PIR INDYCAR STORY LINEUP (and NEW 'MOST INFLUENTIAL' LIST

Finally!

IndyCars are back in the Valley of the Sun this coming Saturday evening for the first time in 11 years. For those so inclined, I've got thousands of words this week in the Arizona Republic / AzCentral.com . First up Sunday's blowout feature on Scott Dixon, a great driver, a great person. Monday I'll explain the significance and demands of short ovals in IndyCar history. My notebooks start Wednesday and Friday will be my feature on Ryan Hunter-Reay. Saturday will be my traditional race day Q&A, this one with Mario Andretti. Monday, April 4, I'll wrap it all up. All those links and news from the track all this week on @SpinDoctor 500 . 

POWER PLAYERS for the week of  March 27: This week's 10 most influential

people in the Business and Politics of Motorsports, as selected by long-time journalist/publicist and industry insider Michael Knight. 

  1. Jay Frye -- NASCAR veteran was IndyCar's key negotiator in bringing the series back to Phoenix. Now, he's in charge of all competition issues. Getting the rules right (like amount of downforce) is essential, because no major race in recent memory needs great "word of mouth" promotion more than Saturday evening's 250 miler.

 2. Alan Johnson -- Nitro cars' greatest tuner got Brittany Force her first Top Fuel victory at the Gatornationals. Can Johnson the consultant go back-to-back at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with Force or Steve Torrence?  

  3. Kyle Busch -- What will the Sprint Cup champion say, or not say, and how will he say it to the media at Martinsville after NASCAR fines post-Auto Club Speedway Xfinity Series race? 

  4. Mike Joy, Jeff Gordon and Darrell Waltrip -- There's always lots to say during Martinsville races. DW and Jeff allowing each other enough time and space to make their points -- with Joy as traffic cop -- is essential. If someone doesn't cooperate, stick a Martinsville hot dog in his mouth.

  7. Lewis Hamilton -- Will the world champion restore "order" at Bahrain circuit after Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg won in Australia? 

  8. Bryan Sperber -- Phoenix International Raceway president has a lot on the line with return of IndyCar. And paid attendance will be . . . ?

 9. Jason Johnson -- The World of Outlaws resumes action Friday night in California after a rare "off" weekend with Johnson coming off a spectacular victory at Placerville Short Track, where he was involved in a major accident that sidelined him for the season at the same track one year earlier. 

 10. Kody Swanson-- USAC Silver Crown champion the last two seasons headliner as series opens Sunday at Terre Haute Action Track.

[ more next week . . . ]

  

HAAS ON THE BUSINESS OF F1 (PLUS HE's ON NEW 'MOST INFLUENTIAL LIST'

The Haas F1 team made its debut last weekend in Australia and Romain Grosjean finished a good sixth. I thought this was a good time to share some of my Business of Racing quotes from team owner Gene Haas. I interviewed him November 2015 in the NASCAR garage area at Phoenix International Raceway, where one of his drivers, Kevin Harvick, dominates. Some of this was used in my Arizona Republic notebooks PIR week.

On his first meeting with F1 commercial czar Bernie Ecclestone: "He was very nice and cordial, but a year later, when I went to see him again, he goes, ‘Who the hell are you?’ I think by nature he’s (inaudible). He said, ‘You can’t be serious about what you want to do. You have to be out of your mind.’ On the other hand, when he dropped down to seven or eight teams, he allowed four teams to come on board. I guess his perspective is based on how many teams he has on the grid."

On the massive cost of Formula One: "If you look at it over 10 years and you invest $10 million a year, that’s $100 million. That sounds like a lot more. We’ve probably invested at least $10-$15-$20 million in racing for 15 years. I can’t tell you how much I’ve invested in Formula One but I don’t think it will be triple digits yet."

On using F1 to increase international sales of his machine tools: "That’s the No. 1 reason for doing this. Just in the little bit I’ve done, the perception that Haas Automation as a company has received in these overseas venues has been phenomenal. I think it’s worked out beyond my expectations as far as people becoming aware of Haas Automation as a brand and as a machine tool builder.

"(In 2014) we did a little over $1 billion in sales and our long-term goal is to double that. It (Grand Prix team) would actually pay for itself in a 10 percent increase in sales. Ultimately, we expect to have revenue from sponsors. We expect to run it as a business and maybe one day make a profit from it."

On the possibility of hiring an American driver: "It would help from a marketing standpoint to try to sell advertising space to bring in an American driver. But our primary purpose is to learn about Formula One. Our goal is to do the best we can with what we can attain. We were able to attain a current Formula One driver to add some maturity and knowledge. Romain will bring his knowledge of the tracks and little things we need to know about like pit roads, tire strategies and those sort of things."

