Personal obligations limited my visit to the Barrett-Jackson collector car auction to just one afternoon/evening this year -- but what a time it was. I was there Saturday, traditionally the event's biggest day, and the crowds reminded me of what it used to be like around Gasoline Alley on Indianapolis 500 race morning. The longest sub-freezing stretch since 1988 in the Valley of the Sun happily ended and Scottsdale was back into the 70s for which it's popular this time of year.
I had the first-time experience of watching an auction take place from the stage. My main purpose in being on-site was to interview Jeff Gordon for pre-Subway Fresh Fit 500k at Phoenix International Raceway Arizona Republic stories. Jeff drove a real No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet onto the stage to auction, jointly, with a customed street version. I was standing behind and just off to the side of Jeff as he went to the auction block and got $350,000 to benefit Drive to End Hunger. Let me tell you, it's quite a sight looking out at the big crowd in the bidding area!
The original Batmobile was sold for $4.2 million -- Holy Bidding!
Barrett-Jackson is an amazing event and, to me, should be on the list with Indy, Daytona, Watkins Glen, Sebring and Pomona as "must" U.S. motorsports visits.
Computers weren't yet in the newsroom when I went to work for the Philadelphia Daily News in 1974. Other than typewriters (I still have one on my desk, unused, but a useful reminder of higher-standard if less technology advanced days), the machines we depended upon most were the wire service tickers. God help the clerk who let those machines run out of paper!
UPI was still a healthy competitor to AP back then. If four bells rang on a machine, you paid attention because that signaled "Urgent" news. Five bells meant a "Bulletin." It was end-of-the-world stuff if you heard 10 bells, a "Flash." I'm happy to say I never heard 10 bells.
Dispatches like that typically came in headline form, with details to follow. To me, Twitter -- used professionally and correctly -- is a modern-era version of a ringing wire machine, 140 characters to alert you to breaking important information, with more substance to come later and elsewhere. But Twitter, in too many wrong hands, has become a vast wasteland of garbage presented in word form. So-called journalists who need to be spending time actually REPORTING the FULL story instead divert too much time and attention to Tweeting for the sake of being "first." I've shouted out against that and will continue to do so.
Until now, I've refused to open a Twitter account, and still will steer far clear of Facebook. But, as of late last week, I'm at @SpinDoctor 500 . Whatever I put up will be breaking news I'm personally reporting or involved in, not nonsense. It will be only when there's something legitimate to let you know about. No personal messages, no crap, no non-stop T-ing just for the sake of the apparent ego satisfaction of T-ing. Messages will be occasional -- only when my news judgment tells me it's NECESSARY. Candidly, I'm not interested in receiving Tweets about somebody at the convenience store buying a soda and I absolutely, positively will not rely to such.
When I'm on-site at events, as I was last Saturday at Barrett-Jackson, I'll share breaking news. Ditto when I'm covering NHRA's Arizona Nationals and NASCAR at Phoenix International Raceway, for example. Interesting NEWS gained from my interviews and reporting will be headlined using Twitter, with details available later in the Arizona Republic, AzCentral.com, this blog, or elsewhere which I'll specify and encourage you to read. If I determine it's taking away from my old-fashioned reporting and interviewing and writing, I'll stop cold.
So, for those so inclined, I'm at @SpinDoctor 500 . I'm still skeptical, but with the encouragement and urging of people I respect and trust, I'm going to give it a try. We'll see how it goes. Consider a Tweet from me to be bells ringing on one of those old wire service machines. Thanks.
Parnelli Jones is an American original and an American motorsports icon. I have his new biography, As a matter of fact, I am Parnelli Jones, sitting on my desk and only urgent personal demands have kept me from reading it by now. (Since Bones Bourcier wrote it, I know it's great.) Parnelli, the 1963 Indianapolis 500 winner, was given what is called the Baby Borg trophy last week, the mini version of the Borg-Warner Trophy famous in Indy's victory lane. The mini Borg only went to winning drivers starting in 1988, which is why PJ didn't have one. A great gesture. But the PROBLEM is: How do those involved explain to the other still-with-us winning drivers -- a list which includes three Unsers, an Andretti, a Mears and some guy named Foyt -- why they don't get their very own Baby Borg? Believe you me, there's been enough mistakes out of Indy in the last couple of decades to create plenty of hard feelings, they don't need to make more. Someone would have to actually understand Big Picture PR issues to realize the new set of problems this might produce.
And just what was the NEWS value in ESPN.com publishing Danica Patrick's divorce papers? It was all pretty standard stuff -- no tantalizing financial numbers revealed, no out-of-the-ordinary details exposed. In short, it was a nothing story, done for no reason other than to draw attention to a business trying to cash-in on the business of prying into Danica's private business. Congratulations, ESPN, on lowering the bar of sports reporting as celebrity reporting once again.
Not everything is glamorous in the PR biz. There are things that equate to blocking and tackling in football -- the basics. One is the need to regularly update distribution lists for media releases, invitations to events, and even Christmas cards (and I immediately delete the E-mail ones.) Recently, I've been amazed at the lack of attention to this necessity. It's more than changing one name to another as assignments rotate in news organizations. That's the easy part. But needed just as much is going over the complete list and asking: "Why isn't so-and-so on this list?" Yes, it takes time and focus, but that is part of what separates the solid professionals from the mail-it-in crowd. A lot of people in some of the biggest organizations need to bother themselves to do such basics. It's part of the job -- if you care about doing the job the right way!
It never ends -- the Hollywood crowd being so caught-up in their own importance as to be woefully out-of-touch with reality. Latest example: Julianne Moore won the Best Actress award at the Golden Globes for her role as Sarah Palin in the HBO movie Game Change. The producer praised Moore for being "brave" to take the part. BRAVE? And then Moore praised anti-Palinites Tina Fey and Katie Couric for their "significant contribution to the 2008 election." Right. (And I'm a Fey fan.) Then Diane Sawyer took it a step further and named Fey ABC News' Co-Person of the Week! These self-absorbed people are not to be taken seriously.
[ more next Monday . . . ]
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Sunday, January 13, 2013
2013
Let's hope '13 won't be unlucky. How good it will be, I don't know. At least the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Board of Directors didn't send out Mayan calendars as holidays gifts.
Jeff Gordon has said it to me several times. He's said it to many other people in countless interviews. He said it again regarding the Fiasco in Phoenix with Clint Bowyer:
"I race guys the way they race me."
Anytime and everytime I hear Gordon say that, my thought is always the same:
Fair enough!
That's the way it's going to be here this year.
More than ever, I'm determined to tell it the way I believe it to be, especially as it pertains to the quality and professionalism (or lack thereof) of racing PR. The anti-Jim Chapman types like Merrill Cain, Tiffany Zielke, Goodyear and the rest will be cited in this cyberspace.
And that's the way it's going to be.
Arizona racing fans are happy with the news that Art Bisch Sr. is among those elected to the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame's 2013 class. (Full disclosure: I'm a Hall voter.) Bisch won five championships in the 1950s and qualified for the 1958 Indy 500 before a fatal accident in Atlanta at age 31. Others in the class include Charles (Dutch) Baumann, Andy Linden, Brad Noffsinger, Lou Blaney, Jeff Bloom, C.W. Van Ranst, Harold (Red) Lempelius, Richard Hoffman, E.A. (Ernie) Moross, Edd Sheppard and Jean Lynch. Induction will be June 1 in Knoxville, Ia.
The off-season wailing among some in the IndyCar media community (as small as it is) tells us a lot about the problems that extend beyond the historical record of that series' management.
1. Rubens Barrichello couldn't find sponsorship so is going to race stock cars in Brazil. Remember all that nonsense before last season that Rubens (a nice guy) might do for IndyCar what Nigel Mansell did for CART in 1993? I called that out right from the start. Yes, Rubens has a lot of Twitter followers but the only question that mattered was: How many of them are in IndyCar markets and thus potential ticket buyers? Cheerleading from the Randy Bernard crowd is all that was. 2. Ryan Briscoe doesn't (at least yet) have a ride. Penske Racing says it doesn't have sponsorship for his car -- what does THAT tell you when Penske is hurting for funding? But, as I also pointed out last year, Briscoe's fate is about more than sponsorship. It's about lack of mental toughness. I called this after his last pit stop in last May's Indy 500. It was obvious Briscoe didn't have enough outright speed to win so Penske, his radio contact, asked if he wanted to take downforce out of the car (try to go for it.) Briscoe said no, which I bet said a lot to Roger about how much his driver was willing to gamble to win the race that means more to the owner than any other. 3. Changes were made in the PR department. Here's a secret from deep within the PR world: Yes, it is a little about BS. But not phony, back-slapping BS. Just because someone decides to start wearing a sports coat doesn't transform them from long-time industry joker to serious professional.
As I've written here before, I like Fox News Channel's Martha MacCallum. It was announced late last year she had signed a new contract with FNC, which included this quote from CEO Roger Ailes: "Martha brings unique enthusiasm and talent to delivering the news and connects incredibly well with our viewers.” Raise your hand if you get what's missing. Says a ton about the media these days.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman issued a formal, public apology to fans last week for hockey's latest labor dispute and lost games. I hope it was sincere and I know it was good PR. I said about five years ago IndyCar's leaders should have apologized to fans, sponsors, manufacturers, promoters and everyone in the industry for the massive mistake of split series. They never did. But, you know, it's never too late to do the right thing.
Looking forward to seeing the great cars and interesting people this week at the Barrett-Jackson collector car auction, less than a half-hour from my home here in Scottsdale. You can see 39 hours of the happenings on Speed Channel.
[ more next Monday . . . ]
Jeff Gordon has said it to me several times. He's said it to many other people in countless interviews. He said it again regarding the Fiasco in Phoenix with Clint Bowyer:
"I race guys the way they race me."
Anytime and everytime I hear Gordon say that, my thought is always the same:
Fair enough!
That's the way it's going to be here this year.
More than ever, I'm determined to tell it the way I believe it to be, especially as it pertains to the quality and professionalism (or lack thereof) of racing PR. The anti-Jim Chapman types like Merrill Cain, Tiffany Zielke, Goodyear and the rest will be cited in this cyberspace.
And that's the way it's going to be.
Arizona racing fans are happy with the news that Art Bisch Sr. is among those elected to the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame's 2013 class. (Full disclosure: I'm a Hall voter.) Bisch won five championships in the 1950s and qualified for the 1958 Indy 500 before a fatal accident in Atlanta at age 31. Others in the class include Charles (Dutch) Baumann, Andy Linden, Brad Noffsinger, Lou Blaney, Jeff Bloom, C.W. Van Ranst, Harold (Red) Lempelius, Richard Hoffman, E.A. (Ernie) Moross, Edd Sheppard and Jean Lynch. Induction will be June 1 in Knoxville, Ia.
The off-season wailing among some in the IndyCar media community (as small as it is) tells us a lot about the problems that extend beyond the historical record of that series' management.
1. Rubens Barrichello couldn't find sponsorship so is going to race stock cars in Brazil. Remember all that nonsense before last season that Rubens (a nice guy) might do for IndyCar what Nigel Mansell did for CART in 1993? I called that out right from the start. Yes, Rubens has a lot of Twitter followers but the only question that mattered was: How many of them are in IndyCar markets and thus potential ticket buyers? Cheerleading from the Randy Bernard crowd is all that was. 2. Ryan Briscoe doesn't (at least yet) have a ride. Penske Racing says it doesn't have sponsorship for his car -- what does THAT tell you when Penske is hurting for funding? But, as I also pointed out last year, Briscoe's fate is about more than sponsorship. It's about lack of mental toughness. I called this after his last pit stop in last May's Indy 500. It was obvious Briscoe didn't have enough outright speed to win so Penske, his radio contact, asked if he wanted to take downforce out of the car (try to go for it.) Briscoe said no, which I bet said a lot to Roger about how much his driver was willing to gamble to win the race that means more to the owner than any other. 3. Changes were made in the PR department. Here's a secret from deep within the PR world: Yes, it is a little about BS. But not phony, back-slapping BS. Just because someone decides to start wearing a sports coat doesn't transform them from long-time industry joker to serious professional.
