DO I HAVE STORIES FOR YOU

GOOD FOR THE BUSINESS OF NASCAR: No. 24 atop the scoreboard.


PLEASE CHECK BACK HERE MONDAY, MARCH 7, TO READ ABOUT AND SEE MY THRILL RIDE WITH TREVOR BAYNE AT PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY.

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Since I wrote 18 stories last week on NASCAR at Phoenix International Raceway -- 13 for the Arizona Republic and five for National Speed Sport News -- I'm going to invite you to check out those writings.

Below are links to what was in the Republic, found at http://azcentral.com/ .

* Tuesday: Review of NASCAR off-season changes --http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/2011/02/21/20110221get-up-speed-nascars-many-changes.html

* Wednesday notebook: Joey Logano, Greg Biffle and more --
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/2011/02/22/20110222nascar-joey-logano-adjusting-sprint-cup-series.html

* Thursday: Dale Earnhardt Jr. --
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/2011/02/23/20110223rick-hendrick-tries-help-dale-earnhardt-jr-end-woes.html

* Thursday notebook: Travis Pastrana and more --
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/2011/02/23/20110223travis-pastrana-set-2nd-stock-car-start.html

* Friday notebook: PIR sells out grandstands and more --
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/2011/02/24/20110224phoenix-international-raceway-grandstand-seats-sold-out.html

* Friday: Drivers remember an old friend --
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/2011/02/24/20110224phoenix-international-raceway-prepares-repaving.html

* Saturday notebook: Danica, Trevor Bayne and more --
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/2011/02/25/20110225nascar-pir-danica-patrick-nationwide.html

* Saturday: Kyle Busch wins Truck race --
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/2011/02/25/20110225nascar-pir-kyle-busch-wins-trucks.html

* Sunday: Kyle Busch wins Nationwide race --
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/2011/02/26/20110226nascar-pir-kyle-busch-nationwide-win.html

* Sunday: Kyle Busch Q&A --
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/2011/02/26/20110226qa-nascar-driver-kyle-busch.html

* Monday: Accidents eliminate top drivers --
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/2011/02/27/20110227nascar-pir-accidents-sprint-cup.html

* Monday notebook: Why Busch left Hendrick, Danica, and more --
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/2011/02/27/20110227nascar-pir-kyle-busch-sweep-ends-sprint-cup.html

Please go to http://nationalspeedsportnews.com/ for my Speed Sport stuff, including a column on the state of racing in Arizona. Or check out this week's paper. By the way, this is my 40th consecutive year as a NSSN subscriber.

Thank you!

PIT STOPS: Trevor Bayne's Daytona 500 victory played well with America's obsessions with youth, surprise and an upset result. The ABC and NBC nightly newscasts had features the following night . . . Over at PTI, the co-hosts -- SURPRISE! -- thought the NBA's gimmick dunk contest and exhibition All-Star game were a higher priority than a legitimate sports event. When they got to Daytona, intellectually lazy Tony Kornheiser twice called it "Sprint Car." Shame on NASCAR "partner" ESPN. The show's title really should be: Pardon The Interruption IF We Talk About Anything Other Than Basketball . . . It's one of the oldest ethical considerations in sports journalism: No Cheering in the Press Box. Too bad it wasn't honored when the checkered flag waved at Daytona . . . We'll see: ESPN will have The Poynter Institute serve as its Ombudsman function for the next 18 months. One place for P to start would be the disastrous Daytona Nationwide race presentation. Still waiting on Speed to understand it needs an O. Apparently the added "journalism" to its new Speed Center is for host Adam Alexander to pace around the studio -- with his hand hanging out of his pocket . . . Man, does ESPN have problems when it comes to racing. On ESPN Radio Sunday morning, host John Kincade asked a caller, "Who do you think will win the Indy 500 TODAY?"

[ more next Monday . . . ]

WHAT JOHNSON SHOULD HAVE DONE ON 'PTI'

Jimmie Johnson passed on an opportunity for a huge win last week, even before the Daytona 500.

Wednesday, the five-time Sprint Cup champion appeared on ESPN's Pardon the Interruption show. That was after co-host Tony Kornheiser had recklessly tossed-out the gossip that Dale Earnhardt Jr. had won the D500 pole because his car wasn't legal.

First, let's be clear: Kornheiser is no longer a reporter. He is no longer a journalist. He trades off his past in those roles, but they no longer apply. Kornheiser said on-air several years ago that he doesn't like to interview athletes; he prefers talking to reporters. THAT IS NOT REPORTING! And it bit Kornheiser in the can big-time in this case, because his "source" for this rumor-mongering was a Washington Post writer. Sub co-host and out-of-control egomanic Dan LeBatard actually praised Kornheiser for having done some "reporting" on Junior. Which proves how little LeBatard actually knows about journalism.

No, I've never worked for the Post or the New York Times, but I know this: IF Kornheiser had talked to Junior, or Rick Hendrick, or Steve Letarte, or a NASCAR official, THAT WOULD have been REPORTING.

He didn't. And it wasn't.

Credibility is supposed to mean everything in the news business, but, apparently ESPN management doesn't apply that standard to PTI. What out-of-touch-with-their-audience media elites like Kornheiser don't accept, because their egos blind them, is the impression left with NASCAR fans is this: If Kornheiser knows so little about racing and is too lazy to learn but that doesn't stop him from mouthing-off, why should we think he knows about anything else he talks about? INFORMED opinion is perfectly acceptable. Gossip, rumors and speculation are not.

I put Kornheiser right there with the likes of Jimmy Spencer and Kenny Wallace. They speak loudly, but say little.

Anyway, back to my point about Johnson.

A very legitimate argument can be made that Johnson should have either said "no" to the PTI interview, or, immediately have taken on the intellectually-empty Kornheiser. If these options weren't discussed with Johnson, they should have been. If sponsor Lowe's objected, fine. If Hendrick thought it wasn't a good idea, OK. If Johnson decided, "That's not me," his choice.

But think about it.

The rap against Johnson is he's too vanilla. What if, in defense of his team and his teammate -- and let's remember that this season Earnhardt's No. 88 is in the same building as Johnson's 48 -- Johnson had come right out of the box at the start of the interview and taken on Mr. No Nothing? Challenged him directly, not rudely, but aggressively.

Junior Nation would have been thrilled. It says here that, overnight, Johnson's fan base would have grown significantly. By stepping out of character, this one time -- and I say again it would have been completely justifiable in defense of his team and his teammate -- Johnson's image and popularity would have turned faster than his Chevy into turn three at Daytona.

Humor can be an effective way to deflect controversy. That's what Cranky Korny attempted to do. Johnson went along with it. I wish he hadn't. It was the perfect circumstance to show some anger; a different side of his personality. It would have been a huge win for Jimmie and for the NASCAR industry, trying as it is to sell tickets and regain TV viewership. Mark it down as Opportunity Lost.

I'm not one to moan about Johnson's historic championship run. I believe in celebrating excellence, not complaining about it. But I wish this was one "pass" Johnson hadn't made.

FAST LINES: ESPN, which oh-so-desperately needed to start the season with a quality production, ended the Daytona Nationwide race on three flats. Marty Reid called the wrong winner -- a mortal sin in his line of work. And, no Marty, Brad Keselowski is not the "defending" Nationwide champion. A new NASCAR rule doesn't allow him to "defend." The network lost the audio in victory lane -- we didn't heard a word of Tony Stewart's "live" interview. And Jamie Little talked to crashed-out Keselowski BEFORE he went to the infield medical center for a mandatory exam. It is ALWAYS MORE IMPORTANT for a driver -- even one who seems OK -- to be seen by the doctors before being heard from by TV. NASCAR officials should enforce that policy -- no exceptions . . . Proving again the power of the NFL, next year's Daytona 500 has been moved back one week, to Feb. 26. The track and NASCAR are anticipating an 18-game NFL regular season and a mid-February Super Bowl . . . The black Budweiser car doesn't look good. Red is right . . . Rookie mistake: A Terrible Towel and sunglasses cost Trevor Bayne's sponsors Big Time TV exposure in Daytona's victory lane . . . From the standpoint of family, good that Tony George has returned to the Hulman & Co. board. From a business standpoint, it's more of the same thinking -- All four new directors are Indiana people. It's a big, wide world out there beyond Indiana and all the Hulman ventures would benefit from a wider perspective. When will they ever learn? . . . The "creative" concept of those singing NAPA commercials has long outlived its shelf life . . . Last week I noted the prospectus for the Williams Formula One team's public offering listed many "risks." Here's an example torn from today's headlines: Political unrest in Bahrain, which is supposed to host a major pre-season test, as well as the series opener . . . Interesting news on the credential front: NASCAR, in addition to allowing drivers' children into the garage area, has relaxed the dress code to OK shorts, open-toed shoes, sleeveless blouses and skirts/dresses. NHRA, marking its 60th anniversary, is offering a free 2011 hard card to past national event winning drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, Pro Stock Motorcycle, Pro Stock Truck and Top Eliminator.