POWER PLAYERS for the week of  March 20: This week's 10 most influential

people in the Business and Politics of Motorsports, as selected by long-time journalist/publicist and industry insider Michael Knight. 

  1.  Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus -- NASCAR's most famous driver-crew chief combo has won two of five this season and "Superman's" California victory put him one up on Dale Earnhardt's career total.

  3. John Force -- Gets first NHRA "double" with Brittany Force and Robert Hight winning Top Fuel and Funny Car at the Gatornationals. 

  4. Gene Haas -- Owner of America's first Formula One team in 30 years gets a points-paying sixth place in Grand Prix debut.

  5. Brittany Force -- Finally, her first Top Fuel win, and in an NHRA "major" no less. This is what NHRA needs, for the Force daughters (Courtney in Funny Car) to win and win and make headline after headline.

  6. Mike Helton -- Is NASCAR's vice chairman and his competition executives about to penalize Kyle Busch for his post-Auto Club Speedway Xfinity Series race actions and non-actions?

  7. Toto Wolff -- The Mercedes-Benz motorsports boss sees Nico Rosberg win season-opener in Australia and influences others to overturn F1's silly new qualifying format after just one try.

  8. Pipo Derani -- The Brazilian, 22, is virtually unknown in America, except at Sebring, just as he did at Daytona, takes overall lead and wins a SportsCar classic in the closing minutes for Ligier-Honda.

  9. Donny Schatz -- Sweeps the World of Outlaws weekend at Stockton, Calif., dirt track.

 10. Tony Pedregon -- Still getting his legs under him in new FS1 NHRA TV role, but the "how" and "why" of his explanations will shape the opinions of the drag racing audience.

[ more next week . . . ]

  

SORRY

Post NASCAR Week in Phoenix illness has kept me from updating this week. Will have a new list Sunday night. Thank you.

MAKING THE RIGHT RULES

As I have been writing and advocating for a return of IndyCars to Phoenix International Raceway since 2007, it was a pleasure to actually see this "officially" happen at the recent two-day pre-season test. I was there for all four sessions. Of course, different teams have different agendas during tests, so precise comparisons can't be made. But I especially paid attention to the two evening sessions since the April 2 250-mile race will happen on a Saturday evening.

IndyCars look spectacular under the PIR lights. In observing those two sessions, however, it became obvious to me passing could be a problem in the race. Those who have enjoyed open-wheel cars on short ovals, as I have for decades, know working through traffic is a great challenge to the leading drivers and many a race has been won or lost because of this.

Running the high line through turns one and two, and then forcing the driver/car on the inside to stay low off T2 so the pass can be completed, would be fun to watch. It would also constitute a brave maneuver. Every driver I spoke with said they expect there to be 1 1/2 grooves for the race but not two. Yes, we all have heard many times drivers predict trouble in passing and yet they somehow find a way to make it happen.

My conclusion from what I observed was the cars had too much downforce. It concerned me when I heard some suggest MORE downforce would be the way to go. NO!

Let me just say how absolutely essential it is for IndyCar's drivers and teams to put on a GREAT show for the series' return to PIR since 2005. No major race in recent times needs positive word-of-mouth from the customers to potential new customers more than the Phoenix Grand Prix 250.

This reminds me of when the series came to Texas Motor Speedway a few years ago for a Saturday night race on the ABC network. Not cable, the over-the-airwaves network. That was another case of IndyCar really needing to be spectacular. Despite what drivers suggested after practice, though, the then-officials-in-charge didn't adjust. The race was boring. A great opportunity was lost. It was back to cable the following year.

Phoenix will be an early and huge test for Jay Frye, in his new role as competition president, and Bill Pappas, the series' new technical boss. I'm friends with both and worked with both in other situations. The decisions made about downforce levels for Phoenix must be spot-on correct.

The Verizon series can't afford anything less than the best racing on a Saturday evening in the Valley of the Sun, a major and demographically diverse (important to sponsors) market. Sooooo much rides on it.