As I've written here before, I like Fox News Channel's Martha MacCallum. It was announced late last year she had signed a new contract with FNC, which included this quote from CEO Roger Ailes: "Martha brings unique enthusiasm and talent to delivering the news and connects incredibly well with our viewers.” Raise your hand if you get what's missing. Says a ton about the media these days.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman issued a formal, public apology to fans last week for hockey's latest labor dispute and lost games. I hope it was sincere and I know it was good PR. I said about five years ago IndyCar's leaders should have apologized to fans, sponsors, manufacturers, promoters and everyone in the industry for the massive mistake of split series. They never did. But, you know, it's never too late to do the right thing.
Looking forward to seeing the great cars and interesting people this week at the Barrett-Jackson collector car auction, less than a half-hour from my home here in Scottsdale. You can see 39 hours of the happenings on Speed Channel.
[ more next Monday . . . ]
Saturday, December 01, 2012
2012
How bleeping stupid do you think the Powers-That-Be think you are?
Look no further than what runs at the bottom-screen "ticker" that is supposed to provide scores, stats and legitimate breaking news:
"You are watching college football on ABC."
Geez, thanks. I thought I was watching a High Mass from the Vatican -- in Latin.
Why didn't ABC/ESPN just put up: "You are watching television."
That, sadly, is the way it's become in America, a dumbing-down of our society, culture and standards that continued on in a high-speed reverse year in 2012.
I blame government officials more interested in political advantage than actual accomplishment. I blame business leaders concerned not with the quality of their product or service, but just the next buck. I blame parents who don't parent. I blame the educational system at-large, especially at the elementary and high school levels. I blame the greedy and egoist athletes who are no role models. I blame SportsCenter for encouraging bad behavior -- and what I've heard called a Celebration of Showbiz -- by replaying it over-and-over-and-over-and-over again and talking about it even more. Ditto the agents and lawyers and those business managers who are allowed to make PR decisions even though they're not professionally qualified to do so. I blame the media for superficial and sensational, not substantive and substancial, stories. I blame the likes of ESPN's Sarah Spain, who couldn't wait to suggest potential new boyfriends for Danica Patrick, within days of Patrick's divorce announcement. Shameful and low-class -- but oh-so typical. I blame the editors who thought it should be posted. The lack of judgment is overwhelming. As is the lack of decency.
If you don't believe me, consider our recent presidential election. Candidates were permitted to get away without laying out specific policy plans. For the media, it was all about celebrity and the horse race, not the extremely tough decisions that must be made and where the country is going. It apparently was too intellectually rigorous for them to do so.
Here's the question that needs to be asked: Is America really America any more? Are the ideals and ethics that made the U.S. the U.S. still there? In terms of a collective will to act on traditional core values and national interest, I would say no. Whatever happened to personal responsibility? The pursuit of excellence as a function of self-respect? Does anyone want to learn anymore? To a language where words actually mean things? Now, we're told by self-appointed Politically Correct activists, that "illegal" is racist. When someone breaks the law, what part of "illegal" do you not get? This is what happens when kids aren't taught to talk any more -- it's all about texting and Tweeting. Talking? Oh, that's so 20th Century.
News has morphed essentially into nonsense. It's all entertainment these days, bouncing from the latest Washington sex scandal to the most recent Hollywood outrage. I'm not kidding by much when I say Charlie Sheen might have been a better candidate to take on Barack Obama than Mitt Romney. (For the record, I didn't vote for either one.)
And that "it's all entertaiment" mindset should concern NASCAR, which has made it clear, it's in the business of showbiz. The final Chase TV numbers, at least by one authoritative estimate, were at an all-time low. What was most memorable from this Sprint Cup season? I'll wager a poll would put the Fight in Phoenix ahead of Brad Keselowski's championship.
Brian France talked mid-season about wanting more "Wow!" moments. He didn't get enough of them. Part of the Big Talk behind the 2013 car is to make the racing "better." What exactly that means, I'm not sure, but I bet France's desired "Wow!" moments factor in.
Parents, teachers and media are guilty for what has become a short national attention span and lack of historical knowledge and perspective. One moment's Big Story -- remember Danica taking her hands off the steering wheel when crashing at Daytona or the points penalty to the No. 48 that was overturned on appeal? -- is treated like ancient history five minutes later. Another example is the recent Indianapolis Business Journal report that former CART CEO Andrew Craig could be a candidate for an IndyCar executive position. Talk about lack of institutional knowledge! If that's just a guess, shame. But if even one second has been spent considering the idea, I assure you, the IC series as we've known it is over forever.
It looks to me as if NASCAR has bet the house on this more showroom-ID car. And it's Integrated Marketing Communications department -- which exists to make you believe what just happened really was a "Wow!" moment -- which in many ways symbolizes where the bar of The New Acceptability has been placed. That once was more properly referred to as the public/media relations department. But in today's NASCAR, everything --and I mean everything -- relates to marketing. (Even the issue of safety, or the lack thereof, is to be marketed.) IMC drives NASCAR's social media efforts and that's what they think it is all about. Based on the lack of actual communications from the group's leaders, I know they don't think there's anything worth learning by actually TALKING to old-fashioned journalists who they treat as random dinosaurs taking their last steps in Planet Earth. Another way to say that is: Lack of Respect. For all the manpower and resources at their fingertips, it's incredible to me how little understanding IMC has of the actual real-life human dynamics at play in the media markets where NASCAR races.
Oh, correction, where NASCAR entertains/markets.
They haven't insisted on professionalism from their front-line soldiers, the team/sponsor PR reps, most don't even know -- or bother themselves -- to actually talk to journalists. Ty Dillon's PR girl Tiffany Zielke not long ago canceled a scheduled phone interview with me -- but didn't think it necessary to actually reach out and tell me. RCR's PR management seemingly didn't even notice. Then there's the IMC guy who pumps out green/business talking points without having done one minute of homework to research what already has been published locally -- and then, having established absolutely no relationship with the local journos -- wants copies of what's written sent to him! I guess he never heard of Jayski or Google.
Oh, for the days of actual conversations with Jim Hunter!
I hope Brian France is happy with all that impersonal Tweeter aggregation because, from this keyboard, IMC sure doesn't get that this fundamentally remains a relationship business and one where long-time dedication to the work at hand should be especially valued and appreciated. (Ditto Ford and also Merrill Cain, who in PR is the 180-degree opposite of what Roger Penske is in business, among others.) IMC has shown me it doesn't grasp -- or, at least, acknowledge -- the difference between coverage that heightens interest in a race and maybe even helps sell tickets vs. coverage that simply fills space/airtime. Quality of coverage, as opposed to quantity, isn't a measured metric. IMC's adding machine apparently calculates gross numbers only, not net effectiveness.
Could someone please factually document for me how many NEW fans were made in 2012 and where they came from?
Finally, let me add how embarrassed I am of people who want to be considered "serious professionals" but then post party-animal photos of themselves on Twitter and Facebook. And send out what should properly be private messages in quick bits for everyone to know about. Jim Chapman would disapprove from here to eternity -- and he would be right.
It's been a deeply difficult year. A disspiriting one.
I wonder: In 2013, how low will it all go?
[ more important life priorities means I'm off-the-air until sometime around mid-January, 2013 . . . ]
Look no further than what runs at the bottom-screen "ticker" that is supposed to provide scores, stats and legitimate breaking news:
"You are watching college football on ABC."
Geez, thanks. I thought I was watching a High Mass from the Vatican -- in Latin.
Why didn't ABC/ESPN just put up: "You are watching television."
That, sadly, is the way it's become in America, a dumbing-down of our society, culture and standards that continued on in a high-speed reverse year in 2012.
I blame government officials more interested in political advantage than actual accomplishment. I blame business leaders concerned not with the quality of their product or service, but just the next buck. I blame parents who don't parent. I blame the educational system at-large, especially at the elementary and high school levels. I blame the greedy and egoist athletes who are no role models. I blame SportsCenter for encouraging bad behavior -- and what I've heard called a Celebration of Showbiz -- by replaying it over-and-over-and-over-and-over again and talking about it even more. Ditto the agents and lawyers and those business managers who are allowed to make PR decisions even though they're not professionally qualified to do so. I blame the media for superficial and sensational, not substantive and substancial, stories. I blame the likes of ESPN's Sarah Spain, who couldn't wait to suggest potential new boyfriends for Danica Patrick, within days of Patrick's divorce announcement. Shameful and low-class -- but oh-so typical. I blame the editors who thought it should be posted. The lack of judgment is overwhelming. As is the lack of decency.
If you don't believe me, consider our recent presidential election. Candidates were permitted to get away without laying out specific policy plans. For the media, it was all about celebrity and the horse race, not the extremely tough decisions that must be made and where the country is going. It apparently was too intellectually rigorous for them to do so.
Here's the question that needs to be asked: Is America really America any more? Are the ideals and ethics that made the U.S. the U.S. still there? In terms of a collective will to act on traditional core values and national interest, I would say no. Whatever happened to personal responsibility? The pursuit of excellence as a function of self-respect? Does anyone want to learn anymore? To a language where words actually mean things? Now, we're told by self-appointed Politically Correct activists, that "illegal" is racist. When someone breaks the law, what part of "illegal" do you not get? This is what happens when kids aren't taught to talk any more -- it's all about texting and Tweeting. Talking? Oh, that's so 20th Century.
News has morphed essentially into nonsense. It's all entertainment these days, bouncing from the latest Washington sex scandal to the most recent Hollywood outrage. I'm not kidding by much when I say Charlie Sheen might have been a better candidate to take on Barack Obama than Mitt Romney. (For the record, I didn't vote for either one.)
And that "it's all entertaiment" mindset should concern NASCAR, which has made it clear, it's in the business of showbiz. The final Chase TV numbers, at least by one authoritative estimate, were at an all-time low. What was most memorable from this Sprint Cup season? I'll wager a poll would put the Fight in Phoenix ahead of Brad Keselowski's championship.
Brian France talked mid-season about wanting more "Wow!" moments. He didn't get enough of them. Part of the Big Talk behind the 2013 car is to make the racing "better." What exactly that means, I'm not sure, but I bet France's desired "Wow!" moments factor in.
Parents, teachers and media are guilty for what has become a short national attention span and lack of historical knowledge and perspective. One moment's Big Story -- remember Danica taking her hands off the steering wheel when crashing at Daytona or the points penalty to the No. 48 that was overturned on appeal? -- is treated like ancient history five minutes later. Another example is the recent Indianapolis Business Journal report that former CART CEO Andrew Craig could be a candidate for an IndyCar executive position. Talk about lack of institutional knowledge! If that's just a guess, shame. But if even one second has been spent considering the idea, I assure you, the IC series as we've known it is over forever.
It looks to me as if NASCAR has bet the house on this more showroom-ID car. And it's Integrated Marketing Communications department -- which exists to make you believe what just happened really was a "Wow!" moment -- which in many ways symbolizes where the bar of The New Acceptability has been placed. That once was more properly referred to as the public/media relations department. But in today's NASCAR, everything --and I mean everything -- relates to marketing. (Even the issue of safety, or the lack thereof, is to be marketed.) IMC drives NASCAR's social media efforts and that's what they think it is all about. Based on the lack of actual communications from the group's leaders, I know they don't think there's anything worth learning by actually TALKING to old-fashioned journalists who they treat as random dinosaurs taking their last steps in Planet Earth. Another way to say that is: Lack of Respect. For all the manpower and resources at their fingertips, it's incredible to me how little understanding IMC has of the actual real-life human dynamics at play in the media markets where NASCAR races.
Oh, correction, where NASCAR entertains/markets.
