It was a last-minute go/no-go decision. But I again took U.S. Airways flight No. 500 from Phoenix to Indianapolis for my 36th Indy 500.
My first lasting memory was the weather forecast was incredibly good right from the start of race week. It usually changes several times and the chance of rain always adds to the stress level for competitors, fans, sponsors, TV -- and management. This time it was fantastic and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway execs could not have asked for a better race weekend forecast and weather.
My first "official" act was a 20-minute talk with IndyCar CEO Mark Miles Friday morning on the seventh floor of the Pagoda. I'll write more extensively about our conversation in the next week or two. But, as I sent out as a Tweet, not likely Phoenix International Raceway will be on the 2015 Verizon series schedule. Points-paying international races will take up early-year dates that might have worked for PIR. I guarantee you 99 percent of sponsors would prefer to be in the important Phoenix market rather than overseas. One result of Miles' move to condense the schedule to end by Labor Day means fewer available race dates, which results in a supply-and-demand business situation. Miles told me competition boss Derrick Walker will take a look at the Phoenix possibilities. I spoke with Derrick and he mostly understands the issues at play here.
Cruising Gasoline Alley on Carb Day is always one of the more interesting experiences of any I500 weekend. For me, it means catching-up with friends and people I've worked with on teams in the past. It's a great way for me to get informed on current developments with the cars -- team managers predicted to me then the draft effect would not be as dramatic this year as the last two -- and, yes, sometimes remember Good Old Days. In some ways I think this remains one of Indy's most important purposes: As a common meeting ground for buddies and business associates. Don't underestimate how valuable that is.
(For example: Wonderful to see Nigel Roebuck visiting Indy for the first time since Mario Andretti was last on the front row. Nigel, now well into his fifth decade covering Formula One, skipped Monaco to again see The Greatest Spectacle.)
Added to the Friday schedule this year: A late-afternoon Robby Gordon off-road truck race. I'm not criticizing it, but it's impossible to think Tony Hulman could ever have imagined such a thing!
Friday night at the IMS Museum was the launch party for the new Jim McGee/Gordon Kirby book, Crew Chief of Champions. It was very impressive and the turnout was huge. McGee and Kirby autographed books all evening (see photo on my Twitter page.) I've known Gordon since 1980 and McGee since the 1970s. He was a good resource for me when I was CART's communications director and then we worked together at Newman/Haas Racing for two years, including Nigel Mansell's historic 1993 PPG Cup championship season. McGee's knowledge and influence were massively important in achieving that title.
It was impressive -- and refreshing -- to see RaceMaker Press publisher Joe Freeman invest in his product with such a classy event. Believe me, this kind of thing was typical in the mid-1980s and early 1990s, but not anymore. That's due to budget restrictions, true, but also because too many have decided it's good enough to build "relationships" on Twitter and Facebook. As I wrote on Twitter, the highest compliment I can give is that Jim Chapman would have approved of, and enjoyed, the evening. First class and well done to all involved.
I will be diving into the book this week and anticipating a great read and some special stories. Check out www.RaceMaker.com or www.GordonKirby.com for more information.
I've been in the Museum countless times. I have to say the special exhibit of turbine-powered cars is one of the most impressive things I've ever seen there. Not only Jack Zink's first-try at a turbine, but also all three of the 1968 STP Lotus "wedges". That color and that design remain one of my top-five favorite cars. But also on display: The evil Carroll Shelby-Ken Wallis creation that was so undriveable the entries were withdrawn before qualifying in '68. And the little-remembered 1971 Lotus Formula One car that Emerson Fittipaldi, and others, tried. The display is capped with a re-creation of the 1967 STP garage and the turbine Parnelli Jones almost won in. It's very well done.
Saturday moring was a quick visit to the Firestone-Honda sponsored AARWBA breakfast. I wanted to see Donald Davidson receive the Bob Russo Founders Award for life-long contributions to motorsports. Incredibly well-deserved and what an incredible asset Donald has been to me, many others, and the sport as a whole. And congratulations to my Arizona Republic colleague Mark Armijo who won two awards in the annual AARWBA journalism contest.
Later that morning I got to do something I've wanted to for months: Shake Dario Franchitti's hand and congratulate him on a great career. Dario was the appropriate choice to drive the Chevrolet Camaro pace car.
Hoosier favorite Jim Nabors, who sang Back Home Again in Indiana for what he says was the last time, got a standing ovation -- including from the drivers -- when introduced at the ceremonial drivers' meeting. Nabors was presented with a special ring normally reserved for the qualified drivers.
I abandoned my usual pre-race routine and stood in front of the podium to get a good view of Nabors' final performance. (And the spectacular Martina McBride's America the Beautiful.) Nabors then was given the honor of sharing the "start your engines" command with Mary Hulman George.
I listened to most of the race on the IMS Radio Network, my friend Paul Page's return to the anchor microphone that made him famous. He sounded good and was in classic Page form directing the work of his team of pit reporters. Paul has always had a great sense of storytelling and again used that well to make sure listeners were as connected as possible to what was happening. The Speedway's economic new reality was reflected in the increased commercialization of the presentation, including a corporate name for the pit reporter crew. I thought that was a bit overdone but I understand why.
The race pace through 150 laps was incredible. As predicted in my Friday Tweet, the draft was not what it was the two previous I500s. It was becoming a track position race until the final stages and the excellent Ryan Hunter-Reay and Helio Castroneves battle. This was one of those Indys that will be remembered for the last few laps, not the overall race. And let's note Hunter-Reay has now twice emerged from late-race red flags (for the series championship a couple of years ago at California Speedway) that might have cost him Big. Ryan said in victory lane that he's a "proud American" and it will be worth observing if a U.S. Indy winner will actually move the popularity meter the rest of this season.
And, for the benefit of the fan "experts," let me say this about that late red flag. Anyone in a position to have HONEST (in other words, not Politically Correct) conversations with the REAL in-the-know movers-and-shakers in Gasoline Alley and the IMS executive offices (or who monitored the scanner or even a bit of the IMS Radio Network broadcast) knows race director Beaux Barfield was hell-bent on stopping the race in the last 10 laps in order to get a green-flag finish. Just as he did, to much criticism, a few years ago at Fontana. That mindset was in place before Nabors' sang. Barfield's decision to stop was made well-before the chatroom know-it-alls saw a quick fix being made to the SAFER barrier. What Barfield had in mind was made clear to me last Friday, from those who know as opposed to those who guess, so I wasn't shocked.
It's a true Sign of the Times that Kurt Busch commanded so much of the Indy media attention. After Friday's final practice, Kurt came to the Chris Economaki media interview room. One national writer blasted past me on the stairs -- open laptop in hand -- to insert a few Kurt quotes in his story and then press "send." My pre-race observation was IMS bosses were secretly hoping Kurt would run competitively and actually finish the 500 miles to keep the NASCAR audience tuned-in. An early DNF would likely mean a lot of lost eyeballs. Kurt fell back early, getting a handle on his car, and using pit stops to make handling adjustments. He came on strong in the closing stages and finished a very honorable sixth.
I think it's fair to say Busch's attempt at "The Double" was the most intriguing -- maybe the biggest pre-race -- story of the downsized Month of May. Not that you'd have known much about it by reading only the NASCAR-centric media outlets. The fact that NASCAR's own spinners essentially ignored Busch's effort -- the wrong move if for nothing else as a way to boost it's own TV ratings of the Coca-Cola 600 -- was shameful and smacked of arrogance. Just where was that NASCAR.com on-site coverage?
Yes, NASCAR is king of the American racing scene. But, get this ladies and gentlemen, there are useful achievements to be had beyond the NASCAR garage area. Kurt Busch proved that Sunday.
[ more next week . . . ]
Monday, May 26, 2014
Sunday, May 18, 2014
BACK FOR THE BIG DAY
I've emerged from the far side of a dark tunnel in time to (hopefully) enjoy racing's Most Important Weekend.
With the admission that lately I haven't been paying as close attention to what's happening, there are several things that immediately come to mind as racing's Christmas Day arrives.
ABC will televise the Indianapolis 500 for the 50th consecutive year. That seems, to me, like something of a Big Deal but I haven't noticed much push for this. Maybe this week . . . And Allen Bestwick will be under the microscope as he calls The Greatest Spectacle for the first time. Meanwhile, Paul Page returns as anchor of the Indy Radio Network, one of the best decisions made at 16th and Georgetown in recent years. I say good luck to both of them.
Indy represents another Big Test of CEO Mark Miles' overall plan to re-energize the Indy Car sport and the 500 in particular. Will it be a memorable race? How many empty seats will there be in the downsized Speedway grandstands? Any bump in TV numbers with ABC's lead-in coverage the last two weekends of the road course race and qualifying? How much of this will be because of Kurt Busch's run at The Double? All important things that, I guarantee you, sponsors and potential sponsors will be monitoring.
Over at NASCAR -- after another running of the least important and most over-hyped race of the year, the "All-Star" event -- there's the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Charlotte has cleaned Indy's clock in recent times as far as the TV numbers are concerned, but NASCAR's TV audience has been down I think at every race this season. It's an increasingly alarming trend and might make ESPN's decision to opt-out of NASCAR look smart. Will those audience totals go up at Charlotte?
Formula One, now dominated by Mercedes instead of Red Bull, is showcased on NBC broadcast TV for the second consecutive year with the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix. That's one of the best things to have happened in quite a while. No doubt, that was a big reason NBC's sports cable outlet got the F1 rights. I'm sure the Monaco visuals will be great. I hope the racing is, too.
NHRA -- foolishly in my view -- is back on the Memorial Day weekend calendar after staying away for a number of years. Going up against Indy and Charlotte guarantees that Kansas is nothing more than a regional event for the straight-line racers and their sponsors. Just as Phoenix was on the same day as the Daytona 500. National media coverage? Forget it. Don't think sponsors don't notice ridiculous decisions such as this.
And, of course, there will be countless local short-track events from Sea-to-Shining-Sea. These remain the historical backbone of American motorsports and I particularly wish these promoters success and these racers good -- and safe -- runs.
This weekend's Winners and Losers will be decided in the marketplace as well as the racetracks. Those results will be known next week. This weekend, though, I am going to try to just enjoy it all as much as possible. I hope you can, too.
[ more next week . . . ]
With the admission that lately I haven't been paying as close attention to what's happening, there are several things that immediately come to mind as racing's Christmas Day arrives.
ABC will televise the Indianapolis 500 for the 50th consecutive year. That seems, to me, like something of a Big Deal but I haven't noticed much push for this. Maybe this week . . . And Allen Bestwick will be under the microscope as he calls The Greatest Spectacle for the first time. Meanwhile, Paul Page returns as anchor of the Indy Radio Network, one of the best decisions made at 16th and Georgetown in recent years. I say good luck to both of them.
Indy represents another Big Test of CEO Mark Miles' overall plan to re-energize the Indy Car sport and the 500 in particular. Will it be a memorable race? How many empty seats will there be in the downsized Speedway grandstands? Any bump in TV numbers with ABC's lead-in coverage the last two weekends of the road course race and qualifying? How much of this will be because of Kurt Busch's run at The Double? All important things that, I guarantee you, sponsors and potential sponsors will be monitoring.
Over at NASCAR -- after another running of the least important and most over-hyped race of the year, the "All-Star" event -- there's the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Charlotte has cleaned Indy's clock in recent times as far as the TV numbers are concerned, but NASCAR's TV audience has been down I think at every race this season. It's an increasingly alarming trend and might make ESPN's decision to opt-out of NASCAR look smart. Will those audience totals go up at Charlotte?
