We've seen some more "Wow Moments" recently, as Brian France famously called them last year. If you take yourself past the immediate emotions they evoke, however, there are things to be learned.
WOW! You didn't have to be a golf fan to find Phil Mickelson's final round in the British Open to be really exciting. His joy, and that of his family, caddy and even the ESPN announcers came through Loud and Clear. That was real Reality TV. LESSONS: The pompous R&A executives would make terrible racing sponsorship managers. Only arrogance would lead them to willingly give up the "British" (links-style golf) branding in favor of their "The Open Championship" name. I don't think Formula One will be changing the British Grand Prix to "The Grand Prix." Also, word is Mickelson's $2.16 million for winning both the British and Scottish Opens is subject to over 60 percent in U.K. taxes! Gotta pay for that new prince, I guess!
WOW! Baseball had what I'm figuring will be the first of several unfortunate ones by suspending former MVP Ryan Braun. Daily media speculation about A-Rod (and others) followed. Maybe baseball's sad history of PED use has dulled the senses of some, but to me, it was attention getting. LESSON: Public, media and political pressure (remember those congressional hearings a few years ago?) can result in change. Otherwise, I don't think baseball's extremely powerful players' union would have agreed to the level of drug testing that now is routine. But they had no choice. The pressure to do so, and the threat of congressonal action, was too great.
WOW! Detroit went bankrupt. Honestly, it should have happened years ago. When I lived outside Detroit while working for CART from 1980-1983, I observed at close-range the fiefdom Mayor Coleman Young established for himself and his cronies. LESSONS: The city, in any way we once thought of it, is forever finished. No Super Bowl or race weekend will ever change that. And, if I were a conservative (not necessarily Republican) candidate for any elective office in America, every speech about the economy would reference the damage done by Democrats, liberals, union leaders and tax-and-spenders over six consecutive decades in the Motor City and include these words: "Just look at Detroit."
WOW! NASCAR returned to the dirt at Eldora and while I don't think there were any individual "Wows" I'd give the event as a whole one. Mike Helton said he was attending pretty much as a "fan" and I get that. I enjoyed watching. LESSON: Unquestionably the biggest dud of the night -- and honestly, this wasn't a surprise to me given his attitude -- was Scott Bloomquist in the otherwise ultra-competitive Kyle Busch-owned Toyota.
WOW! NASCAR left long-time network partners ESPN and Turner behind for billions from NBC and NBC Sports Network. Cash aside, there is no doubt ESPN lost favor in Daytona Beach over the years by seeming to treat the Nationwide series as as bother rather than the "diamond in the rough" it claimed that property to be when the rights were first acquired. And de-emphasizing NASCAR Now. LESSONS: Fox Sports 1 and NBCSN mean ESPN is no longer unchallenged with the ability to lay down "take it or leave it" terms. And, while it's still popular in various media and fan circles to criticize NASCAR, the simple fact is NASCAR is where the money is in American auto racing. P.S. 1: It was crap for certain IndyCar officials to claim the NASCAR deal proves how smart they were (actually, it was an entirely different group of people) to sign with NBCSN. It was Versus back then and unless they were able to offer proof of knowing all those years ago that Comcast would take over NBC and rebrand the cable network, I, as an interviewer, absolutely would not have let them get away with that bogus line of BS. P.S. 2: How will ESPN's loss of NASCAR affect NHRA? Here's a link to my breaking news analysis column on CompetitionPlus.com, posted last Wednesday. (Followers on @SpinDoctor500 saw this first) --
http://www.competitionplus.com/drag-racing/news/25848-michael-knight-how-espn-losing-nascar-could-affect-nhra
Wow! WOW! Ford withdrawing from NHRA pro racing after existing contracts expire following the 2014 season. That's the biggest news of the week and -- there's no spinning this one -- a vote of No Confidence in NHRA's short and mid-term ability to sell sufficient product to justify the investment. LESSON: If the Ford news, combined with an alarming number of empty seats at National events, and the alarming decline in TV audience doesn't result in major changes within NHRA, a lot more people and companies will be losing confidence in the sanction, too.
[ more next Monday . . . ]
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Sunday, July 21, 2013
A REAL 'WOW MOMENT'
(Brief this week due to more urgent personal demands on my time.)
Brian France drew a fair amount of attention last year when he proclaimed that NASCAR needs more "Wow moments." It was hoped that the new Gen-6 Sprint Cup car would, in part, help produce this sort of attention-getting, water-cooler talk happenings.
I can't honestly say I think that's occurred. NASCAR, of course, has prided itself over the decades on its ability to help create such showbiz. And, let me admit this based on my own experiences in the wonderful world of public/media relations and publicity: Under a limited and very special set of circumstances, with some sophisticated and well-thought out manipulation techniques, it is possible to artifically create "Wow moments." But such times are the exception, beyond even NASCAR's full control.
Real "Wow moments" are real, genuine, almost always spontaneous. Alex Zanardi creating the contemporary donuts VICTORY celebration at Long Beach in 1997 certainly is an example. Sebastien Bourdais doing donuts for finishing SECOND at Toronto most certainly is not. (I got an E-mail the other day from someone saying Courtney Force's magazine photos are a "Wow moment," but that's a different sort of "wow.")
The sports world enjoyed a honest-to-God "Wow moment" last week. It came when Mariano Rivera ran onto the field in the eighth inning of baseball's All-Game Game in New York City. Rivera, by statistical objectivity the greatest relief pitcher in baseball history who has announced he'll retire from the Yankees at the end of this season, not only received a much-deserved standing ovation from the Citi Field fans. His American League teammates intentionally stayed off the diamond so Rivera could have the stage to himself. They applauded from the dugout. As did the National Leaguers. You could see the tears welling in Rivera's eyes. He then pitched a classic three-and-out inning.
It was special. It was real. It was a true "Wow moment." You didn't have to be from New York or a Yankees' or even a baseball fan to get emotionally connected to the scene. I watched and, yes, said out loud: "WOW!"
I don't think fans are getting enough of that in racing this season. Maybe, perhaps, Wednesday night's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on the dirt at Eldora Speedway will change that. I know I'll be watching, waiting, and hoping . . .
[ more next Monday . . . ]
Brian France drew a fair amount of attention last year when he proclaimed that NASCAR needs more "Wow moments." It was hoped that the new Gen-6 Sprint Cup car would, in part, help produce this sort of attention-getting, water-cooler talk happenings.
I can't honestly say I think that's occurred. NASCAR, of course, has prided itself over the decades on its ability to help create such showbiz. And, let me admit this based on my own experiences in the wonderful world of public/media relations and publicity: Under a limited and very special set of circumstances, with some sophisticated and well-thought out manipulation techniques, it is possible to artifically create "Wow moments." But such times are the exception, beyond even NASCAR's full control.
Real "Wow moments" are real, genuine, almost always spontaneous. Alex Zanardi creating the contemporary donuts VICTORY celebration at Long Beach in 1997 certainly is an example. Sebastien Bourdais doing donuts for finishing SECOND at Toronto most certainly is not. (I got an E-mail the other day from someone saying Courtney Force's magazine photos are a "Wow moment," but that's a different sort of "wow.")
The sports world enjoyed a honest-to-God "Wow moment" last week. It came when Mariano Rivera ran onto the field in the eighth inning of baseball's All-Game Game in New York City. Rivera, by statistical objectivity the greatest relief pitcher in baseball history who has announced he'll retire from the Yankees at the end of this season, not only received a much-deserved standing ovation from the Citi Field fans. His American League teammates intentionally stayed off the diamond so Rivera could have the stage to himself. They applauded from the dugout. As did the National Leaguers. You could see the tears welling in Rivera's eyes. He then pitched a classic three-and-out inning.
It was special. It was real. It was a true "Wow moment." You didn't have to be from New York or a Yankees' or even a baseball fan to get emotionally connected to the scene. I watched and, yes, said out loud: "WOW!"
I don't think fans are getting enough of that in racing this season. Maybe, perhaps, Wednesday night's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on the dirt at Eldora Speedway will change that. I know I'll be watching, waiting, and hoping . . .
[ more next Monday . . . ]
Sunday, July 14, 2013
NO COMPARISON
(Technical problems solved. I've edited this Tuesday to reflect usual format.)
UP FRONT: Let's get this straight: Courtney Force's "appearance" in the ESPN the Magazine Body Issue does not equate to Danica Patrick's pictorials. We can begin with the fact that Patrick first posed for FHM in April 2003 -- while a Formula Atlantic driver -- two years before her IndyCar debut. To go for that "exposure" was an early marketing decision by Team Danica. She, of course, has gone on to do several Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues. That was Danica's choice and Courtney made her choice. I will point out that Courtney currently has three Funny Car victories -- two this season -- and is a legitimate championship contender come NHRA's Countdown. I have yet to hear a knowledgeable person claim Courtney isn't a real "racer." I have heard that said of Danica, who is a mid-fielder in NASCAR. The chatroom yap about this detracting from the notion of taking female drivers seriously is nonsense. Let me repeat: Courtney is a THREE-TIME RACE WINNER in perhaps the most brutish cars (along with sprint cars) in all of racing. And female drivers of earlier times didn't have as many options for such publicity because the times, the available opportunities -- and sponsor attitudes -- were very different. When Playboy wanted to do a major feature article on Nigel Mansell in 1993, we had to sound-out the team's sponsors if they were OK with that. (They were.) I'm sure John Force Racing did the same before Courtney made her call. I know Courtney was asked to do this last year and she declined, saying she wanted to establish her driving credentials and accomplishments before wading in to such a public media project. I respect that a TON. (If she had posed while still a sportsman driver, my opinion would be different.) So, having worked on the sponsorship, marketing, management, PR and media sides of the Business of Racing, let me repeat for the benefit of the superficially-minded: Courtney vs. Danica does not equate. And the talking point of nudity vs. scant clothing is a distinction without a difference in this context. Look at the pictures or don't look at them, as you wish. But the arguments against I've read and heard are thinly considered and don't add up to much of substance.
In a related matter, well, the times sure have changed in other ways, too. In the early 1990s when Ed Hinton wrote a long, back-of-the-magazine pre-Indy 500 Sports Illustrated feature on the Andrettis, I worked directly with the SI promotions department to have advance copies sent to national media and I (then Newman/Haas Racing PR director) did a mass distribution in the IMS media center. I expected the same for the ESPN mag. It sure would have helped NHRA's cause with the otherwise completely uninterested national media. Honestly, all involved, I just 100 percent flat-out do not get not doing this. A true head-shaker and, frankly, a huge disappointment to me.
FAST LINES: In last week's seventh anniversary blog, I wrote Mark Miles had one of the most difficult jobs in the sports industry, working out plans for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's renovation. Miles since announced his new management structure, with Jeff Belskus now assigned "development of the master facilities plan to bring some $100 million in improvements . . . It’s a huge job and tremendously important as we work on improving our fan experience and upgrading IMS." The task is to create the modern conveniences fans expect but not strip away the Brickyard's historical aura. Some very, VERY difficult decisions are forthcoming. They could be make-or-break decisions . . . In the The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same Dept.: It took 24 years for IndyCar to return to Pocono International Raceway but apparently the traditional traffic mess didn't miss a beat. Pocono President Brandon Igdalsky was forced to issue an apology to fans who, he admitted, "expressed their disappointment, almost immediately, via social media posts, phone calls and through e-mails." Igdalsky said he was meeting with local and state officials to determine the reason for what he called a "breakdown." Sounds a lot like what I wrote in the Philadelphia Daily News back in the 1970s! . . . I hope this was just an unfortunate typo: In the July 8 AutoWeek is an RM Auctions ad for an upcoming event in Monterey and offering a 1974 McLaren Indy Car. According to the ad the car is "Winner of the 1979 Indianapolis 500." That would be a NO! Rick Mears won the '79 I500 in a Penske PC-6, not a McLaren. I sure hope they meant the 1974 race, won by McLaren's Johnny Rutherford . . . The SCCA Runoffs -- the national championship races -- will rotate from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in 2014, to Daytona in 2015, and Mid-Ohio in 2016. Yes, travel costs for competitors to the West Coast are a consideration, but this decision represents a rare good move by the SCCA. I must say, though, I'm sorry the Runoffs are leaving Elkhart Lake, which in many ways is the near-ideal setting for this amazing competition.
[ more next Monday . . . ]
UP FRONT: Let's get this straight: Courtney Force's "appearance" in the ESPN the Magazine Body Issue does not equate to Danica Patrick's pictorials. We can begin with the fact that Patrick first posed for FHM in April 2003 -- while a Formula Atlantic driver -- two years before her IndyCar debut. To go for that "exposure" was an early marketing decision by Team Danica. She, of course, has gone on to do several Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues. That was Danica's choice and Courtney made her choice. I will point out that Courtney currently has three Funny Car victories -- two this season -- and is a legitimate championship contender come NHRA's Countdown. I have yet to hear a knowledgeable person claim Courtney isn't a real "racer." I have heard that said of Danica, who is a mid-fielder in NASCAR. The chatroom yap about this detracting from the notion of taking female drivers seriously is nonsense. Let me repeat: Courtney is a THREE-TIME RACE WINNER in perhaps the most brutish cars (along with sprint cars) in all of racing. And female drivers of earlier times didn't have as many options for such publicity because the times, the available opportunities -- and sponsor attitudes -- were very different. When Playboy wanted to do a major feature article on Nigel Mansell in 1993, we had to sound-out the team's sponsors if they were OK with that. (They were.) I'm sure John Force Racing did the same before Courtney made her call. I know Courtney was asked to do this last year and she declined, saying she wanted to establish her driving credentials and accomplishments before wading in to such a public media project. I respect that a TON. (If she had posed while still a sportsman driver, my opinion would be different.) So, having worked on the sponsorship, marketing, management, PR and media sides of the Business of Racing, let me repeat for the benefit of the superficially-minded: Courtney vs. Danica does not equate. And the talking point of nudity vs. scant clothing is a distinction without a difference in this context. Look at the pictures or don't look at them, as you wish. But the arguments against I've read and heard are thinly considered and don't add up to much of substance.
In a related matter, well, the times sure have changed in other ways, too. In the early 1990s when Ed Hinton wrote a long, back-of-the-magazine pre-Indy 500 Sports Illustrated feature on the Andrettis, I worked directly with the SI promotions department to have advance copies sent to national media and I (then Newman/Haas Racing PR director) did a mass distribution in the IMS media center. I expected the same for the ESPN mag. It sure would have helped NHRA's cause with the otherwise completely uninterested national media. Honestly, all involved, I just 100 percent flat-out do not get not doing this. A true head-shaker and, frankly, a huge disappointment to me.