They haven't insisted on professionalism from their front-line soldiers, the team/sponsor PR reps, most don't even know -- or bother themselves -- to actually talk to journalists. Ty Dillon's PR girl Tiffany Zielke not long ago canceled a scheduled phone interview with me -- but didn't think it necessary to actually reach out and tell me. RCR's PR management seemingly didn't even notice. Then there's the IMC guy who pumps out green/business talking points without having done one minute of homework to research what already has been published locally -- and then, having established absolutely no relationship with the local journos -- wants copies of what's written sent to him! I guess he never heard of Jayski or Google.
Oh, for the days of actual conversations with Jim Hunter!
I hope Brian France is happy with all that impersonal Tweeter aggregation because, from this keyboard, IMC sure doesn't get that this fundamentally remains a relationship business and one where long-time dedication to the work at hand should be especially valued and appreciated. (Ditto Ford and also Merrill Cain, who in PR is the 180-degree opposite of what Roger Penske is in business, among others.) IMC has shown me it doesn't grasp -- or, at least, acknowledge -- the difference between coverage that heightens interest in a race and maybe even helps sell tickets vs. coverage that simply fills space/airtime. Quality of coverage, as opposed to quantity, isn't a measured metric. IMC's adding machine apparently calculates gross numbers only, not net effectiveness.
Could someone please factually document for me how many NEW fans were made in 2012 and where they came from?
Finally, let me add how embarrassed I am of people who want to be considered "serious professionals" but then post party-animal photos of themselves on Twitter and Facebook. And send out what should properly be private messages in quick bits for everyone to know about. Jim Chapman would disapprove from here to eternity -- and he would be right.
It's been a deeply difficult year. A disspiriting one.
I wonder: In 2013, how low will it all go?
[ more important life priorities means I'm off-the-air until sometime around mid-January, 2013 . . . ]
Sunday, November 18, 2012
OF HOMESTEAD and AUSTIN
I don't think it was a coincidence that a TV spot promoting NASCAR's Chase finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway included these words: "The world will be watching."
I think that was a message from NASCAR to Bernie Ecclestone and Circuit of the Americas, in Austin, Tex., that scheduling Formula One's return to the U.S. on the same day the championship of America's most popular motorsports series was settled wasn't appreciated. Actually, I'll say it was DUMB -- a point I first made about 15 months ago on Rick Benjamin's radio show. As far as I know I was the first one to point out Austin's date was the same as Homestead's.
I noted how Speed walked the fine line between its Homestead programming vs. what was coming out of Austin. Actually, what was coming out of the network's Charlotte studio, since the three booth announcers weren't sent out to report on-site. Of course, Speed has lost the F1 rights to NBC Sports Network starting next season.
As welcome as F1's coming back was with Lewis Hamilton's victory , it was equally stupid scheduling. A major international sporting spectacle received worldwide news coverage but, here, it got the attention of a local event. That's the arrogance of Ecclestone and the Grand Prix crowd, which continues to say how important it is to build its U.S. audience. What happened Sunday -- and what's already scheduled to happen next year -- sure as hell isn't the way to do it on a sea-to-shining-sea scale.
And I say that as someone who was at the USGP in Watkins Glen going back to the late 1960s and covered the Big Race many times. I had an exclusive interview with Jackie Stewart there the Saturday morning of his last weekend as a driver -- just a few hours before his teammate was killed and Stewart's entry was withdrawn.
Congratulations to the Austin organizers for getting the controversial facility completed in time. I don't argue with those who gushed how impressive the crowds were all three days -- official total 265,499. CotA itself pumped out news releases touting just that. Of course, this came from the same communications team whose lack of racing know-how and near-complete lack of any relationships with mainstream American media reflected poorly on the organization's leaders and management. These same people some months ago hyped an F1 traveling display that was going to stop in key media markets -- including Phoenix. Yet, my repeated requests for specifics as to the when and where went unanswered. (A little embarrassing that a Pirelli-logo cowboy hat was put on Mario Andretti -- a Firestone spokesman -- on the podium. But I bet the good guys at F understand.)
Let me put it this way: No one in Austin has to worry about writing a Jim Chapman Award acceptance speech.
Nor do the majority of so-called "PR" people who claim to "work" within NASCAR. A list was kept of those who actually came over to say hello in the media center during the recent Phoenix International Raceway weekend. Ten fingers would not be needed to total it up. "Public/media relations," indeed. Some months ago I asked the most senior "publicist" at a Big Time team why his group didn't make the media center rounds and the embarrassing answer was because the team's drivers did a lot of sponsor hospitality visits. Too bad for this guy that I happen to have a pretty good idea of the number of such appearances done. The math -- and the excuse -- didn't add up. And even if they made 50 appearances, does that mean five minutes couldn't be found to engage in the courtesy and good business of some relationship building?
BS. NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications, please take note.
As for Sprint Cup, no doubt NASCAR is pleased with Brad Keselowski's championship. It puts a fresher, younger, more hip, out-there, social media player as the face of stock car racing.
NASCAR's Powers-That-Be must be going into the off-season with mixed emotions, however. The champion won for a manufacturer who is leaving the sport. The Chase TV numbers as well as those for the season are cause for concern. Fan dissatisfaction with the way ESPN presents the races is at an all-time high. (Brad Daugherty to Kid Rock at Homestead: "What's it been like working for ESPN?" "It's been great." Wow. What cutting-edge analysis and interviewing skill.) The alarm bells are ringing and warning lights flashing for the 2013 national economy in a sport driven by sponsorship dollars. I know there are high-level people who think -- maybe "hope" is a better word -- that the new '13 car and its more showroom look will create new fans. I'm not buying that. I think it might well energize existing fans, but make new ones . . . ???
To the winners and champions, enjoy an especially thankful Thanksgiving.
[ No blog next week. I'll wrap the year here the first week of December . . . ]
I think that was a message from NASCAR to Bernie Ecclestone and Circuit of the Americas, in Austin, Tex., that scheduling Formula One's return to the U.S. on the same day the championship of America's most popular motorsports series was settled wasn't appreciated. Actually, I'll say it was DUMB -- a point I first made about 15 months ago on Rick Benjamin's radio show. As far as I know I was the first one to point out Austin's date was the same as Homestead's.
I noted how Speed walked the fine line between its Homestead programming vs. what was coming out of Austin. Actually, what was coming out of the network's Charlotte studio, since the three booth announcers weren't sent out to report on-site. Of course, Speed has lost the F1 rights to NBC Sports Network starting next season.
As welcome as F1's coming back was with Lewis Hamilton's victory , it was equally stupid scheduling. A major international sporting spectacle received worldwide news coverage but, here, it got the attention of a local event. That's the arrogance of Ecclestone and the Grand Prix crowd, which continues to say how important it is to build its U.S. audience. What happened Sunday -- and what's already scheduled to happen next year -- sure as hell isn't the way to do it on a sea-to-shining-sea scale.
And I say that as someone who was at the USGP in Watkins Glen going back to the late 1960s and covered the Big Race many times. I had an exclusive interview with Jackie Stewart there the Saturday morning of his last weekend as a driver -- just a few hours before his teammate was killed and Stewart's entry was withdrawn.
Congratulations to the Austin organizers for getting the controversial facility completed in time. I don't argue with those who gushed how impressive the crowds were all three days -- official total 265,499. CotA itself pumped out news releases touting just that. Of course, this came from the same communications team whose lack of racing know-how and near-complete lack of any relationships with mainstream American media reflected poorly on the organization's leaders and management. These same people some months ago hyped an F1 traveling display that was going to stop in key media markets -- including Phoenix. Yet, my repeated requests for specifics as to the when and where went unanswered. (A little embarrassing that a Pirelli-logo cowboy hat was put on Mario Andretti -- a Firestone spokesman -- on the podium. But I bet the good guys at F understand.)
Let me put it this way: No one in Austin has to worry about writing a Jim Chapman Award acceptance speech.
Nor do the majority of so-called "PR" people who claim to "work" within NASCAR. A list was kept of those who actually came over to say hello in the media center during the recent Phoenix International Raceway weekend. Ten fingers would not be needed to total it up. "Public/media relations," indeed. Some months ago I asked the most senior "publicist" at a Big Time team why his group didn't make the media center rounds and the embarrassing answer was because the team's drivers did a lot of sponsor hospitality visits. Too bad for this guy that I happen to have a pretty good idea of the number of such appearances done. The math -- and the excuse -- didn't add up. And even if they made 50 appearances, does that mean five minutes couldn't be found to engage in the courtesy and good business of some relationship building?
BS. NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications, please take note.
As for Sprint Cup, no doubt NASCAR is pleased with Brad Keselowski's championship. It puts a fresher, younger, more hip, out-there, social media player as the face of stock car racing.
NASCAR's Powers-That-Be must be going into the off-season with mixed emotions, however. The champion won for a manufacturer who is leaving the sport. The Chase TV numbers as well as those for the season are cause for concern. Fan dissatisfaction with the way ESPN presents the races is at an all-time high. (Brad Daugherty to Kid Rock at Homestead: "What's it been like working for ESPN?" "It's been great." Wow. What cutting-edge analysis and interviewing skill.) The alarm bells are ringing and warning lights flashing for the 2013 national economy in a sport driven by sponsorship dollars. I know there are high-level people who think -- maybe "hope" is a better word -- that the new '13 car and its more showroom look will create new fans. I'm not buying that. I think it might well energize existing fans, but make new ones . . . ???
To the winners and champions, enjoy an especially thankful Thanksgiving.
[ No blog next week. I'll wrap the year here the first week of December . . . ]
Sunday, November 11, 2012
DOMINICK & WAGER WIN 2012 JIM CHAPMAN AWARD
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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 (top of page, photo courtesy of Gary Gold and David Hutson), 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 and presentation were made at Phoenix International Raceway by Michael Knight, chairman of the selection committee, and one of Chapman’s closest friends. The award is determined by a 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.
"Judy and Nancy are truly deserving of this honor because their professionalism is in the example and spirit of Jim Chapman’s,” said Knight, the longtime journalist/publicist and award rights-holder.
“Like Jim, Judy and Nancy believe in the ‘old-school’ approach to working with the media – that it is essential to build one-on-one relationships with journalists. That’s too often missing today in a communications age where an E-mail or text message is incorrectly considered ‘relationship-building.’ Jim was a true ‘people person’ and knew nothing could replace a handshake, a face-to-face conversation, or the sound of another person’s voice.”
Established in 1991 by media and publicists within the CART series, the Chapman Award originally focused on achievement in CART. After a hiatus of several years, the award was resumed in 2004, with eligibility expanded to anyone working in racing PR.
Dominick and Wager both have over 25 years of experience in motorsports PR. Wager has represented Chevy as a trackside communications specialist since 1995 and Dominick since 2003. They frequently team-up at Sprint Cup events.
Dominick, of Sedalia, Colo. now residing in Winston-Salem, N.C., has worked in all three NASCAR national series, as well as IndyCar, sports car and drag racing, USAC, the World of Outlaws and AMA motorcycle racing. She was Tony Stewart’s personal management rep for more than six years.
Wager, of Laguna Niguel, Calif. now residing in Cary, N.C., has worked not only in NASCAR but also various off-road series, drag and powerboat racing, Supercross, Motocross and Arenacross, thrill shows and the Pike’s Peak Hill Climb. She was in sports marketing for the Adolph Coors Co.
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 and then officially announced Ruth’s death to the press corps that had maintained an around-the-clock vigil at New York’s Memorial Hospital.
Chapman proudly showcased several photos of Ruth in his office. One was inscribed: "To a pal that is a pal." Chapman also displayed a framed letter, written on Ruth's personal stationary from Memorial Hospital, dated July 13, 1948, inviting him to the July 26 premier of the film, The Babe Ruth Story. That letter read, in part, "That evening would not be complete without your being my guest. To you, Jimmy, I say you must be with me that evening."
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 International 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 directed Olsonite’s sponsorship of the Driver of the Year award. He orchestrated all the details, including the media panel voting, and an annual luncheon at New York City’s famed ‘21’ Club. That gathering was considered so prestigious it was routinely attended by leaders of all the major U.S. sanctioning organizations regardless of what series the Driver of the Year competed in.