Mark Armijo and I will have full coverage of NASCAR in Phoenix all this week in the Arizona Republic. Below is a link to my Sunday season scene-setter. Thursday, I'll have a story on Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Hendrick Motorsports. Sunday, my now-traditional Newsmaker Q&A will be with Kyle Busch. If you can't get the Republic, read us at http://azcentral.com/ .

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/2011/02/19/20110219nascar-sprint-cup-jimmie-johnson-daytona-500.html

Please note I'll also be covering the PIR events for National Speed Sport News. I'll do the Cup, Nationwide and Truck race reports, a weekend notebook, and column. See next week's NSSN and also check out http://www.nationalspeedsportnews.com/ .

[ more next Monday . . . ]

THE STARE THAT TOLD THE STORY

THE INTIMIDATOR AND THE LION: Dale and Nigel, Michigan, 1993. (Photo by Dan R. Boyd.)

This is one of those years full of historic anniversaries. It's the 50th year since John F. Kennedy was inaugurated as president. Ronald Reagan was sworn-in 30 years ago. Alan Shepard became America's first man in space a half-century past. It will be 10 years since Alex Zanardi lost his legs in that terrible Champ Car crash. And, of course, this Sept. 11 will be 10 years after the terrorist attacks.

This week is all about the 10th anniversary of Dale Earnhardt's death on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.

I've shared my personal memories of Earnhardt several times over the years in a number of forums. I had the chance to interact directly with Dale when I was PR director for the IROC series and, then, when working with Nigel Mansell as Nigel and Dale had a mutual admiration society going. The above image captures the first time they met, in July 1993 at Michigan International Speedway, as Dale was getting ready for IROC practice. This photo, autographed by both, hangs on my office wall. The multiple interactions between the two I had the chance to witness were fascinating and the source of wonderful memories.

This is sometimes forgotten by long-time fans -- and unknown by newer ones -- but Earnhardt's first nickname was "Ironhead." As Dale's talents progressed and his win totals grew and his Cup championships added-up and his reputation blossomed, though, he became "The Intimator." That's how he'll forever be remembered.

Here's an example of that mindset that I can share, as told to me by Zanardi, right after the 1997 IROC at Daytona.

Zanardi drew the pole position and Earnhardt pulled the outside front-row spot. In those two days before the race, several people from the NASCAR arena told Alex to hold his ground. I remember taking Zanardi and Jimmy Vasser to the infield studio for ESPN2's old rpm2night show and Jimmy Spencer came over and said, "Are you those Indy Car guys? Don't take any bleep from Earnhardt!" Except, he didn't say "bleep."

As the cars went down the back straightaway on the pace lap and drivers did what they typically do -- weave back-and-forth to warm up the tires -- Zanardi told me he reached up to adjust his rear-view mirror. In the midst of that motion, Alex said he looked to his right and saw this:

Earnhardt -- remember, he worn an open-face helmet -- had his head turned left. He was looking right at Zanardi. And Dale gave Alex "The Intimidator" stare all the way down to turn three.

That's a true story -- and the stuff of legend.

I broke the story last Wednesday of the repaving and reconstruction details at Phoenix International Raceway. The story dominated sports Page 1 of the Arizona Republic. Here's a link:
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/2011/02/08/20110208phoenix-international-raceway-set-makeover.html

No, despite what one of the Indianapolis media cheerleading members wrote, I do not at all expect there to be an IndyCar race at PIR in 2012. (Or a return of the Copper World Classic, unless there's a significant improvement in the Arizona economy. There's still going to be plenty of infrastructure improvement work to be done.) A phone call to PIR President Bryan Sperber is all it would take for any "journalist" to accurately report to his readers. As far as I'm concerned, it is a great disservice to remaining open-wheel fans here in the Valley to keep pumping them up about a possible race, when there is no realistic prospect of that happening anytime soon. The end result is fans are disappointed -- again. PIR is not to blame because it's not the one floating this balloon. Those who have done that have been IndyCar officials and the Indianapolis media cheerleaders. STOP!

The Williams Formula One team will have a public stock floatation later this year (not registered under the U.S. Securities Act and so not generally available to be offered or sold here). I scanned through the lengthy prospectus (didn't have time for an in-depth reading) and, under the category of "risk" associated with this offering, this jumped out at me:

"With the Bribery Act 2010 expected to come into force in the United Kingdom in 2011, sponsors may decide to restrict or curtail altogether the level of hospitality at Grands Prix that they offer to third parties. This in turn may reduce some of the benefits of sponsoring a Formula One Team and may lead to existing sponsors not renewing their existing sponsor partnership contracts at the end of their term, and may make it more difficult for Williams to attract new sponsors in the future."


Good luck to Brett Jewkes, who will become NASCAR's first Chief Communications Officer on April 13. He's well qualified. Here's one of those little details I can't help but remember: While at Taylor, it was Jewkes who, along with the agency's Brand Counsel Group, who did a comprehensive strategic review for NASCAR of its and industry communications practices early last year. Kind of reminds me of how Dick Cheney came to be chosen by George W. Bush as his vice president -- Cheney led Bush's VP candidate search.

Here's a link to my February "Drags, Dollars & Sense" column in CompetitionPlus.com. It's part two of my series on activation:
http://www.competitionplus.com/drag-racing/editorials/16687-drags-dollars-a-sense-nhra-misses-its-activation

I'm honored to have called Tom Carnegie a friend. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway's legendary chief PA announcer died Friday at age 91. Tom's distinctive voice was heard at 61 Indy 500s, from 1946-2006. (I hope IMS management will be wise enough to include some of Tom's classic calls as part of this May's 100th anniversary race.) Among the fascinating facts about Tom's career produced by historian Donald Davidson: The single-lap track record when Tom debuted in '46 was Ralph Hepburn’s 134.449 mph. Fifty years later, Arie Luyendyk recorded a 237.498 mph lap. Tom announced both. In my many dealings with Tom over many years, the one thing that stands out to me the most: Anytime Tom said he'd like to talk to a driver, I never heard one of them say "no" or ask if it could be done later. Any and every driver I know of would immediately come to Tom and his microphone. Many considered it an honor and, for all, it was a sign of respect. God Bless, Tom, and thank you.

[ more next Monday . . . ]

A DISTRACTION, NOT A REALITY

Sunday marked the 100th anniversary of Ronald Reagan's birth. Reagan will always be remembered for his eternal optimism and skill as "The Great Communicator." As I have noted numerous times -- whatever one's political views -- there is much positive to learn from Reagan's life and the way he led as president.

Last week also marked the 40th anniversary of Apollo 14. That was the third lunar landing and commanded by Alan Shepard, who in 1961, became the first American in space. I was fortunate to grow up in the age of the Great Space Race and have had the thrill of being included in a VIP group tour of the NASA headquarters in Houston, even getting into the Shuttle simulator and the now-closed flight control room where all the big decisions were made during the Apollo missions. My middle name is Alan. You can figure out why.

The enduring examples of Reagan and Shepard are inspirational: Anything is possible in America, even in the face of great challenge. Remember, Reagan survived an assassination attempt in the early months of his presidency. Shepard was grounded for years by an inner-ear problem, but determined to walk on the moon, he had it corrected by an experimental and risky surgery.

I mention this because, even though Grand-Am put on an interesting Rolex 24 the other week, for the majority of people the racing season gets serious this weekend as NASCAR gets going at Daytona. That is welcome. I must admit, however, this year I see it differently. This year, I see it not really in terms of competition or entertainment, but as a distraction to what is happening in the country and around the world.

Given the respect I have for American heroes like Reagan and Shepard, it's difficult to admit this, but I will: I'm not optimistic.

Please don't be misled by lazy journalists who pick-off the low-hanging fruit news item that the percentage of unemployed went down in last week's government report. If they actually bothered to look deeper so they might understand, the news would have been this was the result of an increasing number of people who are no longer actively seeking work and, thus, not counted in the labor pool.

What I came to realize the other week at the Barrett-Jackson classic car auction here in Scottsdale is there are two economies: For those people who can afford to play in that arena, times are good and getting better. That's reflected in Wall Street bonuses and the rising stock market. They, however, are a tiny fraction of America. Now, two economies isn't new, but this time around it carries with it incredibly serious consequences.