FAST LINES: In last week's seventh anniversary blog, I wrote Mark Miles had one of the most difficult jobs in the sports industry, working out plans for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's renovation. Miles since announced his new management structure, with Jeff Belskus now assigned "development of the master facilities plan to bring some $100 million in improvements . . . It’s a huge job and tremendously important as we work on improving our fan experience and upgrading IMS." The task is to create the modern conveniences fans expect but not strip away the Brickyard's historical aura. Some very, VERY difficult decisions are forthcoming. They could be make-or-break decisions . . . In the The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same Dept.: It took 24 years for IndyCar to return to Pocono International Raceway but apparently the traditional traffic mess didn't miss a beat. Pocono President Brandon Igdalsky was forced to issue an apology to fans who, he admitted, "expressed their disappointment, almost immediately, via social media posts, phone calls and through e-mails." Igdalsky said he was meeting with local and state officials to determine the reason for what he called a "breakdown." Sounds a lot like what I wrote in the Philadelphia Daily News back in the 1970s! . . . I hope this was just an unfortunate typo: In the July 8 AutoWeek is an RM Auctions ad for an upcoming event in Monterey and offering a 1974 McLaren Indy Car. According to the ad the car is "Winner of the 1979 Indianapolis 500." That would be a NO! Rick Mears won the '79 I500 in a Penske PC-6, not a McLaren. I sure hope they meant the 1974 race, won by McLaren's Johnny Rutherford . . . The SCCA Runoffs -- the national championship races -- will rotate from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in 2014, to Daytona in 2015, and Mid-Ohio in 2016. Yes, travel costs for competitors to the West Coast are a consideration, but this decision represents a rare good move by the SCCA. I must say, though, I'm sorry the Runoffs are leaving Elkhart Lake, which in many ways is the near-ideal setting for this amazing competition.
[ more next Monday . . . ]
Sunday, July 07, 2013
7th ANNIVERSARY BLOG
It's always interesting to look back into the past as a way to understand what's happening now and anticipate what the future may hold.
I've done that recently in preparation for this, the seventh anniversary of this blog.
Back on July 10, 2006 -- the first posting -- and in the immediate time afterwards, we were already pondering items such as Danica Patrick's NASCAR future and the folly that was the proposed Champ Car race in downtown Phoenix and legitimate criticism based on facts and experience vs. personal attacks from the chatroom crowd.
That non-starter Phoenix race foreshadowed things to come. Its cancellation about 100 days out with about 1,000 tickets sold with at least a $20 million loss (including that year's Las Vegas street event put on by the same group) was the final straw for Big Time Champ Car backers like Paul Newman and provided a powerful shove to Kevin Kalkhoven to take Tony George's money and combine into the IRL. It also demonstrated the financial perils for so many promoters which continue to hinder IndyCar today. As one Business of Racing insider said to me recently, "If these races were making money, they (series) wouldn't have any problem scheduling plenty of races."
Other B or R (remember, our primary audience here remains those directly involved in the motorsports and sports marketing industry -- there are plenty of fan sites out there) topics covered here include promotions, marketing, media and public relations standards. I'm sorry to say, especially with the last two, the problems have gotten worse. But at least Gene Simmons no longer is involved.
Thinking back, analyzing the present, and pondering what's ahead, here are what I consider to be the five most important issues facing the racing sport and industry seven years into this Great Adventure of learning and information sharing:
1. Leadership: Yes, in some ways (Wall St.) the national economy is getting better -- at least for now. Brian France, Tom Compton and others led their series through the tough years starting in the fall of 2008 but the slow -- at least as measured by historical standards -- recovery demands continued forward-thinking and innovative leadership. There are more and more people who seem to believe motorsports no longer holds the inherent fascination for the American public it once did -- they say the country's love affair with the automobile has diminished -- and it's up to the industry's leaders to deal with this real or perceived issue. Brian France will always face a more skeptical community due to the accomplishments of his grandfather and father. Many eyes now are on IndyCar's Mark Miles -- whatever 2014 schedule he's able to put together (New venues? Schedule realignment? Playoffs?) will be a strong signal of how he's doing. Ed Bennett and Scott Atherton, meanwhile, will guide U.S. sports car racing into its Brave New World. The bottom line throughout the industry: There is no substitute for strong, effective, confident, inspiring leadership.
2. Making New Fans: NASCAR's maneuvering from the mid-2000s to broaden its fan base with generic cars and tradition-bending rules proved just how dangerous it can be to alienate the established hard-core fan base. But to grow and prosper, those fans must eventually be replaced, and fresh ones created. That's much easier said than done. NASCAR is trying with its aggressive five-year Industry Action Plan and social-media heavy Integrated Marketing Communications Dept. Any new ideas Miles brings to this endeavor will be crucial for IndyCar. NHRA still doesn't get the help it needs from its series sponsor (which has plenty of resources to do just that) but made an important gain recently with the successful opening of the New England market. Sports car racing has spun its wheels for decades trying to move beyond its ultra-niche audience and now will be relying on NASCAR's resources to help with the task. Too many empty seats across the racing world prove the job isn't getting done. A huge project will be improving spectator facilities so the in-person experience can compete with the comforts of home and a large-screen HD TV. Daytona has made its commitment. A run-down looking Indianapolis Motor Speedway is next up and how Miles makes the Brickyard modern without blowing-up its traditional aura might be the most difficult job anyone in motorsports confronts.
3. Who/What Is The Next Big Thing?: NHRA -- perhaps alone among the major series -- seems to have its answer: Courtney Force. She combines results with look and personality and attitude and, properly managed with some extra guidance from experts outside drag racing, there's absolutely no reason why Courtney should not be a mainstream MAJOR American sports star/personality. IndyCar thought it had it with Graham Rahal and Marco Andretti but, while they have the right last names, they still don't have the on-track results. NASCAR's gotten most of what it can out of Danica Patrick -- barring winning -- and has promoted its new Gen-6 car thus far this season. The stock car sanction's continued investment in minority driver development and its established feeder system from the K&N Pro, Trucks and Nationwide series likely will continue to suit its need for future racer-personalities like Carl Edwards.
4. Spreading the Word: Perhaps nothing has changed as much in the last seven years as communication tools. Who knew Twitter and social media in 2006? As noted above, NASCAR has invested in a pro-active capability to understand and utilize the communications revolution. The traditional mainstream media corps has diminished due to the economy, changes in consumer habits, and technology. What NASCAR is doing can't as yet be called "successful," but that company is way, far ahead of everyone else combined working this new frontier. But that doesn't mean old-fashioned methods still don't have a place. As noted here many times, when so-called "PR people" don't even bother to visit the media center, don't bother building good professional relationships with the media, and in some cases don't even know how to write a basic news release, it's a flashing red alarm. Too many appear to be too lazy or too unqualified to even know how to "pitch" a story. Why doesn't every series have a media "hot list" -- especially sports talk radio -- that can be tapped on short notice to offer driver interviews when practice/qualifying days are rained out? That's just one example. Racing is far behind entities like the NFL, which require some basic professional standards in PR and media relations from its teams. NASCAR and IndyCar absolutely must do so and PR people who really are just helmet-carriers need to have their "PR" title stripped. And those who act annoyed when asked by a journalist to arrange a driver interview, and who think E-mail is a substitute for conversation, must GO OUT THE GARAGE GATE, NEVER TO RETURN. It's especially embarrassing that some such people collect paychecks from some of the biggest teams in motorsports.
5. Standards: The changing media landscape and a decline of acceptable social values has, sadly, brought along a lower bar. Too many sports reporters, and too many of their editors, think a story about Dale Jr.'s potato chips is more important than real racing NEWS. The lazy practice of simply repeating what someone else has reported, without obtaining separate, independent, confirmation, is a terrible commonplace occurrence. Gossip and rumor seem to have more entertainment traction than actual fact. The public, the readers and watchers and listeners and audience -- the CUSTOMERS -- will have to demand better or the situation will only get worse. And we'll all be worse-off if that happens.
Thank you to all who take time to read this blog. I am grateful. Year Eight, here we come . . .
"Positives" -- my new July CompetitionPlus.com column (those who follow me on Twitter @SpinDoctor500 saw this first):
[ more next Monday . . . ]
I've done that recently in preparation for this, the seventh anniversary of this blog.
Back on July 10, 2006 -- the first posting -- and in the immediate time afterwards, we were already pondering items such as Danica Patrick's NASCAR future and the folly that was the proposed Champ Car race in downtown Phoenix and legitimate criticism based on facts and experience vs. personal attacks from the chatroom crowd.
That non-starter Phoenix race foreshadowed things to come. Its cancellation about 100 days out with about 1,000 tickets sold with at least a $20 million loss (including that year's Las Vegas street event put on by the same group) was the final straw for Big Time Champ Car backers like Paul Newman and provided a powerful shove to Kevin Kalkhoven to take Tony George's money and combine into the IRL. It also demonstrated the financial perils for so many promoters which continue to hinder IndyCar today. As one Business of Racing insider said to me recently, "If these races were making money, they (series) wouldn't have any problem scheduling plenty of races."
Other B or R (remember, our primary audience here remains those directly involved in the motorsports and sports marketing industry -- there are plenty of fan sites out there) topics covered here include promotions, marketing, media and public relations standards. I'm sorry to say, especially with the last two, the problems have gotten worse. But at least Gene Simmons no longer is involved.
Thinking back, analyzing the present, and pondering what's ahead, here are what I consider to be the five most important issues facing the racing sport and industry seven years into this Great Adventure of learning and information sharing:
1. Leadership: Yes, in some ways (Wall St.) the national economy is getting better -- at least for now. Brian France, Tom Compton and others led their series through the tough years starting in the fall of 2008 but the slow -- at least as measured by historical standards -- recovery demands continued forward-thinking and innovative leadership. There are more and more people who seem to believe motorsports no longer holds the inherent fascination for the American public it once did -- they say the country's love affair with the automobile has diminished -- and it's up to the industry's leaders to deal with this real or perceived issue. Brian France will always face a more skeptical community due to the accomplishments of his grandfather and father. Many eyes now are on IndyCar's Mark Miles -- whatever 2014 schedule he's able to put together (New venues? Schedule realignment? Playoffs?) will be a strong signal of how he's doing. Ed Bennett and Scott Atherton, meanwhile, will guide U.S. sports car racing into its Brave New World. The bottom line throughout the industry: There is no substitute for strong, effective, confident, inspiring leadership.
2. Making New Fans: NASCAR's maneuvering from the mid-2000s to broaden its fan base with generic cars and tradition-bending rules proved just how dangerous it can be to alienate the established hard-core fan base. But to grow and prosper, those fans must eventually be replaced, and fresh ones created. That's much easier said than done. NASCAR is trying with its aggressive five-year Industry Action Plan and social-media heavy Integrated Marketing Communications Dept. Any new ideas Miles brings to this endeavor will be crucial for IndyCar. NHRA still doesn't get the help it needs from its series sponsor (which has plenty of resources to do just that) but made an important gain recently with the successful opening of the New England market. Sports car racing has spun its wheels for decades trying to move beyond its ultra-niche audience and now will be relying on NASCAR's resources to help with the task. Too many empty seats across the racing world prove the job isn't getting done. A huge project will be improving spectator facilities so the in-person experience can compete with the comforts of home and a large-screen HD TV. Daytona has made its commitment. A run-down looking Indianapolis Motor Speedway is next up and how Miles makes the Brickyard modern without blowing-up its traditional aura might be the most difficult job anyone in motorsports confronts.
3. Who/What Is The Next Big Thing?: NHRA -- perhaps alone among the major series -- seems to have its answer: Courtney Force. She combines results with look and personality and attitude and, properly managed with some extra guidance from experts outside drag racing, there's absolutely no reason why Courtney should not be a mainstream MAJOR American sports star/personality. IndyCar thought it had it with Graham Rahal and Marco Andretti but, while they have the right last names, they still don't have the on-track results. NASCAR's gotten most of what it can out of Danica Patrick -- barring winning -- and has promoted its new Gen-6 car thus far this season. The stock car sanction's continued investment in minority driver development and its established feeder system from the K&N Pro, Trucks and Nationwide series likely will continue to suit its need for future racer-personalities like Carl Edwards.
4. Spreading the Word: Perhaps nothing has changed as much in the last seven years as communication tools. Who knew Twitter and social media in 2006? As noted above, NASCAR has invested in a pro-active capability to understand and utilize the communications revolution. The traditional mainstream media corps has diminished due to the economy, changes in consumer habits, and technology. What NASCAR is doing can't as yet be called "successful," but that company is way, far ahead of everyone else combined working this new frontier. But that doesn't mean old-fashioned methods still don't have a place. As noted here many times, when so-called "PR people" don't even bother to visit the media center, don't bother building good professional relationships with the media, and in some cases don't even know how to write a basic news release, it's a flashing red alarm. Too many appear to be too lazy or too unqualified to even know how to "pitch" a story. Why doesn't every series have a media "hot list" -- especially sports talk radio -- that can be tapped on short notice to offer driver interviews when practice/qualifying days are rained out? That's just one example. Racing is far behind entities like the NFL, which require some basic professional standards in PR and media relations from its teams. NASCAR and IndyCar absolutely must do so and PR people who really are just helmet-carriers need to have their "PR" title stripped. And those who act annoyed when asked by a journalist to arrange a driver interview, and who think E-mail is a substitute for conversation, must GO OUT THE GARAGE GATE, NEVER TO RETURN. It's especially embarrassing that some such people collect paychecks from some of the biggest teams in motorsports.
5. Standards: The changing media landscape and a decline of acceptable social values has, sadly, brought along a lower bar. Too many sports reporters, and too many of their editors, think a story about Dale Jr.'s potato chips is more important than real racing NEWS. The lazy practice of simply repeating what someone else has reported, without obtaining separate, independent, confirmation, is a terrible commonplace occurrence. Gossip and rumor seem to have more entertainment traction than actual fact. The public, the readers and watchers and listeners and audience -- the CUSTOMERS -- will have to demand better or the situation will only get worse. And we'll all be worse-off if that happens.
Thank you to all who take time to read this blog. I am grateful. Year Eight, here we come . . .
"Positives" -- my new July CompetitionPlus.com column (those who follow me on Twitter @SpinDoctor500 saw this first):
[ more next Monday . . . ]
Sunday, June 30, 2013
RETURN TO POCONO
I actually walked some of the spinach farm that would give rise to Pocono International Raceway. I was given a tour, by then track General Manager Bill Marvel, of the 2.5-mile triangle oval while it was under construction. One memorable moment that day was when I asked about the "press box" and Marvel pointed to where it would be and corrected me that it would be called the "media box" because electronic and well as print journalists would be housed there. (Bill was ahead of his time.) Duly noted by me. This was more than four decades ago.
I attended the dinner in Philadelphia where the "Triple Crown" (Indy, Pocono, Ontario) was announced. I was there for the first Schaefer (beer) 500 in 1971, when Mark Donohue dominated but was passed by Joe Leonard in tricky Turn 2 in the closing laps, then learned Leonard's line and repassed him for the inaugural victory. I was there for the first USAC stock car race and the debut of NASCAR. I was there for Formula 5000 and IMSA road races and even the ill-fated World Series of Auto Racing, where midgets and sprints ran the infield three-quarter mile oval in the snow! I reported on most of those happenings for the Philadelphia Daily News. Frequent rainy days and a leaky infield media center led us to call it "Poco-No-Go."
I covered a lot of weird Pocono stories in those 1970s days. Deer ran onto the track, forcing yellows. A National Anthem singer, apparently under the influence of adult beverages, got booed. Pancho Carter let loose with a long list of complaints about the track that got him in hot water with his sponsor when I and others quoted him at length. A.J. Foyt invited me and one other writer into his garage one afternoon and offered his opinion on subjects ranging from Ted Kennedy to international wars to yes, the media. There were many traffic nightmares so Dr. Joseph Mattioli asked me to join him on a race-morning helicopter flight to survey the scene -- we wound-up making an emergency landing in a nearby open field. Roger Penske's helicopter wasn't allowed to land in the infield one year because -- no, I'm not making this up -- management claimed it was guarding against people sneaking in on helicopters without buying a ticket. (!)