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 Editors’ Days, when he brought business and feature writers to the tracks for lunch, pace car rides, and driver interviews.
In 1982, Chapman negotiated a landmark sponsorship for PPG with then- Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Joe Cloutier, which formally made the Indy 500 a points-paying event in the PPG Indy Car World Series, an arrangement that last 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.
Chapman's professional achievements earned him vast recognition. The mayors of Detroit and Long Beach, Calif., presented him proclamations and the key to each city. In 1993, Indiana Gov. Evan Bayh named him Sagamore of the Wabash, the state's highest honor. He served as president and/or director of more than 30 Michigan and Detroit-area civic and charitable organizations. Chapman became active in the civil rights movement in the 1950s and represented the Detroit Urban League and United Negro College Fund in several controversial situations. He admitted to shedding "buckets of tears of joy" when Willy T. Ribbs became the first African-American driver to qualify for the Indy 500 in 1991.
“The true honor of this 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 -- 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
I won't post links to all my Arizona Republic stories of the last week on NASCAR-at-Phoenix. Jayski kindly linked them and you can go into his daily listings for those. But here are a few of special interest:
"Boys, have at it" returns at PIR:
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/20121111wild-race-blows-championship-open-keselowski.html
Jimmie Johnson hits the wall (and Roger Penske says he's not a bidder for IMS):
PIR second-in-line to Daytona for ISC funds:
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/20121109phoenix-international-raceway-nd-in-line-for-redevelopment.html
Q&A with Lesa France Kennedy:
Whatever happened to "Boys, have at it"?
Q&A with Lesa France Kennedy:
Whatever happened to "Boys, have at it"?
Dillon brothers race with pressue of No. 3:
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/20121107dillon-brothers-austin-ty-find-success-nascar-circuit-young-age.html
"Promises, Promises" is the title of my latest CompetitionPlus.com column, looking at the history of Coca-Cola's NHRA title sponsorship:
http://www.competitionplus.com/drag-racing/editorials/22983-michael-knight-promises-promises
[ more next Monday . . . ]
Sunday, November 04, 2012
A BIG WEEK
I'll just state the obvious: This is a Big Week in our country and for the future of our nation. Locally, it's NASCAR week here in Phoenix, and a lot will happen to determine the 2012 champions in all three NASCAR national series.
Phoenix International Raceway's grandstands are sold-out for Sunday's AdvoCare 500 -- impressive in a still challenging economic environment. Please look for my stories starting Tuesday in the Arizona Republic and AzCentral.com . (See below for more.)
As big as the news will be in the next several days, there were some major headlines last week.
SuperStorm Sandy topped them all. Looking at the TV images of the terrible destruction in New Jersey was especially tough for me. I grew up in Philadelphia but spent most of my childhood summers in the Atlantic City area. My grandparents owned a home right on the beach in Brigantine Island -- where the president did his photo-op last week -- but that house was completely taken out into the Atlantic Ocean in an early 1960s hurricane and never rebuilt. An aunt and uncle owned a home two blocks away from the beach and they kindly allowed us to stay with them for large parts of each summer. I've walked that Atlantic City boardwalk more times than I could possibly count, eating saltwater taffy and enjoying the shows and attractions (yes, including the Diving Horse) at the famed Steel Pier. The best cheese steak sandwich you could ever have came from a place just a couple of blocks away. Called the White House. Even Frank Sinatra would go there for his CS fix. I used to attend the TQ midget races staged each January in AC's convention hall (where Miss America was crowned for decades) and the Eastern Motorsports Press Association held its annual convention in town for many years.
Seeing what happened just 24 hours later, it's amazing NASCAR was able to race at Martinsville. But with the TV numbers plunging 20-plus points in the return of Dale Jr., that signals to me changes will be coming (again) to try to re-energize the Chase format.
Tim Wardrop, who was engineer when I managed Arie Luyendyk's (first) retirement race at Indianapolis in 1999, died. We won the pole that year and Arie was leading when he crashed trying to get around mirror-less and clueless Tyce Carlson. Tim was more than a very talented engineer -- he was a fascinating guy to be around.
Oh, and as you may have read, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corp. Board of Directors decided to fire Randy Bernard after letting him twist in the wind for weeks. What horrendous PR we've seen in the last year: IndyCar's "run silent/run deep" disappearing act after Dan Wheldon's fatal accident which left a massive communications void which was filled by powerful and overwhelming negative voices. A.J. Allmendinger's completely botched public communications after his failed NASCAR drug test. And now the way Bernard's bouncing was handled by IMS Corp. However you feel about Bernard, there's NO EXCUSE for doing it this way. NONE.
I've read and heard some of the most ridiculous media yapping about this that could possibly be imagined. You have to give Bernard this: He was very successful in co-opting a large chunk of the Indianapolis-area media. It's sad there's no longer a powerful media watchdog like the old Editor & Publisher because I have no doubt such a publication would have had a field day objectively analyzing the way some people "reported" (cheerleading would be more accurate) on Bernard's tenure. Even those fans who continue to wear Indy's rose-colored glasses would have been well served by such a critical examination of a journalistic standards-lowering embarrassment. Now that Bernard is out and the coverage tone will/has changed in a dramatic -- far less favorable -- way, will media executives understand what's happened and make the moves that need to be made? Probably not . . .
IMS President Jeff Belskus is now in charge of the series and he made it clear in interviews last week that he is running the show and not limited by an "interim" title. I think it was good he made that point from a management stability standpoint, but -- caution -- by week's end it was starting to remind me of Al Haig's infamous "I'm in charge" press conference after President Reagan was shot in 1981.
IMS has begun a strategic business review and hired an outside consulting firm. Having been involved in two such strategic reviews involving major motorsports sponsors, I have a pretty good idea of what to expect. No doubt the recommendations will be: 1 -- Commit to a long-term business plan and budget; 2 -- Sell the business. So for everyone busy trying to suggest names for a new CEO, nothing is going to happen until the review process is completed, and the IMS Board decides how to act on it -- if at all.
Meanwhile, I did an extended interview on my friend Larry Henry's Pit Pass USA show about the latest IMS fiasco. It's right at the top of the show and here's a link:
Finally -- Given the recent developments in IndyCar, it just might be worth your while to go back and read (or re-read) my "Untenable" posting from a year ago:
Sometimes we need to forget about points, cars and gas mileage and focus on the PEOPLE. So here's a link to my long Sunday Republic story examining the evolution of the Jeff Gordon-Jimmie Johnson relationship. Would Jimmie have been as successful without Jeff? Gordon, Johnson and Rick Hendrick have their say:
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/20121030jeff-gordon-jimmie-johnsons-relationship-shifts-gears.html
In a major Business of Racing "get," my traditional Newsmaker Q&A next Sunday in the Republic will be with ISC Chair Lesa France Kennedy.
[ come back this weekend for announcement regarding the 2012 Jim Chapman Award for excellence in motorsports PR ]
Phoenix International Raceway's grandstands are sold-out for Sunday's AdvoCare 500 -- impressive in a still challenging economic environment. Please look for my stories starting Tuesday in the Arizona Republic and AzCentral.com . (See below for more.)
As big as the news will be in the next several days, there were some major headlines last week.
SuperStorm Sandy topped them all. Looking at the TV images of the terrible destruction in New Jersey was especially tough for me. I grew up in Philadelphia but spent most of my childhood summers in the Atlantic City area. My grandparents owned a home right on the beach in Brigantine Island -- where the president did his photo-op last week -- but that house was completely taken out into the Atlantic Ocean in an early 1960s hurricane and never rebuilt. An aunt and uncle owned a home two blocks away from the beach and they kindly allowed us to stay with them for large parts of each summer. I've walked that Atlantic City boardwalk more times than I could possibly count, eating saltwater taffy and enjoying the shows and attractions (yes, including the Diving Horse) at the famed Steel Pier. The best cheese steak sandwich you could ever have came from a place just a couple of blocks away. Called the White House. Even Frank Sinatra would go there for his CS fix. I used to attend the TQ midget races staged each January in AC's convention hall (where Miss America was crowned for decades) and the Eastern Motorsports Press Association held its annual convention in town for many years.
Seeing what happened just 24 hours later, it's amazing NASCAR was able to race at Martinsville. But with the TV numbers plunging 20-plus points in the return of Dale Jr., that signals to me changes will be coming (again) to try to re-energize the Chase format.
Tim Wardrop, who was engineer when I managed Arie Luyendyk's (first) retirement race at Indianapolis in 1999, died. We won the pole that year and Arie was leading when he crashed trying to get around mirror-less and clueless Tyce Carlson. Tim was more than a very talented engineer -- he was a fascinating guy to be around.
Oh, and as you may have read, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corp. Board of Directors decided to fire Randy Bernard after letting him twist in the wind for weeks. What horrendous PR we've seen in the last year: IndyCar's "run silent/run deep" disappearing act after Dan Wheldon's fatal accident which left a massive communications void which was filled by powerful and overwhelming negative voices. A.J. Allmendinger's completely botched public communications after his failed NASCAR drug test. And now the way Bernard's bouncing was handled by IMS Corp. However you feel about Bernard, there's NO EXCUSE for doing it this way. NONE.
I've read and heard some of the most ridiculous media yapping about this that could possibly be imagined. You have to give Bernard this: He was very successful in co-opting a large chunk of the Indianapolis-area media. It's sad there's no longer a powerful media watchdog like the old Editor & Publisher because I have no doubt such a publication would have had a field day objectively analyzing the way some people "reported" (cheerleading would be more accurate) on Bernard's tenure. Even those fans who continue to wear Indy's rose-colored glasses would have been well served by such a critical examination of a journalistic standards-lowering embarrassment. Now that Bernard is out and the coverage tone will/has changed in a dramatic -- far less favorable -- way, will media executives understand what's happened and make the moves that need to be made? Probably not . . .
IMS President Jeff Belskus is now in charge of the series and he made it clear in interviews last week that he is running the show and not limited by an "interim" title. I think it was good he made that point from a management stability standpoint, but -- caution -- by week's end it was starting to remind me of Al Haig's infamous "I'm in charge" press conference after President Reagan was shot in 1981.
IMS has begun a strategic business review and hired an outside consulting firm. Having been involved in two such strategic reviews involving major motorsports sponsors, I have a pretty good idea of what to expect. No doubt the recommendations will be: 1 -- Commit to a long-term business plan and budget; 2 -- Sell the business. So for everyone busy trying to suggest names for a new CEO, nothing is going to happen until the review process is completed, and the IMS Board decides how to act on it -- if at all.
Meanwhile, I did an extended interview on my friend Larry Henry's Pit Pass USA show about the latest IMS fiasco. It's right at the top of the show and here's a link:
Finally -- Given the recent developments in IndyCar, it just might be worth your while to go back and read (or re-read) my "Untenable" posting from a year ago:
Sometimes we need to forget about points, cars and gas mileage and focus on the PEOPLE. So here's a link to my long Sunday Republic story examining the evolution of the Jeff Gordon-Jimmie Johnson relationship. Would Jimmie have been as successful without Jeff? Gordon, Johnson and Rick Hendrick have their say:
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/20121030jeff-gordon-jimmie-johnsons-relationship-shifts-gears.html
In a major Business of Racing "get," my traditional Newsmaker Q&A next Sunday in the Republic will be with ISC Chair Lesa France Kennedy.
[ come back this weekend for announcement regarding the 2012 Jim Chapman Award for excellence in motorsports PR ]
Sunday, October 28, 2012
BADPRYEAR
UPDATE: I'll guest on Larry Henry's Pit Pass USA Wednesday, 7 p.m. EDT, to talk about Randy Bernard's ouster and what's next for IndyCar. http://www.voiceamericasports.com/
I've been around long enough to remember when Goodyear cared about its racing public relations. I knew Dick Ralstin, who was the racing division's PR manager for 11 years, and some seasons worked as many as 40-50 events. Dick was a great person to know at the Indianapolis 500, as Chicago Tribune sportswriter Bob Markus found out when he covered his first Indy in 1968. Markus, a friend of mine and a very gifted writer, admits he didn't know his way around the Speedway and missed Bobby Unser's winner’s interview. Dick came to the rescue and quickly arranged a one-on-one interview with Unser. Ralstin retired in 1987 and died several years ago.
