it worth their time and effort to participate. We're coming out of the box in September equally well, with Joey Logano on the 2d and Scott Pruett on the 9th.
I hope you'll keep listening or sample TRR for the first time or even help spread the word.
Thanks again!
********************************************************************
With the continuation of the show, I promptly began booking guests. Those who know me know I don't do "last minute" and my experience (both in PR and journalism) has been the more advance notice that can be provided, the better the chance of lining-up the interview.
Within a couple of days, I had confirmed bookings to mid-October. Three of the PR people I communicated with echoed my thoughts about long-term planning and said they appreciated the level of organization involved with this show.
Except one. Things must be going very well over at Kevin Harvick Inc., especially in generating publicity for sponsors KHI seeks to keep or get for 2010. My request for Ron Hornaday Jr. in four weeks produced this exact sentence from the KHI rep: "At this time I am not planning that far out!"
Four weeks is too-far-ahead to plan? (!)
I don't think too many would agree with that approach. I noted a story in The Hollywood Reporter about how Jay Leno's new 10 p.m. show is pro-actively working with show biz publicists to confirm big-name guests BEFORE they appear on the late-night shows. According to an industry insider quoted in the story, "Now people are being much more strategic, and they are planning it out far more in advance." (Emphasis mine.)
********************************************************************
No doubt some familiar media faces will be missing when the media center at Auto Club (California) Speedway opens for NASCAR this October. From a track news release:
MEDIA LOUNGE:
Auto Club Speedway will charge anyone dining in the Media Lounge (media, team PR reps, photographers, etc.) $25 for meals during the Pepsi 500 weekend in October. The cost includes all meals and beverages for the weekend (lunch and dinner on Friday, Saturday and Sunday). Make checks prior to the event payable to “Auto Club Speedway” and mail to: Auto Club Speedway / Attention David Talley; 9300 Cherry Ave., Fontana CA 92335. Only cash or checks will be accepted during event time.
Food/drink is a courtesy, not an obligation. Still, I question the timing, given the current economic problems within the media business. And I sure as hell would not charge if I had a restaurant or food company as race sponsor! I assume, with virtually every track having either a Coca-Cola or Pepsi deal, there is no charge for beverages. I would say this is more of an issue for tracks lacking proper media work facilities.
If on duty for a team or sponsor Cal weekend, I'd go to the boss, and find the relatively small budget needed to host working journos over at the hauler or motorcoach. (A couple of times in the past, I've had team sponsors pick up the cost of lunch in the media center, only to be floored by the huge mark-up from the speedway's official caterer.) As Jim Chapman taught us, as detailed in this blog many times as well as in my public comments in presenting the Jim Chapman Award, hospitality is an essential tool in relationship-building.
********************************************************************
FAST LINES: ALMS' self-dubbed "value" restructuring of its classes for 2010 is a bow to economic reality (read that: car count, especially in prototypes) for a series that bet BIG on manufacturer interest (read that: investment) in its innovative-yet-expensive "Green Racing" philosophy . . . Given all the pre-race hype on Speed, it is ridiculous all parties don't agree, in advance, on a TV Plan B when there's a rainout . . . More worthless? It was a tossup between the weather forecasters who predicted "zero chance" of rain Sunday at Michigan International Speedway and the golf announcers who said the PGA Championship was over with Tiger Woods leading at halfway . . . CBS' golf crew proved just how out-of-touch it was with its U.S. audience by gushing over the international importance of the outcome of the PGA, rather than what was best for golf in America. I say with confidence most of the audience cared not one bit about the headline in the South China Post, as marveled at by the CBS elitists. By the way, there's a lesson in that for IRL executives, which, of course, will be unrecognized, or, ignored.
Here's a link to my August Drag Racing Online "All Business" column on Tony Schumacher and the Army sponsorship:
http://dragracingonline.com/columns/knight/xi_8-1.html
********************************************************************
Upcoming The Race Reporters guests:
August 19 -- Newsmaker: Brian Wolfe (Ford North America motorsports director). Panelists: Dustin Long, Larry Henry, Bob Margolis.
August 26 -- Newsmaker: Ashley Force Hood. Panelists: Holly Cain, Jeff Wolf, Bobby Bennett.
September 2 -- Newsmaker: Joey Logano. Panelists: Mark Armijo, John Sturbin. Plus Mike Dunn to preview the U.S. Nationals.
September 9 -- Newsmaker: Scott Pruett. Panelists: John Oreovicz, Jeremy Shaw, Jim Pedley.
[ Brian Wolfe news nugget Thursday . . . ]
Yes, the original 13-week pilot run of The Race Reporters concludes with the August 26 show, when Ashley Force Hood will be on for the entire second half-hour as Newsmaker of the Week.
And . . .
Yes, TRR will continue. VoiceAmerica.com and I have agreed to an extension, taking the program through the end of the year on PowerUpChannel.com . Depending on how we decide to do things around the holidays, this will mean an additional 13-15 shows. We'll still be on Wednesdays, live, at 7 p.m. ET. You'll still be able to download or listen on demand by going to the show page (see link in right-hand column). All the previous shows are there to be heard.
I think the strength of TRR has been the very strong lineup of Newsmaker (Richard Petty, John Force, Dario Franchitti, Tony Schumacher, etc.) and media (Ed Hinton, Robin Miller, Gordon Kirby, etc.) guests who have found it worth their time and effort to participate. We're coming out of the box in September equally well, with Joey Logano on the 2d and Scott Pruett on the 9th.
I hope you'll keep listening or sample TRR for the first time or even help spread the word.
Thanks again!
********************************************************************
With the continuation of the show, I promptly began booking guests. Those who know me know I don't do "last minute" and my experience (both in PR and journalism) has been the more advance notice that can be provided, the better the chance of lining-up the interview.
Within a couple of days, I had confirmed bookings to mid-October. Three of the PR people I communicated with echoed my thoughts about long-term planning and said they appreciated the level of organization involved with this show.
Except one. Things must be going very well over at Kevin Harvick Inc., especially in generating publicity for sponsors KHI seeks to keep or get for 2010. My request for Ron Hornaday Jr. in four weeks produced this exact sentence from the KHI rep: "At this time I am not planning that far out!"
Four weeks is too-far-ahead to plan? (!)
I don't think too many would agree with that approach. I noted a story in The Hollywood Reporter about how Jay Leno's new 10 p.m. show is pro-actively working with show biz publicists to confirm big-name guests BEFORE they appear on the late-night shows. According to an industry insider quoted in the story, "Now people are being much more strategic, and they are planning it out far more in advance." (Emphasis mine.)
********************************************************************
No doubt some familiar media faces will be missing when the media center at Auto Club (California) Speedway opens for NASCAR this October. From a track news release:
MEDIA LOUNGE:
Auto Club Speedway will charge anyone dining in the Media Lounge (media, team PR reps, photographers, etc.) $25 for meals during the Pepsi 500 weekend in October. The cost includes all meals and beverages for the weekend (lunch and dinner on Friday, Saturday and Sunday). Make checks prior to the event payable to “Auto Club Speedway” and mail to: Auto Club Speedway / Attention David Talley; 9300 Cherry Ave., Fontana CA 92335. Only cash or checks will be accepted during event time.
Food/drink is a courtesy, not an obligation. Still, I question the timing, given the current economic problems within the media business. And I sure as hell would not charge if I had a restaurant or food company as race sponsor! I assume, with virtually every track having either a Coca-Cola or Pepsi deal, there is no charge for beverages. I would say this is more of an issue for tracks lacking proper media work facilities.
If on duty for a team or sponsor Cal weekend, I'd go to the boss, and find the relatively small budget needed to host working journos over at the hauler or motorcoach. (A couple of times in the past, I've had team sponsors pick up the cost of lunch in the media center, only to be floored by the huge mark-up from the speedway's official caterer.) As Jim Chapman taught us, as detailed in this blog many times as well as in my public comments in presenting the Jim Chapman Award, hospitality is an essential tool in relationship-building.
********************************************************************
FAST LINES: ALMS' self-dubbed "value" restructuring of its classes for 2010 is a bow to economic reality (read that: car count, especially in prototypes) for a series that bet BIG on manufacturer interest (read that: investment) in its innovative-yet-expensive "Green Racing" philosophy . . . Given all the pre-race hype on Speed, it is ridiculous all parties don't agree, in advance, on a TV Plan B when there's a rainout . . . More worthless? It was a tossup between the weather forecasters who predicted "zero chance" of rain Sunday at Michigan International Speedway and the golf announcers who said the PGA Championship was over with Tiger Woods leading at halfway . . . CBS' golf crew proved just how out-of-touch it was with its U.S. audience by gushing over the international importance of the outcome of the PGA, rather than what was best for golf in America. I say with confidence most of the audience cared not one bit about the headline in the South China Post, as marveled at by the CBS elitists. By the way, there's a lesson in that for IRL executives, which, of course, will be unrecognized, or, ignored.
Here's a link to my August Drag Racing Online "All Business" column on Tony Schumacher and the Army sponsorship:
http://dragracingonline.com/columns/knight/xi_8-1.html
********************************************************************
Upcoming The Race Reporters guests:
August 19 -- Newsmaker: Brian Wolfe (Ford North America motorsports director). Panelists: Dustin Long, Larry Henry, Bob Margolis.
August 26 -- Newsmaker: Ashley Force Hood. Panelists: Holly Cain, Jeff Wolf, Bobby Bennett.