I was there when USAC ran without CART in 1979. I was CART's communications director when that happened again in 1981 and lawsuits were filed. I was there when those issues were settled -- but hard feelings remained -- and CART leased the track for a 1983 race, the Domino's Pizza 500, which we promoted and staged on about 90 days notice. (Try that some time!) And I was there for CART's last race in 1989. The cars of Indy for which Pocono originally was built would not return.
Until this weekend. Last year Randy Bernard negotiated with new track leader Brandon Igdalsky to bring IndyCar back to Pocono. It's an important Business of Racing moment for both organizations. Bernard is gone, of course, but it's essential for IndyCar's future in the northeast (where we used to have races not just at Pocono, but also Langhorne, Trenton and Nazareth) to have an entertaining show. The kind that generates positive word-of-mouth buzz. It can't be another New Hampshire one-and-done deal. The series is too fragile as it is to take that sort of blow.
Doc Joe vowed open-wheel machines would never return to Pocono under his watch, but Igdalsky has made bold moves since Mattioli's death, including the much-needed call to shorten the Sprint Cup races to 400 miles. Now he's welcomed IndyCar back and is trying to sell tickets to three major events in a short period of time -- never an easy task.
I'm not buying the storyline that the "Triple Crown" has returned (with Auto Club Speedway's 500) because, due to TV time limitations, Pocono will only be 400 miles. But, I guess you could say for sentimental reasons, I'll be watching Pocono more closely than any race this season aside from the Indy 500 itself.
I wish I could have gone back to Pennsylvania to see it first-hand and remember again some of those strange stories I wrote about and was a part of. But that's not doable. If the racing is good, if the track's numerous facility and safety improvements work, if the crowd is at least respectable, I'll be glad. Good luck to all.
I joined other members of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame nominating and voting committee for a lively and passionate one-hour teleconference last week. The Hall's Board of Directors has revised the process which likely will mean a maximum of eight people will join the Hall in any given year (from the usual 12): Three drivers, two people from the "vehicles" category (owners, mechanics, etc.) and two from the "events" category (promoters, PA announcers, media, etc.) plus another person involved in the sport prior to 1945.
I support these changes. So should avid sprint car fans. Sprint car racing is hard and it should be hard to get into the Hall. As several voters mentioned, there are many people worthy of consideration, but it's that very kind of debate over who is nominated and elected and who isn't that is healthy for the process, the sport, and the Hall.
I'm a strong avocate of honoring those who didn't have a "hands-on" role with the cars but who otherwise made important contributions to sprint car racing's success and helped bring a wider public attention to this thrilling type of motorsports. Such as sponsor/manufacturer representatives, promoters, officials, PA announcers, PR people and media. I spoke up for that during the call and will continue to encourage due consideration for those who helped make it happen.
The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame is located in Knoxville, Iowa. To learn more, go to the website: www.sprintcarhof.com
[ more next Monday, special thoughts on the seventh anniversary of this blog . . . ]
I attended the dinner in Philadelphia where the "Triple Crown" (Indy, Pocono, Ontario) was announced. I was there for the first Schaefer (beer) 500 in 1971, when Mark Donohue dominated but was passed by Joe Leonard in tricky Turn 2 in the closing laps, then learned Leonard's line and repassed him for the inaugural victory. I was there for the first USAC stock car race and the debut of NASCAR. I was there for Formula 5000 and IMSA road races and even the ill-fated World Series of Auto Racing, where midgets and sprints ran the infield three-quarter mile oval in the snow! I reported on most of those happenings for the Philadelphia Daily News. Frequent rainy days and a leaky infield media center led us to call it "Poco-No-Go."
I covered a lot of weird Pocono stories in those 1970s days. Deer ran onto the track, forcing yellows. A National Anthem singer, apparently under the influence of adult beverages, got booed. Pancho Carter let loose with a long list of complaints about the track that got him in hot water with his sponsor when I and others quoted him at length. A.J. Foyt invited me and one other writer into his garage one afternoon and offered his opinion on subjects ranging from Ted Kennedy to international wars to yes, the media. There were many traffic nightmares so Dr. Joseph Mattioli asked me to join him on a race-morning helicopter flight to survey the scene -- we wound-up making an emergency landing in a nearby open field. Roger Penske's helicopter wasn't allowed to land in the infield one year because -- no, I'm not making this up -- management claimed it was guarding against people sneaking in on helicopters without buying a ticket. (!)
I was there when USAC ran without CART in 1979. I was CART's communications director when that happened again in 1981 and lawsuits were filed. I was there when those issues were settled -- but hard feelings remained -- and CART leased the track for a 1983 race, the Domino's Pizza 500, which we promoted and staged on about 90 days notice. (Try that some time!) And I was there for CART's last race in 1989. The cars of Indy for which Pocono originally was built would not return.
Until this weekend. Last year Randy Bernard negotiated with new track leader Brandon Igdalsky to bring IndyCar back to Pocono. It's an important Business of Racing moment for both organizations. Bernard is gone, of course, but it's essential for IndyCar's future in the northeast (where we used to have races not just at Pocono, but also Langhorne, Trenton and Nazareth) to have an entertaining show. The kind that generates positive word-of-mouth buzz. It can't be another New Hampshire one-and-done deal. The series is too fragile as it is to take that sort of blow.
Doc Joe vowed open-wheel machines would never return to Pocono under his watch, but Igdalsky has made bold moves since Mattioli's death, including the much-needed call to shorten the Sprint Cup races to 400 miles. Now he's welcomed IndyCar back and is trying to sell tickets to three major events in a short period of time -- never an easy task.
I'm not buying the storyline that the "Triple Crown" has returned (with Auto Club Speedway's 500) because, due to TV time limitations, Pocono will only be 400 miles. But, I guess you could say for sentimental reasons, I'll be watching Pocono more closely than any race this season aside from the Indy 500 itself.
I wish I could have gone back to Pennsylvania to see it first-hand and remember again some of those strange stories I wrote about and was a part of. But that's not doable. If the racing is good, if the track's numerous facility and safety improvements work, if the crowd is at least respectable, I'll be glad. Good luck to all.
I joined other members of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame nominating and voting committee for a lively and passionate one-hour teleconference last week. The Hall's Board of Directors has revised the process which likely will mean a maximum of eight people will join the Hall in any given year (from the usual 12): Three drivers, two people from the "vehicles" category (owners, mechanics, etc.) and two from the "events" category (promoters, PA announcers, media, etc.) plus another person involved in the sport prior to 1945.
I support these changes. So should avid sprint car fans. Sprint car racing is hard and it should be hard to get into the Hall. As several voters mentioned, there are many people worthy of consideration, but it's that very kind of debate over who is nominated and elected and who isn't that is healthy for the process, the sport, and the Hall.
I'm a strong avocate of honoring those who didn't have a "hands-on" role with the cars but who otherwise made important contributions to sprint car racing's success and helped bring a wider public attention to this thrilling type of motorsports. Such as sponsor/manufacturer representatives, promoters, officials, PA announcers, PR people and media. I spoke up for that during the call and will continue to encourage due consideration for those who helped make it happen.
The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame is located in Knoxville, Iowa. To learn more, go to the website: www.sprintcarhof.com
[ more next Monday, special thoughts on the seventh anniversary of this blog . . . ]
Sunday, June 23, 2013
NHRA WON THE WEEK
The political pundits love to proclaim the "winner" and "loser" of each week. Good or bad, right or wrong, that's the nature of today's non-stop media cycle.
In motorsports, NHRA was the clear winner last week. The Mello Yello series made its New England debut in Epping, N.H., to by all accounts huge and enthusiastic crowds. There was a media luncheon in Boston and Courtney Force was among the drivers who visited ESPN HQ in Bristol, CT. The inaugural national featured a Force Final -- John vs. Courtney for the first time -- with CF winning for the second time this season.
The Boston Globe ran a long, good piece on NHRA that included a line I really liked: "The sport has its quirks. But the atmosphere is infectious."
Also, NHRA made it official that it will return to the Phoenix-area as the Arizona Nationals will continue at Wild Horse Motorsports Park, formerly Firebird International Raceway. I broke the details in a Friday Arizona Republic exclusive. I also had an expanded version on CompetitionPlus.com. If you didn't grab these off my Twitter feed, here are the links to those two stories:
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/20130621firebird-raceway-keeps-nhra-event-changes-management-name.html
http://www.competitionplus.com/drag-racing/news/25442-firebird-raceway-becomes-wild-horse-motorsports-park-will-return-for-21014-arizona-nats
After meeting with Paul Clayton and Dick Hahne, the two main men on the Wild Horse project, I'm bullish on the future of that facility. I'll tell you more about them in my July CP.com column, coming in a couple of weeks.
Meanwhile: There was a driver fatality at Le Mans, Audi won again as predicted and almost 25 percent of the event was run under full-course yellow. IndyCar had heat races with no TV and Mark Miles accepted the failed business reality of Indy Lights and moved to dump off that series elsewhere. NASCAR (see below on the Nationwide race) had an OK road race with an unexpected winner in Martin Truex Jr. at Sonoma.
The dominance of NASCAR and the current realities of mainstream media coverage in America means NHRA doesn't offen win the week. But it did last week, even with the unfortunate parking of Erica Enders-Stevens' winning Pro Stock team due to lack of sponsorship. Smiles are deserved by Tom Compton & Co.
Road America is one of my five favorite tracks and the original Can-Am and high-horsepower CART cars were awesome there. But the ending of Saturday's Nationwide series race was just plain annoying. It reminded me of an NBA game where it takes a half-hour to play the final two minutes. NASCAR should not use its Green-White-Checker rule at Elkhart Lake -- the four-mile laps just drag-out the finish way, WAY too long. Oh, the other thing I took away from the race was winner A.J. Allmendinger didn't know how to correctly pronounce the last name of the vice chairman of Penske Racing. (!) Somehow, that didn't surprise me.
Sign of the PR Times: I received a post-Le Mans news release that had plenty -- too many -- quotes from drivers and team executives, but -- BUT -- never gave the actual FINISHING POSITIONS of its cars. (!)
[ more next Monday . . . ]
In motorsports, NHRA was the clear winner last week. The Mello Yello series made its New England debut in Epping, N.H., to by all accounts huge and enthusiastic crowds. There was a media luncheon in Boston and Courtney Force was among the drivers who visited ESPN HQ in Bristol, CT. The inaugural national featured a Force Final -- John vs. Courtney for the first time -- with CF winning for the second time this season.
The Boston Globe ran a long, good piece on NHRA that included a line I really liked: "The sport has its quirks. But the atmosphere is infectious."
Also, NHRA made it official that it will return to the Phoenix-area as the Arizona Nationals will continue at Wild Horse Motorsports Park, formerly Firebird International Raceway. I broke the details in a Friday Arizona Republic exclusive. I also had an expanded version on CompetitionPlus.com. If you didn't grab these off my Twitter feed, here are the links to those two stories:
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/20130621firebird-raceway-keeps-nhra-event-changes-management-name.html
http://www.competitionplus.com/drag-racing/news/25442-firebird-raceway-becomes-wild-horse-motorsports-park-will-return-for-21014-arizona-nats
After meeting with Paul Clayton and Dick Hahne, the two main men on the Wild Horse project, I'm bullish on the future of that facility. I'll tell you more about them in my July CP.com column, coming in a couple of weeks.
Meanwhile: There was a driver fatality at Le Mans, Audi won again as predicted and almost 25 percent of the event was run under full-course yellow. IndyCar had heat races with no TV and Mark Miles accepted the failed business reality of Indy Lights and moved to dump off that series elsewhere. NASCAR (see below on the Nationwide race) had an OK road race with an unexpected winner in Martin Truex Jr. at Sonoma.
The dominance of NASCAR and the current realities of mainstream media coverage in America means NHRA doesn't offen win the week. But it did last week, even with the unfortunate parking of Erica Enders-Stevens' winning Pro Stock team due to lack of sponsorship. Smiles are deserved by Tom Compton & Co.
Road America is one of my five favorite tracks and the original Can-Am and high-horsepower CART cars were awesome there. But the ending of Saturday's Nationwide series race was just plain annoying. It reminded me of an NBA game where it takes a half-hour to play the final two minutes. NASCAR should not use its Green-White-Checker rule at Elkhart Lake -- the four-mile laps just drag-out the finish way, WAY too long. Oh, the other thing I took away from the race was winner A.J. Allmendinger didn't know how to correctly pronounce the last name of the vice chairman of Penske Racing. (!) Somehow, that didn't surprise me.
Sign of the PR Times: I received a post-Le Mans news release that had plenty -- too many -- quotes from drivers and team executives, but -- BUT -- never gave the actual FINISHING POSITIONS of its cars. (!)
[ more next Monday . . . ]
Sunday, June 16, 2013
THINKING ABOUT . . .
Thinking about this and that . . . and USAC champion Jason Leffler.
Here's an early nominee for Auto Racing Story of the Year: What's going on at Penske Racing .
To be the most polite and generous as possible, there seems to be a serious lack of attention to detail and quality control.
First, the Fords of Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano were found by NASCAR to have illegal rear-end housing modifications at Texas. That produced big fines and penalties, although crew chief suspensions were reduced on appeal. Then Brad K got docked again because his car was out-of-spec after Dover.
Helio Castroneves' IndyCar Texas win was clouded by a fine and points loss due to an underwing violation. And the Keselowski-owned Camping World Truck series entry driven by Ryan Blaney got nailed because it didn't meet minimum height at Texas.
What the . . . ???
My institutional memory goes back to when the team operated out of Newtown Square, Pa., and then Reading. I remember dry ice in fuel tanks and acid-dipping bodywork in the Trans-Am in the days before live TV and more-intense media and social media scrutiny.
But for a team and owner which/who prides itself/himself on image, this turn of events is incredible.
The team's invisible "media relations" people just might find out what some of us have known for years: Good relationships with journalists is always important. It's especially important when trouble hits and you -- and your sponsors -- could use the benefit of the doubt.
Throw in Keselowski's blunt comments, one of which before Daytona resulted in him being called into a private meeting with NASCAR's hierarchy, and the 2013 season is rapidly becoming a case study of how not to act as champions.
NHRA's return to New England comes this weekend at Epping, N.H., and, candidly, the sanction could use a jump-start. To me, at least, it's been a somewhat lackluster Mello Yello season on and off the track. (Still waiting for all that Big Activation Coca-Cola's responsible executive promised on a media conference call last year.) Things got off to an exciting start with Courtney Force's win at Pomona, but since then, I've noted Jeg Coughlin Jr.'s and Bob Vandergriff Jr.'s welcome return to the winner's circle, but not much else, other than Robert Hight's flying bodywork at Charlotte. A Funny Car win by Rhode Island's Bob Tasca III no doubt would be memorable for the NE fans.
Remember that Beaux Barfield was a Randy Bernard hire and now IndyCar is run by Mark Miles with Derrick Walker in charge of all-things competition. Making the Gasoline Alley rounds at IMS a few weeks ago, I got an earful about Barfield from one influential credential holder. Yes, it was just one person, but someone who is accomplished and knows the political lay of the IndyCar land. Stay tuned.