A decade of war and a jobless economic "recovery" is leading to a deeper sense of frustration, outrage and anger in the country. No, don't point fingers at the Tea Party, because its members won't be the ones at the spearhead of what I believe probably will come. It's naive to think some form of what is happening in Egypt and elsewhere can't happen here. Remember, it was only weeks ago in "civilized" England that Prince Charles and his wife were caught in a riot where protesters were shouting, "Off with their heads!"

England, Greece, France, Egypt, Tunisia -- violence in the streets is spreading. With each passing day, it's becoming a less shocking sight, and with standards of what is proper being dumbed-down across-the-board, at some point, the perception will be that it's more acceptable. When that tipping point is reached, all bets are off.

I question if we, as a country and as a people, have the political will and individual strength of character to do what those of the Reagan and Shepard generations did. Mobilize to defeat the enemies to our way of life? Sorry, the "me" generation is too busy with the latest video game and, in general, just doing what it wants. They think wearing a ribbon somehow proves they "care" more than the people who actually go out and DO something about the great issues of the day. Go to the moon in 10 years? We haven't built new oil refineries or nuclear power generation plants for decades because the "not in my backyard" mindset blocks what is good for the nation. Personal and educational standards have plunged because of parents who don't act as responsible parents once did, and by sub-par teachers protected by unions and bureauracy. To me, the flash point is likely to be health care: What a spin-doctorish joke that President Obama's signature piece of legislation is known as the "Affordable Health Care Act." Affordable? Health insurance premiums are rocketing higher and faster than the Saturn V that got Apollo astronauts off the launch pad. An insurance industry representative, with a good reputation, told me that people in good health are getting hit with increases of at least 20 percent; those with claims pay 30-40 percent more. Personally, I'm convinced the insurance companies are stockpiling cash after passage of Obama Care. (And they won't refund it even if the Supreme Court strikes down the law.) What do you think will happen when maybe 100 million hard-working, decent, self-respecting, patriotic people can't afford a basic insurance plan?

NASCAR, unfortunately, saw a commercial and political-correctness opportunity to jump on the ethanol scam -- promoting use of American-grown corn -- just as food inflation has hit the family wallet. I'm sure you've paid more at the supermarket recently. The one happy spot in the economy has been low inflation -- that's ending -- with up oil prices and food costs.

The media elites are in line for plenty of blame, too. Let's see if I've got this straight: Bill O'Reilly had to take-off THREE days from his Fox News Channel show last week to "clear my head" in preparation for a pre-Super Bowl interview with the president? Oh, and we have to "Factor" in that grueling long trip from New York City to Washington, D.C. I'm sure his core audience, just trying to keep things together at home, really understand and sympathize with Bill's need to rest. Carrying around that kind of ego must be exhausting. Laura Ingraham grabbed the opportunity of O'Reilly's rest period to plug "Valentine's Day inscriptions" for anyone buying her Obama fiction book.

Sports media isn't exempt, either. As commented on here, the PTI co-hosts really showed how out-of-touch they were with their audience by taking last summer off. CBS' Jim Nance, trying to keep an audience for last weekend's Phoenix Open, repeatedly speculated on Saturday that the PGA tournament -- delayed by cold weather conditions -- might end on Sunday. This, despite the fact that the Open chairman had already announced a Monday finish. That was the worst bit of sports disinformation since Darrell Waltrip claimed fans weren't leaving Daytona International Speedway in the wake of last February's pothole fiasco.

To me, one of the most wonderful things about racing has always been the passion of the fans. But when I see chatroomers launch into personal attacks on Jimmie Johnson -- calling him a "chicken" because he respects his wife's don't-drive-the-Indy 500 wishes and honors a legally-binding contract with his NASCAR team -- well, that's another reason for pessimism of what our society has come to. Be disappointed, sure, fair enough. Go off on a personal attack without the facts, no, not worthy.

So, sorry, especially given the examples of the likes of Ronald Reagan and Alan Shepard, but I'm not optimistic.

Let the racing begin. For me, it will be a short-term distraction, not something that will change the reality of the world in which we live -- or the difficult rendezvous with destiny which surely lies just ahead.

[ more next Monday . . . ]

HENDRICK TALKED INDY WITH PENSKE, BUT . . .

One of journalism's great traditions -- at least when I was starting out in the business -- was the classic "follow-up" story . . . Providing the reader with additional and updated information on a subject of interest.

My first 2011 blog, posted January 13, included direct quotes from five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson about his desire to race in the Indianapolis 500. (Nice the Indianapolis Star last Friday finally got around to using some JJ quotes about this from last week's media tour.) There was an obvious follow-up to that, and that was to talk with Rick Hendrick, owner of Jimmie's No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet. I saw Mr. H at the Barrett-Jackson classic car auction. As circumstances would have it, his time was limited, as he was on his way to the bidder's area. So arrangements were made for a telephone conversation. That happened last Wednesday.

Here's the complete transcript of Hendrick's answers to my questions if he'd give Johnson permission to give it a go in the I500, keeping in mind Johnson said he couldn't race a Honda-powered car, but Chevy is returning to Indy in 2012:

"His wife (Chandra) and I both feel the same way. We don't want to take a chance on Jimmie getting hurt in an open-wheel car when he's got what's going on here (NASCAR). I know it's one of those things he'd love to do, but I'm more concerned with his safety, just having him drive a car where, as competitive as he is, that he hasn't had any experience in. It's hard to get the test time in. You never say never, but right now, I'm going to be wanting him to concentrate on what we're doing here and not take a chance on getting hurt."

What if Chevy expressed a desire for Johnson to race Indy? Would Hendrick consider a partnership with an existing IndyCar team -- perhaps with Roger Penske?

"Roger and I have talked about it. He's a good friend. I'm not going to say it's out of the question, but it's not something I want to do right now."

FAST LINES: This is my 20th year as a member of the Indianapolis 500 Oldtimers (membership card number 1,000). So, recently, I automatically received my special gold cap plus a very nice 20-year Cross pen. Thank you to Oldtimers Executive Secretary Jack Martin . . . Not that the above means anything to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway PR department, which didn't even think that I might be interested in interviewing IMS President Jeff Belskus when he was at Barrett-Jackson. This is the kind of "oversight" that happens when PR is improperly cast as a marketing function, a fundamental misunderstanding of how to effectively work with the media. The ability to use an adding -- or should I say a subtracting -- machine doesn't mean someone knows how to sell. I have no sympathy for IMS in terms of its unsold tickets and declining TV numbers and overall media coverage. You get what you deserve and the IMS Corp. is richly deserving of all the negative consequences of all its self-inflicted wounds of the last 17 years . . . I've expressed my concern on the state of journalism many times in this blog, but let me tell you, real journalists don't need any condescending lectures from Larry McReynolds. Let's remember that it was McReynolds who one year used his TV position to keep current on garage area technical developments, then spent the non-Fox half of the season taking that knowledge to Kyle Petty's team -- hugely inappropriate. Also, supposedly "objective" TV announcers have no business MCing team publicity events. Shame on those who provided McReynolds' the forum . . . Congratulations to Ashley Force Hood and husband Dan, expecting their first child. Now, let's tell it like it is: Ashley's on-track absence this season is bad news for NHRA in terms of ticket sales, media coverage and TV ratings. And I'm not saying she should place business considerations ahead of personal fulfillment, just stating a fact . . . The new World of Outlaws PR coordinator, Kyle Luetters, has huge shoes to fill following the excellent Tony Veneziano . . . Congratulations to Kevin Kennedy, the 25th recipient of the Spirit of Ford Award, and the 2006 Jim Chapman Award winner for excellence in motorsports PR. Plus: Dodge PR rep Denny Darnell (Ken Patterson Helping Others Award) and Ford's Dan Zacharias (Joe Littlejohn Award) on being honored at the National Motorsports Press Association convention. The late Jim Hunter, earlier recognized with the 2010 Jim Chapman Award, was remembered with the NMPA Speedway Spirit Award . . . Another follow-up -- the Phoenix Business Journal reports sales at the 40th Barrett-Jackson collector car auction in Scottsdale reached $70 million with total attendance of 230,000 . . . Chutzpah: Chris Matthews -- the most over-inflated media ego in Washington -- has taken to calling a congresswoman "Balloon Head." Civility, indeed. I suggest that the new Comcast management bursts the balloon it just inherited.


When I became CART's first communications director in November 1980, a priority during that off-season was to simplify the points system, one carried over from USAC. The numbers ran into the thousands and, in certain circumstances, even fractional points were awarded. The system Kirk Russell and I created was easy to understand and follow: 20 points for the winner, 16 for second place, down to one point for 12th. The Board wanted about half of the drivers in a typical non-500 mile field to get points. Plus, we added one bonus point for the pole winner, and one for the driver who led the most laps. I'm glad NASCAR has finally embraced the concept of easy-to-understand. It's impossible not to notice, though, that with all available bonus points, the winner can earn a maximum of 48 points per race. Yes, that's right, 48.