I grew up in Philadelphia, went to school there, became a race fan there, started my journalism career there. I was there when Roger Penske bought his first auto dealership, Chevrolet, retired as a winning sports car driver and began America's greatest race team. I was there at the first shop, in Newtown Square, Pa., and in the Reading, Pa., HQ countless times, including for the launch of the Penske Formula One car. I lunched with Mark Donohue just a few days before  his death and attended his funeral and wrote about it all in the Philadelphia Daily News. I was in Chicago for the announcement that Roger had hired some guy named Rick Mears. And so it went on . . . I was there for most of it and now, 50 years later, I write the Team Penske story. It was promoted on the Front Page of Sunday's Arizona Republic and ran at the top of sports Page 1. It marked the start of our NASCAR Week in Phoenix coverage
( online at AzCentral.com ) so I hope you'll read our stories all week, including a Q&A with Jimmie Johnson, features on Chase Elliott, the Wood Brothers and NASCAR's new car rules, plus Danica and lots more. Thank you.

I'll be Tweeting from PIR's pit lane and garage area, from inside the haulers and media center, with what I find interesting and newsworthy this weekend. That additional element of my NASCAR coverage you can find at @SpinDoctor500 . Thanks.

POWER PLAYERS for the week of  March 6: This week's 10 most influential

people in the Business and Politics of Motorsports, as selected by long-time journalist/publicist and industry insider Michael Knight. 

  1.  Roger Penske -- Brad Keselowski gets The Captain his first win of the 50th anniversary season for Team Penske. Up this coming weekend: Start of Verizon IndyCar Series season. 

  2. Brad Keselowski -- Comes off unusual non-competitive outing in Saturday's Xfinity Series race to take Miller Lite and Ford to victory lane in Las Vegas, overcoming high winds and a pit-lane speeding penalty.

  3. Kyle Busch -- Won Vegas' Xfinity Series race, leading all but one lap, and ran strong in Cup race. 

  4. Mike Helton -- Just what NASCAR's vice chairman likes to see: Three races, three different winning drivers, Toyota, Chevy and Ford all victory lane visitors.

  5. Scott Dixon -- American racing's most relentless driver opens IndyCar title defense in St. Pete.

  6. Jay Frye -- Now IndyCar's racing boss, a job which traditionally has a high turn-over rate, his time in the hot seat officially begins on the streets of St. Pete.

  7. Bryan Sperber -- A strong fan turnout this weekend in Phoenix would strengthen the speedway president's bid with International Speedway Corp. to fund much-needed track improvements.

  8. Shane Stewart -- Ends the World of Outlaws week with a win in debut race at Arizona Speedway. It was his first victory of the season -- last year, he won nine times and finished second in points to Donny Schatz.

  9. Jim Utter -- Switched from Charlotte Observer to Motorsport.com midway last season, now in full writing swing on all happening in the NASCAR world.

 10. Dave Moody -- SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90 afternoon drive-time host spent a lot of time last week with callers who wanted to talk about Brian France's endorsement of Donald Trump. Hot topic this week? Not even Moody knows for sure.

[ more next week . . . ]

  

4 IN TOP 2 ON NEW 'MOST INFLUENTIAL' LIST

POWER PLAYERS for the week of  February 28: This week's 10 most influential
people in the Business and Politics of Motorsports, as selected by long-time journalist/publicist and industry insider Michael Knight. 

  1.  Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus -- They make the right calls at the end to win Atlanta as Johnson ties the late Dale Earnhardt's wins total. 

  3. Tony Stewart and Gene Haas -- Their move from Chevrolet to Ford for the 2017 NASCAR season qualifies as a true shocker. And puts the Blue Oval into position to win a manufacturers' championship.

    5. Ken Black -- The Summit Racing Equipment Chevy Camaro NHRA Pro Stock team he owns grabs-hold of the new electronic fuel injection and other new rules to go 2-for-2 this season. At Pomona it was Greg Anderson. At Wild Horse Pass it was Jason Line.

  6. Helio Castroneves -- Fastest overall at the two-day Phoenix IndyCar test for Penske and Chevy, but note, Honda clearly has closed the gap. At least on a one-mile oval.

  7. Leah Pritchett -- Becomes the 101st different winner in NHRA Top Fuel, winning Wild Horse Pass for driver-turned-owner Bob Vandergriff Jr. Oh, this is the car Larry Dixon was in last season.

  8. Daryn Pittman and Brad Sweet -- Kasey Kahne drivers sweep the World of Outlaws weekend in Texas. 

 10. Claire B. Lang -- Listening to her garage area reports on Sirius XM Channel 90 on any NASCAR weekend means you'll hear directly from the drivers and teams, because everyone talks to Clare B.