Many Business of Racing eyes are on Pocono International Raceway CEO Brandon Igdalsky these days. He's trying to sell tickets to two NASCAR Cup races and the return of IndyCar, all three events coming in an eight-week period. That's going to take a lot of promoting and a lot of selling.
Here's two suggestions for the NASCAR Hall of Fame voters the next time they gather: 1) Some of you need to learn appropriate business attire is called for on such an occasion; 2) Recognize the reality -- and importance -- of the Business of Racing and elect the late T. Wayne Robertson. NASCAR's Cup series got to the level it did, in good measure, because of T. Wayne's leadership of the RJR sports marketing team.
United SportsCar Racing, which is what the merged Grand-Am and ALMS will be called next year, continues to stress that a key part of its operation will be maxing synergy opportunities with NASCAR. Since sports car racing gets even less national media attention than drag racing, here's what looks to me to be a quick and easy way to ease the way for more coverage: Make NASCAR's media hard card credential valid in USCR, or automatically issue a USCR media hard card to everyone who has one from NASCAR.
Mark Miles admitted in the Indianapolis Star that there are not as many good options for new IndyCar venues as he would have hoped. From a common sense and business standpoint, to me, that means he best find a way to cut a creative financial deal with Phoenix International Raceway. When I talked with Miles before the Indy 500, he admitted an oval before Indy "could be interesting." Yes, of course, but of even greater importance is getting back into a big and demo-diverse market. Especially with what he admits are limited options elsewhere. Whether or not this gets done will be a key test of Miles' biz philosophy and leadership.
[ more next Monday . . . ]
Here's an early nominee for Auto Racing Story of the Year: What's going on at Penske Racing .
To be the most polite and generous as possible, there seems to be a serious lack of attention to detail and quality control.
First, the Fords of Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano were found by NASCAR to have illegal rear-end housing modifications at Texas. That produced big fines and penalties, although crew chief suspensions were reduced on appeal. Then Brad K got docked again because his car was out-of-spec after Dover.
Helio Castroneves' IndyCar Texas win was clouded by a fine and points loss due to an underwing violation. And the Keselowski-owned Camping World Truck series entry driven by Ryan Blaney got nailed because it didn't meet minimum height at Texas.
What the . . . ???
My institutional memory goes back to when the team operated out of Newtown Square, Pa., and then Reading. I remember dry ice in fuel tanks and acid-dipping bodywork in the Trans-Am in the days before live TV and more-intense media and social media scrutiny.
But for a team and owner which/who prides itself/himself on image, this turn of events is incredible.
The team's invisible "media relations" people just might find out what some of us have known for years: Good relationships with journalists is always important. It's especially important when trouble hits and you -- and your sponsors -- could use the benefit of the doubt.
Throw in Keselowski's blunt comments, one of which before Daytona resulted in him being called into a private meeting with NASCAR's hierarchy, and the 2013 season is rapidly becoming a case study of how not to act as champions.
NHRA's return to New England comes this weekend at Epping, N.H., and, candidly, the sanction could use a jump-start. To me, at least, it's been a somewhat lackluster Mello Yello season on and off the track. (Still waiting for all that Big Activation Coca-Cola's responsible executive promised on a media conference call last year.) Things got off to an exciting start with Courtney Force's win at Pomona, but since then, I've noted Jeg Coughlin Jr.'s and Bob Vandergriff Jr.'s welcome return to the winner's circle, but not much else, other than Robert Hight's flying bodywork at Charlotte. A Funny Car win by Rhode Island's Bob Tasca III no doubt would be memorable for the NE fans.
Remember that Beaux Barfield was a Randy Bernard hire and now IndyCar is run by Mark Miles with Derrick Walker in charge of all-things competition. Making the Gasoline Alley rounds at IMS a few weeks ago, I got an earful about Barfield from one influential credential holder. Yes, it was just one person, but someone who is accomplished and knows the political lay of the IndyCar land. Stay tuned.
Many Business of Racing eyes are on Pocono International Raceway CEO Brandon Igdalsky these days. He's trying to sell tickets to two NASCAR Cup races and the return of IndyCar, all three events coming in an eight-week period. That's going to take a lot of promoting and a lot of selling.
Here's two suggestions for the NASCAR Hall of Fame voters the next time they gather: 1) Some of you need to learn appropriate business attire is called for on such an occasion; 2) Recognize the reality -- and importance -- of the Business of Racing and elect the late T. Wayne Robertson. NASCAR's Cup series got to the level it did, in good measure, because of T. Wayne's leadership of the RJR sports marketing team.
United SportsCar Racing, which is what the merged Grand-Am and ALMS will be called next year, continues to stress that a key part of its operation will be maxing synergy opportunities with NASCAR. Since sports car racing gets even less national media attention than drag racing, here's what looks to me to be a quick and easy way to ease the way for more coverage: Make NASCAR's media hard card credential valid in USCR, or automatically issue a USCR media hard card to everyone who has one from NASCAR.
Mark Miles admitted in the Indianapolis Star that there are not as many good options for new IndyCar venues as he would have hoped. From a common sense and business standpoint, to me, that means he best find a way to cut a creative financial deal with Phoenix International Raceway. When I talked with Miles before the Indy 500, he admitted an oval before Indy "could be interesting." Yes, of course, but of even greater importance is getting back into a big and demo-diverse market. Especially with what he admits are limited options elsewhere. Whether or not this gets done will be a key test of Miles' biz philosophy and leadership.
[ more next Monday . . . ]
Sunday, June 09, 2013
ANOTHER PROBLEM FOR MARK MILES TO FIX
I had need to go deep into my vast racing files recently and, there it was, a thick folder marked "CART Public Relations Task Force."
One thing CART did well was organize the annual "Winter Meetings" where sponsors, promoters, team owners, drivers, marketers, PR people, TV talent and production folks and media would gather with the sanction's execs, officials and staff. Locations were in enjoyable cities like Tucson, Las Vegas and Palm Springs. There were general meetings, specialized workshops, good opportunities for networking and it always began with a classy cocktail party organized by Jim Chapman on behalf of series sponsor PPG.
At the January 1988 meeting, Frank Yodice, then head of Marlboro's racing program, stood up and said he'd been doing a lot of thinking about how much untapped potential the series had, especially in the media. He proposed the formation of a PR Task Force to learn more about this and try to find solutions. I was chosen as Frank's vice chairman and, later, when he moved on to other pursuits, became Task Force chairman.
Our group went out and talked to media decision makers -- sports editors and directors, program and station managers, etc. -- to find out why they did or didn't cover CART. This research was put into a written set of conclusions. And we didn't leave it at that. We also wrote a set of recommendations to address the problems. Collectively, our volunteer bunch put hundreds of hours into this work -- for the good of the series, sport and industry.
We formally reported on our findings at the following year's Winter Meetings. CART leadership at that time gave it lip-service support. (Which didn't surprise me.) When Bill Stokkan became CART's chairman, he took a far-more active interest in the TF, and met with us regularly. A lack of resources and political will ultimately meant a lot of what we put on the table went undone.
But, in re-reading these documents a quarter-century later, it struck me how many of our conclusions and recommendations remain valid to this day. And, candidly, part of that is because they were common sense things.
My recent lengthy conversation with new Hulman & Co. CEO Mark Miles and on-site experiences at the Indianapolis 500 got me to thinking about this all over again. Much of what was contained in our TF documents was nuts-and-bolts, blocking-and-tackling stuff. In other words, the BASICS. And I'm not sure how much more basic it gets than for team/sponsor "publicists" to spend plenty of time in the track media center. After all, that's where their "customers" or "potential customers" are!
In three days at Indy, I saw only one team PRer on the IMS tower fourth floor: Anne Fornoro, of A.J. Foyt Racing. I saw four or five others elsewhere on the grounds. (I'm not including manufacturer reps from Honda, Firestone or Chevy or series/IMS people here.) Think about that! Where were the others? What were they doing? What results and Return On Investment were they working to deliver for their sponsors?
It might have been easier to find Osama bin Laden than any of the so-called "PR" representatives from Penske Racing and other supposed "top" teams. Last year Merrill Shame told me Penske PR people don't often come to the media center because they have so many hospitality visits to do with their drivers. Whether that truly embarrassing excuse was his, or came as a result of the behind-the-scenes puppeteering visible to my experienced eye, one can only wonder. Pathetic. Funny thing but, when I was PR director for Newman/Haas Racing handling both Mario Andretti and Nigel Mansell -- with no assistants -- somehow there was time to visit the media center, provide that personal service, build those one-on-one relationships, and still get the drivers to hospitality for Kmart, Texaco, Ford, Dirt Devil, Energizer, Gillette and other sponsors. Any media people from that time would verify I wasn't hard to find.
I can tell you for sure that, if Mr. Chapman were still alive, he'd be face-to-face with team owners about this massive professional failure. What's obvious to me is there is a jaw-dropping lack of pride in this PR work. For too many, it's simply a by-rote exercise, the only purpose of which is to collect a paycheck.
For Mark Miles to achieve what he wants for the IndyCar series, he will have to directly address this serious problem with his team owners and sponsor managers. The IndyCar staff can't do it alone. As I said to former CART Chair Andrew Craig many years ago, the team and sponsor publicists are the front-line soldiers for the series with media on a daily basis.
So, it's not acceptable for them to be AWOL or MIA. Other leagues insist on acceptable and professional standards from their teams in all phases of business operations. IndyCar must do the same.
"The Old Gray Lady" is an often-used reference for the New York Times. I'm sorry to say it could now also be used for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
As a 35-year veteran of the Indy 500, it's been obvious to me for several Mays that budget cuts have taken a noticeable toll on the IMS grounds. After a year away, it especially struck me a few weeks ago how old, gray, and in some cases downright dingy the place looks. History and tradition are great, but those do not give ownership a pass to allow the historic facility to become a visually depressing place. Fenway Park and Wrigley Field have/are getting the upgrades they need and Yankee Stadium got to the point where it had to be replaced.
The Indiana legislature has approved a bill where the Speedway will receive a "loan" from the state for up to $5 million per year for 20 years to complete capital improvement projects. This is to be repaid through anticipated increases in income and sales tax collections at IMS and will be guaranteed by Hulman & Co. Also, IMS is to spend $2 million per year, $40 million total, over 20 years for improvements.
Those projects need to happen ASAP and not one penny can be wasted. I saw a lot of things that have to be a higher priority than lights, for example, and I hope all involved realize the facility's physical decline contributes to the downturn in ticket sales. The Speedway, quite candidly, at this age and state of disrepair, is not guest friendly. They could start with some paint to brighten things up.
Al Speyer worked his final Indy 500 as Bridgestone/Firestone racing boss before retiring. I was glad to spend a few minutes thanking him for his personal kindness as well as all he has done for IndyCar racing.
Racing history will record that, under Al's leadership, Firestone achieved a truly remarkable level of performance, consistency and safety. Its tires rarely made news due to problems and you can easily contrast that to what happens in NASCAR and Formula One, for example. This is why the drivers got so upset when Randy Bernard was negotiating for a new supplier. Speyer also ensured that Firestone continued a proper, professional media/PR effort and that definitely is in stark difference to NASCAR's tire company.
A good guy with a great career and a fabulous product goes out on a very high and respected note. And that is how it should be. He deserves it.
Finally: One of the best things I've ever seen at IMS was Boston Marathon runners allowed to cross the Yard of Bricks to "finish" their race. Great idea, Doug Boles . . . One of the worst things I've ever seen at IMS was the moronic Will Buxton-Marty Snider "red pants, yellow hat" act during the non-bump Bump Day TV show. Time was when cameras would have been focused on the track to see the drivers, who got in and who went home, not a pair of egoist microphone-holding clowns.
Change can be good, which is why NHRA should pay attention to what Mark Miles is doing. If you missed the link on Twitter, here's my new CompetitionPlus.com column:
http://www.competitionplus.com/drag-racing/editorials/25318-michael-knight-change-can-be-good
[ more next Monday . . . ]
One thing CART did well was organize the annual "Winter Meetings" where sponsors, promoters, team owners, drivers, marketers, PR people, TV talent and production folks and media would gather with the sanction's execs, officials and staff. Locations were in enjoyable cities like Tucson, Las Vegas and Palm Springs. There were general meetings, specialized workshops, good opportunities for networking and it always began with a classy cocktail party organized by Jim Chapman on behalf of series sponsor PPG.
At the January 1988 meeting, Frank Yodice, then head of Marlboro's racing program, stood up and said he'd been doing a lot of thinking about how much untapped potential the series had, especially in the media. He proposed the formation of a PR Task Force to learn more about this and try to find solutions. I was chosen as Frank's vice chairman and, later, when he moved on to other pursuits, became Task Force chairman.
Our group went out and talked to media decision makers -- sports editors and directors, program and station managers, etc. -- to find out why they did or didn't cover CART. This research was put into a written set of conclusions. And we didn't leave it at that. We also wrote a set of recommendations to address the problems. Collectively, our volunteer bunch put hundreds of hours into this work -- for the good of the series, sport and industry.
We formally reported on our findings at the following year's Winter Meetings. CART leadership at that time gave it lip-service support. (Which didn't surprise me.) When Bill Stokkan became CART's chairman, he took a far-more active interest in the TF, and met with us regularly. A lack of resources and political will ultimately meant a lot of what we put on the table went undone.
But, in re-reading these documents a quarter-century later, it struck me how many of our conclusions and recommendations remain valid to this day. And, candidly, part of that is because they were common sense things.
My recent lengthy conversation with new Hulman & Co. CEO Mark Miles and on-site experiences at the Indianapolis 500 got me to thinking about this all over again. Much of what was contained in our TF documents was nuts-and-bolts, blocking-and-tackling stuff. In other words, the BASICS. And I'm not sure how much more basic it gets than for team/sponsor "publicists" to spend plenty of time in the track media center. After all, that's where their "customers" or "potential customers" are!
In three days at Indy, I saw only one team PRer on the IMS tower fourth floor: Anne Fornoro, of A.J. Foyt Racing. I saw four or five others elsewhere on the grounds. (I'm not including manufacturer reps from Honda, Firestone or Chevy or series/IMS people here.) Think about that! Where were the others? What were they doing? What results and Return On Investment were they working to deliver for their sponsors?
It might have been easier to find Osama bin Laden than any of the so-called "PR" representatives from Penske Racing and other supposed "top" teams. Last year Merrill Shame told me Penske PR people don't often come to the media center because they have so many hospitality visits to do with their drivers. Whether that truly embarrassing excuse was his, or came as a result of the behind-the-scenes puppeteering visible to my experienced eye, one can only wonder. Pathetic. Funny thing but, when I was PR director for Newman/Haas Racing handling both Mario Andretti and Nigel Mansell -- with no assistants -- somehow there was time to visit the media center, provide that personal service, build those one-on-one relationships, and still get the drivers to hospitality for Kmart, Texaco, Ford, Dirt Devil, Energizer, Gillette and other sponsors. Any media people from that time would verify I wasn't hard to find.
I can tell you for sure that, if Mr. Chapman were still alive, he'd be face-to-face with team owners about this massive professional failure. What's obvious to me is there is a jaw-dropping lack of pride in this PR work. For too many, it's simply a by-rote exercise, the only purpose of which is to collect a paycheck.