As I've written before, legendary TV production executive Don Ohlmeyer was a great choice as ESPN's Ombudsman. Ohlmeyer wrote his last column in that capacity last week. It's too long for me to generalize about, but I did take a measure of satisfaction that Don got into some topics that I've highlighted here: The need for better storytelling, news reporting, transparency and being more responsive to the audience. The link is below and it's worth your time to read -- and think -- about what Don wrote. I don't know who ESPN's new "O" will be, but I'm hoping for something more than the rubber-stamp of an Eastern media or academic elite. And, this is a good time to say again that Speed really should have an Ombudsman. Why? Cutting away from Brian France's news conference Q&A in favor of pundits would be a valid place to start.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=ohlmeyer_don&id=6063051

[ more next Monday . . . ]

THE BIG SHOW

MY FAVORITE: Mainly for nostalgic reasons, my "best" pick at Barrett-Jackson was the 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Indianapolis 500 pace car model, because that was the year I attended my first I500. In the background is the version of the 2011 pace car.


Last week I wrote that the Big Events of 2011 will truly be Big in helping us evaluate the health of the Business of Racing. The first on my list was the 40th anniversary Barrett-Jackson collector car auction here in Scottsdale. I saw my friend Joe Amato, the NHRA Top Fuel legend, out at B-J Friday (he was a buyer) and Joe wasn't kidding when he said the event "is a happening."

Calling Barrett-Jackson a car show is like calling the Super Bowl a football game. Oh, yes, it's so much more. (The program book was a massive 338 pages.) It is quite something to walk the long vendor areas where everything from clothing, jewelry, furniture, photos, paintings and even financial planning services can be had. In the three days I was out there, I saw the big crowds at many of these booths, although it was impossible to determine if sales were up or down. The weather was Arizona Chamber of Commerce perfect.

I asked Amato about the state of the collector car business and he described sales as "about flat" from last year. Whatever the $$$ numbers, it was impossible not to be impressed with the crowds, and the enthusiasm.

I thought Ford and Bridgestone had the best display areas. The cars, of course, are the stars of the show, but in cruising around and seeing all there was to see, I was reminded again that the auto industry and motorsports are a PEOPLE business. Among those I saw and talked with were Mike Helton, Rick Hendrick, Rusty Wallace, Linda Vaughn and Jim McGee. On Wednesday, Lyn St. James hosted a panel discussion, headlined by Melanie Troxel. In perhaps a signal that the racing economy is getting slightly better, Melanie (now single and relocated to Atlanta) told me her team is committed to the full NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car schedule, even though the In-N-Out Burger sponsorship is limited to their markets. Melanie's team is switching to Toyota bodywork even though the automaker hasn't yet stepped-up with technical help -- which, along with marketing support, it should do.

The theme of the panel discussion was taking advantage of opportunities. And that reminded me of the two other Big Events I referenced last week -- the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500.

By all accounts I've read, the Big Daytona test last week was successful, and helped generate some useful buzz for NASCAR and the Feb. 20 race. Opportunity seized. On the other hand, last Thursday, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway unveiled its Camaro pace car at Barrett-Jackson. I would have been interested in that, but no phone call from the newly-recast IMS PR department to make sure I was aware of the event. Opportunity lost. Either the bean-counting going on in Indy is such they can't afford to make a phone call, or the "publicists" don't know how to get publicity. To me, this is yet another flashing red-light signal that the Speedway is racing toward the 100th anniversary running of the I500 in reverse gear.

Last Thursday was one of those very interesting days that people in the journalism business can experience. Early afternoon, and unexpectedly, I was provided with a copy of a lengthy letter sent by a Washington, D.C., law firm to the IRS. The letter, sent on behalf of an unnamed client, requested an IRS review of NHRA's status under the tax code. I was the first in the media to call NHRA for comment. Because of schedule conflicts, I couldn't write the full story, but CompetitionPlus.com editor Bobby Bennett did interview the lawyer, and mobilized Jon Asher and Stan Creekmore to contribute to this potentially huge story. Here's the link:
http://www.competitionplus.com/drag-racing/news/16540-letter-to-irs-questions-nhra-tax-status


FAST LINES: If his new pairing with crew chief Alan Gustafson doesn't produce wins, maybe Jeff Gordon should audition to replace the retiring Regis Philbin. Live with Kelly and Jeff ? . . . Jeanne Zelasko. From Fox NASCAR and baseball coverage to Judge Joe Brown . . . For the first time in my 40 years as a National Speed Sport News subscriber, Chris Economaki's name isn't on the editor's notebook. Last week's column began with this: "With Ye Ed’s 90th birthday in the rearview mirror and an aching knee limiting travel, we are going to hand over more of the space in this column to our younger and more active contributors. We will continue to contribute news and insight to the Speed Sport Notebook, but our many capable in-the-field representatives will do the heavy lifting" . . . Maybe, just maybe, there is hope that Comcast will clean up the MSNBC mess, even though the spinners say new majority owner-to-be Comcast didn't make the call to remove Keith Obermann. I'm not buying that. But with Olbermann's protector, NBC Universal boss Jeff Zucker, out the door perhaps this was inevitable. However it happened, it's good news for journalism. Zucker's place in J's Hall of Shame is guaranteed, as he imposed his personal left-wing politics and the desire to get government contracts for GE, to replace journalism's time-honored standards. Olbermann's reckless and irresponsible rants did more to contribute to the inflamed tone in America's political discourse than anyone else -- he didn't allow a contrary voice on his show. Say what you will about Fox News, and I've expressed my criticisms here, those hosts do have guests with opposing views, even if sometimes they are props to boost the host's ego. One thing that troubled me the most in the Olbermann exit reporting was that Bob Costas has been a great cheerleader of O, and that will now always make me view Costas' own reporting in a very different light.

The sheriff of Arizona's Pima County broke every rule in the crisis communications book in his news conference hours after the shootings in Tucson. This guy's ego was clearly out of control in front of the national TV cameras, but he either ignored good advice from his public affairs officer, who didn't get good advice. There are ONLY THREE POINTS to address at a news conference in such a situation. THREE. I wonder how many racing team, sponsor, track and sanctioning body PR directors can name those THREE things? Not more than a handful, I bet.

[ more next Monday . . . ]

THE BIG EVENTS WILL BE BIG IN 2011

It's always a compliment when someone asks for your opinion. Starting back in early December, when I was in Las Vegas for the NASCAR Sprint Cup awards, I've gotten what I guess is the typical question: What do you expect in 2011?

As regular readers well know, I'm not much into predictions. But I feel confident in writing here that I believe The Big Events will be especially BIG this year -- in what they will tell us about the health and success and future of their respective arenas.

I'll be attending the 40th anniversary Barrett-Jackson auction this week here in Scottsdale. Is the economy REALLY better? At least for those wealthy enough to play the collector car game? Barrett-Jackson will give us an indication if those who have money to spend are actually willing to spend it.

Next month is the Daytona 500 and, boy, does NASCAR ever need for it to be a sensational race. My theory is last year's embarrassing pothole red flags put the brakes on whatever pre-season public-interest momentum had been generated by the "have at it" officiating philosophy and other moves. I don't think NASCAR ever got it going after that -- and the TV ratings reflected that belief. I ran this theory by NASCAR President Mike Helton last November and he didn't disagree, but added the competition the sport faced from the Winter Olympics and other events.
History tells us Daytona's necessary repave won't make for a good race. Everyone involved had better hope for an exception to that rule. The Sprint Cup industry needs a lot of excitement out of Daytona, plenty of interesting news, and a great 500 miles that will create water-cooler talk and buzz into the season's new second race, at Phoenix, and onward. Maybe Dale Jr. and new crew chief Steve Letarte will help with that.

It's very troubling to even ponder what the year will be like, from a business perspective, if Daytona is another dud.

Then, in May, is the 100th anniversary of the first Indianapolis 500. If NASCAR needs Daytona to be boffo, well, the IndyCar series needs a moon shot. I can't truthfully say I'm predicting that, as the same old tired car-engine formula is used one more time, before the announced arrival of new engines and bodywork kits in 2012.

Given that reality, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and its sanctioning body sister company need to go out and MAKE the 100th a news and social and historical happening that will bring out the national media, wake-up sponsors, and fill the grandstands and infield. They won't lick that huge challenge with a postage stamp, as nice as that is to have.