September 2 -- Newsmaker: Joey Logano. Panelists: Mark Armijo, John Sturbin. Plus Mike Dunn to preview the U.S. Nationals.
September 9 -- Newsmaker: Scott Pruett. Panelists: John Oreovicz, Jeremy Shaw, Jim Pedley.
[ Brian Wolfe news nugget Thursday . . . ]
Thursday, August 13, 2009
DEVELOPING NEW STARS
We talked road racing driver development programs on Wednesday night's The Race Reporters. Newsmaker guests included Vicki O'Connor of the Atlantic Championship, Jim Jordan of Mazda, and Clark Campbell of VW. Jeremy Shaw, Mike Kerchner and Jamie Reynolds were media panelists.
Campbell, VW motorsports manager, on the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup series:
"The Jetta TDI Cup is certainly a value in motorsports. Volkswagen, in nine other countries and now the 10th country being the United States market, has a penchant for doing two forms of motorsports. One of them is young driver development series . . . what we're trying to do is showcasing some of our technology with the TDI clean diesel engine . . . It's a driver development program with more than just on-track activities. We bring other things to the program, such as media training for the drivers, a fitness program both on-line and off-line, at the racetrack, we have hospitality, we have a nutrition program and we even list the fat calories on the menu inside the hospitality tent. We give them sponsorship development classes. We try to make it something where a non-professional driver can have an opportunity to become more known."
Listen to the entire show here:
Campbell, VW motorsports manager, on the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup series:
"The Jetta TDI Cup is certainly a value in motorsports. Volkswagen, in nine other countries and now the 10th country being the United States market, has a penchant for doing two forms of motorsports. One of them is young driver development series . . . what we're trying to do is showcasing some of our technology with the TDI clean diesel engine . . . It's a driver development program with more than just on-track activities. We bring other things to the program, such as media training for the drivers, a fitness program both on-line and off-line, at the racetrack, we have hospitality, we have a nutrition program and we even list the fat calories on the menu inside the hospitality tent. We give them sponsorship development classes. We try to make it something where a non-professional driver can have an opportunity to become more known."
Listen to the entire show here:
http://va.radiopilot.net/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=40342
Upcoming guests:
August 19 -- Newsmaker: Brian Wolfe (Ford North America motorsports director). Panelists: Dustin Long, Larry Henry, Bob Margolis.
August 26 -- Newsmaker: Ashley Force Hood. Panelists: Holly Cain, Jeff Wolf, Bobby Bennett.
[ more next Tuesday . . . ]
Monday, August 10, 2009
WHO IS IN CHARGE HERE?
A friend of mine told me a couple of years ago that the team owner he worked for had endless patience for the boorish off-track behavior of his driver "as long as he keeps winning."
I guess the same goes in journalism.
There was lots of reporting last week that NBC (read that GE) and Fox management, at the highest levels, had met and agreed to end the personal attacks that go on between their hosts -- most noteably at 8 p.m. ET. When an on-air person or those networks are in the news, that's fair comment, but the stuff about wives and children and other bad taste blasts should stop. It makes all involved look small. I'm not going to rehash the whole thing here, if you are so interested, see the story in last Friday's Washington Post or check out MediaBistro.com.
The deal didn't last long. The Grassy Knollist on MSNBC, in effect, showed his employers a middle finger and went right back at it last week. No surprise, the "Worst Person In the World" over at Fox News fired right back.
You try a very public act of defiance like that and see how soon the paycheck stops. But, apparently, because these guys bring in an audience -- and that translate to revenue -- they can get away with it.
The most insulting thing, to me, is the one who is also permitted to pollute Sunday night football claimed he did what he did to protect his journalistic credibility. BS. It's all about ego, not ethics.
Speaking of out-of-control media egoheads, Post writer Dana Milbank was forced to apologize for a so-called joke directed at Hillary Clinton. That appeared on a video on the paper's website. That's at least strike 2 on Milbank. Previously, he had been slapped-down by supervisors for commenting on cable on former Vice President Dick Cheney wearing hunting safety orange clothing.
Whatever happened to just reporting?
Too bad Roger Penske doesn't own these media companies. If he did, these guys would find out what Paul Tracy, Kevin Cogan, Gary Bettenhausen and Jeremy Mayfield learned the hard way.
Elsewhere, there was a lot of talk last week about Twitter; what some businesses find acceptable or not. In yet another example of lowered standards, I heard a Phoenix talk show host describe Twitter as a "primary news source." PRIMARY!
No matter how trendy, it's a mistake for one racing organization to suddenly start issuing its news releases in a Twitter-type format. Journos get a brief message but then are expected to download a file for the full story. In some I got, images were added. Especially these days, the goal should not be trendy, but to make it easy for people to access the information. I bet no one involved thought to ask some actual media folks about this first. If that basic had been done, here's one thing that surely would have been pointed out: Sometimes, and in some places, poor signal strength makes downloading a time-consuming process. If I had been asked, I also would have said I don't need the images.
Just the facts, please, in a simple E-mail. Skip the gimmicks.
Upcoming The Race Reporters guests:
Wednesday (August 12) -- Newsmakers: Vicki O'Connor (Atlantic series), John Doonan (Mazda), Clark Campbell (VW). Panelists: Jeremy Shaw, Mike Kerchner, Jamie Reynolds.
August 19 -- Newsmaker: Brian Wolfe (Ford North America motorsports director). Panelists: Dustin Long, Larry Henry, Bob Margolis.
August 26 -- Newsmaker: Ashley Force Hood. Panelists: Holly Cain, Jeff Wolf, Bobby Bennett.
[ Show news nuggest Thursday . . . ]
I guess the same goes in journalism.
There was lots of reporting last week that NBC (read that GE) and Fox management, at the highest levels, had met and agreed to end the personal attacks that go on between their hosts -- most noteably at 8 p.m. ET. When an on-air person or those networks are in the news, that's fair comment, but the stuff about wives and children and other bad taste blasts should stop. It makes all involved look small. I'm not going to rehash the whole thing here, if you are so interested, see the story in last Friday's Washington Post or check out MediaBistro.com.
The deal didn't last long. The Grassy Knollist on MSNBC, in effect, showed his employers a middle finger and went right back at it last week. No surprise, the "Worst Person In the World" over at Fox News fired right back.
You try a very public act of defiance like that and see how soon the paycheck stops. But, apparently, because these guys bring in an audience -- and that translate to revenue -- they can get away with it.
The most insulting thing, to me, is the one who is also permitted to pollute Sunday night football claimed he did what he did to protect his journalistic credibility. BS. It's all about ego, not ethics.
Speaking of out-of-control media egoheads, Post writer Dana Milbank was forced to apologize for a so-called joke directed at Hillary Clinton. That appeared on a video on the paper's website. That's at least strike 2 on Milbank. Previously, he had been slapped-down by supervisors for commenting on cable on former Vice President Dick Cheney wearing hunting safety orange clothing.
Whatever happened to just reporting?
Too bad Roger Penske doesn't own these media companies. If he did, these guys would find out what Paul Tracy, Kevin Cogan, Gary Bettenhausen and Jeremy Mayfield learned the hard way.
Elsewhere, there was a lot of talk last week about Twitter; what some businesses find acceptable or not. In yet another example of lowered standards, I heard a Phoenix talk show host describe Twitter as a "primary news source." PRIMARY!
No matter how trendy, it's a mistake for one racing organization to suddenly start issuing its news releases in a Twitter-type format. Journos get a brief message but then are expected to download a file for the full story. In some I got, images were added. Especially these days, the goal should not be trendy, but to make it easy for people to access the information. I bet no one involved thought to ask some actual media folks about this first. If that basic had been done, here's one thing that surely would have been pointed out: Sometimes, and in some places, poor signal strength makes downloading a time-consuming process. If I had been asked, I also would have said I don't need the images.
Just the facts, please, in a simple E-mail. Skip the gimmicks.
Upcoming The Race Reporters guests:
Wednesday (August 12) -- Newsmakers: Vicki O'Connor (Atlantic series), John Doonan (Mazda), Clark Campbell (VW). Panelists: Jeremy Shaw, Mike Kerchner, Jamie Reynolds.
August 19 -- Newsmaker: Brian Wolfe (Ford North America motorsports director). Panelists: Dustin Long, Larry Henry, Bob Margolis.
August 26 -- Newsmaker: Ashley Force Hood. Panelists: Holly Cain, Jeff Wolf, Bobby Bennett.
[ Show news nuggest Thursday . . . ]
Thursday, August 06, 2009
TONY SCHUMACHER MAKES NEWS on MY SHOW
Tony Schumacher made news as my Newsmaker guest on Wednesday night's The Race Reporters radio show on PowerUpChannel.com. The six-time NHRA Full Throttle Top Fuel champion spoke out on trying to win another title without crew chief Alan Johnson, new crew chief Mike Green's plan to have the best car during the Countdown, and what he's learned by being around U.S. Army soldiers during a time of war. Dave Kallmann, of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; Susan Wade, of National Speed Sport News; and Jon Asher, of CompetitionPlus.com, joined me in the questioning. U.S. Army dragster driver Schumacher is currently second in points with three wins.