Over the years, whether in a journalism or PR capacity, I knew and had a good working relationship with other Goodyear racing publicists. They incluced Phil Holmer, Dave Hederich, Bill King and Carole Swartz. Chuck Sinclair, a nice man, worked in corporate PR but wound up spending more time than he probably expected in open-wheel racing when Firestone came in and kicked butt. He's now retired. They all were quite professional to deal with.
I'm not sure when it happened, but somewhere along the way, Goodyear decided racing media relations wasn't important any more. They've kicked it to the curb like a burned-up chunk of tread.
It's been noticeable for several years. And I noticed it again last week when G conducted a NASCAR tire test at Phoenix International Raceway.
While I did a phone interview with NASCAR competition VP Robin Pemberton, I didn't go to the track. It wasn't worth the hassle. As usual, G put severe media access restrictions on the test and -- candidly -- it wasn't worth my bother. And, as usual these days, there was zero communications from G with the local media.
Last year, when PIR was repaved and reconfigured, I did many stories on the project for the Arizona Republic. During the last race weekend on the old surface, I made it a point to discuss this with G racing boss Stu Grant. I know him from my CART days when G got its doors blown off by Firestone. The G talking point is the teams don't want to be bothered by media during these tests. I agree there's a bit of truth there, but . . .
G acts like a company unsure if it's capable of producing the tires needed for NASCAR competition. G gives the appearance of being scared of failure, not confident of success. Of course, when you take a look at the recent Kansas Speedway race, that just might be understandable. I noted the regular NASCAR media largely gave G a pass on that, but I'm not.
During that conversation with Grant, he mentioned the value to G of "technology transfer" stories (race tire development benefitting passenger vehicle tires). I told him I certainly understood that and would be willing to try to include such a storyline into my overall coverage. I never heard another word from G. In the pre-race tire testing, G made a major change in its plans in terms of the amount of drivers and days involved. When I pointed that out to G's so-called "media relations" man, well, let's just say dealing with him wasn't a happy professional experience. And if I hadn't contacted him, he never would have thought of, or bothered to, be in touch with me. Hey, it was only a GOODYEAR test. Why outreach to the local media?
Modern day NASCAR is a marketing organization. It might as well be renamed MASCAR, if you get my meaning. Since it seems that Firestone won't be involved in IndyCar within the next couple of years, I suggest NASCAR/MASCAR start negotiating with Firestone. The product is superior. As are the advertising, marketing, promotional and PR capabilities.
Anyone/everyone with any interest in, or involvement with, PR of any sort should read this:
FAST LINES: Jon Knapp, who died of cancer last week, was a solid PR pro and will be missed on the NHRA circuit where he and wife-PR partner Joanne repped the Summit Pro Stock team . . . Sadness also over the death of Bob Jenkins' wife, Pam. I know it's been a very difficult time for Bob on a number of fronts . . . And good guy Charlie Mitchell, the longtime racing columnist for Connecticut's The Hour -- a tough week . . . There are stories which fill space and then there are stories that help generate interest in an event and are read by non-racing fans. Please get next Sunday's (Nov. 4) Arizona Republic for what I believe will be a story deserving to go in the second category. If you're not in this area, go to AzCentral.com sports.
[ more next Monday . . . ]
I've been around long enough to remember when Goodyear cared about its racing public relations. I knew Dick Ralstin, who was the racing division's PR manager for 11 years, and some seasons worked as many as 40-50 events. Dick was a great person to know at the Indianapolis 500, as Chicago Tribune sportswriter Bob Markus found out when he covered his first Indy in 1968. Markus, a friend of mine and a very gifted writer, admits he didn't know his way around the Speedway and missed Bobby Unser's winner’s interview. Dick came to the rescue and quickly arranged a one-on-one interview with Unser. Ralstin retired in 1987 and died several years ago.
Over the years, whether in a journalism or PR capacity, I knew and had a good working relationship with other Goodyear racing publicists. They incluced Phil Holmer, Dave Hederich, Bill King and Carole Swartz. Chuck Sinclair, a nice man, worked in corporate PR but wound up spending more time than he probably expected in open-wheel racing when Firestone came in and kicked butt. He's now retired. They all were quite professional to deal with.
I'm not sure when it happened, but somewhere along the way, Goodyear decided racing media relations wasn't important any more. They've kicked it to the curb like a burned-up chunk of tread.
It's been noticeable for several years. And I noticed it again last week when G conducted a NASCAR tire test at Phoenix International Raceway.
While I did a phone interview with NASCAR competition VP Robin Pemberton, I didn't go to the track. It wasn't worth the hassle. As usual, G put severe media access restrictions on the test and -- candidly -- it wasn't worth my bother. And, as usual these days, there was zero communications from G with the local media.
Last year, when PIR was repaved and reconfigured, I did many stories on the project for the Arizona Republic. During the last race weekend on the old surface, I made it a point to discuss this with G racing boss Stu Grant. I know him from my CART days when G got its doors blown off by Firestone. The G talking point is the teams don't want to be bothered by media during these tests. I agree there's a bit of truth there, but . . .
G acts like a company unsure if it's capable of producing the tires needed for NASCAR competition. G gives the appearance of being scared of failure, not confident of success. Of course, when you take a look at the recent Kansas Speedway race, that just might be understandable. I noted the regular NASCAR media largely gave G a pass on that, but I'm not.
During that conversation with Grant, he mentioned the value to G of "technology transfer" stories (race tire development benefitting passenger vehicle tires). I told him I certainly understood that and would be willing to try to include such a storyline into my overall coverage. I never heard another word from G. In the pre-race tire testing, G made a major change in its plans in terms of the amount of drivers and days involved. When I pointed that out to G's so-called "media relations" man, well, let's just say dealing with him wasn't a happy professional experience. And if I hadn't contacted him, he never would have thought of, or bothered to, be in touch with me. Hey, it was only a GOODYEAR test. Why outreach to the local media?
Modern day NASCAR is a marketing organization. It might as well be renamed MASCAR, if you get my meaning. Since it seems that Firestone won't be involved in IndyCar within the next couple of years, I suggest NASCAR/MASCAR start negotiating with Firestone. The product is superior. As are the advertising, marketing, promotional and PR capabilities.
Anyone/everyone with any interest in, or involvement with, PR of any sort should read this:
FAST LINES: Jon Knapp, who died of cancer last week, was a solid PR pro and will be missed on the NHRA circuit where he and wife-PR partner Joanne repped the Summit Pro Stock team . . . Sadness also over the death of Bob Jenkins' wife, Pam. I know it's been a very difficult time for Bob on a number of fronts . . . And good guy Charlie Mitchell, the longtime racing columnist for Connecticut's The Hour -- a tough week . . . There are stories which fill space and then there are stories that help generate interest in an event and are read by non-racing fans. Please get next Sunday's (Nov. 4) Arizona Republic for what I believe will be a story deserving to go in the second category. If you're not in this area, go to AzCentral.com sports.
[ more next Monday . . . ]
Sunday, October 21, 2012
LESSONS NOT LEARNED
When will they ever learn?
Silly me -- they never will.
I keep hoping the celebrity athletes of our star-power society will wise-up and play it straight given the countless examples of bad behavior and cheating that have been so much a part of our news in recent years. Every time you think there could not be a bigger fall from grace, there is. Last week's was Lance Armstrong, the Tour de France cycling champion-raised to hero status as a cancer survivor.
In the face of recent and what has been called overwhelming evidence of blood doping and other rules violations, Armstrong stepped down as head of his own cancer charity. He was quickly dropped by several sponsors, including Nike. Take your pick -- Nike or ESPN are the most powerful influences in American sports today.
The difference for Nike in this case as best I can tell, as opposed to other superstars like Tiger Woods, Kobe Bryant and Michael Vick, is Armstrong's offenses involved actual competition while the others were of a personal conduct nature. It's true Armstrong has never failed a drug test.
But his fall from the pointed end of the sports celebrity pyramid is not only the latest, but greatest. I honestly feel sorry for cancer patients, and their families, who drew inspiration and hope from Armstrong's example.
But what I have also been reminded of -- again -- is that money, power, fame, celebrity and ego continue to compromise what in some cases may be the better judgment of decent people.
Honestly, is it asking too much for others to learn from the mistakes of others?
Someday, Armstrong will re-emerge. You'll know his attempted PR comeback is underway when you see him on 60 Minutes or Katie.
My suspicion antenna is up: Way Up.
Various media ran wild last week with the story that GoDaddy's new ad agency might not use Danica Patrick in the .com's next Super Bowl commercials. Many were the same ones who have gone wild for several years with breathless reports that GD's Super spots were rejected by TV networks as too "racy" -- duped by a sleezy PR tactic to generate false controversy and, thus, drive-up public interest.
Now, anyone who has been through a management change (as GoDaddy has) knows that usually means change for many others. GD's new ownership has been working to reposition the business from sex-appeal to appealing to small business owners and tech buffs. It hired a well-known ad agency to do just that and that agency didn't use Danica in its first batch of new ads, which aired during the Summer Olympics.
But, given its history of media manipulation, call me a skeptic. What really makes me think so is the Internet domain firm issued a statement from Patrick which quoted her as saying, "I absolutely hope I am in the new GoDaddy Super Bowl commercials. I don't think it would feel quite like a Super Bowl if we don't do the commercials again this year."
There's absolutely no reason for such a canned comment -- other than to again dupe the press into another phony controversy. If the story was real, the most likely response would have been "we'll see." Or even, "no comment."
And then, there was this from Tony Stewart, whose team fields Danica's GD-sponsored Cup Chevrolet, Friday at Kansas Speedway: "We read everything yesterday and laughed about it.”
If the standards of professionalism in American journalism were as high as most in the mainstream media would like you to believe, CNN's Candy Crowley would have been suspended from all political coverage immediately after her horrendous stint as moderator of presidential debate No. 2. Yes, the Washington Times is a conservative newspaper, but it was correct in terming Crowley's performance "another debacle for America’s media."
I'm not sure what was the bigger disgrace: Crowley, or the slobbering praise lavished on her post-debate by her CNN colleagues. Sometimes it seemed like some of them were going to lick her face in admiration. Couldn't one of them -- how about the network's own media analyst? -- step-up and tell the truth? CNN Managing Editor Mark Whitaker even sent an E-mail instructing his staff: "Let's start with a big round of applause for Candy Crowley for a superb job under the most difficult circumstances imaginable."
PLEASE! Tell our military, police and firefighters about "difficult circumstances." Talk about being self-important and self-absorbed!
Before the debate even began, Crowley let it be known she didn't plan to obey the format rules agreed-upon by the Obama and Romney campaigns. That means she shouldn't have accepted the role in the first place. And, while the questions were submitted by supposedly undecided voters in the audience, it was Crowley who actually decided which questions would be asked, and in what order. Somehow -- how mysterious -- she picked several that fed into the liberal Democrats' "war on women" theme and even this one from Mars: "How are you different from George W. Bush?" What in the hell does that have to do with the serious issues at play in this election? Why not have asked: "How are you different from Ulysses S. Grant?" She gave the president more time, cut off Gov. Romney more often, and was factually wrong in backing-up Obama's answer on the deaths of four Americas in Libya.
Candy Crowley is a disgrace to the honorable, traditional standards of American journalism. Her bias and bad judgment means she should not be a part of it. And certainly not be trusted as the "objective" moderator of a presidential debate.