For Mark Miles to achieve what he wants for the IndyCar series, he will have to directly address this serious problem with his team owners and sponsor managers. The IndyCar staff can't do it alone. As I said to former CART Chair Andrew Craig many years ago, the team and sponsor publicists are the front-line soldiers for the series with media on a daily basis.
So, it's not acceptable for them to be AWOL or MIA. Other leagues insist on acceptable and professional standards from their teams in all phases of business operations. IndyCar must do the same.
"The Old Gray Lady" is an often-used reference for the New York Times. I'm sorry to say it could now also be used for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
As a 35-year veteran of the Indy 500, it's been obvious to me for several Mays that budget cuts have taken a noticeable toll on the IMS grounds. After a year away, it especially struck me a few weeks ago how old, gray, and in some cases downright dingy the place looks. History and tradition are great, but those do not give ownership a pass to allow the historic facility to become a visually depressing place. Fenway Park and Wrigley Field have/are getting the upgrades they need and Yankee Stadium got to the point where it had to be replaced.
The Indiana legislature has approved a bill where the Speedway will receive a "loan" from the state for up to $5 million per year for 20 years to complete capital improvement projects. This is to be repaid through anticipated increases in income and sales tax collections at IMS and will be guaranteed by Hulman & Co. Also, IMS is to spend $2 million per year, $40 million total, over 20 years for improvements.
Those projects need to happen ASAP and not one penny can be wasted. I saw a lot of things that have to be a higher priority than lights, for example, and I hope all involved realize the facility's physical decline contributes to the downturn in ticket sales. The Speedway, quite candidly, at this age and state of disrepair, is not guest friendly. They could start with some paint to brighten things up.
Al Speyer worked his final Indy 500 as Bridgestone/Firestone racing boss before retiring. I was glad to spend a few minutes thanking him for his personal kindness as well as all he has done for IndyCar racing.
Racing history will record that, under Al's leadership, Firestone achieved a truly remarkable level of performance, consistency and safety. Its tires rarely made news due to problems and you can easily contrast that to what happens in NASCAR and Formula One, for example. This is why the drivers got so upset when Randy Bernard was negotiating for a new supplier. Speyer also ensured that Firestone continued a proper, professional media/PR effort and that definitely is in stark difference to NASCAR's tire company.
A good guy with a great career and a fabulous product goes out on a very high and respected note. And that is how it should be. He deserves it.
Finally: One of the best things I've ever seen at IMS was Boston Marathon runners allowed to cross the Yard of Bricks to "finish" their race. Great idea, Doug Boles . . . One of the worst things I've ever seen at IMS was the moronic Will Buxton-Marty Snider "red pants, yellow hat" act during the non-bump Bump Day TV show. Time was when cameras would have been focused on the track to see the drivers, who got in and who went home, not a pair of egoist microphone-holding clowns.
Change can be good, which is why NHRA should pay attention to what Mark Miles is doing. If you missed the link on Twitter, here's my new CompetitionPlus.com column:
http://www.competitionplus.com/drag-racing/editorials/25318-michael-knight-change-can-be-good
[ more next Monday . . . ]
Sunday, June 02, 2013
MARK MILES Q & A
Let me begin at the end.
The last question I asked new Hulman & Co. CEO Mark Miles as I was about to conclude an almost 45-minute one-on-one visit with him in his Indianapolis Motor Speedway office Friday afternoon before the Indy 500 was: Considering the many disappointments loyal fans have experienced during and after the IRL-CART split, why should they believe his leadership will be different? His answer was the most impressive thing I've heard from anyone, anywhere, in IndyCar in at least 15 years:
"Time will tell to see if it is. To that hard-core fan who has been disappointed for so long we almost have to start by saying, 'We're sorry. We owe you an apology.' Then, the very next thing will be to say, 'Let's get on with it. If you really love this sport, as our hard-core fans do, then it's time to quit looking back. It is what it is and there's not a thing we can do about that.'
"If I have an advantage at all in not being from racing, it's that I'm not going to spend a lot of time worrying about who was on which side in the past and who said what to whom. We're going to try to connect with fans. I hope I have the track record with events and sports of trying to look at the things that will matter most and be really focused on those things and being open to new talent and ideas to pursue them. We'll see if it works.
"Look, it's very tough to be successful in any business. Sports and entertainment are particularly competitive. The media landscape is like sand, it's shifting so quickly. I know how to build the kind of organization we need to build here to have a chance of being successful. We will do that. Then it's about what the right strategies are and the right partners to execute with. I think we have a really good chance."
I then told Miles I have suggested, for years, to various IndyCar execs that as a PR gesture they apologize for the damage done by the split. Fans were divided, industry jobs lost, sponsors forced elsewhere. Among those I suggested this to were Tony George and Randy Bernard. Now, finally, an IndyCar CEO has done what should have been done five years ago when reunification happened. America is a forgiving society willing to give people a second chance. That's what this series needs. That Miles knew to do this is a source of hope that things will get better.
Here's a link to my Friday Arizona Republic Q&A with Miles. Space limitations didn't allow me to use all I had. His talk of revenue sharing is the first time I've heard that idea in the context of major races. So, after reading this (including his thoughts of returning to Phoenix), please continue with Miles' comments on other subjects:
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/20130529indycar-chief-mark-miles-talks-sports-future.html
On being viewed as IndyCar's latest "savior": "I don't think in those terms. My view is we've got to do 200 things really well and I don't see why we can't do what we have to to make ourselves a high performing organization able to execute on strategy. My focus is entirely on that and putting the optimum team together. I have zero desire to have a public profile in any particular life. I'll do what I have to if it's helpful to our business, the series and the sport.
"People apparently need to feel this sense that there's the one person that they can look to. If that's the case, they can look to me. I'm sure Derrick (Walker, new president of competition), the person on the commercial side, will be close-knit. There will be no sense that there's one superhero in the organization."
As a racing outsider -- and importantly, recruited by the non-family Hulman & Co. Board members -- his thoughts on the IndyCar show: "I absolutely love this product. The closer I get to it the more I believe there are ways to make people understand this is a sophisticated, extreme sport, that will be more attractive than it is. If you look at the history, it's makes me optimistic. We just haven't been able to get out of our own way as a sport for a long time."
On his political ability and authority to work around tradition to fit the needs of the modern sports marketing world: "I think about Wimbledon. It just exudes tradition. But if you actually know Wimbledon -- I had this privileged seat to see it develop over 20 years. The alchemy to them is the traditional outfacing brand with passionate insistence on being cutting-edge. So you have to see what they've done with their facilities over time. How they've adapted to the changing media landscape.
"Especially for the Speedway, more so than IndyCar where tradition is much less the brand, we've got to understand our tradition and history will be our brand, but we have to figure out what's inviolate about that and then feel perfectly free to innovate around that."
Mark Miles is a serious, driven, disciplined business executive. He's not looking for personal publicity as some of those before him have. To me, he appears to be the most powerful and capable non-Hulman-George family member to lead the company. I wish him good luck.
I have a few more important items in my Indy notebook and will get to those next week.
[ more next Monday . . . ]
The last question I asked new Hulman & Co. CEO Mark Miles as I was about to conclude an almost 45-minute one-on-one visit with him in his Indianapolis Motor Speedway office Friday afternoon before the Indy 500 was: Considering the many disappointments loyal fans have experienced during and after the IRL-CART split, why should they believe his leadership will be different? His answer was the most impressive thing I've heard from anyone, anywhere, in IndyCar in at least 15 years:
"Time will tell to see if it is. To that hard-core fan who has been disappointed for so long we almost have to start by saying, 'We're sorry. We owe you an apology.' Then, the very next thing will be to say, 'Let's get on with it. If you really love this sport, as our hard-core fans do, then it's time to quit looking back. It is what it is and there's not a thing we can do about that.'
"If I have an advantage at all in not being from racing, it's that I'm not going to spend a lot of time worrying about who was on which side in the past and who said what to whom. We're going to try to connect with fans. I hope I have the track record with events and sports of trying to look at the things that will matter most and be really focused on those things and being open to new talent and ideas to pursue them. We'll see if it works.
"Look, it's very tough to be successful in any business. Sports and entertainment are particularly competitive. The media landscape is like sand, it's shifting so quickly. I know how to build the kind of organization we need to build here to have a chance of being successful. We will do that. Then it's about what the right strategies are and the right partners to execute with. I think we have a really good chance."
I then told Miles I have suggested, for years, to various IndyCar execs that as a PR gesture they apologize for the damage done by the split. Fans were divided, industry jobs lost, sponsors forced elsewhere. Among those I suggested this to were Tony George and Randy Bernard. Now, finally, an IndyCar CEO has done what should have been done five years ago when reunification happened. America is a forgiving society willing to give people a second chance. That's what this series needs. That Miles knew to do this is a source of hope that things will get better.
Here's a link to my Friday Arizona Republic Q&A with Miles. Space limitations didn't allow me to use all I had. His talk of revenue sharing is the first time I've heard that idea in the context of major races. So, after reading this (including his thoughts of returning to Phoenix), please continue with Miles' comments on other subjects:
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/20130529indycar-chief-mark-miles-talks-sports-future.html
On being viewed as IndyCar's latest "savior": "I don't think in those terms. My view is we've got to do 200 things really well and I don't see why we can't do what we have to to make ourselves a high performing organization able to execute on strategy. My focus is entirely on that and putting the optimum team together. I have zero desire to have a public profile in any particular life. I'll do what I have to if it's helpful to our business, the series and the sport.
"People apparently need to feel this sense that there's the one person that they can look to. If that's the case, they can look to me. I'm sure Derrick (Walker, new president of competition), the person on the commercial side, will be close-knit. There will be no sense that there's one superhero in the organization."
As a racing outsider -- and importantly, recruited by the non-family Hulman & Co. Board members -- his thoughts on the IndyCar show: "I absolutely love this product. The closer I get to it the more I believe there are ways to make people understand this is a sophisticated, extreme sport, that will be more attractive than it is. If you look at the history, it's makes me optimistic. We just haven't been able to get out of our own way as a sport for a long time."
On his political ability and authority to work around tradition to fit the needs of the modern sports marketing world: "I think about Wimbledon. It just exudes tradition. But if you actually know Wimbledon -- I had this privileged seat to see it develop over 20 years. The alchemy to them is the traditional outfacing brand with passionate insistence on being cutting-edge. So you have to see what they've done with their facilities over time. How they've adapted to the changing media landscape.
"Especially for the Speedway, more so than IndyCar where tradition is much less the brand, we've got to understand our tradition and history will be our brand, but we have to figure out what's inviolate about that and then feel perfectly free to innovate around that."
Mark Miles is a serious, driven, disciplined business executive. He's not looking for personal publicity as some of those before him have. To me, he appears to be the most powerful and capable non-Hulman-George family member to lead the company. I wish him good luck.
I have a few more important items in my Indy notebook and will get to those next week.
[ more next Monday . . . ]
Monday, May 27, 2013
INDY
Believe it or not, I flew to Indianapolis for my 35th Indy 500 on U.S. Airways flight No. 500. It's always nice to see old friends, which Indy creates the opportunity to do. The emotional highlight of the weekend for me was seeing Alex Zanardi. Back in the day when we worked together, something good would happen and Alex would often say to me, "There are no words . . ." Our words whispered into one another's ear in Gasoline Alley on race morning were highly personal and thus shall remain private, but as for the deep feelings involved, well, yes, there are no words . . .
New Hulman & Co. CEO Mark Miles oversaw his first Indy as boss. I spent almost 45 minutes with Miles Friday afternoon in his office. I've written here many times about the many "leaders" who have come and gone in various versions of American open-wheel racing (one such offering took second place in the AARWBA journalism contest). This much I can tell you about Miles based on observation and my first-hand time with him:
This is a serious, experienced, disciplined business management executive. Miles, unlike some of those who have come before, is not seeking personal publicity and won't be a fountain of colorful quotes. He's about building a proper management team and staff and moving forward, not looking backwards. The man is definitely not chained to the sport's past.
I can't share much more right now because I'm still working out when and where I'll extensively quote him. Look back here next week for more and I'll also update plans on Twitter. But I did ask him about his authority and ability to navigate the Hulman-George family and series' politics (he was recruited by the outside Board members, not a member of the H-G family) and my last question to him was why hard-core IndyCar fans should believe his tenure will be different from those who have failed before.
From our interview, I did write a CompetitionPlus.com story that was posted last Friday regarding an IMS road course event conflicting with the U.S. Nationals on Labor Day weekend (it won't happen), and the talking point that IndyCars are the "fastest" series. See link below for that.
In the May 27 Sports Illustrated, writer Lars Anderson's first paragraph of his Indy pole qualifying story included this line:
"The silver-haired Roger Penske, whose cars have won the race 15 times, chatted with one of his drivers, Helio Castroneves, on pit road."
Except Penske was NOT at Indy! As was well-reported on TV and elsewhere, Penske was in Italy, participating in the Mille Miglia.
I report. You decide.
Congratulations to the Hulman-George and France families, winners of the Bob Russo Founders Award, announced Saturday at the AARWBA breakfast. Russo, the late racing journalist/publicist/historian, founded AARWBA in 1955. He died in 1999 at age 71. The Russo Award is presented for “profound interest, tireless efforts and undying dedication to auto racing as exemplified by Russo throughout his lifelong career.”
Previous Russo Award winners include: 2005 – Michael Knight; 2006 – Wally Parks; 2007 – Chris Economaki; 2008 – Bob Jenkins; 2009 – Shav Glick; 2010 -- Bill York; 2011 -- Bill Marvel; 2012 -- Paul Page. A permanent plaque with all winners’ names is on display in the Speedway media center.
The award is sponsored by Collene and Gary Campbell, the sister and brother-in-law of the late Mickey Thompson.
I won five awards in the annual AARWBA journalism contest, results announced Saturday. Those included a first place in newspaper news writing (the Jeff Gordon-Clint Bowyer crew brawl at PIR) and second in newspaper feature writing (how the Gordon-Jimmie Johnson relationship has evolved) for Arizona Republic stories. My May 2012 CompetitionPlus.com column, "Oh, What Might Have Been" was first in online column writing and my exclusive breaking news story that Paul Page wouldn't return to the ESPN TV booth was honorable mention in online news writing. And this blog was second in the web log category. Thanks to all to helped make this possible.
If you didn't see them online or on Twitter, here are links to my A.J. Foyt story in last Saturday's Republic and some breaking news on CompetitionPlus.com:
[ more next Monday . . . ]
New Hulman & Co. CEO Mark Miles oversaw his first Indy as boss. I spent almost 45 minutes with Miles Friday afternoon in his office. I've written here many times about the many "leaders" who have come and gone in various versions of American open-wheel racing (one such offering took second place in the AARWBA journalism contest). This much I can tell you about Miles based on observation and my first-hand time with him:
This is a serious, experienced, disciplined business management executive. Miles, unlike some of those who have come before, is not seeking personal publicity and won't be a fountain of colorful quotes. He's about building a proper management team and staff and moving forward, not looking backwards. The man is definitely not chained to the sport's past.
I can't share much more right now because I'm still working out when and where I'll extensively quote him. Look back here next week for more and I'll also update plans on Twitter. But I did ask him about his authority and ability to navigate the Hulman-George family and series' politics (he was recruited by the outside Board members, not a member of the H-G family) and my last question to him was why hard-core IndyCar fans should believe his tenure will be different from those who have failed before.