Wade wrote the following story for CP.com on what Tony said and here's the link:
http://www.competitionplus.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=11235&Itemid=6
Here's what Schumacher said he's learned from being around Army soldiers:
"When AJ (Alan Johnson) left is a perfect example. Everyone said, 'You know what, when a general retires, we don't wave the white flag and give up. We hire a new general , and we smile, and we go kick butt.' That's exactly the kind of comments, what I get day in-and-day-out, from these great people. I enjoy it more than people could ever imagine. Surrounding yourself with great people, and it's my pleasure to win for them. I also get to be part of something a lot bigger than myself. As people start to get to know me, they find out, when AJ left, people said: 'What are you going to do now? You're never going to win.' I said, 'Really? I've got a beautiful wife and three beautiful kids. I win every day.' My life doesn't revolve around having to win. It revolves around having to figure out how to win and enjoy the challenge. That comes from those soldiers. It's the greatest thing I've ever been a part of."
Use this link to listen to the entire show:
http://va.radiopilot.net/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=40235
The Race Reporters podcast is available on iTunes:
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=319558548
Upcoming guests:
Wade wrote the following story for CP.com on what Tony said and here's the link:
http://www.competitionplus.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=11235&Itemid=6
Here's what Schumacher said he's learned from being around Army soldiers:
"When AJ (Alan Johnson) left is a perfect example. Everyone said, 'You know what, when a general retires, we don't wave the white flag and give up. We hire a new general , and we smile, and we go kick butt.' That's exactly the kind of comments, what I get day in-and-day-out, from these great people. I enjoy it more than people could ever imagine. Surrounding yourself with great people, and it's my pleasure to win for them. I also get to be part of something a lot bigger than myself. As people start to get to know me, they find out, when AJ left, people said: 'What are you going to do now? You're never going to win.' I said, 'Really? I've got a beautiful wife and three beautiful kids. I win every day.' My life doesn't revolve around having to win. It revolves around having to figure out how to win and enjoy the challenge. That comes from those soldiers. It's the greatest thing I've ever been a part of."
Use this link to listen to the entire show:
http://va.radiopilot.net/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=40235
The Race Reporters podcast is available on iTunes:
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=319558548
Upcoming guests:
August 12 -- Newsmakers: Vicki O'Connor (Atlantic series), John Doonan (Mazda), Clark Campbell (VW). Panelists: Jeremy Shaw, Mike Kerchner, Jamie Reynolds.
August 19 -- Newsmaker: Brian Wolfe (Ford North America motorsports director). Panelists: Dustin Long, Larry Henry, Bob Margolis.August 26 -- Newsmaker: Ashley Force Hood. Panelists: Holly Cain, Jeff Wolf, Bobby Bennett.
[ more next Tuesday . . . ]
Monday, August 03, 2009
JUST a FEW MORE THINGS . . .
* Congratulations to the IRL management and its drivers for finally producing a compelling race this season, Saturday night at Kentucky, using new aero rules and Honda's version of Push-to-Pass. (You could tell by the tone of his voice Bob Jenkins was disappointed Ed Carpenter didn't win. By the way, guys, one good race does NOT mean the "IRL Is Back.") When, however, will League leaders get embarrassed about the lack of decision-making consistency that leaves so many in the industry disillusioned? Latest example: Last weekend's 2010 schedule announcement. It was only the other year that management's stated philosophy was to shorten/condense the schedule, to minimize conflicts with NFL, college football and NASCAR's Chase. To quote from the release on 2010: "More breaks also are built into the schedule . . ." Yes, we notice.
* My theory: The 2010 IRL schedule makes it at least a little more likely Danica Patrick will go to NASCAR. Two fewer ovals (Milwaukee and Richmond), replaced by two more road races (Brazil -- site hasn't even been determined -- and Alabama -- if Danica and her handlers think it's important for her to compete in Alabama, it will be at Talladega), a race in Brazil that does nothing for her non-stop push to celebrity, the oval in marketing-rich New Hampshire (Boston/New England) that went unsigned. Add this to the list of League management instability, yo-yo decision-making, micro viewership on Versus, etc.
* My theory: The 2010 IRL schedule makes it at least a little more likely Danica Patrick will go to NASCAR. Two fewer ovals (Milwaukee and Richmond), replaced by two more road races (Brazil -- site hasn't even been determined -- and Alabama -- if Danica and her handlers think it's important for her to compete in Alabama, it will be at Talladega), a race in Brazil that does nothing for her non-stop push to celebrity, the oval in marketing-rich New Hampshire (Boston/New England) that went unsigned. Add this to the list of League management instability, yo-yo decision-making, micro viewership on Versus, etc.
* Kentucky: Another IRL weekend. Another "Danica Patrick is in no hurry to make a decision about her racing future" pre-race non-news story from a local AP reporter who apparently didn't bother to Google and see that basically the same thing has been written by every local AP writer before every IRL race for months. Enough!
* Ken Rosenthal, of Fox Sports, was quoted thusly last week in USA Today on the volume of false baseball trade rumors:
"When I started, the biggest sin of all was to be wrong. But it just blows my mind that people don't feel bad about being wrong. Our standards have dropped. And it botheres the hell out of me."
* Allstate was candid in explaining the end of its title sponsorship of NASCAR-at-Indianapolis:
“When we looked at all of our business results,” said Pam Hollander, Allstate’s director of sponsorships and promotions, “they were just stronger in other properties.”
* Steve Ballard, in an Indianapolis Star posting last week, wrote that "I am moving to another job at the Star, and while I expect to still be involved in the coverage of the major events at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, I won't be covering NASCAR on a regular basis."
* From the Journalists-as-Celebrities File: Katie Couric told David Letterman that Michael Jackson, though a friend, wanted to ask her out on a date. What made her think we should know that? Elsewhere, showing again how ridiculous cable news has become in too many cases, Geraldo interviewed Al Sharpton about -- get this -- the Cash for Clunkers program. Al Sharpton!
* The late PR legend Jim Chapman was a liberal and, I am sure, would have delighted in Barack Obama's election. But, I also am sure, Mr. Chapman would have cringed at a Politico.com report last week: White House aides collected credit card numbers from business leaders who were invited to the White House for lunch with the president. An Obama mouthpiece said the execs were billed for their meals to avoid a conflict of interest. Jim would immediately have pointed out the importance of hospitality and following social convention.
* Here's a thought-provoking read from Susan Wade (yes, I'm mentioned) on CompetitionPlus.com and another from Gordon Kirby on his site:
http://www.competitionplus.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=11&Itemid=21
http://www.gordonkirby.com/categories/columns/theway/2009/the_way_it_is_no195.html
Upcoming The Race Reporters guests:
August 5 -- Newsmaker: Tony Schumacher. Panelists: Dave Kallmann, Susan Wade, Jon Asher.
August 12 -- Newsmakers: Vicki O'Connor (Atlantic series), John Doonan (Mazda), Clark Campbell (VW). Panelists: Jeremy Shaw, Mike Kerchner, Jamie Reynolds.
August 19 -- Newsmaker: Brian Wolfe (Ford North America Motorsports director). Panelists: Dustin Long, Larry Henry, Bob Margolis.
August 26 -- Newsmaker: Ashley Force Hood. Panelists: TBA.
[ Tony Schumacher news nugget Thursday . . . ]
Thursday, July 30, 2009
DARIO: STOCK CARS HAVE MADE INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY 'BUMPY'
Dario Franchitti, 2007 Indy 500 winner and IRL champion and currently second in points, was the Newsmaker guest on Wednesday night's The Race Reporters radio show on PowerUpChannel.com. Robin Miller, of SpeedTV.com, and Gordon Kirby, United States editor of Motor Sport, joined me in the questioning and we had a roundtable discussion on the future of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indy 500, and IRL. Tony Kanaan made a brief surprise visit to update us on his health following a pit fire last Sunday at Edmonton.
Here's some of what Franchitti said:
On rules changes starting in Saturday night's race at Kentucky, intended to improve competition (read that: entertainment):
"I don't know how effective they will be. I don't really know enough about the aerodynamics of the car, to that degree, to say. What I do like about it is, it's going to give us choices. That was one thing we really were missing. They gave the teams a very tight window to work in. It will give all the teams a bunch of choices to what to do with the car and that should give us some separation. Some people are going to get it right and some people are going to get it wrong . . . As far as 'Push to Pass,' the biggest problem with that I see is with a normally-aspirated engine, it's so difficult to gain the kind of horsepower figures that are necessary. They are talking between five and 20 horsepower. With the turbo it's easy because you ramp the boost up when you hit the button and get 100 horse. I'm going to wait and see."
On problems passing this season in IRL races:
"Indy this year was weird. I think what we're seeing is the Sprint Cup cars are making the track quite bumpy. As soon as you go below that white line to try to get some air on the nose of the car to get you some grip, the car snaps sideways, because it's so bumpy down there. That's something that has happened since '07. The line at the Speedway, which already is narrow, has narrowed up even more."
Use this link to listen to the entire show:
http://va.radiopilot.net/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=40083
The Race Reporters podcast is available on iTunes:
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=319558548
Upcoming guests:
August 5 -- Newsmaker: Tony Schumacher. Panelists: Dave Kallmann, Susan Wade, Jon Asher.
August 12 -- Newsmakers: Vicki O'Connor (Atlantic series), John Doonan (Mazda), Clark Campbell (VW). Panelists: Jeremy Shaw, Mike Kerchner, Jamie Reynolds.
August 19 -- Newsmaker: Brian Wolfe (Ford North America motorsports director). Panelists: TBA.