There have been a lot of staff changes in the last year. I, as a non-member of the Indiana media cheerleading society, am not too impressed. As Chris Economaki once said on my radio show, the Speedway needs a drum-beater.

Just WHO is that? Maybe somebody's pinky finger is tapping the bottom of a paper cup, but that isn't drum-beating.

Who, if ANYONE, is actually pro-actively outreaching to the national media community? Only five months out, WHERE are the national marketing promotions, sweepstakes, advertising tie-ins and everything else that so obviously should be going on?

Placing 33 historic cars on the front straightaway was a nice-enough photo-op, featured on some websites, but it's a mystery to me why that wouldn't have been turned into a spectator happening that maybe could have been connected to a ticket sales promotion.

I know there's a lot of bean-counting going on at IMS these days. I agree a good bit of that was necessary and overdue. I noticed the effects of those cutbacks last May -- among other things, the grounds weren't as well maintained as usual. But it says here bean-counting is not going to drive sales or make the 100th anniversary of the first Indianapolis 500 what Tony Hulman would have wished it to be. And I say that as someone who actually knew Mr. Hulman . . . how many of the current paycheck collectors can say that or actually lived what the Indy 500 once was but hasn't been since 1995?

The entire sport and industry of IndyCar racing is desperate for Indy to once again be Indy. If the existing Powers-That-Be can't or won't or don't know how to do that for the 100th anniversary running, well, forget it then, because they'll never figure it out.

Yes, the Big Events of 2011 will indeed be BIG in telling us about the health of the industry.

FAST LINES: If you missed what I wrote about Jimmie Johnson last Thursday, scroll down and see that posting . . . AOL's surprise announcement that a reorganization will, among other things, result in sports coverage being subcontracted (to The Sporting News) apparently means Holly Cain -- one of racing's best journalists -- will be out-of-a-job come March. Holly wrote for the Seattle and Tampa newspapers before the AOL assignment. As far as I'm concerned, Holly had the "scoop" of 2010 with her exclusive interview with the ousted Tony George . . . Congratulations to Ray Evernham on his new consulting deal with Rick Hendrick, but NASCAR TV fans are the losers. Ray should have been in the booth from Day One of the current ESPN package . . . Sad to report 2008 Jim Chapman Award recipient Judy Stropus is no longer doing PR for Don Schumacher Racing . . . Congratulations to my friend Larry Henry, honored as Track Announcer of the Year by the Michigan Auto Racing Fan Club . . . Sympathy to the family of Dick Trajnowski, who spent more than 30 years covering sports for the Jackson Citizen Patriot, including everything that moved at Michigan International Speedway, who died last week . . . Congratulations to the 13 inductees to the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame: Jimmy Boyd, Bob Burman, Wally Campbell, Danny Lasoski, Joe Sostilio, Gary Wright, Bruce Bromme Jr., Andy Granatelli, Leonard Kerbs, W.W. Bowen, Gene Marderness, Della Rice and Emmett Shelley. I'm a member of the HoF nominating and voting panel. They will be honored Saturday, June 4, in Knoxville, Iowa . . . Racing PR is better now that S. Jarrod England is no longer a part of it . . . Please be sure to check out my new feature, The 'It' 11, at the top of this blog. You'll find a new list every week.

Here's a link to my January "Drags, Dollars & Sense" column on CompetitionPlus.com, the first of two parts on sponsor activation:
http://www.competitionplus.com/drag-racing/editorials/16462-drags-dollars-a-sense-the-importance-of-activation

I'll be interested to see how sponsors and fans react to ALMS' move away from mostly live start-to-finish productions on Speed to mostly ESPN3's digital platform, with edited and delayed presentations on ABC and ESPN2. Not a second of live traditional TV from Sebring, for example, with 90 minutes of highlights on ABC the next day. More value or less for the bill-payers? I don't think anyone honestly knows the answer to that yet. The fact that the series felt it necessary to send out a talking-points E-mail on a Friday night was an indication damage control was needed. (I've had to do that myself.) A warning signal that flashed to me upon reading the transcript of ALMS' media teleconference on this subject was the references to possible opportunities on SportsCenter, ESPN.com, ESPN the Magazine, etc. I think someone at ALMS should ask NHRA or even IndyCar about that! When only drivers named Force or Danica get that attention, well, I wouldn't be expecting a big feature on Simon Pagenaud! Meanwhile, the new production entity had best use announcers who actually understand what ALMS "racing" is: A place for alternative fuels and, in some cases, power sources; a series that views itself as techy and trendy. That's how the story must be told (for better or worse) and the old Speed crew didn't have the business/marketing experience know-how to tell the story with that mindset. I wish Dorsey Schroeder would be back, but not Jamie Howe, the Brienne Pedigo of sports car racing.

[ more next Monday . . . ]

BREAKING NEWS: NO JIMMIE JOHNSON IN INDY 500

Welcome and thank you for returning for my sixth calendar year of blogging. My first "official" post for 2011 will be next Monday -- a big-picture look at the year ahead -- but here is some breaking news that can't wait:

Forget all that happy talk about Jimmie Johnson driving in May's 100th anniversary Indianapolis 500. He says "no." I sat with the five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion for over 20 minutes late Wednesday afternoon in a Casino Arizona club lounge -- he was in Scottsdale to help bang-the-drums for Phoenix International Raceway's new Feb. 27 Subway Fresh Fit 500 date.

The link to my Arizona Republic story is at the bottom here, but I didn't have room for this nugget. During our conversation, Johnson said he originally thought Indy Cars would be his career path. I took advantage of him opening that door to ask if he'll drive in the I500. All of Johnson's quotes that follow are word-for-word, as transcribed by me from my recorder.

"I don’t have anything working, so I’d say no for this year."

I then asked Johnson if Chevrolet's return to the series could present an opportunity in 2011.

"It could. It’s been a hurdle in the past. I just don’t know if it’s the smartest . . . my wife and I have discussed it for a long time. She knows how bad I want to do it. We, together, thought if I could run that race before we had kids, it makes sense. Those days are long gone.

"If a legitimate opportunity comes along, the first place I start is with my wife, make sure she’s comfortable with it. From there, I still have quite a few hurdles: Mr. (Rick) Hendrick, Chad (Knaus), Lowe’s. I enjoy making it public knowledge that I am interested, so, if one day I do go to Rick or Lowe’s, they’ve heard of it before.

"I just don’t know. I have (talked to Hendrick about it) in years past when Chevy wasn’t a part of it. He’d say, ‘Look, contracts exist, you can’t drive a Honda-powered vehicle.’ So it’s eliminated the opportunity. Since GM has announced it’s coming back, I have not spoken with him about it."

What does he think about Indy rulemakers going to a NASCAR-like double-file restart rule? Unlike NASCAR, however, supposedly lapped cars won't be positioned behind the front-runners.

"I think we’ve proven it in our sport, lapped cars should . . . you need to let the guys racing for the win and those positions have their space. I’ve never been in an Indy Car. I’m not comfortable watching them side-by-side on TV (laughter). I can only imagine what it would be inside the car."

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/2011/01/12/20110112nascar-jimmie-johnson-legendary.html

[ more next Monday . . . ]

CLOSING THOUGHTS on 2010

I was right. I was wrong.

On July 24, 2007, I wrote here about ESPN's return to Big Time NASCAR Cup race coverage after an absence of more than six years. Here's a link to that posting, titled "ESPN's Turn."
http://spindoctor500blog.blogspot.com/2007/07/espns-turn.html

I expressed my enthusiasm, but signaled my concerns, based on what I'd seen on what-was-then the Busch series telecasts earlier that season. I admitted a bit of pro-ESPN mindset, based on my own minor role in the network's racing history. I recalled that ESPN's first stint at bringing NASCAR to the nation was a key in building stock car's popularity. I said that the original team of Bob Jenkins, Benny Parsons, Ned Jarrett, Dr. Jerry Punch, John Kernan and Bill Weber had the chemistry the 2007 crew lacked. I was glad Punch's loyalty was rewarded. I worried that Allen Bestwick was miscast as a pit reporter. I said Shannon Spake was a solid news reporter. I flashed a warning about NASCAR Now and NASCAR Countdown. I admitted I didn't understand Brad Daugherty's role. I figured Brent Musburger would be harmless and that Suzy Kolber would be fine. I was confident management wouldn't be afraid to make changes as needed.

I was right. I was wrong.

Forget Dale Junior. The biggest disappointment of NASCAR 2010 has been ESPN's continued inability to deliver to racing fans the kind of solid product it has to baseball, NFL and NHRA followers.

The situation is stupefying. Think of the thousands of great decisions that various ESPN managements have had to make over the years to create the juggernaut the network has become. But, quite simply, it hasn't gotten NASCAR right.