Formula One, now dominated by Mercedes instead of Red Bull, is showcased on NBC broadcast TV for the second consecutive year with the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix. That's one of the best things to have happened in quite a while. No doubt, that was a big reason NBC's sports cable outlet got the F1 rights. I'm sure the Monaco visuals will be great. I hope the racing is, too.
NHRA -- foolishly in my view -- is back on the Memorial Day weekend calendar after staying away for a number of years. Going up against Indy and Charlotte guarantees that Kansas is nothing more than a regional event for the straight-line racers and their sponsors. Just as Phoenix was on the same day as the Daytona 500. National media coverage? Forget it. Don't think sponsors don't notice ridiculous decisions such as this.
And, of course, there will be countless local short-track events from Sea-to-Shining-Sea. These remain the historical backbone of American motorsports and I particularly wish these promoters success and these racers good -- and safe -- runs.
This weekend's Winners and Losers will be decided in the marketplace as well as the racetracks. Those results will be known next week. This weekend, though, I am going to try to just enjoy it all as much as possible. I hope you can, too.
[ more next week . . . ]
Sunday, April 06, 2014
'DOUBLE' TROUBLES
A major -- maybe the most important -- storyline during May's Indianapolis 500 will be Kurt Busch's attempt at "The Double." That is, competing in both the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte on the same day. I have a lot of respect for any driver skilled enough --and determined enough -- to try this difficult feat.
The last driver to do this was Robby Gordon in 2004. As I represented Gordon's PR/media interests on the Indy side of that adventure, let me tell (or remind) you of how difficult this can be. Especially things that are out of your control. In our case, the weather.
Robby was driving for Richard Childress in NASCAR. He fielded his own Chevy-powered Indy Car with Thomas Knapp running the team. (He did a great job under what, at times, were difficult circumstances.) All of us, including sponsors Meijer stores and Coca-Cola, knew going in that Robby's contract with Childress made NASCAR his top priority. We mapped out Robby's day-by-day schedule for May (timing, logistics and attention-to-detail mean everything!) and I published that information in a notice to the news media so everyone would know when Robby was -- and wasn't -- on site at Indy. Of course, some bothered to read it, and others didn't . . .
Robby had a good pre-May test but then crashed late on his first day of practice. He wasn't injured but it was a setback. The next obstacle came when it rained on Pole Day. It was almost gotta-go time (to Richmond, for the Saturday night Cup race) when Robby was able to qualify. It was a disappointing run. As soon as he stopped in the pits he had to jump on a golf cart and get to his waiting jet. That meant we had to skip the traditional post-qualifying interviews and photo session. I supplied a printed quote sheet to journalists.
After a few Carb Day test runs, Robby again bolted, this time for Charlotte and Cup qualifying. He didn't get back until late Saturday night and we had a team meeting at his motorcoach. We knew rain was coming again and, given everything, decided to start light on fuel in hopes of making places and getting a timely yellow.
And, yes, it did rain Race Day morning. We helped ABC fill TV time by having Robby give Rupert, of Survivor fame, a driving uniform (with sponsor ID in full view) and naming him as his substitute driver. That's one of my personal all-time favorite publicity moments. When the race got going Knapp kept Robby informed of more impending rain. When the race was stopped, Robby again rode on a golf cart to the helipad, where Tony George had kindly made a helicopter available to take him to the airport. As Robby took off, it poured rain, and I stood there by the medical center doing TV and radio interviews, explaining it all. The most important message was to thank the Indy 500 fans for their support and understanding during the month. Again, Robby's printed quotes were provided to the media.
Jaques Lazier was the relief driver (which hadn't happened in many years), starting at the rear of the lead lap (by rule) for the restart. He broke a halfshaft exiting the pits and the official boxscore showed we started 18th and finished 29th, completed 88 laps, and earned $192,420. Buddy Rice won the rain-shortened event as tornado warnings went out across central Indiana.
Just about anything and everything that could go wrong, did. Was it worth it? Well, the sponsors got plenty of publicity, including from a series of Robby-bylined columns for the Associated Press. Robby being a real racer, he was frustrated, but savored the challenge of it all.
So, I not only say good luck to Kurt Busch, but also good weather.
Are people really so desperate for attention that they send out false "news" releases as an April's Fool joke? Sadly, the answer is yes. I realize some say this is just fun and is part of the social media craziness. Sorry, I'm not buying. It's a waste of the writer's time, it's a waste of time for those who receive it, and it undercuts credibility and professionalism.
Regular readers know that a few times I've referenced other things that are of higher priority than thinking about and writing this blog. Now is such a time. This blog will now be on hiatus. My best guess is I'll be able to resume in somewhere between four and eight weeks. I mention this as a courtesy and explanation to those who check out this space weekly, some of whom have done so since the start in 2006. I am grateful for your time and interest. I hope you'll come back when I do. Thank you.
The last driver to do this was Robby Gordon in 2004. As I represented Gordon's PR/media interests on the Indy side of that adventure, let me tell (or remind) you of how difficult this can be. Especially things that are out of your control. In our case, the weather.
Robby was driving for Richard Childress in NASCAR. He fielded his own Chevy-powered Indy Car with Thomas Knapp running the team. (He did a great job under what, at times, were difficult circumstances.) All of us, including sponsors Meijer stores and Coca-Cola, knew going in that Robby's contract with Childress made NASCAR his top priority. We mapped out Robby's day-by-day schedule for May (timing, logistics and attention-to-detail mean everything!) and I published that information in a notice to the news media so everyone would know when Robby was -- and wasn't -- on site at Indy. Of course, some bothered to read it, and others didn't . . .
Robby had a good pre-May test but then crashed late on his first day of practice. He wasn't injured but it was a setback. The next obstacle came when it rained on Pole Day. It was almost gotta-go time (to Richmond, for the Saturday night Cup race) when Robby was able to qualify. It was a disappointing run. As soon as he stopped in the pits he had to jump on a golf cart and get to his waiting jet. That meant we had to skip the traditional post-qualifying interviews and photo session. I supplied a printed quote sheet to journalists.
After a few Carb Day test runs, Robby again bolted, this time for Charlotte and Cup qualifying. He didn't get back until late Saturday night and we had a team meeting at his motorcoach. We knew rain was coming again and, given everything, decided to start light on fuel in hopes of making places and getting a timely yellow.
And, yes, it did rain Race Day morning. We helped ABC fill TV time by having Robby give Rupert, of Survivor fame, a driving uniform (with sponsor ID in full view) and naming him as his substitute driver. That's one of my personal all-time favorite publicity moments. When the race got going Knapp kept Robby informed of more impending rain. When the race was stopped, Robby again rode on a golf cart to the helipad, where Tony George had kindly made a helicopter available to take him to the airport. As Robby took off, it poured rain, and I stood there by the medical center doing TV and radio interviews, explaining it all. The most important message was to thank the Indy 500 fans for their support and understanding during the month. Again, Robby's printed quotes were provided to the media.
Jaques Lazier was the relief driver (which hadn't happened in many years), starting at the rear of the lead lap (by rule) for the restart. He broke a halfshaft exiting the pits and the official boxscore showed we started 18th and finished 29th, completed 88 laps, and earned $192,420. Buddy Rice won the rain-shortened event as tornado warnings went out across central Indiana.
Just about anything and everything that could go wrong, did. Was it worth it? Well, the sponsors got plenty of publicity, including from a series of Robby-bylined columns for the Associated Press. Robby being a real racer, he was frustrated, but savored the challenge of it all.
So, I not only say good luck to Kurt Busch, but also good weather.
Are people really so desperate for attention that they send out false "news" releases as an April's Fool joke? Sadly, the answer is yes. I realize some say this is just fun and is part of the social media craziness. Sorry, I'm not buying. It's a waste of the writer's time, it's a waste of time for those who receive it, and it undercuts credibility and professionalism.
Regular readers know that a few times I've referenced other things that are of higher priority than thinking about and writing this blog. Now is such a time. This blog will now be on hiatus. My best guess is I'll be able to resume in somewhere between four and eight weeks. I mention this as a courtesy and explanation to those who check out this space weekly, some of whom have done so since the start in 2006. I am grateful for your time and interest. I hope you'll come back when I do. Thank you.
Monday, March 31, 2014
A CASE STUDY: TALK, NOT TWITTER
A few things that bother me about the dumbed-down standards of professionalism surfaced last week and I feel are legitimate to comment on here, as these examples reinforce points I have made in this blog going back to 2006.
First was the "news" that Graham Rahal and Dale Earnhardt Jr. might swap rides. It turns out this came out of a Tweet Rahal sent out after attending the NASCAR race at California's Auto Club Speedway with girlfriend Courtney Force. Let's review that: It didn't come out of a personal meeting between Rahal and Junior, it didn't come out of a conversation between their team owners, and it didn't come out of a brainstorming session by reps of mutual sponsor National Guard. It came from a Tweet!
The obvious questions include why didn't Rahal arrange to meet Junior at the track? Surely, with the Guard as sponsor of both, it could easily have been arranged. In fact, I'd have thought the Guard would have wanted some PR photos of the two together.
I can assure you, for example, that the famous Jeff Gordon-Juan Pablo Montoya F1-NASCAR swap at Indianapolis was the result of careful behind-the-scenes planning. In other words, people were actually TALKING to each other! It didn't happen because of a Tweet!
I'm sure not saying this isn't a good idea. Of course it is. But, to me, the whole thing smacked of an attempt to be "cool" and "hip" and generate a bunch of uninformed social media traffic. A number of years ago at Indianapolis, when Graham was driving for Newman/Haas Racing, his mother Debi asked me in the team hospitality area what I thought of how he was doing. I picked up a nearby racing magazine and showed her multiple photos of Graham at the track with his uniform top pulled down. I told her it looked sloppy, unprofessional, and was cheating multiple sponsors out of the photo ID they were paying for. Nothing happened, but the point remains valid. It doesn't matter that Graham, like father Bobby, fancied himself a Grand Prix driver and the F1 stars routinely pull-down their uniforms. That doesn't make it right or professional. Whether this might change with the Guard sponsorship, well, we will see. But I'd suggest Graham focus on his appearance -- and winning races -- before his Tweeting.
On another front, sadly but not surprisingly, some in the media picked up and ran with this "story." One self-styled "expert" wrote that this might mean Earnhardt would drive a Rahal car at Indianapolis. Well, as I wrote as recently as last week, you have to know about the Business of Racing and this was a case of more than one writer thinking they know the B of R but really don't. A hell of a lot more was needed to run with this story -- oh, I'll call them FACTS -- not just a Tweet.
As Earnhardt himself noted, a conflict exists in that he drives a Chevrolet and Rahal's IndyCar is Honda-powered. Now, according to some media "experts," this shouldn't be a problem because Chevy driver Kurt Busch is scheduled to drive an Andretti team Honda in the Indy 500. The OBVIOUS difference, of course, is that Earnhardt has ALWAYS been a Chevy driver and is far-more closely linked to that manufacturer than Busch, who has also wheeled Fords and Dodges in the Cup series. And, as Cup's yearly Most Popular Driver, Junior's public profile is WAY higher than Busch's. These are self-evident MAJOR differences, but lost on some of those who live the fantasy of being "in the know."