August 26 -- Newsmaker: Ashley Force Hood. Panelists: TBA.
[ more next Tuesday . . . ]
Monday, July 27, 2009
THIS IS IT
It's the show you -- and I -- have been waiting for.
Since I began hosting The Race Reporters just over two months ago, I've wanted to get Robin Miller and Gordon Kirby together for a one-hour roundtable discussion. Timing is everything. Given the recent executive management chaos at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Indy Racing League, the timing is perfect.
So, we'll do it Wednesday, for one hour, 7 p.m. EDT on http://powerupchannel.com/ . Combined, we'll bring to the show about 125 years of Indy Car reporting and industry experience. We'll devote the entire show to the current state, and the future, of IMS, the Indy 500, and the IRL.
Even better, Dario Franchitti (left) will join us, as Newsmaker of the Week.
No HYPE -- you will not want to miss this one. I intend to say some things I previously haven't revealed relating to my own up-close-and-personal experiences. Things which help explain how and why things have gotten to this perilous point.
No, this won't be a bomb-throwing session. I would say this to the IMS/IRL can-do-no-wrong chatroomers: Tune-in with an open mind, because, if you LISTEN, you'll LEARN.
And, if you didn't hear it, we made some news on last week's The Race Reporters. Ed Hinton, the very well-known and experienced ESPN.com writer, said his reporting indicates the price tag for IMS -- even in a buyer's market -- could reach $1.5 billion. And Ray Evernham left open the possibility he could join Hendrick Motorsports at some point, perhaps to work on Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s team. You can listen to that show using this link:
http://www.modavox.com/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=39886
********************************************************************
* It really doesn't matter if Joie Chitwood departs IMS of his own choice, because he thinks his new job at ISC is better, for family reasons, or if it's a vote of no-confidence in the Hulman-George family ownership. What is a FACT is it's more management instability, which continues to undercut the Speedway, and the IRL. This was reinforced by Tony George's posting on his Vision team's website Sunday (no coincidence this was done the day of the Brickyard) in which he admitted to being "perplexed" by the family Board's decision to remove him as CEO and added he had "not received a reasonable explanation as to why." George also conceded he was "dismissed." I can tell you there has been a widely-held belief within the industry for decades of extreme disfunction within the H-G family and it's all proven to be TRUE despite the by-rote denials from the mouthpieces, who should now be thoroughly embarrassed.
http://www.visionracing.com/news/index.cfm?cid=23194
* I'm glad to see pro-active PR hasn't totally gone the way of the Offy. The most active PR man in the land last week likely was Andy Hall, getting ESPN announcers interviewed in newspapers and on radio shows, in the run-up to the start of the ESPN/ABC portion of the Sprint Cup season at Indy. Yes, somebody out there is actually MAKING it happen.
* I wish series' broadcasters who constantly use "we, us, our" would understand how it undercuts their own credibility.
* Windy McDonald, the voice of now-closed Manzanita Speedway, says he'll retire after 52 years behind a microphone. Windy says he'll wrap up with a couple of Arizona short track announcing assignments this fall.
* Sadly, and terribly, this is what "journalism" has come to: Adam Cooper's posting on SpeedTV.com just hours after Felipe Massa's accident last Saturday (bold emphasis mine): "Could Michael Schumacher prove to be the ideal candidate to stand in for Felipe Massa at the European GP . . . While it is way too early for the team to make any comment, and we are just throwing this into the mix . . ." Just throwing this into the mix -- whatever happened to editors who would have insisted on some facts or spiked such copy, or these days, pressed the delete button?
* How could you tell President Obama's prime-time news conference last week didn't go well? MSNBC egomaniac Chris Matthews quickly tried to change the subject -- back to former Vice President Cheney and his aide, Scooter Libby. (!)
********************************************************************
A couple of links of significance from last week:
Sports Business Journal's report on the decline of sports coverage in daily newspapers. Be sure to read the sidebars to see how some leagues/teams are trying to compensate. It's an excellent package.
http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/article/63034
Plus, Ed Hinton's great ESPN.com column on the changing balance-of-power in American motorsports, as controlled by the Hulman-George, France and Smith families.
http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/nascar/cup/columns/story?columnist=hinton_ed&id=4341003
[ Dario Franchitti news nuggest Thursday . . . ]
Since I began hosting The Race Reporters just over two months ago, I've wanted to get Robin Miller and Gordon Kirby together for a one-hour roundtable discussion. Timing is everything. Given the recent executive management chaos at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Indy Racing League, the timing is perfect.
So, we'll do it Wednesday, for one hour, 7 p.m. EDT on http://powerupchannel.com/ . Combined, we'll bring to the show about 125 years of Indy Car reporting and industry experience. We'll devote the entire show to the current state, and the future, of IMS, the Indy 500, and the IRL.
Even better, Dario Franchitti (left) will join us, as Newsmaker of the Week.No HYPE -- you will not want to miss this one. I intend to say some things I previously haven't revealed relating to my own up-close-and-personal experiences. Things which help explain how and why things have gotten to this perilous point.
No, this won't be a bomb-throwing session. I would say this to the IMS/IRL can-do-no-wrong chatroomers: Tune-in with an open mind, because, if you LISTEN, you'll LEARN.
And, if you didn't hear it, we made some news on last week's The Race Reporters. Ed Hinton, the very well-known and experienced ESPN.com writer, said his reporting indicates the price tag for IMS -- even in a buyer's market -- could reach $1.5 billion. And Ray Evernham left open the possibility he could join Hendrick Motorsports at some point, perhaps to work on Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s team. You can listen to that show using this link:
http://www.modavox.com/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=39886
********************************************************************
* It really doesn't matter if Joie Chitwood departs IMS of his own choice, because he thinks his new job at ISC is better, for family reasons, or if it's a vote of no-confidence in the Hulman-George family ownership. What is a FACT is it's more management instability, which continues to undercut the Speedway, and the IRL. This was reinforced by Tony George's posting on his Vision team's website Sunday (no coincidence this was done the day of the Brickyard) in which he admitted to being "perplexed" by the family Board's decision to remove him as CEO and added he had "not received a reasonable explanation as to why." George also conceded he was "dismissed." I can tell you there has been a widely-held belief within the industry for decades of extreme disfunction within the H-G family and it's all proven to be TRUE despite the by-rote denials from the mouthpieces, who should now be thoroughly embarrassed.
http://www.visionracing.com/news/index.cfm?cid=23194
* I'm glad to see pro-active PR hasn't totally gone the way of the Offy. The most active PR man in the land last week likely was Andy Hall, getting ESPN announcers interviewed in newspapers and on radio shows, in the run-up to the start of the ESPN/ABC portion of the Sprint Cup season at Indy. Yes, somebody out there is actually MAKING it happen.
* I wish series' broadcasters who constantly use "we, us, our" would understand how it undercuts their own credibility.
* Windy McDonald, the voice of now-closed Manzanita Speedway, says he'll retire after 52 years behind a microphone. Windy says he'll wrap up with a couple of Arizona short track announcing assignments this fall.
* Sadly, and terribly, this is what "journalism" has come to: Adam Cooper's posting on SpeedTV.com just hours after Felipe Massa's accident last Saturday (bold emphasis mine): "Could Michael Schumacher prove to be the ideal candidate to stand in for Felipe Massa at the European GP . . . While it is way too early for the team to make any comment, and we are just throwing this into the mix . . ." Just throwing this into the mix -- whatever happened to editors who would have insisted on some facts or spiked such copy, or these days, pressed the delete button?
* How could you tell President Obama's prime-time news conference last week didn't go well? MSNBC egomaniac Chris Matthews quickly tried to change the subject -- back to former Vice President Cheney and his aide, Scooter Libby. (!)
********************************************************************
A couple of links of significance from last week:
Sports Business Journal's report on the decline of sports coverage in daily newspapers. Be sure to read the sidebars to see how some leagues/teams are trying to compensate. It's an excellent package.
http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/article/63034
Plus, Ed Hinton's great ESPN.com column on the changing balance-of-power in American motorsports, as controlled by the Hulman-George, France and Smith families.
http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/nascar/cup/columns/story?columnist=hinton_ed&id=4341003
[ Dario Franchitti news nuggest Thursday . . . ]
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
COULD EVERNHAM WORK WITH DALE JR.?
Ray Evernham, three-time NASCAR champion crew chief (with Jeff Gordon) and now an ESPN analyst, was the Newsmaker guest on Wednesday night's The Race Reporters radio show on PowerUpChannel.com. ESPN's Sprint Cup coverage begins with this weekend's Allstate 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Ed Hinton, of ESPN.com, and Bob Pockrass, associate editor of NASCAR Scene, joined me in the questioning.
Here's some of what Evernham said:
Q: Would you ever be interested in working with Dale Earnhardt Jr., if not as crew chief, as team manager or in some other capacity?
A: "First, let me say, I was a Dale Sr. fan and friend and would do anything that I could to help Dale Jr. I have said that I would do anything I can. If there was one guy I was ever going to go back to work for in the business it would be Rick Hendrick. Right now, there are some legal issues. I do have some non-competes (contract clauses) that hold me in place for a while. If those things get taken care of, and Rick Hendrick needed me to go and help him in any way, or help Dale Jr., I would gladly do that.
"I would not be a crew chief. I ended my career as Jeff Gordon's crew chief, so I have no desire to be anyone else's crew chief. I would certainly go and help the Hendrick organization in a consulting role, or any way I can."