My theory is there are two reasons why. First, anyone who has had any dealings with ESPN knows the Powers-That-Be in Bristol, Conn., breathe the rarified-but-arrogant air of uber-success. No less than a dozen ESPN field reporters/producers have told me over the years of their frustrations and the common theme has been "the people in Bristol exist in a different world." And, I've experienced that personally. A few years ago a senior production person lectured me, on a phone call, about how to provide news information for possible use on race cablecasts. When I reviewed the rather lengthy list of exclusive, breaking stories I had delivered on a silver platter to ESPN announcers over the years, so they had the news first, I was told I should not do that. (!) That I should pass on such information only to this person, who would then be the sole decider of what (if anything) to do with such news. (!) Imagine if Ben Bradlee had imposed that rule on Woodward and Bernstein!

Emergency trips to Charlotte, as network biggies did in October, aren't the answer to the near-25 percent collapse of Chase ratings. The answer is for executives to unplug from the Planet Bristol mentality and get in touch with NASCAR Nation.

The second part of my theory has to do with research. ESPN is a research-centric organization, analyzing and re-analyzing, reminding me of Dan Gurney continuing to tinker with his car on the grid until it was time to get in and start the engine. For example, the NHRA producer has told me repeatedly the network has research data proving that there is an viewership-uptick when John Force or Ashley Force Hood are on. (Last week, ESPN released research concluding "cable cutting" -- people canceling cable because they can access programming via the Internet -- is a "very minor" phenomenon.) Well, I don't believe that sort of numbers crunching and audience autopsy can accurately figure out what works and doesn't work with NASCAR fans, who are special in all of sports for their high-octane passion, loyalty and opinions.

I don't need those kind of reports to know the IndyCar-background announcers haven't connected with the stock car crowd. I don't need research to realize there have been too many times when the effort to understand the story and report it hasn't been made. Just because someone works with ESPN doesn't mean he or she is an "expert" and doesn't have to do basic homework. I don't need studies to grasp that fans are more interested in following their individual favorite drivers than gizmos like the failed "Draft Tracker." I don't need anyone to conclude for me that the most profound story of the last few years -- the Business of Racing -- has been superficially covered by reporters with only Twiggy-thin knowledge of what goes on in the Board room.

With the unfortunate ouster of Neil Goldberg, ESPN has to have a new person in charge, and with that needs to come a new, more open-minded, production philosophy. That top-to-bottom, bottom-to-top review also has to include every last NASCAR-related position, from the truck to the booth to the pits to the studio to the roster and utilization of .com contributors. And isn't it about time a large chunk of the network's hosts, who only mention NASCAR when there's a flip or a fight, are "advised" to end the elist attitude and start talking about the LEGITIMATE stories that come out of EVERY race?

Change -- make that Dramatic Change -- is required.

More of the same from ESPN in 2011 isn't acceptable. In fact, that and another winless season from Junior, would be Very Bad News for NASCAR.


My other takeaway from 2010 was the on-going saga of lack of pro-active outreach to media by so-called PR people and the lack of supervision from team owners and sponsor managers.

Especially at a time when maximum Return On Investment to sponsors is a must, for people who are supposed to be publicists to just "hang out" should be considered unacceptable. There are media to meet, story ideas to be sold, relationships to be established.

I join many who appreciate the money and marketing Izod injected into the IndyCar series . . . but it was a mistake to use "Fastest Drivers/Fastest Race in the World" as a promotional and advertising tagline. All that did was bleep-off drag racing fans everywhere -- and that's exactly what I heard from fans of the straight-line sport. Despite Randy Bernard's efforts, that series still is in no position to alienate any potential customers.

If its sponsorship is truly to work over the long-term, Izod will have to find it's own Jim Chapman. The late, great Mr. C would have known public opinion well enough to have NEVER allowed that tagline to see the light of day.


It's the time of year to think Green, the topic of my December "Drags, Dollars & Sense" column on Competition Plus.com:
http://competitionplus.com/drag-racing/editorials/16248-drags-dollars-a-sense-drag-racing-could-use-more-green


Man of the Year in 2010? Here's one view:
http://valvoline.com/racing/behind-closed-garage-doors/2887


[ God willing, I'll be back in mid-January 2011. Thanks for your interest . . . ]

NASCAR's GREEN POLITICAL SHOT

Color NASCAR’s second Sprint Cup awards activities in Las Vegas green.

But, for a few moments last Thursday, I was trying so hard to keep from laughing that I was close to blue.

At the annual NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Award luncheon, this time staged in the massive Bellagio (you need a golf cart to get around), Chairman Brian France laid out in the strongest terms yet the stock car sanction’s eco-friendly green program. It already had been announced that all three national series will run on E15, but what France announced – and carefully positioned – was the “American” side to the story. NASCAR’s new partnership is with American Ethanol, led by advocacy group Growth Energy. Get used to this tagline: “American grown. American made. Powering NASCAR.”

I jotted down some of France’s phrasings, such as NASCAR’s fuel will be grown on “American soil,” and that this is appropriate for a “family owned American series.” The parade of speakers included a trade rep and a corn farmer and we were told that American farmers grow twice as much grain per acre than in China or Brazil. Retired NATO Supreme Commander, Gen. Wesley Clark, now working for the ethanol industry, told the ballroom crowd that corn ethanol “creates jobs and strengthens national security.”

What had me amused, other legitimate considerations aside, this clearly was at least an indirect shot at the IndyCar Series. NASCAR has many ways to play the racing political game, and in the aftermath of the unhappy IndyCar-International Speedway Corp. split – no IC races at any ISC tracks in 2011 – this was an example of who still has the muscle in the U.S. motorsports industry.

Remember, when IC went to ethanol a few years ago, it was using corn E in association with a U.S. trade group. When said trade organization went belly-up, IC had to go to Brazil for its E fix. Now NASCAR has staked its claim to the red, white and blue benefits of green.

And that’s no coincidence. It’s a political shot across the bow of the IndyCar series. Oh, NASCAR is even copying IC’s E-logo green flag.

FAST LINES: Roger Penske unveiled Helio Castroneves’ Pennzoil yellow-and-red Indy 500 car at his Wynn Ferrari dealership Thursday night. I was surprised to learn the primary deal is for Indy only, at least as of now . . . I asked Penske if the racing economy is improving and he basically said no, it’s about the same, meaning it’s a huge struggle to find the $$$ to race on . . . The best joke going around at the Penske function, set amidst the wildly expensive cars, was: “Pick out whichever one you like and put it on George Gillett’s tab” . . . Looks to me as if IndyCar’s return is Vegas is in place save for a splashy announcement of a big sponsor for what apparently will be a street-course/oval doubleheader. Randy Bernard was on hand at the Penske announcement . . . Jimmie Johnson beat Jeff Gordon to the “Drive for 5” and I’m guessing the tagline for his try for another title will be “Six Pack” . . . The announcement that Jim Hunter, NASCAR’s late VP-corporate communications, won the Myers Brothers Award for contributions to stock car racing drew a standing ovation . . . I’ll end with this from Chad Knaus: “It’s about teamwork. It’s always been about teamwork. Teamwork is at the root of all success.”

[ next week I'll share some year-end thoughts . . . ]

THE BIG SHUFFLE

It certainly was no surprise Rick Hendrick assigned Dale Earnhardt Jr. a new crew chief last week but the scale of the changes within Hendrick Motorsports provides even more insight into Hendrick's fantastic success.

The Boss decided his teams had become too complacent after a 1-2-3 (Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon) Sprint Cup finish in 2009. Johnson, at least by his standards with Chad Knaus, struggled to a historic fifth consecutive championship. But Martin and Gordon joined Junior in the winless column.

Thus, The Big Shuffle.

Gordon, with only one win in the last three seasons, gets Alan Gustafson from Martin's No. 5 crew. Martin now will work with Lance McGrew, who had been with Junior's No. 88. And Dale has been assigned Steve Letarte, pegged by Hendrick for this perhaps thankless job, at least in part because of his people skills. I take that to mean the ability to get inside Junior's head.

But I think the most insightful thing we learned about the Hendrick Method was he kept Knaus and Letarte together in the same building. What had become somewhat legendary as the "24-48" shop -- where the Gordon and Johnson cars were built and prepped by what Knaus described as inter-changeable crews -- now will be the "48-88" shop. I have to believe Knaus wanted to keep that internal chemistry intact. Gordon's No. 24 now moves into the building with Martin's No. 5.

Who knows? Maybe some of the No. 48's magic will rub off on the No. 88. On the other hand, if Johnson has a bad season in '11, well, you can bet the pundits will start pointing even more fingers at Junior.