And on yet another front, where was NASCAR's much-hyped Integrated Marketing Communications Department when it came to announcing and explaining Denny Hamlin's sudden and somewhat mysterious last-minute absence from the Cal Cup race? It was left to J.D. Gibbs to offer a brief statement about Hamlin having vision problems from a sinus infection. (I have had several of those in my life, and while my eyes were watery and even a bit itchy, my vision was fine. Yes, I wasn't racing, but . . . ) I thought NASCAR had improved its internal medical checks and capabilities in the aftermath of Earnhardt Sr.'s death. If this was a decision made by a NASCAR medical official, and not the team, then the announcement and more detailed explanation rightly should have come directly from NASCAR. (A statement from the team later in the week said Hamlin's issue resulted from a sliver of metal in his eye, not the sinus infection.)
No disrespect to Hamlin, but the whole episode came across to my experienced eye as a situation with too many dots left unconnected. These days, that leads to suspicion, which can be VERY unfair. This forced Hamlin into an awkward news conference at Martinsville to address those rumors. I'll repeat what I wrote here several weeks ago: NASCAR IMC, too often, leaves the fundamentals of blocking and tackling undone, while trying for the long and spectacular (PR) touchdown pass. The basics should always come first.
I wrote here before the Rolex 24 that I expected this first season of combined sports car racing to be "messy." Two races in, it sure has been, with Big Time officiating controversy at both Daytona and Sebring. Now word comes that IMSA communications director David Hart (former longtime Richard Childress Racing rep) has departed the organization after just two races. I was surprised when his hiring for this position was announced but NASCAR IMC man David Higdon really talked this up to me last fall at PIR. Two others on the United SportsCar PR staff, Nate Siebens and J.J. O'Malley, are solid professionals and I've known both for many years. Among Nate's previous jobs was with Champ Car. I first met J.J. when he was a sportswriter covering the Pocono races and later during his lengthy tenure at Watkins Glen. One thing that has bothered me in the combining of the Grand-Am and American Le Mans Series businesses was people who should have been brought in to SportsCar but were not. The most obvious example is Ed Triolo, who headed ALMS' version of IMC. I first met Ed decades ago when he was with Porsche Cars North America and we worked together in 1988 on the Porsche Indy Car project. I don't know what Ed is interested in doing, but he should be a part of SportsCar/IMSA.
All the best to longtime good guy PR rep Denny Darnell, who has announced his retirement. Denny worked the NHRA series for many years and, more recently, represented Dodge. Thank you, Denny, a true friend to media people everywhere.
[ more next Monday . . . ]
First was the "news" that Graham Rahal and Dale Earnhardt Jr. might swap rides. It turns out this came out of a Tweet Rahal sent out after attending the NASCAR race at California's Auto Club Speedway with girlfriend Courtney Force. Let's review that: It didn't come out of a personal meeting between Rahal and Junior, it didn't come out of a conversation between their team owners, and it didn't come out of a brainstorming session by reps of mutual sponsor National Guard. It came from a Tweet!
The obvious questions include why didn't Rahal arrange to meet Junior at the track? Surely, with the Guard as sponsor of both, it could easily have been arranged. In fact, I'd have thought the Guard would have wanted some PR photos of the two together.
I can assure you, for example, that the famous Jeff Gordon-Juan Pablo Montoya F1-NASCAR swap at Indianapolis was the result of careful behind-the-scenes planning. In other words, people were actually TALKING to each other! It didn't happen because of a Tweet!
I'm sure not saying this isn't a good idea. Of course it is. But, to me, the whole thing smacked of an attempt to be "cool" and "hip" and generate a bunch of uninformed social media traffic. A number of years ago at Indianapolis, when Graham was driving for Newman/Haas Racing, his mother Debi asked me in the team hospitality area what I thought of how he was doing. I picked up a nearby racing magazine and showed her multiple photos of Graham at the track with his uniform top pulled down. I told her it looked sloppy, unprofessional, and was cheating multiple sponsors out of the photo ID they were paying for. Nothing happened, but the point remains valid. It doesn't matter that Graham, like father Bobby, fancied himself a Grand Prix driver and the F1 stars routinely pull-down their uniforms. That doesn't make it right or professional. Whether this might change with the Guard sponsorship, well, we will see. But I'd suggest Graham focus on his appearance -- and winning races -- before his Tweeting.
On another front, sadly but not surprisingly, some in the media picked up and ran with this "story." One self-styled "expert" wrote that this might mean Earnhardt would drive a Rahal car at Indianapolis. Well, as I wrote as recently as last week, you have to know about the Business of Racing and this was a case of more than one writer thinking they know the B of R but really don't. A hell of a lot more was needed to run with this story -- oh, I'll call them FACTS -- not just a Tweet.
As Earnhardt himself noted, a conflict exists in that he drives a Chevrolet and Rahal's IndyCar is Honda-powered. Now, according to some media "experts," this shouldn't be a problem because Chevy driver Kurt Busch is scheduled to drive an Andretti team Honda in the Indy 500. The OBVIOUS difference, of course, is that Earnhardt has ALWAYS been a Chevy driver and is far-more closely linked to that manufacturer than Busch, who has also wheeled Fords and Dodges in the Cup series. And, as Cup's yearly Most Popular Driver, Junior's public profile is WAY higher than Busch's. These are self-evident MAJOR differences, but lost on some of those who live the fantasy of being "in the know."
And on yet another front, where was NASCAR's much-hyped Integrated Marketing Communications Department when it came to announcing and explaining Denny Hamlin's sudden and somewhat mysterious last-minute absence from the Cal Cup race? It was left to J.D. Gibbs to offer a brief statement about Hamlin having vision problems from a sinus infection. (I have had several of those in my life, and while my eyes were watery and even a bit itchy, my vision was fine. Yes, I wasn't racing, but . . . ) I thought NASCAR had improved its internal medical checks and capabilities in the aftermath of Earnhardt Sr.'s death. If this was a decision made by a NASCAR medical official, and not the team, then the announcement and more detailed explanation rightly should have come directly from NASCAR. (A statement from the team later in the week said Hamlin's issue resulted from a sliver of metal in his eye, not the sinus infection.)
No disrespect to Hamlin, but the whole episode came across to my experienced eye as a situation with too many dots left unconnected. These days, that leads to suspicion, which can be VERY unfair. This forced Hamlin into an awkward news conference at Martinsville to address those rumors. I'll repeat what I wrote here several weeks ago: NASCAR IMC, too often, leaves the fundamentals of blocking and tackling undone, while trying for the long and spectacular (PR) touchdown pass. The basics should always come first.
I wrote here before the Rolex 24 that I expected this first season of combined sports car racing to be "messy." Two races in, it sure has been, with Big Time officiating controversy at both Daytona and Sebring. Now word comes that IMSA communications director David Hart (former longtime Richard Childress Racing rep) has departed the organization after just two races. I was surprised when his hiring for this position was announced but NASCAR IMC man David Higdon really talked this up to me last fall at PIR. Two others on the United SportsCar PR staff, Nate Siebens and J.J. O'Malley, are solid professionals and I've known both for many years. Among Nate's previous jobs was with Champ Car. I first met J.J. when he was a sportswriter covering the Pocono races and later during his lengthy tenure at Watkins Glen. One thing that has bothered me in the combining of the Grand-Am and American Le Mans Series businesses was people who should have been brought in to SportsCar but were not. The most obvious example is Ed Triolo, who headed ALMS' version of IMC. I first met Ed decades ago when he was with Porsche Cars North America and we worked together in 1988 on the Porsche Indy Car project. I don't know what Ed is interested in doing, but he should be a part of SportsCar/IMSA.
All the best to longtime good guy PR rep Denny Darnell, who has announced his retirement. Denny worked the NHRA series for many years and, more recently, represented Dodge. Thank you, Denny, a true friend to media people everywhere.
[ more next Monday . . . ]
Sunday, March 23, 2014
CHANGE CAN BE GOOD -- BUT NOT ALWAYS
Gordon Kirby's "The Way It Is" column (found at GordonKirby.com) is a must Monday read for me. I've known GK for about 35 years, mainly through his extensive coverage of the Indy Car scene for numerous publications. He's done books with the likes of Emerson Fittipaldi and Rick Mears and his new offering, with legendary team manager/chief mechanic Jim McGee, is scheduled to be launched this May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Last Monday, Gordon picked up on England's respected Motor Sport cover story calling for a revolution in Formula One. Rules, finances, business practices, structure, almost everything was put on the table in a call to return F1 to a more reasonable (from a budget standpoint) and exciting (meaning as an entertainment spectacle) endeavor. Not all of the suggestions are reasonable or even remotely doable, but it did serve to spark a healthy discussion.
One point was "Banning team PR people from circuits to encourage freedom of speech and allow personalities to flourish." Of course, I have an automatic bias against this, given my career background. No matter who is or isn't around him, I doubt famous NASCAR driver Kimi Raikkonen's personality is going to flourish. (!)
I can assure you that, even if those labeled as "PR" were banned, someone else with another title would take charge of watching over the drivers and the press. (At Indy in the early 1990s, one of the Newman/Haas Racing mechanics said my title should be "communications engineer.") And that could be much worse. One of the biggest mistakes to have come into motorsports in recent years has been driver business managers being allowed to make media relations decisions. None that I have met, or know of, is qualified to make those calls. They don't understand the difference between what a wire service writer needs vs. a daily newspaper reporter vs. electronic media vs. magazine journalist vs. the whole confusing and ever-changing semi-mess that is social media.
Everyone, from team sponsor managers to sanctioning bodies to high-profile media, should resist this at every turn.
One thing everyone involved in F1, including fans, would like to know is: What is the plan for the succession of power when Bernie Ecclestone is no longer running the show? When that time comes, it will be a huge issue throughout the worldwide motorsports industry. Several years ago a business contact of mine had access to some F1 business documents and I was anxious to see if anything could be learned about what the post-Bernie era would look like. However, there was nothing about that in those papers. I've also asked a few drivers well-connected to Ecclestone if they know what will happen, but again, no answer.
World events may be catching up to Ecclestone's cash grab. Civic unrest forced Bahrain to be put off for a year. How will Russia's military move on Ukraine impact the proposed Grand Prix in the former Soviet Union? F1 heads off to Malaysia this weekend under the cloud of the government's obtuse/incompetent handling of the missing jetliner mystery. There have been some clashes in Brazil related to government spending for the next Summer Olympics.
Events of recent months, such as Izod's departure and Verizon's arrival as the IndyCar series sponsor; the messy Panther-Rahal-National Guard lawsuit; the coming together of America's two sports car groups into one, essentially NASCAR-controlled, organization; John Force losing both Castrol and Ford; the management reorganization of the Hulman family racing enterprises; NASCAR's new TV contracts and showbiz-related rules changes; the reshaping of Daytona International Speedway and plans to fix-up the Indianapolis Motor Speedway; the changing media coverage landscape (not always for the better); and many other stories have served to prove what I've been saying for years:
You can't be a good or knowledgable fan without knowing something about the Business of Racing.
That's my interest given my own background, over a quarter-century on the biz side of the sport in just about every series and at a high level, plus my years in journalism. So that's what this blog has been about since 2006. That's what my CompetitionPlus.com column is for drag racing. That's what a lot of my Twitter activity ( @SpinDoctor500 ) is about. That's what I talk about mostly during radio interviews.
If that's useful to the industry, and to make fans more in-the-know about why behind-closed-garage-doors decisions are made, then it's a worthwhile pursuit.
I'm on the 120-person voting panel for the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, located adjacent to Talladega Superspeedway. None of this year's nominees received the required number of votes for enshrinement. A new process will be developed for 2015.