Q: When you say non-compete, does that involve your ownership position in Richard Petty Motorsports?
A: "I have a very minority ownership role with Richard Petty Motorsports and, right now, that is the issue with the non-compete."
Listen to the entire show by using this link:
http://www.modavox.com/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=39886
The Race Reporters podcast is available on iTunes:
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=319558548
Upcoming guests:
July 29 -- Newsmaker: Dario Franchitti. Panelists: Robin Miller, Gordon Kirby.
August 5 -- Newsmaker: Tony Schumacher. Panelists: Dave Kallmann, Susan Wade, Jon Asher.
August 12 -- Newsmakers: Vicki O'Connor (Atlantic series), John Doonan (Mazda), Clark Campbell (VW). Panelists: Jeremy Shaw, Mike Kerchner, Jamie Reynolds.
[ more next Tuesday . . . ]
Here's some of what Evernham said:
Q: Would you ever be interested in working with Dale Earnhardt Jr., if not as crew chief, as team manager or in some other capacity?
A: "First, let me say, I was a Dale Sr. fan and friend and would do anything that I could to help Dale Jr. I have said that I would do anything I can. If there was one guy I was ever going to go back to work for in the business it would be Rick Hendrick. Right now, there are some legal issues. I do have some non-competes (contract clauses) that hold me in place for a while. If those things get taken care of, and Rick Hendrick needed me to go and help him in any way, or help Dale Jr., I would gladly do that.
"I would not be a crew chief. I ended my career as Jeff Gordon's crew chief, so I have no desire to be anyone else's crew chief. I would certainly go and help the Hendrick organization in a consulting role, or any way I can."
Q: When you say non-compete, does that involve your ownership position in Richard Petty Motorsports?
A: "I have a very minority ownership role with Richard Petty Motorsports and, right now, that is the issue with the non-compete."
Listen to the entire show by using this link:
http://www.modavox.com/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=39886
The Race Reporters podcast is available on iTunes:
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=319558548
Upcoming guests:
July 29 -- Newsmaker: Dario Franchitti. Panelists: Robin Miller, Gordon Kirby.
August 5 -- Newsmaker: Tony Schumacher. Panelists: Dave Kallmann, Susan Wade, Jon Asher.
August 12 -- Newsmakers: Vicki O'Connor (Atlantic series), John Doonan (Mazda), Clark Campbell (VW). Panelists: Jeremy Shaw, Mike Kerchner, Jamie Reynolds.
[ more next Tuesday . . . ]
Sunday, July 19, 2009
RAY on the RADIO
Ray Evernham won NASCAR's 1994 debut at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as Jeff Gordon's crew chief, so it's appropriate to have him as my Newsmaker guest on this Wednesday's (7 p.m. EDT) The Race Reporters radio show on http://powerupchannel.com/. Ray, who teamed again with Gordon for another Indy win in 1998, and did it as a car owner with Bill Elliott in 2002, now is an ESPN analyst. ESPN begins its Sprint Cup coverage with Sunday's Allstate 400.Ed Hinton, ESPN.com writer, and NASCAR Scene associate editor Bob Pockrass will be on the media panel.
Meanwhile, American Le Mans Series President Scott Atherton was last week's The Race Reporters Newsmaker. I first met Scott in the mid-1980s, when he worked on Domino's Pizza's CART sponsorship of Al Unser Jr., and invited him on because I wanted to better understand his bet-the-ALMS-house strategy on Green racing.
A few sentences of explanation are in order for ALMS fans who didn't know of Atherton's live interview, which covered the second half of the show. Despite the fact that the interview was scheduled two months ago, and that they had a formal news release on it 72 hours in advance, the ALMS' PR department did not post any advance word on its site -- unprecedented among Newsmakers' own sites in TRR's brief history. Why? I was told "apparently something got lost in the translation" as staff readied for the weekend event at Lime Rock Park. (The audio link was posted well after-the-fact.)
In a series where media coverage is not exactly overwhelming in volume, helping to publicize a live, lengthy interview with its PRESIDENT falls through the cracks? That says a lot. The series' official report on the Lime Rock event provided no information on the championship standings in any class. I thought that's what a series is all about -- determining a champion.
You can listen to the show, with Atherton and journalists Larry Edsall, Greg Creamer and Jonathan Ingram -- plus my opening commentary on the nonsense that is talk of an alternative power 2011 Indy 500 - by using this link:
http://www.modavox.com/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=39796
********************************************************************
* I grew up in the age of Walter Cronkite. The highest praise that can be offered is to say he was a NEWSman. The news was to him what gimmicks are to the current-day cable goofs.
* The British Open (spare me the pompous "The Open Championship") proved again that among the most useless words spoken in broadcast media are predictions from golf announcers that a player will have a great round or make a putt.
* Sorry to say the media's love affair with President Obama has infected sports coverage. (Well, we already knew that, with NBC allowing the worst offender on its Sunday night NFL studio show.) The President threw out the first pitch at baseball's All-Star Game last week in St. Louis. Unlike any other high-profile person performing this ceremony, however, the Fox director stayed on a close-up of the President, so viewers couldn't see the quality of his pitch. (Low, didn't make it to the plate.) Show me any similar example in recent times. Was there an advance agreement between the White House PR operation and the network? I don't know. But I wouldn't be surprised.
* How to explain away getting booed and, at the same time, minimize such a crowd reaction? Do what the President did: Wear a Chicago team jacket in front of St. Louis fans, and then, throw the ball to the city's most popular athlete. (Trust me on this, I called the Arch city home for almost a decade.) Both were very effective image-management decisions.
* To cover both sides of the political base, let me observe this: It's insulting crap for radio talk-show host Sean Hannity to refer to someone as "a Great American" just because he/she calls his show. That caller could be a drug dealer or a child abuser for all Hannity knows. See item below.
********************************************************************
Finally, and most importantly: In advance of Monday's 40th anniversary of the first moon landing, NASA issued a statement from astronaut Michael Collins. He was the one who orbited the moon while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed. Here's part of the transcript. All I can say about Collins' comments is -- AMEN!
NASA: You are starting to sound a little grumpy. Are you grumpy?
COLLINS: "At age 78, yes, in many ways. Some things about current society irritate me, such as the adulation of celebrities and the inflation of heroism."
Q: But aren't you both?
A: "Not me. Neither.
"Heroes abound, and should be revered as such, but don't count astronauts among them. We work very hard; we did our jobs to near perfection, but that was what we had hired on to do. In no way did we meet the criterion of the Congressional Medal of Honor: "Above and beyond the call of duty.
"Celebrities? What nonsense, what an empty concept for a person to be, as my friend the great historian Daniel Boorstin put it, "known for his well-known-ness." How many live-ins, how many trips to rehab, maybe -- wow -- you could even get arrested and then you would really be noticed. Don't get me started."
Upcoming The Race Reporters guests:
July 29 -- Newsmaker: Dario Franchitti. Panelists: Robin Miller, Gordon Kirby.
August 5 -- Newsmaker: Tony Schumacher. Panelists: Dave Kallmann, Susan Wade, Jon Asher.
[ Ray Evernham news nuggest Thursday . . . ]
Monday, July 13, 2009
JUST A FEW THINGS . . .
* TNT and ABC concluded their Sprint Cup and IndyCar seasons, respectively -- and it showed. It's obvious to me NASCAR made a mistake in carving out the Six Week Summer Snooze Series. The most noteworthy thing was the network's cover-up of the reason it parked its lead announcer. Of course, corporate cousin CNN would flash its "journalism" credentials if anyone else tried that. Credibility? Meanwhile, ABC offered-up a classic mail-it-in show from Toronto. It's probably too polite to even call what was thrown out there by the pit-road microphone holders "questions." Instantly obvious incidents involving Will Power and Mike Conway somehow escaped the notice of Marty Reid and Scott Goodyear, who had to wait for replays to figure out which end was up.
* Conventional wisdom is one reason NASCAR's Sprint Cup TV ratings are down is Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s lack of success. NHRA's numbers on ESPN2 are .2 lower year-to-date, as of the Ohio race. Following the CW, is that because John Force hasn't won?
* Tony Eury Jr. faced the press at Chicagoland for the first time since being replaced as Junior's crew chief. Basically, he blamed the media for putting too much pressure on Junior. Where have I heard that one before? Now, I agree there's been too much hype put on Dale, especially since his father's death, and certainly after he moved to Hendrick Motorsports. But . . . Dale Jr. and Tony Jr. accepted that as part of the deal and especially moving into a higher-profile situation with Hendrick and new sponsors. To the best of my observation, no reporter failed to secure a lug nut, consulted on chassis setup, or blocked Junior from getting into his pit cleanly.
* Dale, meanwhile, made a PR visit to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway before heading to Chicagoland. His generally worded, polite, comment that he'd be interested in driving an Indy Car someday was enough to set-off some reporters and chatroomers. I am sure Rick Hendrick isn't the only one wishing Junior would just focus on the task at hand.
* Tony George finally got around to issuing his Internet statement on his ouster as Hulman & Co. CEO. PR hint: It took TOO long. As someone who has crafted a few of these kind of statements myself, my eye naturally went right to the spin. That's OK. Potentially, the most interesting and newsworthy sentences were that Tony will propose a restructuring of the family's Board of Directors. If anything meaningful comes out of that, it will be a legit story.