From our interview, I did write a CompetitionPlus.com story that was posted last Friday regarding an IMS road course event conflicting with the U.S. Nationals on Labor Day weekend (it won't happen), and the talking point that IndyCars are the "fastest" series. See link below for that.
In the May 27 Sports Illustrated, writer Lars Anderson's first paragraph of his Indy pole qualifying story included this line:
"The silver-haired Roger Penske, whose cars have won the race 15 times, chatted with one of his drivers, Helio Castroneves, on pit road."
Except Penske was NOT at Indy! As was well-reported on TV and elsewhere, Penske was in Italy, participating in the Mille Miglia.
I report. You decide.
Congratulations to the Hulman-George and France families, winners of the Bob Russo Founders Award, announced Saturday at the AARWBA breakfast. Russo, the late racing journalist/publicist/historian, founded AARWBA in 1955. He died in 1999 at age 71. The Russo Award is presented for “profound interest, tireless efforts and undying dedication to auto racing as exemplified by Russo throughout his lifelong career.”
Previous Russo Award winners include: 2005 – Michael Knight; 2006 – Wally Parks; 2007 – Chris Economaki; 2008 – Bob Jenkins; 2009 – Shav Glick; 2010 -- Bill York; 2011 -- Bill Marvel; 2012 -- Paul Page. A permanent plaque with all winners’ names is on display in the Speedway media center.
The award is sponsored by Collene and Gary Campbell, the sister and brother-in-law of the late Mickey Thompson.
I won five awards in the annual AARWBA journalism contest, results announced Saturday. Those included a first place in newspaper news writing (the Jeff Gordon-Clint Bowyer crew brawl at PIR) and second in newspaper feature writing (how the Gordon-Jimmie Johnson relationship has evolved) for Arizona Republic stories. My May 2012 CompetitionPlus.com column, "Oh, What Might Have Been" was first in online column writing and my exclusive breaking news story that Paul Page wouldn't return to the ESPN TV booth was honorable mention in online news writing. And this blog was second in the web log category. Thanks to all to helped make this possible.
If you didn't see them online or on Twitter, here are links to my A.J. Foyt story in last Saturday's Republic and some breaking news on CompetitionPlus.com:
[ more next Monday . . . ]
Sunday, May 19, 2013
CHRISTMAS IN MAY
Christmas comes in May for racing fans -- and the motorsports industry -- with Sunday's all-important Indianapolis 500, Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, and the Monaco Grand Prix.
Quite simply, it's the most important day of the racing year.
It takes on added importance this time around. Because, for the first time in my memory, three different major over-the-air broadcast networks will provide live flag-to-flag coverage of three different races. That's Indy on ABC, NASCAR on Fox, and for the first time, NBC will televise Monaco with on-air and production people actually on-site.
We'll all thrill to the competition. But, from a Business of Racing standpoint, I'll be watching attendance and TV audience.
So will sponsors. And potential sponsors.
Again this year, a good and successful Indy would be the most important among the three events. Last year's race was called one of the best ever, but didn't translate into big crowds or TV audience gains. Mark Miles will be watching his first I500 as The Man In Charge and I'm sure one of the things he'll be pondering is how to leverage his series' Big Day into attention, popularity and sales elsewhere. Quite simply, the Speedway and the Izod (for now) series needs this more than the others.
Monaco's presentation on NBC is key as Formula One continues to try to grow its own footprint in America. Later this year will be the second running at Circuit of the Americas and skeptics are watching for a noticeable dropoff from 2012's terrific debut. It's huge to the F1 industry that that doesn't happen. Not much news lately about the New Jersey GP but Bernie Ecclestone continues to seek that second big U.S. payday. A good tune-in to Monaco would help.
NASCAR banked all on its new Gen-6 car this season and, not surprisingly, it's a work in progress. Controversy has overshadowed the car in recent weeks and I bet Brian France & Co. would like a boffo Charlotte (and a Dale Earnhardt Jr. victory) to advance other storylines.
Whether you're sitting on the sofa or going to a short track or a Speedway, enjoy the sport's Christmas day.
History means everything at Indianapolis. As a follow-up to last week's blog, recalling the 20th anniversary of "Mansell Mania," here's a selection of media quotes about Nigel's epic 1993 season. It's important to remember what IndyCar was -- as a goal for the future -- and that a driver's ability to connect with the public and media can literally drive an entire sport:
"The Michael Jordan of auto racing." -- David Letterman
". . . the most daring race car driver in the world." -- Sports Illustrated
"On the track where he was expected to be vulnerable -- the wild one-mile ovals dubbed 'bullrings' for their head-spinning action and potential for the drivers to get gored -- he demonstrated genius as he had never before done." -- Sam Moses, Playboy magazine
"Nigel Mansell is the champion, and we as race fans are richer for it." -- Paul Page
"Last season became a season to remember for Mansell, not because of good fortune, but because of mountainous grit and talent." -- Mark Armijo, Arizona Republic
"Maybe 'Mansell Mania' starts with the Mansell mystique. Women appreciate his dashing looks, charming accent and suave style. Men like his wheels-to-the-wall aggressiveness, along with his habit of winning nearly everything you can shake a stick shift at." -- Indianapolis Monthly magazine
"Mansell, more impressive than even Jimmy Clark or Jackie Stewart at adapting to ovals . . ." -- Robin Miller
"To many, he embodies the soul of what racing is all about . . . Racing is tough, after all, and we are looking for heroes." -- Sam Posey
"His performance, said one veteran observer, raised Indy Car racing 'to a new level of brilliance.'" -- Time magazine
"You can't do anything but admire Nigel Mansell on the splendid season he had. He was the consummate racer on and off the track . . . Think of what the CART season would have been without him. Nigel Mansell is a true racer in my book . . . " -- Gary London, National Speed Sport News
"Mansell's audacious driving has stirred strong passions . . ." -- Robin Morgan, The Sunday Times of London magazine
". . . his performances on the ovals have emphasized his commitment, skill and bravery in the fastest of corners." -- Gordon Kirby, Racer magazine
"Mansell's championships in consecutive years would be remarkable if he had achieved them in the same series. The fact that he has done it in the two highest levels of single-seater racing in the world speaks volumes of his talent and commitment . . . In F1, Mansell faced few unknowns. His bold decision to race Indy Cars was tantamount to walking down a long and dark street." -- Tim Tuttle, On Track
"His skill and judgment on the ovals were awe-inspiring; his all-or-nothing qualifying laps on the road courses, equally majestic and entertaining." -- Jeremy Shaw, Road & Track
"Nigel Mansell has outdone Jimmy Clark, Graham Hill and the rest of his countrymen who have driven racing cars . . . (he) can lay claim to being the No. 1 race driver in the world." -- Indianapolis 500 Oldtimers Club newsletter
"Nigel Mansell has done us proud. His Indy Car championship win is one of the most remarkable stories in modern motorsport history and it is fitting that he should clinch the title with a dominant win on an oval circuit." -- Autosport editorial
"Astounding. Remarkable. Fantastic. They all describe Nigel's rookie Indy Car season which proved he is unquestionably one of the greatest ever. Perhaps the best." -- On Track editorial
It's the 20th anniversary of Mansell-at-Indy but it's also the 10th anniversary of Annika Sorenstam's play in a PGA golf tournament. I knew from the second Annika announced her entry that this would blow-out Indy's national media coverage that 2003 race week. Of course, the chatroom crowd tried to hit me from the first tee to the 18th green, but history's facts prove I aced this one. Even a senior IMS official at that time admitted to me the Annika issue wasn't on their radar until I wrote about it. I'm still proud of this column and here's the first four graphs of what I typed back then:
Annika Sorenstam's decision to be a "driver" in the Bank of America Colonial, the tradition steeped PGA Tour event heretofore made famous by legendary Ben Hogan, is an unfortunate turn for another icon trying to reconnect with the public's sweet spot -- the Indianapolis 500.
The Colonial, like Indy, is scheduled for Memorial Day weekend. This impending tsunami of Sorenstam publicity might result in a TV ratings bogey for the already challenged "Greatest Spectacle In Racing."
You can write it down right now: The Sorenstam Saga -- the world's greatest female golfer will become the first woman to play in a PGA tournament since 1945 -- is guaranteed to exhaust the available media oxygen supply during those seven days. That will be much to the delight of the CBS and USA networks, whose cameras will televise Annika's every swing, and to the fret of ABC and ESPN on-site at Indy. Yet, I am certain, even World News Tonight and SportsCenter will lovingly devote more minutes to Sorenstam May 19-25 than they will to all 33 starters at Indy combined.
No doubt I'll be doing a little Tweeting this weekend, as warranted, per the guidelines I've explained here before. @SpinDoctor500 .
Please look for my long A.J. Foyt story in this Saturday's Arizona Republic. Foyt is back in the headlines with his team winning and leading the Izod series points -- both GREAT for IMS and IndyCar. You'll enjoy what he has to say about current and past drivers -- and an interesting suggestion he makes. It's A.J. at his classic best. If not in Arizona, you can find the story at AzCentral.com .
[ more next Monday . . . ]
Quite simply, it's the most important day of the racing year.
It takes on added importance this time around. Because, for the first time in my memory, three different major over-the-air broadcast networks will provide live flag-to-flag coverage of three different races. That's Indy on ABC, NASCAR on Fox, and for the first time, NBC will televise Monaco with on-air and production people actually on-site.
We'll all thrill to the competition. But, from a Business of Racing standpoint, I'll be watching attendance and TV audience.
So will sponsors. And potential sponsors.
Again this year, a good and successful Indy would be the most important among the three events. Last year's race was called one of the best ever, but didn't translate into big crowds or TV audience gains. Mark Miles will be watching his first I500 as The Man In Charge and I'm sure one of the things he'll be pondering is how to leverage his series' Big Day into attention, popularity and sales elsewhere. Quite simply, the Speedway and the Izod (for now) series needs this more than the others.
Monaco's presentation on NBC is key as Formula One continues to try to grow its own footprint in America. Later this year will be the second running at Circuit of the Americas and skeptics are watching for a noticeable dropoff from 2012's terrific debut. It's huge to the F1 industry that that doesn't happen. Not much news lately about the New Jersey GP but Bernie Ecclestone continues to seek that second big U.S. payday. A good tune-in to Monaco would help.
NASCAR banked all on its new Gen-6 car this season and, not surprisingly, it's a work in progress. Controversy has overshadowed the car in recent weeks and I bet Brian France & Co. would like a boffo Charlotte (and a Dale Earnhardt Jr. victory) to advance other storylines.
Whether you're sitting on the sofa or going to a short track or a Speedway, enjoy the sport's Christmas day.
History means everything at Indianapolis. As a follow-up to last week's blog, recalling the 20th anniversary of "Mansell Mania," here's a selection of media quotes about Nigel's epic 1993 season. It's important to remember what IndyCar was -- as a goal for the future -- and that a driver's ability to connect with the public and media can literally drive an entire sport:
"The Michael Jordan of auto racing." -- David Letterman
". . . the most daring race car driver in the world." -- Sports Illustrated
"On the track where he was expected to be vulnerable -- the wild one-mile ovals dubbed 'bullrings' for their head-spinning action and potential for the drivers to get gored -- he demonstrated genius as he had never before done." -- Sam Moses, Playboy magazine
"Nigel Mansell is the champion, and we as race fans are richer for it." -- Paul Page
"Last season became a season to remember for Mansell, not because of good fortune, but because of mountainous grit and talent." -- Mark Armijo, Arizona Republic
"Maybe 'Mansell Mania' starts with the Mansell mystique. Women appreciate his dashing looks, charming accent and suave style. Men like his wheels-to-the-wall aggressiveness, along with his habit of winning nearly everything you can shake a stick shift at." -- Indianapolis Monthly magazine
"Mansell, more impressive than even Jimmy Clark or Jackie Stewart at adapting to ovals . . ." -- Robin Miller
"To many, he embodies the soul of what racing is all about . . . Racing is tough, after all, and we are looking for heroes." -- Sam Posey
"His performance, said one veteran observer, raised Indy Car racing 'to a new level of brilliance.'" -- Time magazine
"You can't do anything but admire Nigel Mansell on the splendid season he had. He was the consummate racer on and off the track . . . Think of what the CART season would have been without him. Nigel Mansell is a true racer in my book . . . " -- Gary London, National Speed Sport News
"Mansell's audacious driving has stirred strong passions . . ." -- Robin Morgan, The Sunday Times of London magazine
". . . his performances on the ovals have emphasized his commitment, skill and bravery in the fastest of corners." -- Gordon Kirby, Racer magazine
"Mansell's championships in consecutive years would be remarkable if he had achieved them in the same series. The fact that he has done it in the two highest levels of single-seater racing in the world speaks volumes of his talent and commitment . . . In F1, Mansell faced few unknowns. His bold decision to race Indy Cars was tantamount to walking down a long and dark street." -- Tim Tuttle, On Track
"His skill and judgment on the ovals were awe-inspiring; his all-or-nothing qualifying laps on the road courses, equally majestic and entertaining." -- Jeremy Shaw, Road & Track
"Nigel Mansell has outdone Jimmy Clark, Graham Hill and the rest of his countrymen who have driven racing cars . . . (he) can lay claim to being the No. 1 race driver in the world." -- Indianapolis 500 Oldtimers Club newsletter
"Nigel Mansell has done us proud. His Indy Car championship win is one of the most remarkable stories in modern motorsport history and it is fitting that he should clinch the title with a dominant win on an oval circuit." -- Autosport editorial
"Astounding. Remarkable. Fantastic. They all describe Nigel's rookie Indy Car season which proved he is unquestionably one of the greatest ever. Perhaps the best." -- On Track editorial
It's the 20th anniversary of Mansell-at-Indy but it's also the 10th anniversary of Annika Sorenstam's play in a PGA golf tournament. I knew from the second Annika announced her entry that this would blow-out Indy's national media coverage that 2003 race week. Of course, the chatroom crowd tried to hit me from the first tee to the 18th green, but history's facts prove I aced this one. Even a senior IMS official at that time admitted to me the Annika issue wasn't on their radar until I wrote about it. I'm still proud of this column and here's the first four graphs of what I typed back then:
Annika Sorenstam's decision to be a "driver" in the Bank of America Colonial, the tradition steeped PGA Tour event heretofore made famous by legendary Ben Hogan, is an unfortunate turn for another icon trying to reconnect with the public's sweet spot -- the Indianapolis 500.
The Colonial, like Indy, is scheduled for Memorial Day weekend. This impending tsunami of Sorenstam publicity might result in a TV ratings bogey for the already challenged "Greatest Spectacle In Racing."
You can write it down right now: The Sorenstam Saga -- the world's greatest female golfer will become the first woman to play in a PGA tournament since 1945 -- is guaranteed to exhaust the available media oxygen supply during those seven days. That will be much to the delight of the CBS and USA networks, whose cameras will televise Annika's every swing, and to the fret of ABC and ESPN on-site at Indy. Yet, I am certain, even World News Tonight and SportsCenter will lovingly devote more minutes to Sorenstam May 19-25 than they will to all 33 starters at Indy combined.