Last Monday, Gordon picked up on England's respected Motor Sport cover story calling for a revolution in Formula One. Rules, finances, business practices, structure, almost everything was put on the table in a call to return F1 to a more reasonable (from a budget standpoint) and exciting (meaning as an entertainment spectacle) endeavor. Not all of the suggestions are reasonable or even remotely doable, but it did serve to spark a healthy discussion.
One point was "Banning team PR people from circuits to encourage freedom of speech and allow personalities to flourish." Of course, I have an automatic bias against this, given my career background. No matter who is or isn't around him, I doubt famous NASCAR driver Kimi Raikkonen's personality is going to flourish. (!)
I can assure you that, even if those labeled as "PR" were banned, someone else with another title would take charge of watching over the drivers and the press. (At Indy in the early 1990s, one of the Newman/Haas Racing mechanics said my title should be "communications engineer.") And that could be much worse. One of the biggest mistakes to have come into motorsports in recent years has been driver business managers being allowed to make media relations decisions. None that I have met, or know of, is qualified to make those calls. They don't understand the difference between what a wire service writer needs vs. a daily newspaper reporter vs. electronic media vs. magazine journalist vs. the whole confusing and ever-changing semi-mess that is social media.
Everyone, from team sponsor managers to sanctioning bodies to high-profile media, should resist this at every turn.
One thing everyone involved in F1, including fans, would like to know is: What is the plan for the succession of power when Bernie Ecclestone is no longer running the show? When that time comes, it will be a huge issue throughout the worldwide motorsports industry. Several years ago a business contact of mine had access to some F1 business documents and I was anxious to see if anything could be learned about what the post-Bernie era would look like. However, there was nothing about that in those papers. I've also asked a few drivers well-connected to Ecclestone if they know what will happen, but again, no answer.
World events may be catching up to Ecclestone's cash grab. Civic unrest forced Bahrain to be put off for a year. How will Russia's military move on Ukraine impact the proposed Grand Prix in the former Soviet Union? F1 heads off to Malaysia this weekend under the cloud of the government's obtuse/incompetent handling of the missing jetliner mystery. There have been some clashes in Brazil related to government spending for the next Summer Olympics.
Events of recent months, such as Izod's departure and Verizon's arrival as the IndyCar series sponsor; the messy Panther-Rahal-National Guard lawsuit; the coming together of America's two sports car groups into one, essentially NASCAR-controlled, organization; John Force losing both Castrol and Ford; the management reorganization of the Hulman family racing enterprises; NASCAR's new TV contracts and showbiz-related rules changes; the reshaping of Daytona International Speedway and plans to fix-up the Indianapolis Motor Speedway; the changing media coverage landscape (not always for the better); and many other stories have served to prove what I've been saying for years:
You can't be a good or knowledgable fan without knowing something about the Business of Racing.
That's my interest given my own background, over a quarter-century on the biz side of the sport in just about every series and at a high level, plus my years in journalism. So that's what this blog has been about since 2006. That's what my CompetitionPlus.com column is for drag racing. That's what a lot of my Twitter activity ( @SpinDoctor500 ) is about. That's what I talk about mostly during radio interviews.
If that's useful to the industry, and to make fans more in-the-know about why behind-closed-garage-doors decisions are made, then it's a worthwhile pursuit.
I'm on the 120-person voting panel for the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, located adjacent to Talladega Superspeedway. None of this year's nominees received the required number of votes for enshrinement. A new process will be developed for 2015.
[ more next Monday . . . ]
Sunday, March 16, 2014
OF SPONSORS AND SOUND
A laugh is good medicine during challenging times and, for me, that came from a BusinessWeek headline on the same weekend Formula One was introducing its new turbo engines:
"NASCAR's Plan to Turbocharge the Stock Car Racing Series" .
The article, quoting Lesa France Kennedy on what she sees as new positives for the stock car sport, was pretty basic and broke no new news.
While NASCAR was waiting out the rain and trying to recapture lost magic at Bristol and United SportsCar was still trying to get its act together at Sebring and NHRA staged its first "major" of the season at the Gatornationals, the weekend's real focus was on open-wheel racing.
IndyCar announced Verizon as its new title sponsor. It had been long rumored. It's said to be multi-year and expectations are high Verizon will strongly activate its sponsorship, perhaps building on its experience sponsoring Team Penske cars. "Game changer" has become a cliche in modern America and those were the words Hulman & Co. CEO Mark Miles used to describe the deal.
To be fair, the late nature of the sponsorship for 2014 means we should not expect too much in the short term. But I can absolutely, positively say this from a historical standpoint: For this title sponsorship to ultimately be successful, Verizon MUST have its own Jim Chapman or T. Wayne Robertson to provide solid guidance and strong leadership. That's what Izod, and certainly the various Coca-Cola brands which hand-off the NHRA entitlement like an unwanted step-child, did not and have not done. The sponsor needs its own person and team of professionals, not depend on the series. That's especially true of IndyCar, which is badly understaffed on a number of fronts. One thing I'll be watching for is if Verizon will do a better job of personally interacting with media than competitor Sprint does in the Cup series outside of the hard-core NASCAR regulars.
F1 debuted in Australia and, sure enough, there were negative comments about the sound produced by the new turbo engines. I bet those offering such criticisms haven't read the various fan surveys which show spectators want to be able to communicate with each other, and that's extra difficult with a background of high-pitched normally-aspirated engines. Turbo is the way to go given the current automaker needs, too, and I'm strongly in favor of it and was glad IndyCar previously took this path.
Believe me, I enjoy the throaty roar of the non-turbos. I've been around long enough to have heard the BRM H-16 and the Ferrari V-12. But the Big Picture needs of today means turbos.
How all the new F1 rules will sort out and affect the balance of power among the teams can't be determined by one race. We saw Down Under that reliability is an issue. If it serves to mix-up the Red Bull-Vettel domination of recent years and makes the races more competitive, at least for now, that's a good thing. Especially considering F1's global TV audience declined in 2013.
[ more next Monday . . . ]
"NASCAR's Plan to Turbocharge the Stock Car Racing Series" .
The article, quoting Lesa France Kennedy on what she sees as new positives for the stock car sport, was pretty basic and broke no new news.
While NASCAR was waiting out the rain and trying to recapture lost magic at Bristol and United SportsCar was still trying to get its act together at Sebring and NHRA staged its first "major" of the season at the Gatornationals, the weekend's real focus was on open-wheel racing.
IndyCar announced Verizon as its new title sponsor. It had been long rumored. It's said to be multi-year and expectations are high Verizon will strongly activate its sponsorship, perhaps building on its experience sponsoring Team Penske cars. "Game changer" has become a cliche in modern America and those were the words Hulman & Co. CEO Mark Miles used to describe the deal.
To be fair, the late nature of the sponsorship for 2014 means we should not expect too much in the short term. But I can absolutely, positively say this from a historical standpoint: For this title sponsorship to ultimately be successful, Verizon MUST have its own Jim Chapman or T. Wayne Robertson to provide solid guidance and strong leadership. That's what Izod, and certainly the various Coca-Cola brands which hand-off the NHRA entitlement like an unwanted step-child, did not and have not done. The sponsor needs its own person and team of professionals, not depend on the series. That's especially true of IndyCar, which is badly understaffed on a number of fronts. One thing I'll be watching for is if Verizon will do a better job of personally interacting with media than competitor Sprint does in the Cup series outside of the hard-core NASCAR regulars.
F1 debuted in Australia and, sure enough, there were negative comments about the sound produced by the new turbo engines. I bet those offering such criticisms haven't read the various fan surveys which show spectators want to be able to communicate with each other, and that's extra difficult with a background of high-pitched normally-aspirated engines. Turbo is the way to go given the current automaker needs, too, and I'm strongly in favor of it and was glad IndyCar previously took this path.
Believe me, I enjoy the throaty roar of the non-turbos. I've been around long enough to have heard the BRM H-16 and the Ferrari V-12. But the Big Picture needs of today means turbos.
How all the new F1 rules will sort out and affect the balance of power among the teams can't be determined by one race. We saw Down Under that reliability is an issue. If it serves to mix-up the Red Bull-Vettel domination of recent years and makes the races more competitive, at least for now, that's a good thing. Especially considering F1's global TV audience declined in 2013.
[ more next Monday . . . ]
Sunday, March 09, 2014
SEEING THE 'SALUTE TO THE KING'
What I've been calling Arizona Speed Weeks concluded last Saturday night with the World of Outlaws' only scheduled event in the state. This following NHRA at Wild Horse Pass and then NASCAR at Phoenix International Raceway. The Outlaws were at Tucson International Raceway, a 3/8-mile dirt oval, for the NAPA Wildcat Shootout.
As I've said here before, anyone who considers him/herself a serious race fan needs to see an Outlaws' show this year, because it's Steve Kinser's last full season on tour. Maybe his last season, period, as Kinser admitted to me a few weeks ago. He'll decide after this season. My feature on Kinser was in last Friday's Arizona Republic. The link is on my Twitter
( @SpinDoctor500 ) or you can find it at AzCentral.com . With a large action photo of Kinser, it was good publicity for sprint car racing.
Jeff Gordon, who grew up a Big Time Kinser fan, told me at PIR he considers Steve to be one of America's 10 greatest drivers. So I made the run down to Tucson from Scottsdale to talk a bit more with Steve and witness what likely was his last Outlaws' event in Arizona. It's the "Salute to the King" tour. I'm sure all AZ fans are proud that Steve told me the legendary, now sadly no-more, Manzanita Speedway was his "all-time favorite track." See @Spindoctor500 for a photo. I was IROC's PR director when Steve won at Talladega in 1994.
It looked to me like a full house in the main grandstands. I chose to watch from the pit area on the backstretch, where there is a viewing mound and grandstand, as this allowed me to keep an eye on the cars and crews and drivers all night. A strong desert wind kicked-up dust about mid-way through the program, adding a night-time chill and to the drivers' challenge. Kinser won his heat and finished third in the A-Main behind Brad Sweet and Kerry Madson. With a win and second-second-third in his last three starts, Kinser is just 14 points behind Paul McMahan for the STP series championship lead. A serious Kinser run for his 21st Outlaws' crown would be one of 2014's best stories.
The Outlaws put on a great show which only makes the lack of a consistent live TV package that much more frustrating. And, as Gordon said to me at PIR: "To me, sprint car racing is one of the hardest things to do" because it's "very physical." So I left with even more respect for sprint car drivers and you should take a look, in person, if you haven't recently.
These guys are REAL RACERS!
Congratulations to the Phoenix International Raceway team for what appeared to be a successful start to the track's 50th anniversary celebration. Fantastic to have legends like A.J. Foyt and Bobby Allison at the track. The Memory Lane exhibit behind the main grandstands was excellent, featuring Foyt's 1964 PIR-winning roadster, and Alan Kulwicki's 1988 winner Zerex Ford Thunderbird. It was well designed and executed and I understand almost 13,000 fans visited over the race weekend. And a reminder that Phoenix at 50: A Half-Century of Racing is available at Amazon.com . It's PIR's coffee-table style commemorative book. Several writers, including me, generated the copy.
A few weeks ago I wrote about my concerns with NASCAR's Integrated Marketing Communications. I received some very interesting Es from people I respect telling me of their own experiences. My experience covering the recent events at Phoenix International Raceway mostly added to my views on this subject.
NASCAR IMC had no print copies of any national series media guides at the track. Does it get any more basic than that?
As I wrote before, the impression NASCAR IMC leaves with me is that it's constantly trying to be the quarterback who throws the long, spectacular touchdown pass to win the Super Bowl. (In this case, that being nice stories in major national media outlets and in non-traditional media.) However, any good QB would tell you such a play would be impossible without the fundamentals of blocking and tackling. In my Constitutionally-protected and experienced opinion, NASCAR IMC too often doesn't do its blocking and tackling.