* There's another way to look at Tony's statement: Some within the industry could worry that a potential change of the IMS Board structure represents more management instability.
* Someone PLEASE explain to me how it's possible to interview Roger Penske and NOT ask him about the IMS and IRL management instability created by the Hulman-George family rift, and if he'd be interested in buying the Speedway, the League, or both.
* Toronto had the network TV spotlight on what once was one of the biggest races of the CART season in a major, great city. Now, in the midst of a PR -- and tourism damaging -- trash workers strike. I was watching to see if any of the drivers copied what a few U.S. Olympians did last year in China -- wear masks. Of course, Marty Reid said it was "beautiful." How did it smell, Marty?
* Yes, they did it again. Lightly-sponsored Dale Coyne Racing finally makes it to the winner's circle, with Justin Wilson at Watkins Glen, and the IRL allows Coyne's sponsor ID to be covered-up with a wreath. When will they ever learn?
* Why didn't CNBC's NASCAR special reveal that Kevin Costner, who was interviewed, is an official NASCAR Foundation spokesman?
* Who was the worst media offender in the absurb coverage of the grotesque Michael Jackson memorial? That's easy: Katie Couric.
********************************************************************
Unfortunately, another round of economy-related layoffs -- part of parent company Gannett's restructuring -- hit the Arizona Republic last week. About 100 jobs were lost, including 20 in the newsroom. Included was Dave Lumia, the editor who took interest in, assigned and coordinated the motorsports coverage.
********************************************************************
Scott Atherton, president of the American Le Mans Series and Panoz Motor Sports Group (which includes Sebring, Mosport and Road Atlanta) will be the Newsmaker guest on my Wednesday night (7 p.m. EDT) The Race Reporters radio show on PowerUpChannel.com. I first met Scott in the mid-1980s when he was working on Domino's Pizza's sponsorship of Al Unser Jr. We'll address the issues relating to U.S. sports car racing and why Scott has basically bet the ALMS' house on "green" racing.
Media panelists will be: Larry Edsall, editor of iZoom.com; broadcaster/announcer Greg Creamer; and Jonathan Ingram, of RacinToday.com.
[ more next Tuesday . . . ]
* Conventional wisdom is one reason NASCAR's Sprint Cup TV ratings are down is Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s lack of success. NHRA's numbers on ESPN2 are .2 lower year-to-date, as of the Ohio race. Following the CW, is that because John Force hasn't won?
* Tony Eury Jr. faced the press at Chicagoland for the first time since being replaced as Junior's crew chief. Basically, he blamed the media for putting too much pressure on Junior. Where have I heard that one before? Now, I agree there's been too much hype put on Dale, especially since his father's death, and certainly after he moved to Hendrick Motorsports. But . . . Dale Jr. and Tony Jr. accepted that as part of the deal and especially moving into a higher-profile situation with Hendrick and new sponsors. To the best of my observation, no reporter failed to secure a lug nut, consulted on chassis setup, or blocked Junior from getting into his pit cleanly.
* Dale, meanwhile, made a PR visit to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway before heading to Chicagoland. His generally worded, polite, comment that he'd be interested in driving an Indy Car someday was enough to set-off some reporters and chatroomers. I am sure Rick Hendrick isn't the only one wishing Junior would just focus on the task at hand.
* Tony George finally got around to issuing his Internet statement on his ouster as Hulman & Co. CEO. PR hint: It took TOO long. As someone who has crafted a few of these kind of statements myself, my eye naturally went right to the spin. That's OK. Potentially, the most interesting and newsworthy sentences were that Tony will propose a restructuring of the family's Board of Directors. If anything meaningful comes out of that, it will be a legit story.
* There's another way to look at Tony's statement: Some within the industry could worry that a potential change of the IMS Board structure represents more management instability.
* Someone PLEASE explain to me how it's possible to interview Roger Penske and NOT ask him about the IMS and IRL management instability created by the Hulman-George family rift, and if he'd be interested in buying the Speedway, the League, or both.
* Toronto had the network TV spotlight on what once was one of the biggest races of the CART season in a major, great city. Now, in the midst of a PR -- and tourism damaging -- trash workers strike. I was watching to see if any of the drivers copied what a few U.S. Olympians did last year in China -- wear masks. Of course, Marty Reid said it was "beautiful." How did it smell, Marty?
* Yes, they did it again. Lightly-sponsored Dale Coyne Racing finally makes it to the winner's circle, with Justin Wilson at Watkins Glen, and the IRL allows Coyne's sponsor ID to be covered-up with a wreath. When will they ever learn?
* Why didn't CNBC's NASCAR special reveal that Kevin Costner, who was interviewed, is an official NASCAR Foundation spokesman?
* Who was the worst media offender in the absurb coverage of the grotesque Michael Jackson memorial? That's easy: Katie Couric.
********************************************************************
Unfortunately, another round of economy-related layoffs -- part of parent company Gannett's restructuring -- hit the Arizona Republic last week. About 100 jobs were lost, including 20 in the newsroom. Included was Dave Lumia, the editor who took interest in, assigned and coordinated the motorsports coverage.
********************************************************************
Scott Atherton, president of the American Le Mans Series and Panoz Motor Sports Group (which includes Sebring, Mosport and Road Atlanta) will be the Newsmaker guest on my Wednesday night (7 p.m. EDT) The Race Reporters radio show on PowerUpChannel.com. I first met Scott in the mid-1980s when he was working on Domino's Pizza's sponsorship of Al Unser Jr. We'll address the issues relating to U.S. sports car racing and why Scott has basically bet the ALMS' house on "green" racing.
Media panelists will be: Larry Edsall, editor of iZoom.com; broadcaster/announcer Greg Creamer; and Jonathan Ingram, of RacinToday.com.
[ more next Tuesday . . . ]
Thursday, July 09, 2009
WHAT RON CAPPS SAID . . .
Ron Capps, four-time winner this season in NHRA's Full Throttle Funny Car series, was the Newsmaker guest on Wednesday night's The Race Reporters radio show on PowerUpChannel.com. Jim Pedley, Jeff Burk and Alan Reinhart joined me in questioning the NAPA Dodge Charger driver.
Here's some of what Capps said:
"I would love to go back to 1,320 (feet). Some tracks, we just can't . . . Some drivers just aren't on the chutes right away and that makes it worse. The safety at the top ends of some of the tracks (isn't) that good . . . We go to some tracks that just don't seem to be that good at holding these cars. If we had to go back to a quarter-mile at some tracks, you're already gritting your teeth and trying to duck behind the motor as it is; it's a good thing we're only going to 1,000 foot. I hate to come out and say stuff like that, but it's the fact . . . The way I see it, it's up to all the guys at NHRA, but we may have to go 1,000 foot at some tracks that just don't have the shutdown area, and maybe go to 1,320 at the ones that do."
Listen to the entire show by using this link:
http://www.modavox.com/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=39765
The Race Reporters podcast is now available on iTunes:
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=319558548
Upcoming guests:
July 15 -- Newsmaker: Scott Atherton. Panelists: Larry Edsall, Greg Creamer, Jonathan Ingram.
July 22 -- Newsmaker: Ray Evernham. Panelists: Ed Hinton, Bob Pockrass.
July 29 -- Newsmaker: Dario Franchitti. Panelists: Robin Miller, Gordon Kirby.
[ more next Tuesday . . . ]
Here's some of what Capps said:
"I would love to go back to 1,320 (feet). Some tracks, we just can't . . . Some drivers just aren't on the chutes right away and that makes it worse. The safety at the top ends of some of the tracks (isn't) that good . . . We go to some tracks that just don't seem to be that good at holding these cars. If we had to go back to a quarter-mile at some tracks, you're already gritting your teeth and trying to duck behind the motor as it is; it's a good thing we're only going to 1,000 foot. I hate to come out and say stuff like that, but it's the fact . . . The way I see it, it's up to all the guys at NHRA, but we may have to go 1,000 foot at some tracks that just don't have the shutdown area, and maybe go to 1,320 at the ones that do."
Listen to the entire show by using this link:
http://www.modavox.com/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=39765
The Race Reporters podcast is now available on iTunes:
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=319558548
Upcoming guests:
July 15 -- Newsmaker: Scott Atherton. Panelists: Larry Edsall, Greg Creamer, Jonathan Ingram.
July 22 -- Newsmaker: Ray Evernham. Panelists: Ed Hinton, Bob Pockrass.
July 29 -- Newsmaker: Dario Franchitti. Panelists: Robin Miller, Gordon Kirby.
[ more next Tuesday . . . ]
Monday, July 06, 2009
THE INDY AFTERMATH
Tony George, by not continuing as CEO of the Indy Racing League once the Hulman-George family directors removed him from his leadership positions at Hulman & Co. and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, either:
a) Cast a vote of no confidence in the series he founded;
b) Showed himself as the kind who won't play the game unless he has the ball and is allowed to set all the rules.
Answer? Maybe both.
Despite some truly asinine writing in the aftermath of the Hulman-George family repossessing its checkfrom from Tony the Big Spender -- one George media mouthpiece has already fantasized about his eventual return to power; others allowed industry activists to opine without noting their financial ties to the IRL -- some Bottom Lines are obvious to those who know anything about the Business of Racing.
1. The IRL must become a pay-as-it-goes, self-sustaining enterprise. No more big bailouts from the H-G family accounts down the road.
2. Tony George has gone from one of the most powerful people in sports to the owner of a bad, one-car team as quickly as Helio Castroneves laps IMS.