[ more next week . . . ]

  

TOYOTA DELIVERS IN THE STADIUM

The "optics," as the political spindoctors like to call visual elements, all looked good for NASCAR on Opening Day of the 2016 Sprint Cup season at the remodeled $400 million Daytona International Speedway stadium. And, even if you were only a casual watcher on Fox or FS1, you do, indeed, know that Daytona is now a "stadium"

Brian France could smile about a beautiful sunny Florida Sunday, sold-out grandstands, the garage area peace fostered by the new Charter system (memorialized with a group photo with team owners Sunday morning), Jeff Gordon in the Fox booth, 20-year-old Chase Elliott -- NASCAR's great hope to attract younger fans -- on the pole and Dale Earnhardt Jr. widely touted as the pre-race favorite. Probably the only negative optic was Junior spinning out and into retirement from The Great American Race. The optic to forever be remembered will be Denny  Hamlin thismuch ahead of Martin Truex Jr. at the finish line. It surely will be cited as yet another Great Moment in NASCAR history. Just too bad it was followed by another nothing Jamie Little victory lane interview.

I will be interested to hear in the next day or two if there were any major glitches with getting people in-and-out of the Speedway -- errr, stadium -- with the so-called "injector" system. Or in the social "neighborhoods" or elsewhere. As I write this, I am not aware of any.

The most important thing about Hamlin's victory might well be he did it in a Toyota. Thus, Toyota's NASCAR plan has finally reached its two big objectives. Kyle Busch won the first Cup driving title for Toyota last season, and now, Hamlin has provided the D500 trophy. It's obvious Toyota spends more to activate its on-the-track participation than Chevy or Ford. An observant look at Sunday's Fox telecast revealed numerous Toyota "added value" elements, such as showing its injector and display in the -- wait, I have to make sure I get this right -- stadium. And in-race graphic displays. My point is let's see what Toyota rolls out in terms of an all-out media program to take advantage of Hamlin's victory. TV spots, print ads, social media initiatives, let's see if T throws the sink at it. I'm not sure there is any other corporate participant in position to do as much with a Daytona 500 victory than Toyota.

If so, NASCAR won't complain. Be they inside or outside the stadium.


Suddenly, it's Race Time in Arizona. NHRA is in the Valley this weekend and IndyCar's major pre-season test, unfortunately, overlaps with the first two days of drag racing qualifying. My Arizona Republic / AzCentral.com coverage begins Thursday with a feature on Erica Enders. I'll have a notebook Friday, then IndyCar stories from PIR Saturday and Sunday. Then back to Wild Horse Pass for final eliminations and a Monday story. The next week the World of Outlaws will be in these parts and it will be NASCAR week here. I'll put story links on Twitter @SpinDoctor500 and I expect many updates from NHRA, IndyCar, Outlaws and NASCAR will be found there as well.

POWER PLAYERS for the week of  February 21: This week's 10 most influential
people in the Business and Politics of Motorsports, as selected by long-time journalist/publicist and industry insider Michael Knight. 

  1.  Joe Gibbs -- Matt Kenseth was leading coming off turn four and Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards went 1-3-5 for Coach's team.

  2. David Wilson -- Toyota Racing Development president not only sees the Gibbs' near sweep, his new recruit, Furniture Row Racing and Martin Truex Jr., comes home second.

   3. Denny Hamlin -- Wins Daytona in his 11th try in No. 11. More often than not Hamlin has been cooperative with the media; now he's in the spotlight during NASCAR's national media tour.

  4. Chase Elliott --  A spin led to a disappointing Daytona 500 result after starting on the pole, but let's remember his sensational victory in Saturday's Xfinity Series race.

  5. Jeff Gordon and Darrell Waltrip -- Now Fox's new booth duo must put the Daytona hype behind them and settle in for the long portion of Fox's NASCAR season. Overall, their respective performances at Daytona signal promise.

  7. Ed Clark -- Atlanta Motor Speedway boss has ticket plans with a good-weather guarantee.  Good luck. 

  8. Ron Capps -- He won the NHRA Funny Car season opener in pursuit of that elusive first championship. It would help to maintain momentum to at least make the semis this weekend at Wild Horse Pass, outside Phoenix.

  9. Art St. Cyr -- Honda Performance Development president gets to see how his revised aero kits and engine upgrades match with Chevrolet in IndyCar's big pre-season test at Phoenix International Raceway.


 10. Bryan Sperber -- The PIR president will let fans in free Saturday to watch the IndyCar test and drivers will be available for autographs. How many tickets that will sell for the oval's first IndyCar race since 2005 will be key.

[ more next week . . . ]

  

WHAT I NEED RACING TO DO FOR ME

I'm deep into my fifth decade of professional motorsports involvement. I hope, and believe, I've made some positive contributions to the sport and industry along the way. I guess at least some people think I have as I've been honored with several awards for "dedication" and "contributions" to motorsports, including the inaugural Bob Russo Founders Award.