I told that to a senior official, who claimed not to understand the analogy.
And here's yet another example of what's going on on the front lines and in the real media world, not the gizmoed-up PR theory sold to Brian France.
On Feb. 17 I E'd a specific and detailed request to Roush Fenway Racing's Chip Farrar, listed on the NASCAR media site as the "PR" contact for Trevor Bayne. I asked for five minutes with Trevor Friday morning at PIR. There was no courtesy of a reply until the afternoon of Feb. 28, an E apparently generated only because of a heads-up from Ford's on-site rep. In his E, Farrar wanted to know what I needed with Trevor. I had explained that in my original message.
Unacceptable. Unprofessional.
And, sadly, not uncommon.
It's NASCAR IMC's job to establish expected standards of professionalism for those working under its sanction. Ditto for sponsors and automakers -- in this case, Advocare (where's the sponsorship manager?) and Ford -- who contractually align themselves with these teams.
[ more next Monay . . . ]
As I've said here before, anyone who considers him/herself a serious race fan needs to see an Outlaws' show this year, because it's Steve Kinser's last full season on tour. Maybe his last season, period, as Kinser admitted to me a few weeks ago. He'll decide after this season. My feature on Kinser was in last Friday's Arizona Republic. The link is on my Twitter
( @SpinDoctor500 ) or you can find it at AzCentral.com . With a large action photo of Kinser, it was good publicity for sprint car racing.
Jeff Gordon, who grew up a Big Time Kinser fan, told me at PIR he considers Steve to be one of America's 10 greatest drivers. So I made the run down to Tucson from Scottsdale to talk a bit more with Steve and witness what likely was his last Outlaws' event in Arizona. It's the "Salute to the King" tour. I'm sure all AZ fans are proud that Steve told me the legendary, now sadly no-more, Manzanita Speedway was his "all-time favorite track." See @Spindoctor500 for a photo. I was IROC's PR director when Steve won at Talladega in 1994.
It looked to me like a full house in the main grandstands. I chose to watch from the pit area on the backstretch, where there is a viewing mound and grandstand, as this allowed me to keep an eye on the cars and crews and drivers all night. A strong desert wind kicked-up dust about mid-way through the program, adding a night-time chill and to the drivers' challenge. Kinser won his heat and finished third in the A-Main behind Brad Sweet and Kerry Madson. With a win and second-second-third in his last three starts, Kinser is just 14 points behind Paul McMahan for the STP series championship lead. A serious Kinser run for his 21st Outlaws' crown would be one of 2014's best stories.
The Outlaws put on a great show which only makes the lack of a consistent live TV package that much more frustrating. And, as Gordon said to me at PIR: "To me, sprint car racing is one of the hardest things to do" because it's "very physical." So I left with even more respect for sprint car drivers and you should take a look, in person, if you haven't recently.
These guys are REAL RACERS!
Congratulations to the Phoenix International Raceway team for what appeared to be a successful start to the track's 50th anniversary celebration. Fantastic to have legends like A.J. Foyt and Bobby Allison at the track. The Memory Lane exhibit behind the main grandstands was excellent, featuring Foyt's 1964 PIR-winning roadster, and Alan Kulwicki's 1988 winner Zerex Ford Thunderbird. It was well designed and executed and I understand almost 13,000 fans visited over the race weekend. And a reminder that Phoenix at 50: A Half-Century of Racing is available at Amazon.com . It's PIR's coffee-table style commemorative book. Several writers, including me, generated the copy.
A few weeks ago I wrote about my concerns with NASCAR's Integrated Marketing Communications. I received some very interesting Es from people I respect telling me of their own experiences. My experience covering the recent events at Phoenix International Raceway mostly added to my views on this subject.
NASCAR IMC had no print copies of any national series media guides at the track. Does it get any more basic than that?
As I wrote before, the impression NASCAR IMC leaves with me is that it's constantly trying to be the quarterback who throws the long, spectacular touchdown pass to win the Super Bowl. (In this case, that being nice stories in major national media outlets and in non-traditional media.) However, any good QB would tell you such a play would be impossible without the fundamentals of blocking and tackling. In my Constitutionally-protected and experienced opinion, NASCAR IMC too often doesn't do its blocking and tackling.
I told that to a senior official, who claimed not to understand the analogy.
And here's yet another example of what's going on on the front lines and in the real media world, not the gizmoed-up PR theory sold to Brian France.
On Feb. 17 I E'd a specific and detailed request to Roush Fenway Racing's Chip Farrar, listed on the NASCAR media site as the "PR" contact for Trevor Bayne. I asked for five minutes with Trevor Friday morning at PIR. There was no courtesy of a reply until the afternoon of Feb. 28, an E apparently generated only because of a heads-up from Ford's on-site rep. In his E, Farrar wanted to know what I needed with Trevor. I had explained that in my original message.
Unacceptable. Unprofessional.
And, sadly, not uncommon.
It's NASCAR IMC's job to establish expected standards of professionalism for those working under its sanction. Ditto for sponsors and automakers -- in this case, Advocare (where's the sponsorship manager?) and Ford -- who contractually align themselves with these teams.
[ more next Monay . . . ]
Monday, March 03, 2014
TRENDING LOUSY
Brian France was quoted recently that NASCAR grades each of its races. If so, until the last two restarts, Sunday's Cup event at Phoenix International Raceway was an F- and "trending" (NASCAR Intregrated Marketing Communications is obsessed with "trending") to be the worst of the 36 Cup races held at the Arizona oval since 1988.
As I wrote on Twitter, the Budweiser Clydesdales passed more people during pre-race ceremonies than all 43 NASCAR drivers did on Sunday.
Only two double-file restarts (yes, NASCAR put that rule in place) and Joey Logano's attempt to "go for it" bumped the final grade to an F or, at best, a D- . The entertainment was lousy and if alarm bells aren't sounding and warning lights flashing all over Daytona Beach and Charlotte today, well, . . .
If you are so inclined, please go to AzCentral.com or Twitter ( @SpinDoctor500 ) to read all of my PIR stories. A lot more there, including that NASCAR really should return PIR's first race to an April Saturday night.
Thank you.
P.S. -- Steve Kinser likely will make his last start in Arizona this Saturday night when the World of Outlaws is in Tucson. I'll be there and will have a story on Kinser in this Friday's Arizona Republic.
[ more next Monday . . . ]
As I wrote on Twitter, the Budweiser Clydesdales passed more people during pre-race ceremonies than all 43 NASCAR drivers did on Sunday.
Only two double-file restarts (yes, NASCAR put that rule in place) and Joey Logano's attempt to "go for it" bumped the final grade to an F or, at best, a D- . The entertainment was lousy and if alarm bells aren't sounding and warning lights flashing all over Daytona Beach and Charlotte today, well, . . .
If you are so inclined, please go to AzCentral.com or Twitter ( @SpinDoctor500 ) to read all of my PIR stories. A lot more there, including that NASCAR really should return PIR's first race to an April Saturday night.
Thank you.
P.S. -- Steve Kinser likely will make his last start in Arizona this Saturday night when the World of Outlaws is in Tucson. I'll be there and will have a story on Kinser in this Friday's Arizona Republic.
[ more next Monday . . . ]
Monday, February 24, 2014
NOW WE'LL SEE
The Conventional Wisdom for years has been a winning Dale Earnhardt Jr. was what NASCAR needed to boost ticket sales and TV audiences. OK, now we'll see . . .
ENOUGH of the Richard Petty-Danica Patrick sideshow NONSENSE. NASCAR -- NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications -- should have shut this down last week and not allowed this to overshadow all the legitimate storylines going into its most important race of the season. The very thought of a Petty-Patrick match race is the worst idea since Randy Bernard (and certain media cheerleaders) were promoting having Alex Zanardi race in IndyCar's ill-fated Las Vegas finale a few years ago.
Let's cut the comparisons to Bobby Riggs-Billie Jean King. Oh, I guess Riggs could have suffered a heart attack during his 1970s tennis exhibition vs. BJK. But the age factor and the risks involved in an auto race raise the safety stakes to a much higher level. And just what would it prove? Other than a ridiculous media spectacle, that is. One that would further detract from the important news of the season and JUNIOR!
Brian France, you're at the plate. Step-up, show leadership, and stop the madness.
Of course it's completely ridiculous for NHRA to (again) schedule a race opposite Daytona. What I'll say here, however, is congratulations to Paul Clayton and his new management team on a successful debut at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park (formerly Firebird International Raceway.) I was there three days covering for the Arizona Republic. There was a three-day record event crowd. I kept a list of all the things Clayton told me he'd do to improve the facility for racers and fans. As far as I could tell, he did them. Not just the repaved track, but new scoreboards (VERY visible), and timing and PA systems. There absolutely is a ton more to be done and it will be up to Gila River Indian Community to invest more. Good start. Good show.
It's NASCAR week in the Valley and I'm in the midst of 12 consecutive days of stories in the Republic. I am posting all links on Twitter ( @SpinDoctor500 ) as well as other news and observations. (See my feature on Ron Capps last Friday and Sunday notebook lead on Courtney Force.) My Phoenix International Raceway notebooks will include some comments from Rick Hendrick and Ray Evernham you might find surprising. I'll have a feature on Stewart-Haas Racing Friday and a personal record of four stories Sunday. Those will include my long story on PIR's 50-year history (bet you'll be surprised at a few things) and my traditional Q&A with Richard Petty. If you are not in the Valley to buy the paper, check out my stuff (and Mark Armijo's) on www.AzCentral.com .
One more: My new CompetitionPlus.com column is a Q&A with Linda Vaughn. Find out how she's doing these days health-wise, and how she answers a few questions you probably haven't seen before. Here's the link:
ENOUGH of the Richard Petty-Danica Patrick sideshow NONSENSE. NASCAR -- NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications -- should have shut this down last week and not allowed this to overshadow all the legitimate storylines going into its most important race of the season. The very thought of a Petty-Patrick match race is the worst idea since Randy Bernard (and certain media cheerleaders) were promoting having Alex Zanardi race in IndyCar's ill-fated Las Vegas finale a few years ago.
Let's cut the comparisons to Bobby Riggs-Billie Jean King. Oh, I guess Riggs could have suffered a heart attack during his 1970s tennis exhibition vs. BJK. But the age factor and the risks involved in an auto race raise the safety stakes to a much higher level. And just what would it prove? Other than a ridiculous media spectacle, that is. One that would further detract from the important news of the season and JUNIOR!
Brian France, you're at the plate. Step-up, show leadership, and stop the madness.
Of course it's completely ridiculous for NHRA to (again) schedule a race opposite Daytona. What I'll say here, however, is congratulations to Paul Clayton and his new management team on a successful debut at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park (formerly Firebird International Raceway.) I was there three days covering for the Arizona Republic. There was a three-day record event crowd. I kept a list of all the things Clayton told me he'd do to improve the facility for racers and fans. As far as I could tell, he did them. Not just the repaved track, but new scoreboards (VERY visible), and timing and PA systems. There absolutely is a ton more to be done and it will be up to Gila River Indian Community to invest more. Good start. Good show.