3. George's decision to create the IRL now is cemented in sports marketing history as a mistake of stupendous proportions. When the IRL and Champ Car unified, I called what had happened over the previous 12 years the "$2 Billion Blunder" in this blog. Upon further information and review, I believe the total cost to be between $2.5-$3 billion.
4. Can anyone honestly point to me even ONE thing that the IRL accomplished, as stated as its founding goals? More American drivers? Oval track series? Cost containment? Preserving the success of the month of May? Increased corporate support and investment? Spectator and media growth? There is NOTHING! (Yes, give Tony his share of the credit for the SAFER barriers, which has benefitted many, but I'm counting that as an IMS accomplishment.)
5. Given the costs to his reputation, his family's finances, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the American sporting institution of the Indianapolis 500, would George finally ADMIT to his error in judgment? Honestly, Tony, was it WORTH IT?
* ACCOUNTABILITY. In the media. I know these are very difficult economic times for the media companies, but if Journalistic Credibility is to have any true meaning, those who have been Tony George/IRL mouthpieces have to go the way of the Offy. This includes some important local outlets and at at least one major national motorsports publication. Understand this: If Tony's Toadies are allowed to continue on the IRL beat in 2010, those outlets will have ZERO credibility.
********************************************************************
Ron Capps, four-time Funny Car race winner this season in NHRA's Full Throttle series, will be Newsmaker of the Week on my The Race Reporters radio show, Wednesday, 7 p.m. EDT. Hear it at http://powerupchannel.com/ . It will replay several times on the channel, can be heard on demand at the show home page, and can be downloaded into an iPod. See links in right-hand column. Sign up to receive a free "E card" with alerts on upcoming guests.
The media roundtable will include: Jim Pedley, managing editor, RacinToday.com; Jeff Burk, editor, DragRacingOnline.com; and NHRA announcer Alan Reinhart.
[ Ron Capps news nugget Thursday . . . ]
a) Cast a vote of no confidence in the series he founded;
b) Showed himself as the kind who won't play the game unless he has the ball and is allowed to set all the rules.
Answer? Maybe both.
Despite some truly asinine writing in the aftermath of the Hulman-George family repossessing its checkfrom from Tony the Big Spender -- one George media mouthpiece has already fantasized about his eventual return to power; others allowed industry activists to opine without noting their financial ties to the IRL -- some Bottom Lines are obvious to those who know anything about the Business of Racing.
1. The IRL must become a pay-as-it-goes, self-sustaining enterprise. No more big bailouts from the H-G family accounts down the road.
2. Tony George has gone from one of the most powerful people in sports to the owner of a bad, one-car team as quickly as Helio Castroneves laps IMS.
3. George's decision to create the IRL now is cemented in sports marketing history as a mistake of stupendous proportions. When the IRL and Champ Car unified, I called what had happened over the previous 12 years the "$2 Billion Blunder" in this blog. Upon further information and review, I believe the total cost to be between $2.5-$3 billion.
4. Can anyone honestly point to me even ONE thing that the IRL accomplished, as stated as its founding goals? More American drivers? Oval track series? Cost containment? Preserving the success of the month of May? Increased corporate support and investment? Spectator and media growth? There is NOTHING! (Yes, give Tony his share of the credit for the SAFER barriers, which has benefitted many, but I'm counting that as an IMS accomplishment.)
5. Given the costs to his reputation, his family's finances, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the American sporting institution of the Indianapolis 500, would George finally ADMIT to his error in judgment? Honestly, Tony, was it WORTH IT?
Now what?
Two things, going forward:
* LEADERSHIP. Tony George, for the most part, did not put the right people in the key positions at IMS and the IRL. Whoever turns out to be the CEO past this season must make changes. The fact that someone is from Indiana is not an acceptable qualification. It's long past time for the realization to set in that it's a big business world out there and the narrow, insular mindset that has prevailed in the hiring and staffing process must stop. And, the H-G family must allow the top executives to exercise real leadership. If that means significant staff changes, revising the May schedule to accept new realities, etc., Mari George herself must give the green light.* ACCOUNTABILITY. In the media. I know these are very difficult economic times for the media companies, but if Journalistic Credibility is to have any true meaning, those who have been Tony George/IRL mouthpieces have to go the way of the Offy. This includes some important local outlets and at at least one major national motorsports publication. Understand this: If Tony's Toadies are allowed to continue on the IRL beat in 2010, those outlets will have ZERO credibility.
********************************************************************
Ron Capps, four-time Funny Car race winner this season in NHRA's Full Throttle series, will be Newsmaker of the Week on my The Race Reporters radio show, Wednesday, 7 p.m. EDT. Hear it at http://powerupchannel.com/ . It will replay several times on the channel, can be heard on demand at the show home page, and can be downloaded into an iPod. See links in right-hand column. Sign up to receive a free "E card" with alerts on upcoming guests.
The media roundtable will include: Jim Pedley, managing editor, RacinToday.com; Jeff Burk, editor, DragRacingOnline.com; and NHRA announcer Alan Reinhart.
[ Ron Capps news nugget Thursday . . . ]
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
RICHARD PETTY's HALL of FAME PICKS
NASCAR legend Richard Petty was the Newsmaker on my The Race Reporters radio show Wednesday on http://powerupchannel.com/ . This weekend at Daytona is the 25th anniversary of his historic 200th Cup victory -- in front of President Ronald Reagan. Mike Harris, who retired yesterday after 30 years as the Associated Press' motorsports writer, and Lewis Franck, of ESPN the Magazine and Reuters, joined me for the journalists' roundtable. Here are a few highlights of Richard's interview:
What do you remember the most about that day?
"It was an exciting day for all the drivers just knowing that the president was coming. He said, 'Gentlemen, start your engines,' from the airplane (Air Force One) that was flying from Washington to Daytona. We cranked it up and then forgot all about the president . . .
"I stopped the car on the start/finish line and went up into the booth where the president was . . . I guess what impressed me was that the president, he could not understand Cale (Yarborough) and myself running 200 mph (for the win) with smoke flying off the cars. I think that really impressed him. It impressed me that he was excited about it . . . I think that made him a race fan after that . . . I always told people, 'We got the president on the sports page, and he got us on the front page.'"
How did you deal with earlier auto manufacturer withdrawals from NASCAR compared with today?
"When we first started, there was no factory involvement . . . The factories got back in in the '60s and out got in the '70s. We've lived through these before. The way things have happened the last few years, most of the big teams have their own engineers . . . If they're not here, we'll improve, we'll just improve a little bit slower."
How is Victory Junction camp (for ill children) doing in terms of fund-raising given the economy?
"Well, we're still surviving. We've still got a lot of people who really believe in it. What we've wound up doing, we've had as many people contribute as we've ever had, but the extra money is not there. Instead of sending a check for $100, they might send a check for $25. All the charitable deals right now is kind of in the tank because of the financial deal of the country. We're still operating. We're still doing our thing. In fact, we broke ground for another Victory Junction camp in Kansas City . . . I think it's going to be a little bit slower getting it going because of the economy. These are the kind of kids who can't go to a regular camp because of their afflictions. We give them a chance to do things they've never done before. It broadens their horizons, from riding a horse to going swimming, using a bow-and-arrow, climbing ropes. We give them all those opportunities to do that. Then, when they go back home, somebody will tell them they can't do it. They'll say, 'Hey, we've already done that. We want to do this over here.' It's a life-changing experience for the kids and for anybody who's ever been there and seen them do it."
It's widely believed that you, Bill France Sr. and Dale Earnhardt will be three of the first five inductees into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Who should be the other two?
"I've thought a whole-lot about this. Being it is a Hall of Fame, then I think they ought to go back and look at some of the people that got me in business, OK? You go back to Lee Petty or Curtis Turner or Junior Johnson, all of these guys who were there when it started in order to give me and Earnhardt a chance to do it. We came along and, hopefully, we expanded it. Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne and these boys got a chance to do what they're doing today. Instead of getting the people who somebody knows, get some of the people in the background that people have forgotten. I think those are the ones who need to go in the Hall of Fame."
Listen to the entire show by using this link:
http://va.radiopilot.net/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=39477
The Race Reporters podcast is now available on iTunes:
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=319558548
Upcoming guests:
July 8 -- Newsmaker: Ron Capps. Panelists: Jim Pedley, Jeff Burk, Alan Reinhart.
July 15 -- Newsmaker: Scott Atherton. Panelists: Larry Edsall, Greg Creamer, Jonathan Ingram.
July 22 -- Newsmaker: Ray Evernham. Panelists: Ed Hinton, Bob Pockrass.
[ more next Tuesday . . . ]
What do you remember the most about that day?
"It was an exciting day for all the drivers just knowing that the president was coming. He said, 'Gentlemen, start your engines,' from the airplane (Air Force One) that was flying from Washington to Daytona. We cranked it up and then forgot all about the president . . .
"I stopped the car on the start/finish line and went up into the booth where the president was . . . I guess what impressed me was that the president, he could not understand Cale (Yarborough) and myself running 200 mph (for the win) with smoke flying off the cars. I think that really impressed him. It impressed me that he was excited about it . . . I think that made him a race fan after that . . . I always told people, 'We got the president on the sports page, and he got us on the front page.'"
How did you deal with earlier auto manufacturer withdrawals from NASCAR compared with today?