My first byline story appeared in 1969 in the old USAC News. In the aftermath of a refueling fire that led to a crewman's death, I wrote that USAC should mandate that all pit crew members wear a Nomex uniform. That sounds obvious today, but back then, it wasn't unusual for over-the-wall guys to wear T-shirts. You can see it in the old photos and films and even the Indianapolis 500 fire crew on pit road wore cotton, not Nomex. Anyway, I like to think I made a useful contribution to racing starting with my very first published piece.

I sure hope to make some more contributions this year, even if nothing more than providing readers here in the Valley of the Sun with my stories in the Arizona Republic and AzCentral.com .  The media environment here is such that I'll probably account for a high percentage of the total local coverage. I'm not pushing any agenda as these are feature and hard news articles and Q&As. As IndyCar series drivers here are largely unknown, I plan to tell people here of the fascinating and wonderful human stories in pit lane, leading up to the April 2 Saturday night return of the Verizon Series after a decade.

This year, though, is fundamentally different. 

This year, I need racing to give back to me.

It's been a challenging few years and I'm functioning in the aftermath of that while still dealing with other issues as yet unresolved. I need for motorsports to be more than a distraction to me. I need it to lift my spirits, excite me, keep me mentally and emotionally positive.

I need for the racing to be FANTASTIC. I need more than Brian France's promised "Wow" moments. I need every series to give me its version of IndyCar last summer at Auto Club Speedway.

I need there to be GREAT stories. On the track. On pit road. In the paddock. In the garage area. I will read and hear enough about politics from the Republicans and Democrats this presidential election year. I need racing to provide those wonderful human interest stories that make all of us feel good and inspired.

I need the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 to live up to its billing as the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing." If I make it, it will be my 38th Indy 500. I need for May's practice and qualifying sessions to be safe and interesting. On race day, I don't need any rain, but every grandstand seat must be occupied. I need the best-ever start, best-ever pit action, best-ever finish, best-ever victory lane, best-ever winner's interview.

I need drivers, owners, crew chiefs and others to say interesting things during interviews. Yes, make sure the sponsors get the exposure they need and have paid for, but please move past a long list of corporate names and tell us things we don't know.

I need the microphone holders to ask legitimate, meaningful questions. "What does this mean to you?" is ridiculous and I hope I live long enough to be watching when the inevitable answer is given. "Talk about your race" isn't even a question. 

I need Jeff Gordon to be as great a TV commentator as he was a driver. I need Darrell Waltrip to dial his ego back a notch to give Gordon the time to make his points. I need Mike Joy to be a great traffic cop to make sure this happens.

I need the new NHRA package on Fox Sports to be boffo. I need the competitors to avoid boring oil downs so the live TV races will be a success.

I need the track operators to keep striving to make the fan experience the best it can be. In some cases, that means past-due facility upgrades. In others, it means more creative thinking. It's all about having a great day and seeing an unforgetible show.

I need more companies to spend their marketing dollars in the racing series that best fits their business objectives. Especially with low economic growth in America, and a roller-coaster stock market, there are good deals to be made.

I need the mainstream news media to look past the obvious NASCAR stories and bother to report on what's interesting in NHRA, World of Outlaws and other ignored series. There are GREAT stories out there, waiting to be told, for journalists willing to stop looking down their noses.

Most of all, I need the industry and the sport and the product to be so compelling that I can't wait for the next race. In other words, ladies and gentlemen, get my -- and everyone else's -- motor running.


Personal circumstances mean the blog this year will be somewhat different. I don't believe in writing for no reason other than to fill space. So, when I have enough time to think, and the mental energy to write, you will see a new weekly post. I will rely somewhat more on Twitter ( @SpinDoctor500 ) to offer quick thoughts as developments warrant between blogs. So, if you're a regular blog reader, please look for me on Twitter as well. The "Power Players" list of the 10 most influential people in the Business and Politics of Motorsports resumes below and will be here weekly. Thank you.


POWER PLAYERS for the week of  February 14: This week's 10 most influential
people in the Business and Politics of Motorsports, as selected by long-time journalist/publicist and industry insider Michael Knight. 

  1.  Brian France -- Charter system for 36 Sprint Cup team owners a revolution in the Business and Politics of NASCAR. My, my, has the thinking ever changed in Daytona Beach. Next big challenge: A replacement series title sponsor for lame-duck Sprint.

  2. Lesa France Kennedy -- International Speedway Corp. chairwoman gets to officially show off her $400 million Daytona "stadium" to the motorsports industry. Success or failure will affect many other tracks in the next few years. Will all the 101,000 seats be occupied?