The Gal vs. The Guys is a classic media "crossover" story, meaning it will have a rightful place on the news, business, feature, even editorial pages, in addition to sports. In fact, that's already happened. Annika's announcement on Feb. 12 made all of that evening's network and cable news programs, was discussed on virtually every major national radio talk show (including Rush Limbaugh), and the next day, got top of Page 1 treatment in USA Today. She owns a piece of the cover, a column, and six sizzling pages in the new Sports Illustrated. Opinionists are calling it the most significant athletic competition -- from a societal standpoint -- since Billie Jean King aced aging Bobby Riggs before God, country and Howard Cosell in a 1973 prime-time Astrodome exhibition.
No doubt I'll be doing a little Tweeting this weekend, as warranted, per the guidelines I've explained here before. @SpinDoctor500 .
Please look for my long A.J. Foyt story in this Saturday's Arizona Republic. Foyt is back in the headlines with his team winning and leading the Izod series points -- both GREAT for IMS and IndyCar. You'll enjoy what he has to say about current and past drivers -- and an interesting suggestion he makes. It's A.J. at his classic best. If not in Arizona, you can find the story at AzCentral.com .
[ more next Monday . . . ]
Saturday, May 11, 2013
20th ANNIVERSARY of MANSELL MANIA
(In recent weeks I've been interviewed by Robin Miller, for a story that appears in the May issue of Racer, and by John Oreovicz, for an Indy 500 program story. Both are on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Mansell Mania. I lived Mansell Mania first-hand, as PR director for Newman/Haas Racing. The following was published in another forum in September 2003, remembering the 10th anniversary of Nigel's historic PPG Indy Car World series championship. That year also represented the high-water mark for the Indianapolis 500, certainly in terms of worldwide media coverage and TV ratings. Now, another decade later, and with Indy 500 activities underway, it's worth another read.)
Paul Newman called it "The Great Adventure" and the greatest thrill came on Sunday, Sept. 19, 1993.
Nazareth seemed the least likely locale to host sports history this side of Cooperstown, but those who were at the less-than-a-mile Pennsylvania oval that day saw -- in my opinion -- one of the five most significant achievements in racing's modern era.
Nigel Mansell won the Bosch Spark Plug Grand Prix that afternoon by almost a lap to clinch CART's PPG Indy Car World Series championship. The Formula One title had yet to be determined, so for one remarkable week (until Sept. 26), Mansell possessed both of the world's premier open-wheel crowns.
Others talked about going for such glory. Mansell did it.
Some big-name motorsports executives and pundits didn't believe Carl Haas could get the 1992 world champion's signature on a multi-million-dollar contract -- rich, but far below F1 standards -- that would force him to trade Monaco for Milwaukee and share street courses with superspeedways. But give the often-underappreciated Haas, whose business smarts are longer than his cigars, credit: He had the vision to see the stars were aligned -- Mansell was at odds with Frank Williams and enjoyed family life away from the Isle of Man at his magnificent Clearwater, Fla., estate -- and the opportunity was at hand to bring the Brit Ferrari fans proclaimed Il Leone (The Lion) to America to replace the off-to-McLaren Michael Andretti.
Mansell came to CART with much more than the record-setting nine Grand Prix victories and 14 poles he attained in the Williams-Renault enroute to the '92 title, which he locked-up in August (!), the earliest that had been done since Jackie Stewart in 1971. Even his rivals conceded Nigel was bold and brave (Sports Illustrated termed him the world's "most daring" driver) and that style stirred the public's passions. Mansell Mania, as it was known, was no PR gimmick.
Let's look back on some decade-old snapshots-in-time.
In January, Mansell made his official debut for Newman/Haas Racing on the Phoenix mile. Typically, such a test might have attracted three or four reporters, but for this occasion, 90 media from nine countries were in attendance. Haas whispered to team publicist Michael Knight, "I think this might be bigger than we thought." About 200 interview requests were in-hand before the season started. Knight analyzed it as "auto racing's first 24-hour news cycle" and months later, thinking back on the Fleet Street tabloid scribes' nothing-is-too-sensational mindset, confessed, "I've learned to feel very sorry for Princess Diana."
In Australia, two months thereafter for his initial CART event, Mansell was the fastest qualifier on the streets of Surfers Paradise. After the race-morning warmup, he quietly took aside chief mechanic Tom Wurtz, and handed him a thick wad of cash. "Regardless of what happens today, the boys have done a fantastic job. Make sure they have a good dinner." This continued throughout the year and the entire team enjoyed many a fine filet mignon courtesy of Mansell meal money. (Nigel preferred to eat and retire for the night as early as possible.) Carrying the red No. 5 he made famous in F1, Mansell fell to fourth after the green flag, but soon found his footing and was in the lead by lap 16. Just before one-third distance, he was called in for a stop-and-go penalty for passing under a local yellow (Nigel said he never saw it), but team manager Jim McGee exploited a rulebook loophole and ordered the Kmart Lola Ford-Cosworth to be refueled and new Goodyears fitted. (CART eventually changed the rule.) Mansell regained the top spot after Emerson Fittipaldi's second pit stop, but had to stretch his fuel, and the engine began to sputter entering the last chicane on the final lap. He finished five seconds in front of Fittipaldi and became the first driver ever to claim both the pole and win in his Indy Car debut. Following a quick examination of his numb foot at the circuit's medical tent (a military-style field hospital provided by the Australian army), Mansell was taken by golf cart to the media center. This normally would have been about a three-minute walk, but even with a dozen soldiers clearing a path, it became a 15-minute trip as hundreds of rabid fans cheered and sang and chanted Mansell's name and waved Union Jack flags. Remembering that scene, Knight told ESPN's SportsCenter his thought was, "This is what it must have been like when Elvis was king." (One of Mansell's private pilots had actually worked for Presley.)
Back in Phoenix in April, Mansell was nearly a second quicker than the field in Saturday practice, when he spun backwards and punched a hole in the concrete wall between turns one and two. He was airlifted to a local hospital and kept overnight for observation because of a concussion. In England, the BBC interrupted regular programming for a news flash. Nigel flew home to Florida the next morning as teammate Mario Andretti came back from two laps down to win his 52d -- and last -- race.
In Long Beach, two weeks later, Mansell returned to earn another pole and finished third. Secretly, he made regular visits to the CART medical trailer, where doctors drained fluid from his lower back. This was an injury from the Phoenix crash and, in 10 more days, required surgery which forced Nigel to miss the Indy 500 rookie orientation program.
Mansell had never been inside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway until he received his doctor's OK to practice. Wednesday, May 12 was a breathtaking whirlwind, as Nigel took the mandatory physical exam, met with USAC officials, rode around the Brickyard in the pace car with Mario Andretti, completed his five-phase rookie test, and eventually stopped with the day's fourth fastest lap, 222.855 mph. The photographers' queue spilled over into Tony Bettenhausen's pit, which was adjacent to Nige's, and the press room had been expanded to accommodate the global journos. Mansell's late-afternoon news conference was, according to then-IMS PR director Bob Walters, "the most packed we had the entire month -- even more than Fittipaldi's, after he'd won." Mansell brought down the house by relating, in an English accent version of a Texas drawl, the advice he'd received from A.J. Foyt: "Just watch it, boy!" The media swooned, which is as rare as a writer turning down a free St. Elmo steak. Shav Glick of the Los Angeles Times summed it up this way: "In my 25 years of reporting motorsports, nothing I have seen matches Mansell's talents in switching from Formula One road racing to Indy Car ovals, particularly at Indianapolis, where he was running unbelievable speeds on his first day at the track -- even though he had never seen it before." Bob Markus of the Chicago Tribune added: "There are athletes who grab pressure by the throat and throttle it into submission. There are athletes who aim for the moon and reach for the stars. There are athletes who give the people what they want and then give them more. Make your own list, but put Nigel Mansell on it." In the 500, his first oval race, Nigel led 34 laps but inexperience on a restart with 16 laps remaining dropped him to third place. The $10,000 from Bank One (whose corporate Pooh-Bah mispronounced both ends of the recipient's name in making the announcement) as Rookie of the Year was pocket cash for Mansell, but the honor was meaningful. "This is an award you only get one chance to win," he remarked.
At Milwaukee, a week later, Mansell passed Raul Boesel for the lead with a spectacular move in turn four with 19 laps remaining. This time, he knew how to handle a restart with three to go, and became an oval winner.
A veteran of F1's tire wars, where qualifying rubber had a one-lap useful life span, Mansell was willing to go-for-it-all on those now-or-never occasions. On Detroit's Belle Isle, Nigel made a few of his mechanics recall Babe Ruth's mythic "called shot" home run, by calling the lap he'd drive the quickest. It was good for another pole . . . and just one of several times he radioed the team in advance of a fast lap.
Mansell hadn't tested at Michigan International Speedway, and found the track surface, bruised and beaten by winter weather, not to his liking -- and said so. In just his second 500-mile race, he led 222 of the 250 laps (including the last 167) and won by nine seconds over Newman/Haas mate Andretti, averaging above 188 mph. Of course, there was drama. The Michigan bumps and G-loads and long distance and August heat gave Nigel, like other drivers over the years, a headache. Aspirin was dissolved in the water bottle given Mansell on his last two pit stops, but that distressed his stomach, and he got sick inside his helmet with about 20 laps to go. Earlier in the weekend, he was introduced to Dale Earnhardt (there for the IROC event), and the two quickly developed a mutual admiration society.
Next, in seven days, Mansell marked his 40th birthday with a victory in New Hampshire. It was perhaps CART's most exciting race before use of the Hanford Device. On another mile oval he had never before seen, Nigel grabbed the pole, and fans sung "Happy Birthday" during driver intros. Mansell and Paul Tracy were the only leaders, with Fittipaldi always right there, and Nigel dropped to third during one pit sequence when Wurtz had trouble securing the right-front wheel. Nigel told the crew not to worry, and broke the tension by whistling as he went down the front straight, under yellow. With just four laps remaining, he made an amazing outside-line pass in turn two, and in the winner's circle said: "This is pure racing at its best. I've been in some races where I've been wheel-to-wheel at 200 mph with Ayrton Senna and that doesn't even come close to what we've done today."
Nazareth was Mansell's fifth victory of his historic campaign -- and fourth straight on an oval (!) -- and some of his rivals barely disguised their jealousy of his wealth and world-wide fame. Bobby Rahal's oft-quoted remark: "He puts his pants on one leg at a time, same as I do." David Letterman, however, was an unabashed fan, and welcomed Mansell on his late-night show as "the Michael Jordan of auto racing." Fittipaldi was Nigel's favorite, and even though they had a couple of on-track disputes, Mansell would admit, "I like and respect Emerson too much to be angry with him."
Gene Haskett, then general manager of Michigan Speedway, watched how crowds responded to the Englishman. "Whatever mystique is, Nigel has it," he commented. A few reporters actually made the supreme effort to attend a Kmart store autograph session, to see Mansell Mania for themselves. This is how Forrest Bond described his experience in RaceFax: "Aware of the size of the gathering, Mansell seemed anything but hurried . . . He was, throughout, attentive to each, thoroughly focused on the person before him, frequently joking and obviously enjoying himself. He held babies in his arms, kissing them for photographs that will long remain treasured items in the family album. He was, in short, as far removed from the stereotype of the arrogant and aloof F1 driver as one could imagine. It began to dawn why the Brits have taken him so to their hearts, for he truly has the touch." Dave Kallman's view, in a front-page Milwaukee Journal story: "If his business were music instead of racing, he'd be at least John, Paul, George and Ringo." Even Autosport's Nigel Roebuck, a sometime critic, had to offer a bow: ". . . the magnitude of his achievement can hardly be exaggerated . . . he has shaken everyone with his ability to turn left at colossal speeds. In traffic, particularly, he has had no peer on the ovals. Hats off."
In December, Mansell went to New York City, to be honored as Driver of the Year. He walked through Central Park before the awards luncheon and was amazed that Bernie Ecclestone ever considered it as a Grand Prix site. At the ceremony, Winston Cup titlist Earnhardt made a surprise visit, and admitted, "I had such a blast watching him race in F1. Then he comes over to Indy Cars and kicks tail again. I'm not sure I'd want him to come to NASCAR." Even though Rusty Wallace won 10 times, Benny Parsons conceded, "I have no problem with Mansell as Driver of the Year. The attention he brought to our sport was incredible." USA Today named him one of the "93 Most Compelling People of '93."
In retrospect, it's obvious 1993 was CART's greatest season, with unprecedented levels of public interest and U.S. and international news coverage. Ticket sales were good, sponsorships were strong, and nobody was worried about bad TV ratings. (And announcers didn't feel it necessary to hype-up drivers not household names in their own households.) It is nothing short of stunning to contemplate how far this once proud and mighty series has fallen.
Consider one final fact: Mansell usually took on fields of 28 or 29 cars, driven by undeniable talents such as Fittipaldi, Andretti, Rahal, Al Unser Jr., Danny Sullivan, Arie Luyendyk, Robby Gordon, Roberto Guerrero, Teo Fabi, Scott Goodyear and Scott Pruett. Now, one short decade since, CART has desecrated Mansell's Rookie of the Year stats by using them to sell Sebastien Bourdais. The Frenchman goes up against 10 fewer entries, which are steered by the likes of Rodolfo Lavin, Tiago Monteiro, Patrick Lemarie, Joel Camathias, Alex Sperafico, Roberto Gonzales, Alex Yoong, Geoff Boss, Mario Dominguez, Mario Haberfeld, and Gualter Salles. It is a bogus comparison, made in desperation, one sadly repeated by those in the anti-Tony George media who apparently have chosen to ignore the journalistic imperative of context.
Ten years ago, Mansell Mania made CART king. It was, indeed, "The Great Adventure." Cheers, Nigel.
***********************************************************************
I sent this out on Twitter last week, but here's my new CompetitionPlus.com column: Yes, NHRA, legitimate/informed criticism can be a healthy thing. I've gotten lots of interesting reactions to this column.
http://www.competitionplus.com/drag-racing/editorials/25017-michael-knight-will-some-every-truly-understand-journalistic-freedom
[ more next Monday . . . ]
Paul Newman called it "The Great Adventure" and the greatest thrill came on Sunday, Sept. 19, 1993.
Nazareth seemed the least likely locale to host sports history this side of Cooperstown, but those who were at the less-than-a-mile Pennsylvania oval that day saw -- in my opinion -- one of the five most significant achievements in racing's modern era.
Nigel Mansell won the Bosch Spark Plug Grand Prix that afternoon by almost a lap to clinch CART's PPG Indy Car World Series championship. The Formula One title had yet to be determined, so for one remarkable week (until Sept. 26), Mansell possessed both of the world's premier open-wheel crowns.
Others talked about going for such glory. Mansell did it.
Some big-name motorsports executives and pundits didn't believe Carl Haas could get the 1992 world champion's signature on a multi-million-dollar contract -- rich, but far below F1 standards -- that would force him to trade Monaco for Milwaukee and share street courses with superspeedways. But give the often-underappreciated Haas, whose business smarts are longer than his cigars, credit: He had the vision to see the stars were aligned -- Mansell was at odds with Frank Williams and enjoyed family life away from the Isle of Man at his magnificent Clearwater, Fla., estate -- and the opportunity was at hand to bring the Brit Ferrari fans proclaimed Il Leone (The Lion) to America to replace the off-to-McLaren Michael Andretti.