It's NASCAR week in the Valley and I'm in the midst of 12 consecutive days of stories in the Republic. I am posting all links on Twitter ( @SpinDoctor500 ) as well as other news and observations. (See my feature on Ron Capps last Friday and Sunday notebook lead on Courtney Force.) My Phoenix International Raceway notebooks will include some comments from Rick Hendrick and Ray Evernham you might find surprising. I'll have a feature on Stewart-Haas Racing Friday and a personal record of four stories Sunday. Those will include my long story on PIR's 50-year history (bet you'll be surprised at a few things) and my traditional Q&A with Richard Petty. If you are not in the Valley to buy the paper, check out my stuff (and Mark Armijo's) on www.AzCentral.com .
One more: My new CompetitionPlus.com column is a Q&A with Linda Vaughn. Find out how she's doing these days health-wise, and how she answers a few questions you probably haven't seen before. Here's the link:
[ more next Monday . . . ]
Sunday, February 16, 2014
A FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE
As I've written here before, I fundamentally disagree with the concept, structure and execution of NASCAR's Integrated Marketing Communications Department. As NASCAR enters its most important week of the year, it is worth revisiting this issue.
First, anyone who knows anything about working effectively with the media knows that PR/media relations/communications should not be placed under the thumb of marketing. They are two different -- but co-equal -- functions. I had my first professional byline at age 15 and I've yet to meet a professional journalist who wants to be "sold" to by a marketer. Yes, as someone who spent more than a quarter-century in PR at some of the highest levels of motorsports, I can say it's true that in some ways a good PRer is a "salesman." In fact, I told that to Roger Penske in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway garage area in 1981. You might say it's a selling of ideas and of image. But don't, never ever, make a reporter feel like he/she is being "sold" to.
It would also help if NASCAR IMC would actually take the time to be aware of what local, not just national and not just non-sports, media is writing and saying. When I was out in the field doing PR, I (and others) couldn't wait for the hotel newsstand to open so we could buy the newspapers and see what the coverage was, who wrote what, how stories were played, the headlines and the photos. While it would be nice to think the NASCAR PRers would actually want to grab the paper(s) on the way to the track, if they don't want to be bothered, it's easier than ever just to read the links on Jayski. I can say from personal experience that I have mentioned stories I've written, and I've observed others do the same about their work, and the NASCAR person involved obviously didn't read it and didn't know anything about it.
For NASCAR to come into a market and not bother to follow the coverage? Inexcusable.
When I was CART's communications director, I would invite media to our championship awards banquet. I placed media tables near the front of the room. NASCAR sticks media in the back of the Wynn's ballroom.
The problem that has evolved out of the Integrated Marketing Communications business model is that those leading the department are too concerned with counting Tweets and what's "trending" and all of the other ever-changing conditions of social media and the Internet. Yes, that's important to do. But NASCAR strikes me as an organization constantly looking to throw the long touchdown pass. The quarterback can't do that without the fundamentals of blocking and tackling. And NASCAR is not doing its basic blocking and tackling.
Here's another example: Brian France has announced sweeping rules changes for 2014, especially his "Game 7, winner-takes-all" championship format. There has been media criticism and France himself acknowledged some traditional fans won't like it. So why hasn't France been on the road, in Los Angeles, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and at least some other early-season race markets meeting with media and fans to explain -- in person -- the what/why of what he's doing? This reminds me of when NHRA cut nitro race distances from the historic quarter-mile to 1,000 feet. It was the most dramatic change in drag racing history. Yet, NHRA simply announced it, but did nothing to go out and work to gain support among the fan base. To this day, surveys show the shorter race is cited by promoters as the biggest reason for decline in ticket sales. Even the President of the U.S. traditionally takes to the road after the State of the Union speech to sell his message and programs. Why isn't Brian France doing that? If it's arrogance, well, that's exactly what brought down Indy racing and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The failure to get out and tell NASCAR'S new story in key race markets represents a clear and serious failure of thought and deed by NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications leaders.
I saw a story last week about how Coca-Cola wanted some specific research data and "We had to transition from a PR department to a fully-integrated marketing communications model" according to the NASCAR IMC speaker. That is not in any way a proper task for a department doing PR/media relations. It proves what I said above, that communications functions do not belong under marketing. It's a separate and co-equal department.
Or should be.
An IMC exec issued a memo last week about the relaunch of NASCAR's media site. After touting all the new goodies the site had to offer, what struck me the most was a line near the bottom. If anyone had comments or questions, the writer wrote, they should be directed to another person. Translation: Talk to my underling, don't bother me.
I knew Bill France Jr. fairly well (my interview with him, in his office, the Tuesday before the 1978 Daytona 500 remains one of my most memorable) and Jim Hunter very well. I knew Bob Latford and Joe Whitlock and Houston Lawing and the Winston pros like Bob Moore, Bob Kelly, Chris Powell and others. No, the modern technology didn't exist back then, but those were people who understood it was essential for NASCAR to keep its basic humanity in dealing with the media. In the gizmo-obsessed world of today's NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications Department, that humanity is being lost almost daily.
Until that is reversed, I don't care how many rules changes Brian France makes, NASCAR will have trouble.
It's Phoenix International Raceway's 50th anniversary and a limited edition commemorative book -- Phoenix At 50: A Half-Century of Racing -- will be available at track merchandise locations during the Feb. 28-March 2 NASCAR weekend. After that, it can be purchased at the PIR ticket window or via Amazon.com. I wrote three stories for the book. Richard Petty wrote the foreward.
I'll call it Arizona Speed Weeks. I'll be covering NHRA at the reborn Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park this weekend. See my stories starting Thursday in the Arizona Republic or AzCentral.com. Next week it will be NASCAR and that coverage means I'll be in the paper for 12 consecutive days starting this Thursday. And the following Saturday night, March 8, Steve Kinser will make what very likely will be his last World of Outlaws start in Arizona down in Tucson. Please check out my coverage and, especially for the latest news, my Twitter updates, @SpinDoctor500 . Thank you.
[ more next Monday . . . ]
First, anyone who knows anything about working effectively with the media knows that PR/media relations/communications should not be placed under the thumb of marketing. They are two different -- but co-equal -- functions. I had my first professional byline at age 15 and I've yet to meet a professional journalist who wants to be "sold" to by a marketer. Yes, as someone who spent more than a quarter-century in PR at some of the highest levels of motorsports, I can say it's true that in some ways a good PRer is a "salesman." In fact, I told that to Roger Penske in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway garage area in 1981. You might say it's a selling of ideas and of image. But don't, never ever, make a reporter feel like he/she is being "sold" to.
It would also help if NASCAR IMC would actually take the time to be aware of what local, not just national and not just non-sports, media is writing and saying. When I was out in the field doing PR, I (and others) couldn't wait for the hotel newsstand to open so we could buy the newspapers and see what the coverage was, who wrote what, how stories were played, the headlines and the photos. While it would be nice to think the NASCAR PRers would actually want to grab the paper(s) on the way to the track, if they don't want to be bothered, it's easier than ever just to read the links on Jayski. I can say from personal experience that I have mentioned stories I've written, and I've observed others do the same about their work, and the NASCAR person involved obviously didn't read it and didn't know anything about it.
For NASCAR to come into a market and not bother to follow the coverage? Inexcusable.
When I was CART's communications director, I would invite media to our championship awards banquet. I placed media tables near the front of the room. NASCAR sticks media in the back of the Wynn's ballroom.
The problem that has evolved out of the Integrated Marketing Communications business model is that those leading the department are too concerned with counting Tweets and what's "trending" and all of the other ever-changing conditions of social media and the Internet. Yes, that's important to do. But NASCAR strikes me as an organization constantly looking to throw the long touchdown pass. The quarterback can't do that without the fundamentals of blocking and tackling. And NASCAR is not doing its basic blocking and tackling.
Here's another example: Brian France has announced sweeping rules changes for 2014, especially his "Game 7, winner-takes-all" championship format. There has been media criticism and France himself acknowledged some traditional fans won't like it. So why hasn't France been on the road, in Los Angeles, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and at least some other early-season race markets meeting with media and fans to explain -- in person -- the what/why of what he's doing? This reminds me of when NHRA cut nitro race distances from the historic quarter-mile to 1,000 feet. It was the most dramatic change in drag racing history. Yet, NHRA simply announced it, but did nothing to go out and work to gain support among the fan base. To this day, surveys show the shorter race is cited by promoters as the biggest reason for decline in ticket sales. Even the President of the U.S. traditionally takes to the road after the State of the Union speech to sell his message and programs. Why isn't Brian France doing that? If it's arrogance, well, that's exactly what brought down Indy racing and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The failure to get out and tell NASCAR'S new story in key race markets represents a clear and serious failure of thought and deed by NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications leaders.
I saw a story last week about how Coca-Cola wanted some specific research data and "We had to transition from a PR department to a fully-integrated marketing communications model" according to the NASCAR IMC speaker. That is not in any way a proper task for a department doing PR/media relations. It proves what I said above, that communications functions do not belong under marketing. It's a separate and co-equal department.
Or should be.
An IMC exec issued a memo last week about the relaunch of NASCAR's media site. After touting all the new goodies the site had to offer, what struck me the most was a line near the bottom. If anyone had comments or questions, the writer wrote, they should be directed to another person. Translation: Talk to my underling, don't bother me.
I knew Bill France Jr. fairly well (my interview with him, in his office, the Tuesday before the 1978 Daytona 500 remains one of my most memorable) and Jim Hunter very well. I knew Bob Latford and Joe Whitlock and Houston Lawing and the Winston pros like Bob Moore, Bob Kelly, Chris Powell and others. No, the modern technology didn't exist back then, but those were people who understood it was essential for NASCAR to keep its basic humanity in dealing with the media. In the gizmo-obsessed world of today's NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications Department, that humanity is being lost almost daily.
Until that is reversed, I don't care how many rules changes Brian France makes, NASCAR will have trouble.
It's Phoenix International Raceway's 50th anniversary and a limited edition commemorative book -- Phoenix At 50: A Half-Century of Racing -- will be available at track merchandise locations during the Feb. 28-March 2 NASCAR weekend. After that, it can be purchased at the PIR ticket window or via Amazon.com. I wrote three stories for the book. Richard Petty wrote the foreward.
I'll call it Arizona Speed Weeks. I'll be covering NHRA at the reborn Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park this weekend. See my stories starting Thursday in the Arizona Republic or AzCentral.com. Next week it will be NASCAR and that coverage means I'll be in the paper for 12 consecutive days starting this Thursday. And the following Saturday night, March 8, Steve Kinser will make what very likely will be his last World of Outlaws start in Arizona down in Tucson. Please check out my coverage and, especially for the latest news, my Twitter updates, @SpinDoctor500 . Thank you.
[ more next Monday . . . ]
Sunday, February 09, 2014
ARE NASCAR's BOLD MOVES THE RIGHT MOVES?
I detect a slight whiff of desperation in the air. And it's coming from the direction of Daytona Beach.
Brian France has been dropping hints for the last 18 months that he wasn't satisfied NASCAR had the right mix of competition, entertainment and management. It started at Daytona in July 2012 when the NASCAR chairman said the sport needed more "Wow" moments. He continued on from there, saying the Gen-6 car would produce more side-by-side and exciting racing. He made general comments about changes to qualifying and the Sprint Cup points system.
I'm all for strong leadershp and bold moves, which most certainly is what France has done during the off-season. How all of these changes play out -- on the track and in the marketplace -- will be of early-season interest and I'd say the single most important story of the 2014 season.