  3. Dale Earnhardt Jr. -- Why? It's Daytona 500 week. 

  4. Jeff Gordon -- There's been plenty of pre-Daytona promotion for Fox's new superstar in the booth. Gordon gets his chance to shine at the start of the season and his performance could help bring new viewers to NASCAR.  

  5. Chase Elliott -- At 20, he's the youngest Daytona 500 pole winner ever. You can bet NASCAR will be out trying to sell his story -- Gordon's successor in the No. 24, among other things -- in hopes to attracting a new generation of fan.

  6. Alan Johnson -- Drag racing's master tuner, with his own team parked due to lack of sponsorship, becomes a "consultant" to Steve Torrance. Torrence then wins the pole and the finals at Pomona. 

  7. Ron Capps -- NHRA's Phil Michelson -- wins a lot but never No. 1 -- starts his chase for a Funny Car championship with a Pomona win. Capps knows how to tell and sell NHRA's appeal to the public and the media.  

  8. Darrell Waltrip -- What he says influences what viewers think about drivers, teams and NASCAR itself. But he needs to back out of his own throttle enough to let Jeff Gordon in. 

  9. Jenna Fryer -- What she writes for the Associated Press is distributed around the world. Be that positive or negative.

 10. Rob Kauffman -- Leader of the Race Team Alliance cuts the "Charter" deal with NASCAR -- and has two of his own from defunct Michael Waltrip Racing to sell.

[ more next week . . . ]

  

THE CHAPMAN CENTENNIAL

The 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 will be this May. 

But, today, I remember another "100" and one which has a strong connection to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the IndyCar series.

PR legend and my closest friend, Mr. James P. Chapman, was born on January 24, 1916 in Macon, Ga. This Dan Boyd photo, taken at the 1991 CART awards banquet, is very special to me. A print, with personal inscription from Jim, occupies a place of honor in my office.

The Chapman Centennial is so important to remember because there was no finer gentleman and no greater practitioner of the PR profession. The level of respect Jim earned was such that everyone would take or return his call. He could walk into a newsroom and not only know everyone's name, he knew the names of spouse and children. As director of PPG's sponsorship of the CART series, he worked behind the scenes to quietly resolve serious issues between CART and some of its event organizers and sponsors. 

As Dan Gurney once said, Jim practically invented most of what is now considered routine PR work.

Jim was close to the Hulman-George family and every May hosted a dinner for IMS department heads and spouse. Mari Hulman George and Tony George attended Jim's 1996 memorial service in Michigan. Ask anyone who knew Jim and they would tell you this: He was probably the only one who could have negotiated a settlement between Tony and CART. I believe that to be true in my mind and heart. But his health did not permit Mr. Chapman to be active at that time.

In 1982, Chapman negotiated a landmark sponsorship for PPG with then- IMS President Joe Cloutier, which formally made the Indy 500 a points-paying event in the PPG Indy Car World Series, an arrangement that continued through the 1995 season. “That was one of the most satisfying moments of my career,” Chapman recalled. “Roger Penske, among others, told me it was the best thing that had ever happened to CART.” In addition to a major contribution to the prize fund, PPG later became sponsor of the $100,000 Indy 500 pole award, and paid a special winner’s bonus in the early years of NASCAR’s Brickyard 400.

“With Jim, when he says ‘jump,’ we just ask ‘how high?,” Indy 500 winner and PPG Cup champion Al Unser Jr. said on behalf of his fellow drivers. “And we do it right then.”

Indy Car Racing magazine named Chapman the sport’s “most influential” man of the 1980s, saying he turned “a public relations assignment into an art form.” After his retirement, Chapman continued to consult PPG, and agreed to Mario Andretti’s personal request that he serve as honorary chairman of Andretti’s “Arrivederci, Mario” farewell tour in 1994.

Any PR person would cherish the opportunity to work with Babe Ruth, Gurney, Bill France Sr., Andretti or Avis Rent-a-Car founder Warren Avis. Jim worked with all of them. Correction: They all wanted to work with him.

The most important thing I think of on the occasion of the Chapman Centennial is relationship building. Jim instinctively knew that having solid one-on-one relationships with key journalists was helpful in good times and absolutely essential in troubled times. There was no Internet, or E-mail, or texts, or Twitter or any other modern-day gizmos in his era. He built those relationships with phone calls, hand-written notes, a handshake, a smile and a "Thank you," often over a shared meal. 