I'll be at the NASCAR Sprint Cup awards in Las Vegas this weekend and will share my reporting and observations here next week.


Last week I listed my top 12 drivers of 2010. Here's my friend Mark Armijo's top five as written for RacinToday.com:
http://www.racintoday.com/archives/23177

[ more next Monday . . . ]

MY FINAL TOP 12 of '10

For what anyone wants to think it's worth, here's my final 2010 driver top-12 rankings:

1. Larry Dixon
2. (tie) Kyle Busch and Sebastian Vettel
3. John Force
4. Jimmie Johnson
5. Dario Franchitti
6. Scott Pruett
7. Denny Hamlin
8. Fernando Alonso
9. Jason Meyers
10. Steve Kinser
11. Will Power
12. Tony Schumacher


There's been a lot of news in recent weeks. What's gotten my attention is HOW that news has been announced.

Let's start with the IndyCar series' huge, breakthrough story of Chevrolet's return. That was made official on Friday of the Chase semifinal weekend in Phoenix, which meant a lot of key journalists were automatically not going to be able to pay attention. Why write-off so many important market areas represented by these media outlets? Because, I'm told, that was the day and time convenient for the executives involved.

Here's what I told an egomanic Texaco VP two decades ago: News conferences need to be scheduled at appropriate times in the news cycle, and for the convenience of reporters. Not for the convenience of the suits. Those who "get" that get the biggest and best coverage.

IndyCar has had a troubling history on this front. Let us recall that Randy Bernard was introduced as the series' new CEO on the same day the hometown Indianapolis Colts were doing Super Bowl media day. Even going back to 1996, the IRL's first season, the announcement that Nissan would be an engine supplier was made Daytona 500 week. I well remember being in the deadline media room at Daytona when several journos had to interrupt their otherwise busy schedules to (at least briefly) listen in on a conference call. "Don't they know what week this is?" one of the Biggest of the Media Big Foots complained to me.

As for my recent experience covering the NASCAR weekend at Phoenix for Arizona's largest newspaper, well, it was pretty much more of the same. I would not need more than the fingers on one hand to count the number of team/sponsor "publicists" who outreached in advance, just to check in, see if they could be of help. That number would be about the same to total those who actually bothered to come to the PIR deadline media room to say hello. For those not familiar with PIR, it takes about one minute to get to the media center from the garage area. Shame on the team owners/sponsor managers who pay so little attention to how they are being represented that this is tolerated.

The Dumbest of the Weekend Award goes to Coyne PR, the agency apparently repping Diet Mountain Dew for a Dale Earnhardt Jr. contest promotion at the Phoenix Coyotes' hockey game. On Thursday afternoon, I received an E from the Coyne rep, informing me he had a "phone interview opportunity" with Junior Friday night.

Think about that -- which is what this so-called "PR" person should have done. I was just a few hundred yards away from Junior all day Friday. Why would I want to do a telephone interview with him that night? Oh, I was a little busy covering the Truck race that evening.

What a stupid "pitch." About 10 seconds of thinking/research should have turned on any existing mental light bulb of just how stupid it was. You'd be shocked at the large fees clients pay to agencies -- for this?

I'll close with this: Given the ESPN Chase ratings collapse, and the wide-ranging bad reviews for the production and announcing, one might have thought some involved would think it a good idea to do a little relationship-building, question-answering, damage-control with writers. Of course, not one of the TVers who fall into the above category, bothered to make the effort.


FAST LINES: As forecast in my exclusive Arizona Republic story about future changes at Phoenix International Raceway, the ISC Board did vote to approve the budget to repave. That will happen after next February's NASCAR weekend . . . Ray Evernham says he no longer has any contractual obligations to George Gillett, so I'll be surprised if he doesn't have some non-crew chief role with Hendrick Motorsports, at least in part, trying to get into Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s head and turn around the No. 88 team . . . I've been asked a few times about who I think will be NASCAR's newly minted chief communications officer. I don't know the "who," but I'm betting it will be someone with a VP-corporate communications background. I just hope the person comes from a consumer products company rather than some B2B enterprise . . . If I were that person, here's the first sentence I would say in my first meeting with team/sponsor PR reps: "The current system for pre-race -- ticket-selling time -- driver availability to the media is broken, and we're going to fix it" . . . I hated to hear this: A recent caller to the Rush Limbaugh radio show compared the NFL's recent actions against helmet-to-helmet hits to NASCAR and said people want to see the "Roman Colosseum" and "blood sport." I repeat, a CALLER said this, not Limbaugh . . . Before the fact-less chatroomers get too zoomed-up, let me report that Tony Stewart was emphatic at Phoenix: No, he's not going to drive a Chevy in the Indy 500. No, he's not going to field a car for someone else. I was there. I heard him say it. He could not have been any clearer . . . I'm not sure anyone else has done it, but Peter De Lorenzo deserves a "congratulations" for breaking the Chevy-to-Indy story . . . It was fun to see sure-fire first-ballot Hall of Fame pitcher Randy Johnson having fun at PIR with his 30-year hobby, photography. A guest of Getty Images, I watched Johnson on the photo stand in victory lane. He even stood patiently in the media food line before the Cup race! Johnson said he had recently been in Iraq, taking photos at Camp Victory. He noted NASCAR doesn't have a No. 51 (his jersey number) and said he might have to do something about that. Only when asked about baseball did Johnson not want to talk . . . When I interviewed Mike Helton for my Arizona Republic Newsmaker Q&A, I began by noting it was the 10-year anniversary of his appointment as NASCAR's president, and ended by saying next February will be 10 years since Dale Earnhardt's death. That reminded me to write this -- I expect Junior will have yet another new crew chief, and if somehow he wins the Daytona 500 on this sad decade-later anniversary, well, the Grassy Knoll conspiracy types will be out in such force they could invade a small country . . . Ponder this: In a disappointing season for Ford, Carl Edwards won the last two Cup races, two of the last three Nationwide events, and Roush Fenway drivers ended-up fourth, fifth and sixth in the Chase standings.

[ more next Monday . . . ]

JIM HUNTER HONORED WITH 2010 JIM CHAPMAN AWARD FOR PR EXCELLENCE

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED SUNDAY, NOV. 14, 10 A.M. MST

Jim Hunter, NASCAR’s vice president of corporate communications who died Oct. 30, today was announced as winner of the 2010 Jim Chapman Award for excellence in motorsports public relations.

The Chapman Award is considered by many in the industry as the highest honor in racing public relations. It is named in memory of Chapman, the legendary PR executive and innovator, who worked with Babe Ruth and was named Indy Car racing’s “most influential man” of the 1980s. Chapman died in 1996 at age 80.

The announcement was made before today’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Phoenix International Raceway by Michael Knight, chairman of the selection committee, and one of Chapman’s closest friends. The award is determined by vote of media members, most of whom knew Chapman, and is authorized by the Chapman family. PR representatives from all forms of motorsports are eligible for consideration.

Knight said the committee selected Hunter for the honor a few weeks before his death.

“We had hoped to make this presentation in December, as part of NASCAR’s Champion’s Week celebration in Las Vegas,” said Knight, the longtime journalist/publicist.

“In several important ways, Jim Hunter’s career mirrored that of Jim Chapman’s. Most importantly, both deeply believed in the ‘old-school’ approach to working with the media – that it was essential to build one-on-one relationships with journalists. That’s too often missing today, but both Jims understood the value of actually talking to people and getting to know them, and that having those professional relationships best served their clients.”

Hunter’s career as a journalist and PR professional spanned portions of six decades. He was the Columbia Record sports editor, writer at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and author of several books. He began in PR in the 1960s with Dodge’s racing programs before stints as PR director at both Darlington Raceway and Talladega Superspeedway. He joined NASCAR as vice president of administration in 1983. In 1993, Hunter was named president of Darlington Raceway and corporate VP of International Speedway Corp. He returned to NASCAR as VP of corporate communications in 2001. He died of cancer at age 71.

Chapman started as sports editor or managing editor of several Southern newspapers before joining the New York Times. He served in the U.S. Air Force during World War II. He entered the PR business in 1946, as regional PR director for Ford Motor Co. in Detroit.

Soon thereafter, Chapman hired Ruth as consultant to the automaker’s sponsorship of American Legion Junior Baseball. They traveled together for more than two years for personal appearances and became close friends. Chapman was one of only three friends at Ruth’s bedside when he died in August 1948.

In 1950, Chapman left Ford to start his own PR firm. One of his first clients was Avis founder Warren Avis. Chapman devoted much of his time to financial PR, which he once called his “favorite form of PR,” and helped companies get recognition among analysts and even gain admission to the New York and American stock exchanges.