Mansell came to CART with much more than the record-setting nine Grand Prix victories and 14 poles he attained in the Williams-Renault enroute to the '92 title, which he locked-up in August (!), the earliest that had been done since Jackie Stewart in 1971. Even his rivals conceded Nigel was bold and brave (Sports Illustrated termed him the world's "most daring" driver) and that style stirred the public's passions. Mansell Mania, as it was known, was no PR gimmick.
Let's look back on some decade-old snapshots-in-time.
In January, Mansell made his official debut for Newman/Haas Racing on the Phoenix mile. Typically, such a test might have attracted three or four reporters, but for this occasion, 90 media from nine countries were in attendance. Haas whispered to team publicist Michael Knight, "I think this might be bigger than we thought." About 200 interview requests were in-hand before the season started. Knight analyzed it as "auto racing's first 24-hour news cycle" and months later, thinking back on the Fleet Street tabloid scribes' nothing-is-too-sensational mindset, confessed, "I've learned to feel very sorry for Princess Diana."
In Australia, two months thereafter for his initial CART event, Mansell was the fastest qualifier on the streets of Surfers Paradise. After the race-morning warmup, he quietly took aside chief mechanic Tom Wurtz, and handed him a thick wad of cash. "Regardless of what happens today, the boys have done a fantastic job. Make sure they have a good dinner." This continued throughout the year and the entire team enjoyed many a fine filet mignon courtesy of Mansell meal money. (Nigel preferred to eat and retire for the night as early as possible.) Carrying the red No. 5 he made famous in F1, Mansell fell to fourth after the green flag, but soon found his footing and was in the lead by lap 16. Just before one-third distance, he was called in for a stop-and-go penalty for passing under a local yellow (Nigel said he never saw it), but team manager Jim McGee exploited a rulebook loophole and ordered the Kmart Lola Ford-Cosworth to be refueled and new Goodyears fitted. (CART eventually changed the rule.) Mansell regained the top spot after Emerson Fittipaldi's second pit stop, but had to stretch his fuel, and the engine began to sputter entering the last chicane on the final lap. He finished five seconds in front of Fittipaldi and became the first driver ever to claim both the pole and win in his Indy Car debut. Following a quick examination of his numb foot at the circuit's medical tent (a military-style field hospital provided by the Australian army), Mansell was taken by golf cart to the media center. This normally would have been about a three-minute walk, but even with a dozen soldiers clearing a path, it became a 15-minute trip as hundreds of rabid fans cheered and sang and chanted Mansell's name and waved Union Jack flags. Remembering that scene, Knight told ESPN's SportsCenter his thought was, "This is what it must have been like when Elvis was king." (One of Mansell's private pilots had actually worked for Presley.)
Back in Phoenix in April, Mansell was nearly a second quicker than the field in Saturday practice, when he spun backwards and punched a hole in the concrete wall between turns one and two. He was airlifted to a local hospital and kept overnight for observation because of a concussion. In England, the BBC interrupted regular programming for a news flash. Nigel flew home to Florida the next morning as teammate Mario Andretti came back from two laps down to win his 52d -- and last -- race.
In Long Beach, two weeks later, Mansell returned to earn another pole and finished third. Secretly, he made regular visits to the CART medical trailer, where doctors drained fluid from his lower back. This was an injury from the Phoenix crash and, in 10 more days, required surgery which forced Nigel to miss the Indy 500 rookie orientation program.
Mansell had never been inside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway until he received his doctor's OK to practice. Wednesday, May 12 was a breathtaking whirlwind, as Nigel took the mandatory physical exam, met with USAC officials, rode around the Brickyard in the pace car with Mario Andretti, completed his five-phase rookie test, and eventually stopped with the day's fourth fastest lap, 222.855 mph. The photographers' queue spilled over into Tony Bettenhausen's pit, which was adjacent to Nige's, and the press room had been expanded to accommodate the global journos. Mansell's late-afternoon news conference was, according to then-IMS PR director Bob Walters, "the most packed we had the entire month -- even more than Fittipaldi's, after he'd won." Mansell brought down the house by relating, in an English accent version of a Texas drawl, the advice he'd received from A.J. Foyt: "Just watch it, boy!" The media swooned, which is as rare as a writer turning down a free St. Elmo steak. Shav Glick of the Los Angeles Times summed it up this way: "In my 25 years of reporting motorsports, nothing I have seen matches Mansell's talents in switching from Formula One road racing to Indy Car ovals, particularly at Indianapolis, where he was running unbelievable speeds on his first day at the track -- even though he had never seen it before." Bob Markus of the Chicago Tribune added: "There are athletes who grab pressure by the throat and throttle it into submission. There are athletes who aim for the moon and reach for the stars. There are athletes who give the people what they want and then give them more. Make your own list, but put Nigel Mansell on it." In the 500, his first oval race, Nigel led 34 laps but inexperience on a restart with 16 laps remaining dropped him to third place. The $10,000 from Bank One (whose corporate Pooh-Bah mispronounced both ends of the recipient's name in making the announcement) as Rookie of the Year was pocket cash for Mansell, but the honor was meaningful. "This is an award you only get one chance to win," he remarked.
At Milwaukee, a week later, Mansell passed Raul Boesel for the lead with a spectacular move in turn four with 19 laps remaining. This time, he knew how to handle a restart with three to go, and became an oval winner.
A veteran of F1's tire wars, where qualifying rubber had a one-lap useful life span, Mansell was willing to go-for-it-all on those now-or-never occasions. On Detroit's Belle Isle, Nigel made a few of his mechanics recall Babe Ruth's mythic "called shot" home run, by calling the lap he'd drive the quickest. It was good for another pole . . . and just one of several times he radioed the team in advance of a fast lap.
Mansell hadn't tested at Michigan International Speedway, and found the track surface, bruised and beaten by winter weather, not to his liking -- and said so. In just his second 500-mile race, he led 222 of the 250 laps (including the last 167) and won by nine seconds over Newman/Haas mate Andretti, averaging above 188 mph. Of course, there was drama. The Michigan bumps and G-loads and long distance and August heat gave Nigel, like other drivers over the years, a headache. Aspirin was dissolved in the water bottle given Mansell on his last two pit stops, but that distressed his stomach, and he got sick inside his helmet with about 20 laps to go. Earlier in the weekend, he was introduced to Dale Earnhardt (there for the IROC event), and the two quickly developed a mutual admiration society.
Next, in seven days, Mansell marked his 40th birthday with a victory in New Hampshire. It was perhaps CART's most exciting race before use of the Hanford Device. On another mile oval he had never before seen, Nigel grabbed the pole, and fans sung "Happy Birthday" during driver intros. Mansell and Paul Tracy were the only leaders, with Fittipaldi always right there, and Nigel dropped to third during one pit sequence when Wurtz had trouble securing the right-front wheel. Nigel told the crew not to worry, and broke the tension by whistling as he went down the front straight, under yellow. With just four laps remaining, he made an amazing outside-line pass in turn two, and in the winner's circle said: "This is pure racing at its best. I've been in some races where I've been wheel-to-wheel at 200 mph with Ayrton Senna and that doesn't even come close to what we've done today."
Nazareth was Mansell's fifth victory of his historic campaign -- and fourth straight on an oval (!) -- and some of his rivals barely disguised their jealousy of his wealth and world-wide fame. Bobby Rahal's oft-quoted remark: "He puts his pants on one leg at a time, same as I do." David Letterman, however, was an unabashed fan, and welcomed Mansell on his late-night show as "the Michael Jordan of auto racing." Fittipaldi was Nigel's favorite, and even though they had a couple of on-track disputes, Mansell would admit, "I like and respect Emerson too much to be angry with him."
Gene Haskett, then general manager of Michigan Speedway, watched how crowds responded to the Englishman. "Whatever mystique is, Nigel has it," he commented. A few reporters actually made the supreme effort to attend a Kmart store autograph session, to see Mansell Mania for themselves. This is how Forrest Bond described his experience in RaceFax: "Aware of the size of the gathering, Mansell seemed anything but hurried . . . He was, throughout, attentive to each, thoroughly focused on the person before him, frequently joking and obviously enjoying himself. He held babies in his arms, kissing them for photographs that will long remain treasured items in the family album. He was, in short, as far removed from the stereotype of the arrogant and aloof F1 driver as one could imagine. It began to dawn why the Brits have taken him so to their hearts, for he truly has the touch." Dave Kallman's view, in a front-page Milwaukee Journal story: "If his business were music instead of racing, he'd be at least John, Paul, George and Ringo." Even Autosport's Nigel Roebuck, a sometime critic, had to offer a bow: ". . . the magnitude of his achievement can hardly be exaggerated . . . he has shaken everyone with his ability to turn left at colossal speeds. In traffic, particularly, he has had no peer on the ovals. Hats off."
In December, Mansell went to New York City, to be honored as Driver of the Year. He walked through Central Park before the awards luncheon and was amazed that Bernie Ecclestone ever considered it as a Grand Prix site. At the ceremony, Winston Cup titlist Earnhardt made a surprise visit, and admitted, "I had such a blast watching him race in F1. Then he comes over to Indy Cars and kicks tail again. I'm not sure I'd want him to come to NASCAR." Even though Rusty Wallace won 10 times, Benny Parsons conceded, "I have no problem with Mansell as Driver of the Year. The attention he brought to our sport was incredible." USA Today named him one of the "93 Most Compelling People of '93."
In retrospect, it's obvious 1993 was CART's greatest season, with unprecedented levels of public interest and U.S. and international news coverage. Ticket sales were good, sponsorships were strong, and nobody was worried about bad TV ratings. (And announcers didn't feel it necessary to hype-up drivers not household names in their own households.) It is nothing short of stunning to contemplate how far this once proud and mighty series has fallen.
Consider one final fact: Mansell usually took on fields of 28 or 29 cars, driven by undeniable talents such as Fittipaldi, Andretti, Rahal, Al Unser Jr., Danny Sullivan, Arie Luyendyk, Robby Gordon, Roberto Guerrero, Teo Fabi, Scott Goodyear and Scott Pruett. Now, one short decade since, CART has desecrated Mansell's Rookie of the Year stats by using them to sell Sebastien Bourdais. The Frenchman goes up against 10 fewer entries, which are steered by the likes of Rodolfo Lavin, Tiago Monteiro, Patrick Lemarie, Joel Camathias, Alex Sperafico, Roberto Gonzales, Alex Yoong, Geoff Boss, Mario Dominguez, Mario Haberfeld, and Gualter Salles. It is a bogus comparison, made in desperation, one sadly repeated by those in the anti-Tony George media who apparently have chosen to ignore the journalistic imperative of context.
Ten years ago, Mansell Mania made CART king. It was, indeed, "The Great Adventure." Cheers, Nigel.
***********************************************************************
I sent this out on Twitter last week, but here's my new CompetitionPlus.com column: Yes, NHRA, legitimate/informed criticism can be a healthy thing. I've gotten lots of interesting reactions to this column.
http://www.competitionplus.com/drag-racing/editorials/25017-michael-knight-will-some-every-truly-understand-journalistic-freedom
[ more next Monday . . . ]
Sunday, May 05, 2013
AMERICA's RACE MONTH
I'll say it again this year as I have for many, many years:
May is America's race month.
Talladega, Darlington, Charlotte, Laguna Seca, Englishtown, Indianapolis, Monaco (counts since there is again a U.S. Grand Prix), the 500, the 600, and short-track action from coast-to-coast.
It's a time to enjoy the racing. Celebrate the stars. Appreciate the fans.
Within the industry, it's also a time to step-up, work harder, do better. Given that May turns the light bulb on to motorsports in newsrooms around the country, and given the coverage challenges faced by many series, NOW is when the MAXIMUM PROFESSIONAL effort needs to be made.
People have GOT to raise their game.
It doesn't cut it when I get a release saying a driver is going to compete in all five USAC Silver Crown pavement races but not one single date or location is listed. Or when I get post-race recaps from a NASCAR Truck team on Monday or Tuesday for races that happened Friday or Saturday. Or releases with the usual tripe about a driver is "excited" and "looking forward to" a race -- instantly deleted here.
People should not be writing NEWS releases if they haven't passed a basic News Writing 101 course. Proper news releases are written for the benefit of the media, not the ego of sponsor bosses. And then these people wonder why their stuff isn't used!
It continues to be a head-shaker at how many publicists don't update their distribution lists. I know of some writers who haven't covered the sport in years who still get releases while those who have assumed those duties don't. Ditto for updating lists for media events, press conferences, etc. It's nuts-and-bolts, non-glamorous, but important basic work. This is called paying attention to the details. It's one thing PR people are paid to do.
Finally, May is a good time for reflection, especially by those organizations who show little or no appreciation to those who have provided years and decades of good help -- sometimes far beyond the reasonable call of duty. ABC/ESPN and the Penske Racing and Goodyear so-called "PR" people top my current list of non-appreciaters. As I have pointed out for a long time -- in the example of Jim Chapman (as important a Business of Racing figure at the Indy 500 as there ever has been and who should be in the Speedway's Hall of Fame) -- this is a people business. That personal touch and demonstration of gratitude will never, ever be replaced by an E-mail, Tweet or IM.
Shame on those who collect a PR paycheck who don't get that. Or simply refuse to make the effort.
[ more next Monday . . . ]
May is America's race month.
Talladega, Darlington, Charlotte, Laguna Seca, Englishtown, Indianapolis, Monaco (counts since there is again a U.S. Grand Prix), the 500, the 600, and short-track action from coast-to-coast.
It's a time to enjoy the racing. Celebrate the stars. Appreciate the fans.
Within the industry, it's also a time to step-up, work harder, do better. Given that May turns the light bulb on to motorsports in newsrooms around the country, and given the coverage challenges faced by many series, NOW is when the MAXIMUM PROFESSIONAL effort needs to be made.
People have GOT to raise their game.
It doesn't cut it when I get a release saying a driver is going to compete in all five USAC Silver Crown pavement races but not one single date or location is listed. Or when I get post-race recaps from a NASCAR Truck team on Monday or Tuesday for races that happened Friday or Saturday. Or releases with the usual tripe about a driver is "excited" and "looking forward to" a race -- instantly deleted here.
People should not be writing NEWS releases if they haven't passed a basic News Writing 101 course. Proper news releases are written for the benefit of the media, not the ego of sponsor bosses. And then these people wonder why their stuff isn't used!
It continues to be a head-shaker at how many publicists don't update their distribution lists. I know of some writers who haven't covered the sport in years who still get releases while those who have assumed those duties don't. Ditto for updating lists for media events, press conferences, etc. It's nuts-and-bolts, non-glamorous, but important basic work. This is called paying attention to the details. It's one thing PR people are paid to do.
Finally, May is a good time for reflection, especially by those organizations who show little or no appreciation to those who have provided years and decades of good help -- sometimes far beyond the reasonable call of duty. ABC/ESPN and the Penske Racing and Goodyear so-called "PR" people top my current list of non-appreciaters. As I have pointed out for a long time -- in the example of Jim Chapman (as important a Business of Racing figure at the Indy 500 as there ever has been and who should be in the Speedway's Hall of Fame) -- this is a people business. That personal touch and demonstration of gratitude will never, ever be replaced by an E-mail, Tweet or IM.
Shame on those who collect a PR paycheck who don't get that. Or simply refuse to make the effort.
[ more next Monday . . . ]
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