Today, far too many PRers think such relationships are accomplished with an impersonal electronic message. Jim knew nothing could ever replace the sound of a person's voice, a smile, a look in the eye, a handshake. Forever it will be so. I am absolutely certain Jim would speak out against this lack of professionalism and would not be able to understand that a lot of publicists these days don't even bother to visit the media center to talk with journalists and make new media friends. You'd be amazed that some of the most famous teams with big-time sponsors employ such people. Shame on the team owners and sponsorship managers and all others who allow this to happen.

In the nearly three decades I worked in PR somehow, without E-mail etc., I and others knew when a reporter was ill, or had to have surgery, or had a sick spouse or children, or who had a death in the family, or moved into a new home, or other significant life happenings. We knew because we were actually outreaching and talking to people. And, as a function of courtesy and good PR, I and others would send flowers or make some other appropriate gesture. It's pathetic many in today's PR crowd reflect the declining standards in our society and don't even know enough to send a card.

How important was Chapman? One measure: The New York Times published a staff-written obit.

The Jim Chapman Award for Excellence in Motorsports Public Relations is decided by a blue-ribbon media committee, as Jim wished. I am the legal rights-holder of the award and non-voting chairman of the committee. As I always say to JCA recipients: The true honor is not the plaque. The true honor is having your name forever associated with that of the great James P. Chapman.

Happy 100, Mr. Chapman. Thank you. God Bless.

JIM CHAPMAN AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN MOTORSPORTS PR HONOREES:

1991 – Michael Knight

1992 – Tom Blattler

1993-94 – Deke Houlgate and Hank Ives

1995 – Kathi Lauterbach

1996 – Marc Spiegel

1997 – Mike Zizzo

1998 – Tamy Valkosky

1999 -- Carol Wilkins

2000-2003 – (Award not presented)

2004 – Doug Stokes

2005 – Susan Arnold

2006 – Kevin Kennedy

2007 – Dave Densmore and Bob Carlson

2008 – Judy Stropus

2009 –  (Award not presented)

2010 -- Jim Hunter

2011 -- Bill York

2012 -- Judy Kouba Dominick and Nancy Wager

2013 -- Anne Fornoro

2014 -- Jon Edwards and Elon Werner

2015 -- Linda Vaughn (honorary)

2015 -- David Ferroni

2015

The more I think about 2015, the more I think it was mainly a year setting up the big -- in some cases, monumental -- issues and stories of 2016.

When Jeff Gordon announced last January that this past Sprint Cup season would be his last, I thought that would be the No. 1 motorsports story of the year. It turned out to be No. 2.

From a viewpoint accounting for the business and politics of racing, as well as competition, the most important development of 2015 was the fundamental change of philosophy in NASCAR. I think it was significantly under-reported, perhaps because one had to put together all the pieces to grasp what was happening. 

Think about it: When drivers refused to race Talladega in 1969 due to safety concerns, Big Bill France rounded-up replacements and non-Cup spec cars and put on the show. Do you remember, in the aftermath of Dale Earnhardt's death, Jimmy Spencer's and Todd Bodine's call for a driver safety committee was completely ignored by everyone except the media trying to "keep the story going" as they say. Now, there is a formal driver council, which meets with NASCAR's top brass. And it was the drivers who had huge input into the 2016 "low downforce" rules. (Of course, if that package doesn't improve the quality of racing -- defined by CEO Brian France as more side-by-side action and "Wow" moment finishes -- the finger of blame will be pointed at the drivers.) 

Remember when NASCAR's response to the creation of the Race Team Alliance was that the owners' group would have to communicate with the sanctioning body via lawyers? While NASCAR hasn't publicly wrapped its arms around the RTA,  serious discussions have and are taking place to create some sort of franchise system to add much-needed value to the teams. 

The sanction abandoned its long practice of granting racetracks one-year deals and so the regular hosts now have five-year contracts, a bid to provide stability and date equity.

Kyle Busch's leg and foot injuries in Daytona's Saturday Xfinity race brought a quick response from NASCAR and its tracks in adding SAFER barriers and temporary tire walls. We need to see this re-energized safety initiative continue in the New Year. And I hope there's money to keep researching and developing more and better safety systems. 

Some PR spinner advised Brian France a few years ago to refer to competitors and other constituency groups within the series as "stakeholders," an attempt to make the business sound more sophisticated and inclusive. Well, in 2015, is was actually happening for REAL. I talked about this with Mike Helton, whose title was changed to vice chairman before last season (look for COO Brent Dewar to get the president title), and in essence we both said the times demand this more welcoming approach. 

This NASCAR isn't your father's or grandfather's NASCAR. The change of course ordered by the Daytona Beach Powers-That-Be was profound. I say again, it was under-reported, but it was huge and will play out even more in 2016.