FAST LINES: Two sentences from a recent Reuters article has had the PR-world-at-large talking: “To lie about an issue is to be a politician. To lie about a corporation is to be a public relation[s] executive” . . . I'll call again for the executive bosses at the sanctioning body PR departments to call together all their team reps for a review of the basics. One breach-of-ethics that keeps coming up again and again -- PR people responding to interview requests by asking what the questions will be. That's a mortal sin in the business. Only those who have never taken a Journalism 101 course would do such a thing. On second thought, PR execs from two sanctions have made the same mistake with me in the last year . . . A news release on the DeltaWing's testing crash at Road Atlanta, when it reportedly was hit by a slower car, headlined with the claim the vehicle was "assaulted." This kind of overly dramatic positioning may well be increasingly commonplace these days but it's just plan HYPE and not appreciated by legitimate journalists . . . ALMS has backed-out of its too-far-too-soon ESPN3 package for its final season in 2013, returning to a traditional broadcast/cable mix on ABC, ESPN2 and Speed for the long-distance runs at Sebring and Road Atlanta.
You've probably seen the video of Felix Baumgartner's astounding supersonic skydrive, so far the highlight of the YouTube age. But if you haven't seen it from his helmet camera, well, take a look:
http://gizmodo.com/5951725/first-head-cam-footage-from-daredevils-space-jump
[ more next Monday . . . ]
Sunday, October 14, 2012
HEAD CASE
I'd like to say that Dale Earnhardt Jr. sitting out of some Sprint Cup races due to concussion symptoms marks the start of a new and improved era of pro-active driver safety rules in NASCAR.
I'd like to -- but I can't.
As NASCAR racing operations senior VP Steve O'Donnell said after Junior's announcement, tracking concussions is a "subjective call."
As I know from personal experience, that is true. Drs. Steve Olvey and Terry Trammel, the 1-2 Dynamic Duo of the original and gold standard CART traveling medical team, once explained to me that they could look at an X-ray of a broken bone and say how long it would take to heal. As for head injuries, though, they said that's impossible, even looking at an MRI or using other modern diagnosic techniques.
In short, there's no way to know. And that is why head injuries require a higher standard of care and caution than other injuries, because they are more difficult to assess. That means the sanctioning bodies must step-up and take on a greater role. That should begin with a mandatory check for concussion symptoms the day immediately following a suspicious wreck. No checkup, no OK from a qualified doctor, no racing the next weekend. Period.
The hard truth is Junior turned himself in, NASCAR didn't. Dale could have been wheeling his No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew Chevy last Saturday night at Charlotte because there's no evidence NASCAR was set to say otherwise. I'm glad Junior did what he did. I wish that would provide an example for other drivers, but . . .
Junior's position within the sport and industry is unique. He knows he can get out of the car and not have to worry if he'll still have a job. Precious few other drivers are in that position. Most wouldn't take themselves out of the game for fear they'd never get back in. And, as Jeff Gordon himself admitted, if he was leading the Sprint Cup championship with only a couple of races to go, he would play hurt.
Again, I speak from personal experience and direct observation. Head injuries and neuro diseases can't be handled like a broken bone. The gray area is as wide as the Atlantic Ocean. That means the sanctioning organizations have to assume a greater burden of the responsibility. Yes, it's a judgment call -- but NASCAR quickly explains away other competition decisions with that same reasoning.
Meanwhile, don't rush back, Junior. Ticket sales and TV ratings aside, there is no need to do so. Your championship possibilities are gone and another win this year isn't worth your hurry. Take the rest of the season off if all available evidence indicates that's the wisest course of action.
Here's my notebook in last Friday's Arizona Republic with news of a new NASCAR Truck series driver and the future of NHRA at Firebird Raceway:
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/sports/articles/2012/10/11/20121011mexicos-quiroga-driven-realize-nascar-dream.html
[ more next Monday . . . ]
I'd like to -- but I can't.
As NASCAR racing operations senior VP Steve O'Donnell said after Junior's announcement, tracking concussions is a "subjective call."
As I know from personal experience, that is true. Drs. Steve Olvey and Terry Trammel, the 1-2 Dynamic Duo of the original and gold standard CART traveling medical team, once explained to me that they could look at an X-ray of a broken bone and say how long it would take to heal. As for head injuries, though, they said that's impossible, even looking at an MRI or using other modern diagnosic techniques.
In short, there's no way to know. And that is why head injuries require a higher standard of care and caution than other injuries, because they are more difficult to assess. That means the sanctioning bodies must step-up and take on a greater role. That should begin with a mandatory check for concussion symptoms the day immediately following a suspicious wreck. No checkup, no OK from a qualified doctor, no racing the next weekend. Period.
The hard truth is Junior turned himself in, NASCAR didn't. Dale could have been wheeling his No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew Chevy last Saturday night at Charlotte because there's no evidence NASCAR was set to say otherwise. I'm glad Junior did what he did. I wish that would provide an example for other drivers, but . . .
Junior's position within the sport and industry is unique. He knows he can get out of the car and not have to worry if he'll still have a job. Precious few other drivers are in that position. Most wouldn't take themselves out of the game for fear they'd never get back in. And, as Jeff Gordon himself admitted, if he was leading the Sprint Cup championship with only a couple of races to go, he would play hurt.
Again, I speak from personal experience and direct observation. Head injuries and neuro diseases can't be handled like a broken bone. The gray area is as wide as the Atlantic Ocean. That means the sanctioning organizations have to assume a greater burden of the responsibility. Yes, it's a judgment call -- but NASCAR quickly explains away other competition decisions with that same reasoning.
Meanwhile, don't rush back, Junior. Ticket sales and TV ratings aside, there is no need to do so. Your championship possibilities are gone and another win this year isn't worth your hurry. Take the rest of the season off if all available evidence indicates that's the wisest course of action.
Here's my notebook in last Friday's Arizona Republic with news of a new NASCAR Truck series driver and the future of NHRA at Firebird Raceway:
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/sports/articles/2012/10/11/20121011mexicos-quiroga-driven-realize-nascar-dream.html
[ more next Monday . . . ]
Sunday, October 07, 2012
QUESTIONS BEGGING TO BE ASKED
Chris Economaki's death marked the official end of the era of tough questioning on racing TV. Chris was never afraid to put the microphone in front of his interview subject and ask a direct, sometimes blunt, but almost always fair question. He knew that's what his viewers wanted.
These days, the broadcast types make speeches -- which aren't questions -- or generally talk to the interviewee in a soft, overly friendly, non-specific way. Which is largely what happened when IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard talked-up his 2013 schedule on Wind Tunnel and a media teleconference.
Bob Varsha said it was an honor to have Bernard make the announcement on WT. Hey, it's not as if SportsCenter was jumping up-and-down to do it! Sadly, the interview ended with a lame Helio Castroneves-Dancing With the Stars question. I know time is a limiting factor on live TV, but here's my list of very legitimate questions that could have, SHOULD HAVE, been asked on WT and the next day's teleconference:
* Do you have specific knowledge of a proposal to buy the series?
* Why was a contract signed with Pocono without a feasibility test, such as the one insisted on by Phoenix International Raceway if a race were to happen there?
* Phoenix was willing to commit to an almost $1 million advertising/marketing budget. How much has Pocono committed to this? And how much is the sanction fee?
* Are you concerned about Pocono trying to sell tickets to three major events within an eight-week period?
* What is the sanction fee for doubleheader events? Double the single-race fee?
* Why the gaping hole between Baltimore on Sept. 1 and Houston on Oct. 5 and are you concerned that could be a PR momentum roadblock as football begins?
* When will Lotus' status for 2013 be made official?
* After not doing much in 2012, what are series sponsor Izod's specific activation plans for 2013?
* Has the Grand-Am/ALMS merger created interest from tire suppliers involved in those series?
* According to Sports Business Journal, TV ratings on ABC were down 17 percent from the previous year and down 27 percent on NBC Sports Network. Since you've talked a lot about your expectations for those numbers to head north, why the decline in a season which usually featured good racing in new cars with engine manufacturer competition? What, specifically, is this being done to fix this huge problem?
* Does it concern you that even Roger Penske is having trouble finding sponsors? What, specifically, is the series doing to help teams sign new sponsors? Do you expect more, less, or the same amount of cars on the grid next season?
* During the teleconference, you said, "As everyone knows, tradition is so important to the sport." If so, how is tradition honored by having a "Triple Crown" that isn't all 500-mile races? (FYI -- the $1 mil bonus for a driver who could sweep all three isn't anything new. Domino's Pizza offered such a prize in the early 1980s.) And isn't standing starts a slap-in-the-face of IndyCar tradition?
* As for Pocono, you said of the three turns: "The fact that each one of these three corners provides for a different IndyCar track . . . Trenton in the first corner and turn and the second turn Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the third turn at Milwaukee." Respectfully, what do you know about Trenton?
Just asking . . . as others should have done. I bet at least some of the above questions would have been on Chris' list.
NASCAR's Mexico Toyota series will compete outside of that country for the first time next March, at Phoenix International Raceway. Here's my story on that from last Wednesday's Arizona Republic. It was played on sports Page 1.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/articles/2012/10/02/20121002nascars-mexico-toyota-series-hold-race-phoenix-international-raceway.html
[ more next Monday . . . ]
These days, the broadcast types make speeches -- which aren't questions -- or generally talk to the interviewee in a soft, overly friendly, non-specific way. Which is largely what happened when IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard talked-up his 2013 schedule on Wind Tunnel and a media teleconference.
Bob Varsha said it was an honor to have Bernard make the announcement on WT. Hey, it's not as if SportsCenter was jumping up-and-down to do it! Sadly, the interview ended with a lame Helio Castroneves-Dancing With the Stars question. I know time is a limiting factor on live TV, but here's my list of very legitimate questions that could have, SHOULD HAVE, been asked on WT and the next day's teleconference:
* Do you have specific knowledge of a proposal to buy the series?
* Why was a contract signed with Pocono without a feasibility test, such as the one insisted on by Phoenix International Raceway if a race were to happen there?
* Phoenix was willing to commit to an almost $1 million advertising/marketing budget. How much has Pocono committed to this? And how much is the sanction fee?
* Are you concerned about Pocono trying to sell tickets to three major events within an eight-week period?
* What is the sanction fee for doubleheader events? Double the single-race fee?
* Why the gaping hole between Baltimore on Sept. 1 and Houston on Oct. 5 and are you concerned that could be a PR momentum roadblock as football begins?
* When will Lotus' status for 2013 be made official?
* After not doing much in 2012, what are series sponsor Izod's specific activation plans for 2013?
* Has the Grand-Am/ALMS merger created interest from tire suppliers involved in those series?
* According to Sports Business Journal, TV ratings on ABC were down 17 percent from the previous year and down 27 percent on NBC Sports Network. Since you've talked a lot about your expectations for those numbers to head north, why the decline in a season which usually featured good racing in new cars with engine manufacturer competition? What, specifically, is this being done to fix this huge problem?
* Does it concern you that even Roger Penske is having trouble finding sponsors? What, specifically, is the series doing to help teams sign new sponsors? Do you expect more, less, or the same amount of cars on the grid next season?
* During the teleconference, you said, "As everyone knows, tradition is so important to the sport." If so, how is tradition honored by having a "Triple Crown" that isn't all 500-mile races? (FYI -- the $1 mil bonus for a driver who could sweep all three isn't anything new. Domino's Pizza offered such a prize in the early 1980s.) And isn't standing starts a slap-in-the-face of IndyCar tradition?
* As for Pocono, you said of the three turns: "The fact that each one of these three corners provides for a different IndyCar track . . . Trenton in the first corner and turn and the second turn Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the third turn at Milwaukee." Respectfully, what do you know about Trenton?
Just asking . . . as others should have done. I bet at least some of the above questions would have been on Chris' list.
NASCAR's Mexico Toyota series will compete outside of that country for the first time next March, at Phoenix International Raceway. Here's my story on that from last Wednesday's Arizona Republic. It was played on sports Page 1.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/articles/2012/10/02/20121002nascars-mexico-toyota-series-hold-race-phoenix-international-raceway.html
[ more next Monday . . . ]
Friday, September 28, 2012
WHAT CHRIS TOLD ME
I'm not sure, but I think it's possible Chris Economaki's last "live" interview was with me on my old The Race Reporters Internet radio show. (He taped at least one TV interview after that.) That show was Wednesday, June 24, 2009, which was the day the 75th anniversary issue of National Speed Sport News was published.