To recap: Brent Dewar, a former GM exec, was named Chief Operating Officer. In most organizations I know the COO is No. 2 on the executive management team but the NASCAR announcement said "Mike Helton continues as NASCAR President with continued oversight of all racing operations." I've written my share of these kind of news releases and that type of language raised my antenna as it signals a reduction of Helton's authority. Competition VP Robin Pemberton, the point man on the Gen-6 car, seems to have had his turf reduced with Gene Stefanyshyn in as vice president of innovation and racing development. John Darby was moved to another spot with Indy Car veteran Richard Buck the new Sprint Cup Series managing director.
France's great hopes for Gen-6 were good in that the car's visuals did more connect it to the showroom models, as the automakers wanted. But it didn't make for better racing or more "Wow" finishes. So the rules have been tinkered with and the first test of that package will be March 2 here at my home track Phoenix International Raceway. But this new package is intended primarily for the intermediate-size ovals. If the cars aren't more racier this season, what's next? I wonder if more people changes will follow. I wish NASCAR had taken aero out, emphasized more mechanical grip, and started what would be a long and challenging process to open-up its tire contract and see if someone else has better technology and engineering than Goodyear. I can think of at least two tire companies that I think would.
Revision of the manufacturers' championship system reflect the obvious concerns of Toyota and Ford as Chevrolet has absolutely dominated. NASCAR didn't do itself any good by denying the new "knockout" style of qualifying wasn't an idea adapted from what IndyCar and Formula One do. Since single-car qualifying is boring on just about every oval other than Bristol, I'm good with this -- except that a driver could set the quickest lap overall in the first session and wind up starting out of the top 10. That's tough to explain to fans.
As for the "Game 7" rule to determine the champion, well, I hate it. As I Tweeted, just imagine how the national media will hammer NASCAR if one driver wins six or eight or 10 races out of 36 but someone else is crowned "season" champion with a win or two. A blown tire or getting caught-up in somebody else's accident or hitting the wall because NASCAR didn't throw a yellow early enough when there's oil on the track is going to deny a dominant driver a championship? Ridiculous.
The expanded field (12 up to 16) comes at a time when even the NFL is looking to increase the number of playoff teams. So, OK, but the notion of "elimination" rounds was something already happening because the botton several drivers after the first three Chase races already were essentially out of it. If France had made a cut of four drivers who would run for the championship based on points in the final three races, I could have accepted that. But 35 races of work to be ruined by a blown tire? That's just unfair. That's flat-out wrong.
And, please, stop already with the World Series "Game 7" analogy. I used to cover baseball, was a member of the Baseball Writers Association, and anyone who knows anything about baseball knows there is zero legitimate comparison to the World Series and what NASCAR is now doing.
These moves are so sweeping, they seem to leave little -- if any -- wiggle room for France to tinker again. My question: What happens if these rules don't increase TV ratings, media coverage and ticket sales? Where would France go from there? Has he left himself any other serious options?
FAST LINES: Early season candidate for most useless "news" release of the year is the one about how the Global Motorsports Group car went out after six hours into the Rolex 24. The release was issued FIVE DAYS after the race . . . The performance of Michael Strahan during the Super Bowl Vince Lombardi Trophy presentation shows that these type of guys are lost without cue cards and that it's a flat-out mistake to put non-professional broadcast journalists into this role . . . Words used to mean something and cable TV news sure doesn't help uphold this standard. Time was when "Special Report" flashed on the screen, it meant a moon landing or an assassination. Now, Fox News has a "Special Report" Monday-through-Friday, and while the reporting often is good, there's very little "special" about it. "Off-the-record" is a sacred journalism ethic that means what a source says can't be published or broadcast. Yet, Fox News' Greta Van Susteren's show includes a nightly commentary section, where she wants you to know what she thinks, but it's inaccurately called "Off-the-Record" . . . And while we're talking Fox, Sunday show host Chris Wallace's egoism in having his NFL guests autograph a football on-camera while Wallace boasted that it was for his family showed just how out of touch Wallace is with his audience, most of whom can't afford Super Bowl tickets or don't have special access to get such autographs. It's not about YOU, Chris, it's about the NEWS! Where are the standards? . . . NBC cheerleaded for China at the Summer Olympics four yeas ago, so no reason for surprise it comes right out of the gate at Sochi casting Russa and President Putin in a glowing light . . . Whatever revenue CVS will lose by discontinuing tobacco sales has been regained multiple times in free publicity and goodwill.
[ more next Monday . . . ]
Brian France has been dropping hints for the last 18 months that he wasn't satisfied NASCAR had the right mix of competition, entertainment and management. It started at Daytona in July 2012 when the NASCAR chairman said the sport needed more "Wow" moments. He continued on from there, saying the Gen-6 car would produce more side-by-side and exciting racing. He made general comments about changes to qualifying and the Sprint Cup points system.
I'm all for strong leadershp and bold moves, which most certainly is what France has done during the off-season. How all of these changes play out -- on the track and in the marketplace -- will be of early-season interest and I'd say the single most important story of the 2014 season.
To recap: Brent Dewar, a former GM exec, was named Chief Operating Officer. In most organizations I know the COO is No. 2 on the executive management team but the NASCAR announcement said "Mike Helton continues as NASCAR President with continued oversight of all racing operations." I've written my share of these kind of news releases and that type of language raised my antenna as it signals a reduction of Helton's authority. Competition VP Robin Pemberton, the point man on the Gen-6 car, seems to have had his turf reduced with Gene Stefanyshyn in as vice president of innovation and racing development. John Darby was moved to another spot with Indy Car veteran Richard Buck the new Sprint Cup Series managing director.
France's great hopes for Gen-6 were good in that the car's visuals did more connect it to the showroom models, as the automakers wanted. But it didn't make for better racing or more "Wow" finishes. So the rules have been tinkered with and the first test of that package will be March 2 here at my home track Phoenix International Raceway. But this new package is intended primarily for the intermediate-size ovals. If the cars aren't more racier this season, what's next? I wonder if more people changes will follow. I wish NASCAR had taken aero out, emphasized more mechanical grip, and started what would be a long and challenging process to open-up its tire contract and see if someone else has better technology and engineering than Goodyear. I can think of at least two tire companies that I think would.
Revision of the manufacturers' championship system reflect the obvious concerns of Toyota and Ford as Chevrolet has absolutely dominated. NASCAR didn't do itself any good by denying the new "knockout" style of qualifying wasn't an idea adapted from what IndyCar and Formula One do. Since single-car qualifying is boring on just about every oval other than Bristol, I'm good with this -- except that a driver could set the quickest lap overall in the first session and wind up starting out of the top 10. That's tough to explain to fans.
As for the "Game 7" rule to determine the champion, well, I hate it. As I Tweeted, just imagine how the national media will hammer NASCAR if one driver wins six or eight or 10 races out of 36 but someone else is crowned "season" champion with a win or two. A blown tire or getting caught-up in somebody else's accident or hitting the wall because NASCAR didn't throw a yellow early enough when there's oil on the track is going to deny a dominant driver a championship? Ridiculous.
The expanded field (12 up to 16) comes at a time when even the NFL is looking to increase the number of playoff teams. So, OK, but the notion of "elimination" rounds was something already happening because the botton several drivers after the first three Chase races already were essentially out of it. If France had made a cut of four drivers who would run for the championship based on points in the final three races, I could have accepted that. But 35 races of work to be ruined by a blown tire? That's just unfair. That's flat-out wrong.
And, please, stop already with the World Series "Game 7" analogy. I used to cover baseball, was a member of the Baseball Writers Association, and anyone who knows anything about baseball knows there is zero legitimate comparison to the World Series and what NASCAR is now doing.
These moves are so sweeping, they seem to leave little -- if any -- wiggle room for France to tinker again. My question: What happens if these rules don't increase TV ratings, media coverage and ticket sales? Where would France go from there? Has he left himself any other serious options?
FAST LINES: Early season candidate for most useless "news" release of the year is the one about how the Global Motorsports Group car went out after six hours into the Rolex 24. The release was issued FIVE DAYS after the race . . . The performance of Michael Strahan during the Super Bowl Vince Lombardi Trophy presentation shows that these type of guys are lost without cue cards and that it's a flat-out mistake to put non-professional broadcast journalists into this role . . . Words used to mean something and cable TV news sure doesn't help uphold this standard. Time was when "Special Report" flashed on the screen, it meant a moon landing or an assassination. Now, Fox News has a "Special Report" Monday-through-Friday, and while the reporting often is good, there's very little "special" about it. "Off-the-record" is a sacred journalism ethic that means what a source says can't be published or broadcast. Yet, Fox News' Greta Van Susteren's show includes a nightly commentary section, where she wants you to know what she thinks, but it's inaccurately called "Off-the-Record" . . . And while we're talking Fox, Sunday show host Chris Wallace's egoism in having his NFL guests autograph a football on-camera while Wallace boasted that it was for his family showed just how out of touch Wallace is with his audience, most of whom can't afford Super Bowl tickets or don't have special access to get such autographs. It's not about YOU, Chris, it's about the NEWS! Where are the standards? . . . NBC cheerleaded for China at the Summer Olympics four yeas ago, so no reason for surprise it comes right out of the gate at Sochi casting Russa and President Putin in a glowing light . . . Whatever revenue CVS will lose by discontinuing tobacco sales has been regained multiple times in free publicity and goodwill.
[ more next Monday . . . ]
Sunday, January 26, 2014
SPORTS CARS OFF AND RUNNING
I've been saying for months that combining Grand-Am and ALMS into IMSA and the headline Tudor United SportsCar Series would be messy. Sure enough, right out of the box, we saw that last Friday at Daytona in the IMSA Continental Tire Challenge. The BMW M3 that took the checkered flag first was disqualified for technical violations. That embarrassment -- BMW was title sponsor of the race! Does IMSA have enough pre-race inspectors for the car counts it faces? -- did allow the NASCAR-directed series publicists to hype Reba McEntire's son Shelby Blackstock as the winner along with Ashley Freiberg, the tour's first female overall winner.
I can accurately report to you, from personal experience, that sometimes PR people and marketers are put into such a difficult (basically no-win) situation that it's an accomplishment just to tread water. I think that was the case with Amy Konrath, who has left IndyCar after nine years, for a job near her family in Kansas City. Going back to the start of the IRL-CART split in 1996, team and series PRers, and those who need to sell sponsorships, have had to deal with so much inconsistent (and so-called) "leadership" and overall negativity that those factors must be taken into account. Amy was always cooperative and polite with me. The series PR staff was too thin already and currently has about as much publicity and media relations support as a table tennis team. The responsible new management better be hard on the throttle on this issue. Their choice to lead the department will tell us a ton.
And there was a big blow to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as media manager Paul Kelly left after 16 years for GRand Solutions where he'll do a lot in sports car racing. Lucky IMSA. Paul was the best thing to happen to IMS PR since Bill York. Congrats, Paul, and you leave a huge void.
I sent out a Tweet on this ( @SpinDoctor500 ) but it's worth repeating here: While Jimmie Johnson was voted Driver of the Year (no surprise), not one of the 19 members of the national media panel cast a ballot for Scott Dixon. I'm on record as Dixon was the DoY in 2013 because he did the most with what he had to work with. The DoY panel vote is the latest evidence of all that troubles the IndyCar sport on so many levels. I will also say, however, it represents a failing of the voting panel and the DoY system.
Last year I noted here how TV news operations try to mask reduced in-the-field presence due to budget cuts by having reporters "report" on a story from a distant studio. I noticed a glaring example of this last week on Fox News, where a story on the controversy about the mayor of Hoboken, N.J., was told by a guy in a studio in Los Angeles! Yeah, that's real old-time shoe-leather reporting! Viewer, beware.