Despite all the hype about the redesigned car that made its debut season-before-last, you know, the one that looks more like the street versions, I find it incredibly disappointing that with all the time and manufacturer mutual cooperation that went into it, that this car hasn't produced far-better competition from an entertainment standpoint. Thus we had the spectacle of multiple mid-season aero changes. I wrote and said many months ago that given Brian France's mandate for a better show, watch for people changes, and we saw that with competition VP Robin Pemberton's exit. If Brian isn't happier with the product in 2016, you can bet more staffers will be invited to depart from their NASCAR employment.

One big improvement I'm hoping for in the New Year is actually not something new, but rather a return to something old. The guy who convinced Brian France to steer away from the basics of good and professional one-on-one relationships with the media, and created the Integrated Marketing Communications model, left for a non-motorsports job. Congratulations. Now let's get back to actually TALKING to media and providing the essentials such as a print version of the media guide.

Gordon's decision to stop after a transformational and consequential career (I'd like to meet whoever doesn't vote for him as a first ballot Hall of Famer) sets up a couple more fascinating 2016 stories. Much heralded Chase Elliott will take over the now iconic No. 24 and will be under an intense garage area, media and fan microscope. Will he win a race and make the Chase? Meanwhile, up in the Fox TV booth, Gordon will team with Mike Joy and Darrell Waltrip. How DW adapts, and if Joy is successful in directing traffic to ensure Gordon gets plenty of airtime to have his say, is something I'm anxious to see and hear.

Speaking of Elliott, the other youngster to follow in '16 is Erik Jones, widely touted to be NASCAR's Next Big Thing. Champion team owner Joe Gibbs keeps saying he has a plan to get Jones into the Cup series, and you gotta believe Toyota isn't going to let Jones get away the way Ford did with Jeff Gordon.

NASCAR keeps saying it's committed to a great "fan experience" and that puts the spotlight right on Daytona International Speedway and it's $400 million "re-imagining" that makes it more stadium than racetrack. Will the risk this investment represents pay off?

The economists and financial analysts I listen to keep saying the U.S. economy is overdo for another recession amidst the continued sluggish recovery from the crash of 2008. If that happens, watch out, and not just at Daytona. Sprint will be in its final season as the Cup series sponsor and word is NASCAR wants a 10-year, $1 billion commitment from a new partner. The timing simply might not be right for that. I wonder if Brian France and Co. would be willing to go sponsor-less for a year or two until the "right" deal comes along?

One thing is certain, and that's the end of the great Beer Wars and bragging rights among the oil companies. In the early 1980s, when I was CART's communications director, we had car sponsorship by six different brewers. In the last few weeks came news of the planned merger that would put Budweiser and Miller under the same corporate umbrella. It had already been decided to take the flagship Bud name off Kevin Harvick's Chevy for the second-tier and less prestigious Busch brand. 

And while race promoters and fans continue to cheer much cheaper gasoline, the collapse in oil prices might well eventually impact racing sponsorships. There is cost-cutting aplenty in the oil industry. If you are a Roger Penske, whose two major sponsors are a beer and an oil, well . . . 
Xfinity, Truck, NHRA, sports car and IndyCar teams already are thinly sponsored. The national and world economies are a source of great anxiety within the racing industry heading into 2016.

Elsewhere, NHRA will have a new TV package with Fox Sports and a transition to mostly live final-round telecasts. Let's see if shorter turnaround times for the crews will result in mechanical failures or setup mistakes and, thus, worse racing entertainment. It's a negative that Mike Dunn, racing's best TV analyst, will no longer fill that role. And we offer a respectful salute to Gary Gerould, a great pro and nice man, who has retired from pit road reporting.

Peter Clifford will get his chance at a first full-season as NHRA president following Tom Compton's unexplained departure. On paper, Clifford has made what look like positive moves in recent months, but the true test will be how it all plays out on-and-off the track.

The only real good thing I can see in the still struggling United SportsCar series is the Ford GT factory effort. This should generate a good bit of additional news coverage for the road racing tour. To what effect?

Finally, the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 should be the year's most important event and story. The venerable Speedway is undergoing a remodeling, although not at all near the scale of Daytona. If this doesn't result in a return to sold-out status, and if there isn't a significant increase in national news coverage, we'll have even more cause to worry about the longer-term future of the race and the IndyCar series.


Finally, and as always, I thank all of you, the loyal readers, for using some of your valuable time to consume the information presented in this spec of cyberspace. 

[ please come back for a very special blog Friday, January 22, 2016 . . . ]