Chris, in declining health in recent years, died Friday at age 91. But here are three highlights from that radio conversation. Chris -- as usual -- spoke out as he believed-it-to-be, and his comment about the Indianapolis Motor Speedway needing a "drum beater" certainly stirred things up over at IMS, I can tell you:
I asked Chris what was the most important story covered in the pages of NSSN during those 75 years:
"That was in 1935 with the general acceptance of the crash helmet by people in American auto racing . . . It was an incredible move. The death rate in American racing to that point was horrendous. The crash helmet saved life-after-life-after-life. When everybody decided to use one, it was a big story."
Is America's most important race the Indianapolis 500 or Daytona 500?
"The Daytona 500 is important because it is heavily promoted. The Indianapolis 500, unfortunately, is not heavily promoted. It's presented and managed well, but it isn't promoted well. That is the big difference. You have to beat the drums for your event and the Indianapolis 500 doesn't have a drum beater."
Who is the greatest driver you've seen?
"It's a toss-up between A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti. It's a difficult question to answer. One of those two is, without question, the senior performer in American auto racing."
Occasions such as this demand an Economaki story. Dave Argabright invited me to share a personal story for the bonus section of the hardcover edition of Chris' 2006 book, Let 'Em All Go! (I still have an autographed copy of the book on my desk.) Here's what I wrote:
It was in the pleasant surroundings of the PPG hospitality tent at Long Beach that I learned an essential, and enduring, truth about auto racing.
I sat with Jim Chapman, the legendary public relations executive who precisely arranged every detail of PPG's CART series sponsorship, as he patiently helped educate a journalist who was new to the sport. The writer asked Jim what he expected to happen in the Grand Prix. Just at that moment, Jim looked up from his plate of fruit and Virginia baked ham, and saw Chris walking toward their table. In his wise and fatherly way, Jim responded, "There are only three things certain in racing. Someone will win. Everyone else will lose. And Chris Economaki will be everywhere, asking questions he knows his readers want answered . . . whether they like it or not!"
Mr. Chapman, a friend and fan of Chris, was right as always. In the 35 years I've been in motorsports journalism and PR, I've fielded my share of the famous to-the-point Economaki inquiries, especially in CART's early years when I was the communications director. Chris is always working on some story and he's certainly not shy to press anyone to get information. He has called me at home before 8 a.m. and after midnight and even on New Year's Day!
One time I was with Nigel Mansell, waiting for the David Letterman Show to begin, when the dressing room door suddenly opened and Chris came in firing questions machine-gun style. When Chris left, Nigel took a deep breath just as a producer arrived to escort him to the stage. I told Nigel, "Relax. The hard part is over!"
Chris has never apologized for his aggressive pursuit of the news he knows the public wants to know. Nor should he. Agree or disagree with him as we all may on occasion, but acknowledge this: Chris's unflinching trust in the story -- and the reader -- deserves our profound respect.
Amen. I sure hope that, somewhere, Jim and Chris are sharing a vintage bottle of wine, a gourmet meal, and those irreplaceable Economaki-Chapman stories. God Bless.
[ more next Monday . . . ]
Chris, in declining health in recent years, died Friday at age 91. But here are three highlights from that radio conversation. Chris -- as usual -- spoke out as he believed-it-to-be, and his comment about the Indianapolis Motor Speedway needing a "drum beater" certainly stirred things up over at IMS, I can tell you:
I asked Chris what was the most important story covered in the pages of NSSN during those 75 years:
"That was in 1935 with the general acceptance of the crash helmet by people in American auto racing . . . It was an incredible move. The death rate in American racing to that point was horrendous. The crash helmet saved life-after-life-after-life. When everybody decided to use one, it was a big story."
Is America's most important race the Indianapolis 500 or Daytona 500?
"The Daytona 500 is important because it is heavily promoted. The Indianapolis 500, unfortunately, is not heavily promoted. It's presented and managed well, but it isn't promoted well. That is the big difference. You have to beat the drums for your event and the Indianapolis 500 doesn't have a drum beater."
Who is the greatest driver you've seen?
"It's a toss-up between A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti. It's a difficult question to answer. One of those two is, without question, the senior performer in American auto racing."
Occasions such as this demand an Economaki story. Dave Argabright invited me to share a personal story for the bonus section of the hardcover edition of Chris' 2006 book, Let 'Em All Go! (I still have an autographed copy of the book on my desk.) Here's what I wrote:
It was in the pleasant surroundings of the PPG hospitality tent at Long Beach that I learned an essential, and enduring, truth about auto racing.
I sat with Jim Chapman, the legendary public relations executive who precisely arranged every detail of PPG's CART series sponsorship, as he patiently helped educate a journalist who was new to the sport. The writer asked Jim what he expected to happen in the Grand Prix. Just at that moment, Jim looked up from his plate of fruit and Virginia baked ham, and saw Chris walking toward their table. In his wise and fatherly way, Jim responded, "There are only three things certain in racing. Someone will win. Everyone else will lose. And Chris Economaki will be everywhere, asking questions he knows his readers want answered . . . whether they like it or not!"
Mr. Chapman, a friend and fan of Chris, was right as always. In the 35 years I've been in motorsports journalism and PR, I've fielded my share of the famous to-the-point Economaki inquiries, especially in CART's early years when I was the communications director. Chris is always working on some story and he's certainly not shy to press anyone to get information. He has called me at home before 8 a.m. and after midnight and even on New Year's Day!
One time I was with Nigel Mansell, waiting for the David Letterman Show to begin, when the dressing room door suddenly opened and Chris came in firing questions machine-gun style. When Chris left, Nigel took a deep breath just as a producer arrived to escort him to the stage. I told Nigel, "Relax. The hard part is over!"
Chris has never apologized for his aggressive pursuit of the news he knows the public wants to know. Nor should he. Agree or disagree with him as we all may on occasion, but acknowledge this: Chris's unflinching trust in the story -- and the reader -- deserves our profound respect.
Amen. I sure hope that, somewhere, Jim and Chris are sharing a vintage bottle of wine, a gourmet meal, and those irreplaceable Economaki-Chapman stories. God Bless.
[ more next Monday . . . ]
Sunday, September 23, 2012
BIZ NEWS BIG
Behind the headlines of who won, who lost and who is leading/out-of the championship, the real news action remains in the Business of Racing.
In NASCAR, the pressure to win and fill sponsorship gaps led a family owned-and-operated business -- Junior Motorsports -- to part ways with two family members, Tony Eury Sr. and Jr. Oh, by the way, Dale Jr.'s No. 88 Cup Chevrolet has some sponsorship openings for 2013 with Diet Mountain Dew cutting back. Phoenix International Raceway is about to announce a new title sponsor for its Nov. 11 Sprint Cup semifinal. Roger Penske, who for decades has said he retains the final decision on drivers, conceded Shell-Pennzoil had a huge say in hiring Joey Logano for the No. 22 instead of sticking with Sam Hornish Jr. Denny Hamlin did a great job winning New Hampshire but a boring race and not much from Junior didn't help NASCAR's Chase for TV audience.
Over in IndyCar, with the season over, the Edmonton race is no more but Randy Bernard says he's on-track for 19 events in 2013. Doubleheaders will be his latest try to get something to stick. I was at Auto Club Speedway for the finale and, based on my garage area conversations, there's a better than 50 percent chance up to five entries on the California grid won't be around for '13. There's less than a 50 percent chance of two, maybe three, new entries. The issues remain terrible TV ratings and how that impacts the search for team sponsorship. Paul Page has been told he's not a candidate for either the ABC or NBC Sports Network IndyCar host jobs. NSN is going "younger." IndyCar's bouncer is moving on to run the Detroit Grand Prix and, as one private security expert told me, if the series hires a new one the first order to business will be to keep the guy off TV -- a huge mistake of the past.
In NHRA, that sanction had a worse week than Mitt Romney. Just hours after the responsible official gave an interview proclaiming "parity" in the Harley-dominated Pro Stock Motorcycle class, new rules were published for 2013 and a 10-pound weight penalty imposed on the H-Ds for the rest of this year. What an absolute, total PR fiasco in terms of credibility with media, fans, racers and sponsors. John Force won his own sponsor Traxxas' $100,000 special Funny Car event in Texas (moved after being rained-out at the U.S. Nationals) and daughter Courtney virtually guaranteed herself top rookie honors by qualifying No. 1. In what has too-often been a mess of a Full Throttle season, Courtney is the most obvious positive. Just ask ESPN or any national event promoter.
[ more next Monday . . . ]
In NASCAR, the pressure to win and fill sponsorship gaps led a family owned-and-operated business -- Junior Motorsports -- to part ways with two family members, Tony Eury Sr. and Jr. Oh, by the way, Dale Jr.'s No. 88 Cup Chevrolet has some sponsorship openings for 2013 with Diet Mountain Dew cutting back. Phoenix International Raceway is about to announce a new title sponsor for its Nov. 11 Sprint Cup semifinal. Roger Penske, who for decades has said he retains the final decision on drivers, conceded Shell-Pennzoil had a huge say in hiring Joey Logano for the No. 22 instead of sticking with Sam Hornish Jr. Denny Hamlin did a great job winning New Hampshire but a boring race and not much from Junior didn't help NASCAR's Chase for TV audience.
Over in IndyCar, with the season over, the Edmonton race is no more but Randy Bernard says he's on-track for 19 events in 2013. Doubleheaders will be his latest try to get something to stick. I was at Auto Club Speedway for the finale and, based on my garage area conversations, there's a better than 50 percent chance up to five entries on the California grid won't be around for '13. There's less than a 50 percent chance of two, maybe three, new entries. The issues remain terrible TV ratings and how that impacts the search for team sponsorship. Paul Page has been told he's not a candidate for either the ABC or NBC Sports Network IndyCar host jobs. NSN is going "younger." IndyCar's bouncer is moving on to run the Detroit Grand Prix and, as one private security expert told me, if the series hires a new one the first order to business will be to keep the guy off TV -- a huge mistake of the past.
In NHRA, that sanction had a worse week than Mitt Romney. Just hours after the responsible official gave an interview proclaiming "parity" in the Harley-dominated Pro Stock Motorcycle class, new rules were published for 2013 and a 10-pound weight penalty imposed on the H-Ds for the rest of this year. What an absolute, total PR fiasco in terms of credibility with media, fans, racers and sponsors. John Force won his own sponsor Traxxas' $100,000 special Funny Car event in Texas (moved after being rained-out at the U.S. Nationals) and daughter Courtney virtually guaranteed herself top rookie honors by qualifying No. 1. In what has too-often been a mess of a Full Throttle season, Courtney is the most obvious positive. Just ask ESPN or any national event promoter.
[ more next Monday . . . ]
Sunday, September 16, 2012
80 POUNDS SHORT OF A SELLOUT CROWD
HOW NOT TO DRESS FOR SUCCESS: The MavTV 500 pole winner during his news conference Friday at Auto Club Speedway.
A necessary piece of personal business required me to travel to the Los Angeles area last week. I took that opportunity to then head over to Auto Club Speedway for IndyCar's return to the California oval and the Izod series' finale, the MavTV 500.
Roger Penske said he had a huge group of employees and their families there for the race. Thank goodness. The most optimistic attendance number shared with me was around 20,000. I don't know for sure but will say, to my eye, there were more folks in the grandstands than I would have thought and probably more than most people predicted. Yes, the bar has been lowered and that's terribly sad, but I'll be positive and say there just might be something there for the Speedway and IndyCar to build on.
For want of 80 pounds, they could have sold out!
Let me explain . . .