"When we first started, there was no factory involvement . . . The factories got back in in the '60s and out got in the '70s. We've lived through these before. The way things have happened the last few years, most of the big teams have their own engineers . . . If they're not here, we'll improve, we'll just improve a little bit slower."
How is Victory Junction camp (for ill children) doing in terms of fund-raising given the economy?
"Well, we're still surviving. We've still got a lot of people who really believe in it. What we've wound up doing, we've had as many people contribute as we've ever had, but the extra money is not there. Instead of sending a check for $100, they might send a check for $25. All the charitable deals right now is kind of in the tank because of the financial deal of the country. We're still operating. We're still doing our thing. In fact, we broke ground for another Victory Junction camp in Kansas City . . . I think it's going to be a little bit slower getting it going because of the economy. These are the kind of kids who can't go to a regular camp because of their afflictions. We give them a chance to do things they've never done before. It broadens their horizons, from riding a horse to going swimming, using a bow-and-arrow, climbing ropes. We give them all those opportunities to do that. Then, when they go back home, somebody will tell them they can't do it. They'll say, 'Hey, we've already done that. We want to do this over here.' It's a life-changing experience for the kids and for anybody who's ever been there and seen them do it."
It's widely believed that you, Bill France Sr. and Dale Earnhardt will be three of the first five inductees into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Who should be the other two?
"I've thought a whole-lot about this. Being it is a Hall of Fame, then I think they ought to go back and look at some of the people that got me in business, OK? You go back to Lee Petty or Curtis Turner or Junior Johnson, all of these guys who were there when it started in order to give me and Earnhardt a chance to do it. We came along and, hopefully, we expanded it. Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne and these boys got a chance to do what they're doing today. Instead of getting the people who somebody knows, get some of the people in the background that people have forgotten. I think those are the ones who need to go in the Hall of Fame."
Listen to the entire show by using this link:
http://va.radiopilot.net/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=39477
The Race Reporters podcast is now available on iTunes:
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=319558548
Upcoming guests:
July 8 -- Newsmaker: Ron Capps. Panelists: Jim Pedley, Jeff Burk, Alan Reinhart.
July 15 -- Newsmaker: Scott Atherton. Panelists: Larry Edsall, Greg Creamer, Jonathan Ingram.
July 22 -- Newsmaker: Ray Evernham. Panelists: Ed Hinton, Bob Pockrass.
[ more next Tuesday . . . ]
Monday, June 29, 2009
IMAGE IS ALL-IMPORTANT
FARRAH: One of the most iconic images of the 20th century.One name was enough.
Farrah.
One image launched a million fantasies.
Farrah.
Farrah Fawcett's death last week, from cancer, immediately reminded me of the above picture -- the largest-selling poster of all time. It's testimony to the power of an image and a tribute to those who pay attention to the details.
Yes, it was shot in a studio setting, with the lighting and makeup and pose just so right. I've always thought that while the tilted head, curly hair and one-piece swimsuit were sensational, what really made the shot was Farrah's full display of teeth. White and bright and full of promise.
Don't laugh. Look again -- and think about it.
This image is what cemented Farrah's place in the public's mindset for the rest of her life. Easily forgotten was the fact that she starred on the ground-breaking Charlie's Angels for only one season; that she left in a difficult contract dispute; that her movie career never reached the heights of one TV series in the 1970s.
It reminds me how overwhelmingly important image is in our celebrity-driven, People magazine, photo-op, sound-bite society.
Including motorsports. Kyle Busch's is set as the guy who smashed his guitar trophy in victory lane. Richard Petty will always be the "King." Dale Earnhardt is forever "The Intimidator." Under new and careful management from IMG, Danica Patrick obviously has softened her persona this season -- as she ponders her next contract and career move. Tony Stewart still has the Smoke, but maybe, less fire. Jimmie Johnson seems to have tried a bit of an image change, but it hasn't worked.
Image. It's something every track, team, driver, sponsor and sanction publicist needs to give a good, long, hard think on. And, like Farrah's poster, re-double efforts to pay attention to the details. Allowing drivers to appear with their uniforms pulled-down, or doing interviews in front of portable toilets, isn't paying attention to the Big Picture.
Meanwhile, Michael Jackson's sudden death served again to spotlight all that is wrong in the current media age. Wall-to-wall cable TV coverage. With very few details, the networks had to fill all that time one way or another. The absolute worst was Fox News allowing a TV psychic, who claimed to have once hypnotized Jackson, on. Actually, more than once. This nothing was bannered as a Jackson "friend" but admitted they had not spoken in years. It was THE most offense of time fillers . . . although the attention-seeking family attorneys and ex-attorneys and doctors guessing at the state of Jackson's physical and mental health came in a very, very, very close and disgusting second. It has been the biggest public and media spectacle since Princess Diana's death in 1997.
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My April 10, 2008 story on Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the Arizona Republic won the gold medal in the personality profile category in the 2008 International Automotive Media Awards, results announced last week. This blog took the bronze medal for commentary.
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One day before his 72d birthday, and just before the 25th anniversary of his historic 200th NASCAR Cup victory, Richard Petty (left) will be Newsmaker of the Week on The Race Reporters Wednesday, 7 p.m. EDT. You can listen at http://powerupchannel.com/. See links for iTunes and the show page over in the right-hand column. The show will re-air several times and can be heard "on demand" by clicking my show logo at the Power Up Channel site.It's universally accepted that King Richard's win at Daytona, with President Ronald Reagan in attendance, stands as one of the most important days in NASCAR history. We'll ask Richard about that, as well as current topics, including his recent victory with Kasey Kahne at Infineon Raceway.
Joining me in questioning Richard will be longtime writer Lewis Franck, who now contributes to ESPN the Magazine and Reuters. Mike Harris, retiring that day after 30 years as AP's motorsports writer, will join us for the journalists' roundtable. In the final segment, Mike and I will talk about his own important career.
Upcoming guests:
July 8 -- Newsmaker: Ron Capps. Panelists: Jim Pedley, Jeff Burk, Alan Reinhart.
July 15 -- Newsmaker: Scott Atherton. Panelists: Larry Edsall, Greg Creamer, Jonathan Ingram.
July 22 -- Newsmaker: Ray Evernham. Panelists: Ed Hinton, Bob Pockrass.
[ Richard Petty interview news nugget Thursday . . . ]
Thursday, June 25, 2009
ECONOMAKI REMEMBERS NSSN's 75 YEARS
Wednesday, on the day the 75th anniversary issue of National Speed Sport News was published, editor Chris Economaki was the Newsmaker on my The Race Reporters radio show on http://powerupchannel.com/ . President/publisher Corinne Economaki and award-winning NSSN writers Dave Argabright and Susan Wade joined me for the journalists' roundtable.
I asked Chris what has been the most important story covered in the pages of NSSN during the last 75 years:
"That was in 1935 with the general acceptance of the crash helmet by people in American auto racing . . . It was an incredible move. The death rate in American racing to that point was horrendous. The crash helmet saved life-after-life-after-life. When everybody decided to use one, it was a big story."
What is America's most important race, the Indianapolis 500 or Daytona 500?
"The Daytona 500 is important because it is heavily promoted. The Indianapolis 500, unfortunately, is not heavily promoted. It's presented and managed well, but it isn't promoted well. That is the big difference. You have to beat the drums for your event and the Indianapolis 500 doesn't have a drum beater."
Who is the greatest driver you've seen?
"It's a toss-up between A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti. It's a difficult question to answer. One of those two is, without question, the senior performer in American auto racing."
Listen to the entire show by using this link:
http://va.radiopilot.net/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=39476
The Race Reporters podcast is now available on iTunes:
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=319558548
Upcoming guests:
July 1 -- Newsmaker: Richard Petty. Panelists: Mike Harris, Lewis Franck.
July 8 -- Newsmaker: Ron Capps. Panelists: Jim Pedley, Jeff Burk, Alan Reinhart.
July 15 -- Newsmaker: Scott Atherton. Panelists: Larry Edsall, Greg Creamer, Jonathan Ingram.
[ more next Tuesday . . . ]
I asked Chris what has been the most important story covered in the pages of NSSN during the last 75 years:
"That was in 1935 with the general acceptance of the crash helmet by people in American auto racing . . . It was an incredible move. The death rate in American racing to that point was horrendous. The crash helmet saved life-after-life-after-life. When everybody decided to use one, it was a big story."
What is America's most important race, the Indianapolis 500 or Daytona 500?
"The Daytona 500 is important because it is heavily promoted. The Indianapolis 500, unfortunately, is not heavily promoted. It's presented and managed well, but it isn't promoted well. That is the big difference. You have to beat the drums for your event and the Indianapolis 500 doesn't have a drum beater."
Who is the greatest driver you've seen?
"It's a toss-up between A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti. It's a difficult question to answer. One of those two is, without question, the senior performer in American auto racing."
Listen to the entire show by using this link:
http://va.radiopilot.net/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=39476
The Race Reporters podcast is now available on iTunes:
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=319558548
Upcoming guests:
July 1 -- Newsmaker: Richard Petty. Panelists: Mike Harris, Lewis Franck.
July 8 -- Newsmaker: Ron Capps. Panelists: Jim Pedley, Jeff Burk, Alan Reinhart.
July 15 -- Newsmaker: Scott Atherton. Panelists: Larry Edsall, Greg Creamer, Jonathan Ingram.
[ more next Tuesday . . . ]
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