Chapman’s first venture into motorsports was in 1951, when he joined with NASCAR founder Bill France to promote the Motor City 250. The race was part of Detroit’s 250th birthday celebration, a Chapman client. In 1967, Chapman entered Indy Car racing with client Ozzie Olson’s Olsonite sponsorship of Dan Gurney’s team, which later featured Bobby Unser as driver.
“Jim was one of the most innovative and imaginative PR men ever to grace a pit lane,” said Gurney. “Jim practically invented most of what is now considered routine sponsor PR work. He was the first, as far as I know, who thought of putting up a sponsor hospitality tent alongside a racetrack (at the old Riverside Raceway), filling it with extravagant race car ice-sculptures, beautiful food and beautiful people from the business, sports and movie industries. He started an ‘open house’ tradition in Ozzie’s hotel suite in Indianapolis, where journalists could rub shoulders with John Wayne or (astronaut) Scott Carpenter.”

Chapman also coordinated Olsonite’s sponsorship of the Driver of the Year award, orchestrating an annual luncheon at New York City’s famed ‘21’ Club.

Chapman’s greatest professional acclaim came from 1981-1992, as director of CART series sponsor PPG Industries’ program. Chapman was instrumental in raising PPG’s prize fund from $250,000 to more than $3.75 million at the time of his retirement in February 1993. The all-female PPG Pace Car Driving Team was another Chapman innovation, as were the PPG Editor’s Days, when he brought business and feature writers to the tracks for lunch, pace car rides, and driver interviews.

Indy Car Racing magazine named Chapman the sports’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.

“The true honor of the award is not the plaque,” said Knight. “The true honor is having your name forever associated with that of the great James P. Chapman.”

PREVIOUS JIM CHAPMAN AWARD 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
1999-2003 – (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)


In a terrible, terrible decision by World Racing Group, World of Outlaws PR director Tony Veneziano was let go after the Outlaws' season. Tony's assistance to the media -- me included -- was always rapid and reliable. I would recommend him to anyone.


Here are links to some of my Arizona Republic stories from the past week, on NASCAR at PIR:

* Wednesday notebook -- Keselowski gets Penske to open up
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/2010/11/09/20101109motor-sports-nascar-roger-penske.html

* Thursday notebook -- Change, conflict, controversy good for PIR business
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/2010/11/10/20101110auto-racing-nascar-pir-notebook.html

* Thursday feature -- Danica's first Valley race in five years
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/2010/11/10/20101110auto-racing-nascar-danica-patrick.html


* Friday notebook -- Economy doesn't keep Bodine down
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/2010/11/11/20101111nascar-todd-bodine-aims-truck-series-championship.html


* Friday -- 5 Q&As with NASCAR fan Sen. Jon Kyl
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/2010/11/11/20101111nascar-five-questions-senate-minority-whip-jon-kyl.html

* Saturday notebook -- Chevy to Indy could give Danica more options

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/2010/11/12/20101112danica-patrick-chevrolet-indycar-nascar.html

* Saturday -- Bowyer wins Truck race; Bodine takes title
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/2010/11/12/20101112clint-bowyer-trucks-series-phoenix.html

* Sunday notebook -- PIR likely to undergo dramatic change

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/2010/11/13/20101113pir-undergo-dramtic-renovation.html


* Sunday Newsmaker Q&A -- NASCAR President Mike Helton

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/2010/11/13/20101113nascar-president-mike-helton.html

* Sunday -- Carl Edwards wins Nationwide series race

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/2010/11/13/20101113carl-edwards-phoenix-nascar-nationwide-win.html

The American Media, Nov. 11, 2010: On Veterans Day, the New York Stock Exchange paused for a moment of silence and the playing of taps before the opening bell. Fox News showed it live. CNBC thought it was a good time to show commercials.

[ more next Monday . . . ]

THE STRENGTH TO CHANGE

With a wacko Talladega finish and a wild Texas race in its immediate rear-view mirror and a terrific Chase championship nearing the finish line, all logic would say NASCAR should be the driver's seat as far as the ESPN TV ratings are concerned, with only Phoenix and Homestead-Miami to go.

But my antenna is telling me something very different.

I will leave it to John Daly and others to do the break-down what has been and is going on with the ESPN production and announce crew. I'll just say this: The excitement -- and there has been a good bit of it -- isn't coming through the TV and to the audience. Say what you will about individual "talent" personalities, but I know that if Eli Gold had been calling the last two races, I would have FELT the excitement.

When you have a Talladega where the winner was in doubt, and a Texas where Jeff Burton and Jeff Gordon wreck under yellow and -- in as blunt an interview as you'll ever hear -- Burton calls it "my fault" and Gordon says he "lost respect" for Burton and "wanted to do a whole lot more than that" in shoving the other Jeff, and me and you at home don't FEEL it, well, that's NOT NASCAR's fault.

Even in our society where the bar-of-standards has been lowered, certain things still should not be acceptable. NASCAR considered Kyle Busch's gesture Sunday to be in that category. In this day, even in the context of Texas and six-shooters, for Marty Reid to make an analogy about "bullets flying" simply cannot be tolerated. At least, it shouldn't be.

Daly, on his The Daly Planet TV commentary/analysis site, has wondered about ESPN management making booth changes before the end of the season. No sign of that happening: ESPN's philosophy, other than for legal or conduct code violations, seemingly is to wait until the off-season.

I duly note Hendrick Motorsports, be that at the direction of Rick Hendrick or Chad Knaus or whoever, decided it couldn't wait to bench Jimmie Johnson's under-performing pit crew mid-race at Texas, bringing in Jeff Gordon's to service the No. 48.

The Lords of Bristol should give that example a good, long, hard, ponder.

Me? I'd have Allen Bestwick and Ray Evernham in the booth this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway. And tell Brad Daugherty the NBA season has started. And, I'd remind the hosts of the various ESPN cable and radio shows who seldom-if-ever talk about NASCAR, to get their brains in gear.


FAST LINES: I want to add a positive postscript to what I wrote last week about the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals. Late Sunday afternoon, Graham Light, NHRA's senior VP of racing operations, was in the media center and individually told several media people (me included) that he "apologized" to fans for the bad, bad show. Yes, Light used the "A" word -- and he was 100 percent right to do that. I said for years that the leaders of IndyCar, Champ Car and the Indianapolis 500 should have apologized to the fans -- and the industry -- for the wretched mess they made. When Tony George and Kevin Kalkhoven announced reunification at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the words "I apologize" should have come out of both of their mouths within the first 60 seconds. Only ego and arrogance (and maybe bad-or-no advise) stood in the way. Let others take proper notice of Light's correct example . . . As a baseball fan, let me say congratulations to all San Francisco Giants fans. Enjoy. As (easily) predicted, though, Giants-Texas Rangers was a no-buzz TV ratings downer . . . One more baseball item: I'm not a Commissioner Bud Selig basher, at least to the degree of others, but I say NO to his idea to expand the playoffs. NO! More is not better (take note, NASCAR, in considering adding drivers to the Chase) . . . As a native of California, given the Golden State's sad state, and last week's election results, I'm about to write it off . . . It's ALL PR? Apparently so, since the president faults not his policies, but the way they've been communicated for the election thumping . . . Who would ever have thought it? Howard Beale believed he was above the rules. Or, maybe he didn't read them, like congressmen who didn't read the health cost law. The Nutcase Network suspended him for violating NBC News regulations against contributing to political candidates. The real question for Comcast, when it takes over soon, is not what it will do with Versus. But, rather, what it will do with the MSNBC Mess, and if it will stop using a journalism organization for the purposes of gaining favor for government contracts and business in China for its parent company.


Here's a good read, even if I say so myself: Actually, that has nothing to do with me, but rather, 22-time NHRA National event winner and ace ESPN analyst Mike Dunn. It's 10 Q&As with Mike, my November "Drags, Dollars & Sense" column on CompetitionPlus.com. Even if you're not usually intro drag racing, but would enjoy a TV type telling it straight, this is worth your time:
http://www.competitionplus.com/drag-racing/editorials/15982-drags-dollars-a-sense-mike-dunn-is-the-best


Here's a link (below) to my story in Sunday's Arizona Republic. It's about the Dodge comeback in NASCAR this season. Please check out the coverage Mark Armijo and I will have all this week. For those who have asked, yes, I'll be writing about Danica -- see my story this Thursday and you just might find out one or two things you didn't know. My traditional Newsmaker Q&A is scheduled to be with NASCAR President Mike Helton and it will run Sunday. If you're not in the state to buy the paper, read us on http://azcentral.com/

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/2010/11/06/20101106dodge-brad-keselowski-nascar-roll.html

[ please check back here next Sunday for something important . . . ]