In what was a truly interesting week for me, after a long interview with Jeff Gordon on Tuesday (see below), I spent almost a half-hour with A.J. Foyt Saturday. The main purpose was for a project I'll explain at a later date. But, in sitting with A.J. in his transporter office at ACS, the Indy 500's first four-time winner brought up the subject of Mike Conway. As I'm sure you know, Foyt driver Conway (who relocated to my residence city of Scottsdale earlier this year) decided he simply was not comfortable on ovals and stepped-out of the No. 14 ABC Supply Co.-Honda after the first practice session. I'll bet you are not surprised that the Great A.J. was not happy and here's what he told me Saturday.
"I told the crew, if I was about 80 pounds lighter, I'd get back in (the car) now. I'm using weight as an excuse. I really wanted to because, tracks like this, I liked. What I'm trying to say -- you know what I'm talking about -- it's a challenge. I said to myself, 'A.J., you're 77, you know better.' Since I got out, I have not sit back in one. Not that I don't want to, don't get me wrong. I know I can't do what I did at 30 years old."
After some other talk, Foyt went on: "I respect Mike very highly for telling me he don't want to run. But don't wait until we get here."
A.J. went on, but you get the point. Can you imagine the national headlines -- and last-minute ticket sales -- if word went out Foyt was going to get in the No. 14 and race? !
(More amazing A.J. quotes somewhere down the line, including what he thinks of today's generation of driver -- in a way you might not have heard before.)
Great, touching, wonderful tribute to Bob Jenkins pre-race on the NBC Sports Network. Bob's retirement marks the end of a race broadcasting era. AARWBA presented him with a nice award. Now, on the other end of the spectrum, there's Mr. Irrelevant, Wally Dallenbach Jr. "Expert" WD suggested on TV that Penske should pull Ryan Briscoe out of his car and put Will Power in as a way to take the championship after Power's crash. Relief drivers are not eligible for points! Nothing like the TV "experts" doing their homework to actually know the rules!
NASCAR dispatched Jeff Gordon to Phoenix last week to promote the Chase and Phoenix International Raceway's Nov. 11 Chase semifinal. What a great conversation Mark Armijo and I had with Jeff, who is such a professonal. Jeff -- and I think Rick Mears is another -- is one of those people who has the ability to not only say interesting things, but make you feel he's totally engaged in what you are saying. My Arizona Republic story was played BIG at the top of sports Page 1.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/20120911nascar-superstar-jeff-gordon-chasing-doubt.html
Be careful what you wish for, NHRA fans. Here's my September CompetitionPlus.com column:
http://www.competitionplus.com/drag-racing/editorials/22414-michael-knight-be-careful-what-you-wish-for
[ more next Monday . . . ]
Sunday, September 09, 2012
THIS WEEK
This promises to be a very interesting week in TV, politics and motorsports.
In the early days of this blog, I often commented on the hype leading up to Katie Couric's debut as anchor of the CBS Evening News. There was a Hillary Clinton-like "listening tour," signs on buses, full-page newspaper ads, logo souvenirs, etc. It was an interesting case study for publicists. Of course, it was for naught, because after a huge initial tune-in audience, viewership collapsed and Couric's five years-at-$15 million-a-year tenure was a failure. The most noteable thing that happened might well have been Celebrity Couric's guest shot with David Letterman in which she said Michael Jackson wanted to date her.
Couric attempts to get back into the daily TV game this week with the debut of her syndicated ABC talk show. It has cleared an impressive 93 percent of TV households. The Hollywood Reporter calls Katie "the most talked about, most anticipated, best positioned . . . the most expensive . . . (of shows) seeking to fill the 'Oprah void' in afternoon television."
Good luck. This time around, the PR campaign has been decidedly different. Promos included her previously off-limits daughters and a reminder that her husband died of cancer. It's a try to soften her image, create sympathy, and generally spark new interest, all very useful in bringing in the afternoon female audience. Her executive producer and business partner, Jeff Zucker, who produced her at the Today show, has a well-deserved place in the TV News Hall of Shame as a pioneer in more-overtly injecting liberal bias into "objective" reporting.
I would not be surprised if, despite more hype, Katie will have underperformed expectations by the end of its first season.
Over in the presidential race, we should have some new polls. As these will be the first after both the Republican and Democratic conventions, the numbers should give us a real good read on the state of the race. Next up: The Debates.
Speaking of hype, NASCAR's 10-event Chase for the Sprint Cup begins in Chicagoland. This version has the look of being all about Jimmie Johnson's attempt to reclaim the Cup and JUNIOR! The absolute best thing that could happen to NASCAR would be for Dale Earnhardt Jr. to win the Chase opener and stay in the top three in points all the way to Homestead. IF that happens, the real strength of Junior Nation will be tested against the powerhouse programming that is football. Jeff Gordon's amazing second-place run at Richmond added a little pop going into the Chase, but Kyle Busch not being in it takes away a little excitement.
IndyCar's Izod series wraps with a 500-mile return to Fontana, Calif., and Auto Club Speedway. Hold your breath. While the Will Power-Ryan Hunter-Reay contest for the championship should be the event headline, I'll have two other things on my radar screen: Attendance and what my friend Bob Jenkins says will be his final race telecast.
After taking a financial bath with the rain-out of the U.S. Nationals at a track it owns, NHRA gives its six-race Countdown to one last Full Throttle series class championships another shot. If NASCAR is hoping to ride Junior to ratings success, so NHRA will be with rookie sensation Courtney Force. She needs to win early and stay in legitimate Funny Car title contention going to Pomona if drag racing is to make any impact vs. the Chase and football.
Let's see what happens this week. And how the media-at-large plays the stories and does -- or doesn't -- pay attention.
As one who has been calling for a unified American sports car series for years, I welcome last week's announcement of a "merger" between Grand-Am and the American Le Mans Series. In strictly business terms, it was more of a "buyout" with Jim France and the NASCAR holding company that already owns Grand-Am taking control. Similar to when Tony George and the IRL effectively bought-out Kevin Kalkhoven and Champ Car. Be happy, fans, but watch for the details -- so many things have yet to be determined or announced. ALMS bet its house on manufacturers wanting to spend significant money on "Green" racing and that didn't happen. Certainly not in the headline Prototype class. NASCAR, of course, has been steadily increasing its "Green" PR campaign but I'd be cautious of going all-out the way ALMS tried to do. No one buys a ticket or watches on TV/Internet because of what kind of fuel someone is using! One of the highest priorities must be building a solid Prototype class -- without that, sports car racing is like drag racing without Top Fuel and Funny Cars. ALMS' existing GT class is terrific and should be continued "as is" as much as possible. But Grand-Am has had it right in a simple two-class structure while even passionate ALMS fans could not possibly follow or understand its complex and confusing multiple class structure. The new entity, which begins with Daytona in 2014, MUST AVOID THAT MISTAKE. Americans have a short attention span and it's not "sellable" to run so many different classes, so it's mandatory to combine where possible and eliminate where necessary. NASCAR's business resources, I'm sure, will be employed for this series just as for Grand-Am. I would suggest finding a significant role for my old friend, Ed Triolo, the longtime Porsche exec who now works for ALMS. Finally: ALMS' official association with the ACO, which organizes the 24 Hours of Le Mans, provided international credibility and name value. But the ACO hasn't always understood that the needs of an American sports car series, its public and its corporate participants, aren't necessarily the same as those in Europe. Keep the tie-in with Le Mans ONLY IF it makes reasonable sense, but remember this: The "NASCAR" brand is way more valuable in the U.S. than that of "Le Mans."
[ more next Monday . . . ]
In the early days of this blog, I often commented on the hype leading up to Katie Couric's debut as anchor of the CBS Evening News. There was a Hillary Clinton-like "listening tour," signs on buses, full-page newspaper ads, logo souvenirs, etc. It was an interesting case study for publicists. Of course, it was for naught, because after a huge initial tune-in audience, viewership collapsed and Couric's five years-at-$15 million-a-year tenure was a failure. The most noteable thing that happened might well have been Celebrity Couric's guest shot with David Letterman in which she said Michael Jackson wanted to date her.
Couric attempts to get back into the daily TV game this week with the debut of her syndicated ABC talk show. It has cleared an impressive 93 percent of TV households. The Hollywood Reporter calls Katie "the most talked about, most anticipated, best positioned . . . the most expensive . . . (of shows) seeking to fill the 'Oprah void' in afternoon television."
Good luck. This time around, the PR campaign has been decidedly different. Promos included her previously off-limits daughters and a reminder that her husband died of cancer. It's a try to soften her image, create sympathy, and generally spark new interest, all very useful in bringing in the afternoon female audience. Her executive producer and business partner, Jeff Zucker, who produced her at the Today show, has a well-deserved place in the TV News Hall of Shame as a pioneer in more-overtly injecting liberal bias into "objective" reporting.
I would not be surprised if, despite more hype, Katie will have underperformed expectations by the end of its first season.
Over in the presidential race, we should have some new polls. As these will be the first after both the Republican and Democratic conventions, the numbers should give us a real good read on the state of the race. Next up: The Debates.
Speaking of hype, NASCAR's 10-event Chase for the Sprint Cup begins in Chicagoland. This version has the look of being all about Jimmie Johnson's attempt to reclaim the Cup and JUNIOR! The absolute best thing that could happen to NASCAR would be for Dale Earnhardt Jr. to win the Chase opener and stay in the top three in points all the way to Homestead. IF that happens, the real strength of Junior Nation will be tested against the powerhouse programming that is football. Jeff Gordon's amazing second-place run at Richmond added a little pop going into the Chase, but Kyle Busch not being in it takes away a little excitement.
IndyCar's Izod series wraps with a 500-mile return to Fontana, Calif., and Auto Club Speedway. Hold your breath. While the Will Power-Ryan Hunter-Reay contest for the championship should be the event headline, I'll have two other things on my radar screen: Attendance and what my friend Bob Jenkins says will be his final race telecast.
After taking a financial bath with the rain-out of the U.S. Nationals at a track it owns, NHRA gives its six-race Countdown to one last Full Throttle series class championships another shot. If NASCAR is hoping to ride Junior to ratings success, so NHRA will be with rookie sensation Courtney Force. She needs to win early and stay in legitimate Funny Car title contention going to Pomona if drag racing is to make any impact vs. the Chase and football.
Let's see what happens this week. And how the media-at-large plays the stories and does -- or doesn't -- pay attention.
As one who has been calling for a unified American sports car series for years, I welcome last week's announcement of a "merger" between Grand-Am and the American Le Mans Series. In strictly business terms, it was more of a "buyout" with Jim France and the NASCAR holding company that already owns Grand-Am taking control. Similar to when Tony George and the IRL effectively bought-out Kevin Kalkhoven and Champ Car. Be happy, fans, but watch for the details -- so many things have yet to be determined or announced. ALMS bet its house on manufacturers wanting to spend significant money on "Green" racing and that didn't happen. Certainly not in the headline Prototype class. NASCAR, of course, has been steadily increasing its "Green" PR campaign but I'd be cautious of going all-out the way ALMS tried to do. No one buys a ticket or watches on TV/Internet because of what kind of fuel someone is using! One of the highest priorities must be building a solid Prototype class -- without that, sports car racing is like drag racing without Top Fuel and Funny Cars. ALMS' existing GT class is terrific and should be continued "as is" as much as possible. But Grand-Am has had it right in a simple two-class structure while even passionate ALMS fans could not possibly follow or understand its complex and confusing multiple class structure. The new entity, which begins with Daytona in 2014, MUST AVOID THAT MISTAKE. Americans have a short attention span and it's not "sellable" to run so many different classes, so it's mandatory to combine where possible and eliminate where necessary. NASCAR's business resources, I'm sure, will be employed for this series just as for Grand-Am. I would suggest finding a significant role for my old friend, Ed Triolo, the longtime Porsche exec who now works for ALMS. Finally: ALMS' official association with the ACO, which organizes the 24 Hours of Le Mans, provided international credibility and name value. But the ACO hasn't always understood that the needs of an American sports car series, its public and its corporate participants, aren't necessarily the same as those in Europe. Keep the tie-in with Le Mans ONLY IF it makes reasonable sense, but remember this: The "NASCAR" brand is way more valuable in the U.S. than that of "Le Mans."
[ more next Monday . . . ]
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