A salute to my alma mater, Temple University, where the journalism department is one of just a few in the country to have a code of ethics for student journalists. "A student journalist is still a journalist and needs to have a clear ethics code to follow," said assistant professor Lori Tharps, who helped write the code.
Finally, congratulations to my friend Arie Luyendyk on being elected to the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. The Michigan-based Hall will be relocating to Daytona International Speedway.
[ next blog February 10 . . . ]
The Rolex 24, as usual, had its various storylines. And several of them were indeed messy. The frightening Memo Gidley-Matteo Malucelli crash -- which left Gidley with multiple serious injuries -- will get as much (if not more) mainstream media attention as the winners (which included the familiar name of Fittipaldi.) While the IMSA and Daytona safety crews apparently did well in coming to Gidley's aid, the track fire marshall struggling with a hand-held extinguisher as Kyle Marcelli's car burned was inept and had best be addressed before the stock cars come to town. And, at least as this is written, the last-lap penalty that changed the outcome in GTD was bogus and ignorant of the historical precedent of hard racing to the checkered flag. Bad deal.
UPDATE: After review, the race director's decision was overturned. It better had been to preserve credibility. It was the dictionary definition of arrogant over-officiating. Good deal -- but the thrill of victory was ruined.
The most important story out of Daytona, however, with all due respect to the Chevrolet blowout in the premier Prototype class, was probably simply that the race happened. The new era of unified sports car racing in America is officially underway. The challenge for what is essentially NASCAR sports car racing is to take the traditional sports car promotional approach of spotlighting the cars and blending it with the NASCAR tradition of building driver names. I don't expect much this year, or next, or maybe even the year after that. But by Year 4 or certainly 5, I hope the driver name recognition factor will be stronger (meaning those names can sell tickets) and that a new generation of true Prototypes will emerge. That's what needs to happen to call this united series a success.
UPDATE: After review, the race director's decision was overturned. It better had been to preserve credibility. It was the dictionary definition of arrogant over-officiating. Good deal -- but the thrill of victory was ruined.
The most important story out of Daytona, however, with all due respect to the Chevrolet blowout in the premier Prototype class, was probably simply that the race happened. The new era of unified sports car racing in America is officially underway. The challenge for what is essentially NASCAR sports car racing is to take the traditional sports car promotional approach of spotlighting the cars and blending it with the NASCAR tradition of building driver names. I don't expect much this year, or next, or maybe even the year after that. But by Year 4 or certainly 5, I hope the driver name recognition factor will be stronger (meaning those names can sell tickets) and that a new generation of true Prototypes will emerge. That's what needs to happen to call this united series a success.
The Richard Sherman mouth-off was instructive on so many levels. Let's start with the continuing "me" and not "team" trend among athletes in all of sports. Sherman made a great play but didn't win the NFC championship game by himself. The days of class and dignity in sports -- and society -- continue to slip away. (I'm not buying Sherman's non-apology apology.) Next, let's consider the sports announcers who said it was "great TV" and a "great soundbite" and "what people want." That attitude tells us a lot about the superficial nature of the people involved. And then there were the TV and radio show hosts who kept the topic going as a top story for days afterwards. It's all very revealing. And troubling. And, no doubt, will continue with another truly embarrassing Super Bowl Media Day.
I can accurately report to you, from personal experience, that sometimes PR people and marketers are put into such a difficult (basically no-win) situation that it's an accomplishment just to tread water. I think that was the case with Amy Konrath, who has left IndyCar after nine years, for a job near her family in Kansas City. Going back to the start of the IRL-CART split in 1996, team and series PRers, and those who need to sell sponsorships, have had to deal with so much inconsistent (and so-called) "leadership" and overall negativity that those factors must be taken into account. Amy was always cooperative and polite with me. The series PR staff was too thin already and currently has about as much publicity and media relations support as a table tennis team. The responsible new management better be hard on the throttle on this issue. Their choice to lead the department will tell us a ton.
And there was a big blow to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as media manager Paul Kelly left after 16 years for GRand Solutions where he'll do a lot in sports car racing. Lucky IMSA. Paul was the best thing to happen to IMS PR since Bill York. Congrats, Paul, and you leave a huge void.
I sent out a Tweet on this ( @SpinDoctor500 ) but it's worth repeating here: While Jimmie Johnson was voted Driver of the Year (no surprise), not one of the 19 members of the national media panel cast a ballot for Scott Dixon. I'm on record as Dixon was the DoY in 2013 because he did the most with what he had to work with. The DoY panel vote is the latest evidence of all that troubles the IndyCar sport on so many levels. I will also say, however, it represents a failing of the voting panel and the DoY system.
Last year I noted here how TV news operations try to mask reduced in-the-field presence due to budget cuts by having reporters "report" on a story from a distant studio. I noticed a glaring example of this last week on Fox News, where a story on the controversy about the mayor of Hoboken, N.J., was told by a guy in a studio in Los Angeles! Yeah, that's real old-time shoe-leather reporting! Viewer, beware.
A salute to my alma mater, Temple University, where the journalism department is one of just a few in the country to have a code of ethics for student journalists. "A student journalist is still a journalist and needs to have a clear ethics code to follow," said assistant professor Lori Tharps, who helped write the code.
Finally, congratulations to my friend Arie Luyendyk on being elected to the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. The Michigan-based Hall will be relocating to Daytona International Speedway.
[ next blog February 10 . . . ]
Sunday, January 19, 2014
TOGETHER AT LAST
I'm going to keep my fingers crossed and wish all involved well as the Tudor United SportsCar Series makes its debut this weekend with the Rolex 24 at Daytona. As a sports car racing fan going back to the Shelby Cobra and Ford GT vs. Ferrari at Le Mans and the original (and GREAT!) Trans-Am and Can-Am series (and a member of the 1990 Jaguar team that finished 1-2 at Daytona), the overdue joining together of Grand-Am and the American Le Mans Series is most welcome.
Make no mistake, this now is essentially NASCAR sports car racing. Jim France bought-out Don Panoz and much of the NASCAR philosophy -- and staff people -- are hands-on on this venture. Combining Grand-Am's lower-cost/managed competition approach with ALMS' high-tech/green way of doing things is no small task. I have disagreed with some of the new staff hirings. I especially disagree with trying to performance-match the Daytona Prototypes with the LMP2 cars, of which there were so few, I still think those owners should have been given DPs the same way Tony George gave Champ Car owners IRL-spec chassis when that merger occurred. It will be huge to watch how that plays out at Daytona, not only in terms of competitiveness, but reliability. Honestly, I have my doubts. And one thing that made all the sense in the world in Grand-Am was two easy-to-understand classes: DP and GT. In an attempt to keep car counts and manufacturer and participant involvement up, and the political waters calm, United SportsCar has adopted ALMS' many -- and too confusing -- class structure. The American public doesn't have enough interest -- or the attention span -- to follow all of that.
As I've written here before, I expect this first season to be messy in some ways. However, I am hoping things will go well, we'll see a little growth in public and media interest, and in a few years things will advance to where a new era of prototypes emerge and the number of classes condensed. If that happens, that's when I'll really get excited again about sports car racing.
The 43d Barrett-Jackson collector car auction took place during a full week of Chamber of Commerce weather (sunny, mid-70s) here in Scottsdale. The event moved into its new facility at WestWorld that spanned almost one million square feet. After years of back-and-forth between the city and B-J management, the proper new structure should keep this fabulous show in Scottsdale for many years.
Congratulations to Windy McDonald, the longtime PA voice and publicist for Manzanita Speedway and other tracks (including Phoenix International Raceway), elected last week to the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame. My friend Dave Argabright, the great writer and author whose "American Scene" column was a must-read in National Speed Sport News, also was elected. Others include Chuck Merrill, George Nesler, Larry Beckett, Dave Blaney, Mark Kinser and Bobby Davis Jr. I'm a HoF voter. Induction ceremony will be May 31 at Marion County Fairgrounds in Knoxville, Iowa.
[ more next Monday . . . ]
Make no mistake, this now is essentially NASCAR sports car racing. Jim France bought-out Don Panoz and much of the NASCAR philosophy -- and staff people -- are hands-on on this venture. Combining Grand-Am's lower-cost/managed competition approach with ALMS' high-tech/green way of doing things is no small task. I have disagreed with some of the new staff hirings. I especially disagree with trying to performance-match the Daytona Prototypes with the LMP2 cars, of which there were so few, I still think those owners should have been given DPs the same way Tony George gave Champ Car owners IRL-spec chassis when that merger occurred. It will be huge to watch how that plays out at Daytona, not only in terms of competitiveness, but reliability. Honestly, I have my doubts. And one thing that made all the sense in the world in Grand-Am was two easy-to-understand classes: DP and GT. In an attempt to keep car counts and manufacturer and participant involvement up, and the political waters calm, United SportsCar has adopted ALMS' many -- and too confusing -- class structure. The American public doesn't have enough interest -- or the attention span -- to follow all of that.
As I've written here before, I expect this first season to be messy in some ways. However, I am hoping things will go well, we'll see a little growth in public and media interest, and in a few years things will advance to where a new era of prototypes emerge and the number of classes condensed. If that happens, that's when I'll really get excited again about sports car racing.
The 43d Barrett-Jackson collector car auction took place during a full week of Chamber of Commerce weather (sunny, mid-70s) here in Scottsdale. The event moved into its new facility at WestWorld that spanned almost one million square feet. After years of back-and-forth between the city and B-J management, the proper new structure should keep this fabulous show in Scottsdale for many years.
Congratulations to Windy McDonald, the longtime PA voice and publicist for Manzanita Speedway and other tracks (including Phoenix International Raceway), elected last week to the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame. My friend Dave Argabright, the great writer and author whose "American Scene" column was a must-read in National Speed Sport News, also was elected. Others include Chuck Merrill, George Nesler, Larry Beckett, Dave Blaney, Mark Kinser and Bobby Davis Jr. I'm a HoF voter. Induction ceremony will be May 31 at Marion County Fairgrounds in Knoxville, Iowa.
[ more next Monday . . . ]
Sunday, January 12, 2014
14 FOR '14
It's Barrett-Jackson week here in Scottsdale and I'll make a visit to the world's greatest collector car auction. I usually see a bunch of racers at this quite amazing annual get-together. Worth noting that B-J will be on the Fox network for the first time this Saturday.
Meanwhile, Happy New Year. Thanks for returning to this cyber outpost. Here are 14 things I recommend you do and watch for in '14:
* Go see Steve Kinser race in what he says will be his final full World of Outlaws' season. No real race fan can go without seeing sprint car's King do his thing one more time.
* If you see Dario Franchitti at an IndyCar race, say "thank you" and "congratulations" on a great career.
* Keep a close eye on any entertainment improvements from the new Gen-6 car rules package. It should be obvious from recent internal NASCAR executive changes that putting on a better show is Brian France's top priority. If the show doesn't improve, I would be looking for more internal shuffling.
* Listen to Paul Page call an IndyCar race on radio. Welcome back, Paul.
* Support a local short track or club event at least once. We all need to make sure not to overlook racing's grassroots.
* Go to an NHRA national event. Don't look down on the drag racers even if you think you're not interested. They -- especially Funny Car -- more often than not put on an eye-popping 16,000 horsepower show.
* See if the Return of the Apron at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway makes for more passing at the Brickyard 400.
* Read Gordon Kirby's book on legendary IndyCar series team manager/chief mechanic Jim McGee. It's scheduled to launch in May.
* The long-awaited unified sports car series deserves to be checked-out at least once, although I'm expecting a somewhat messy season due to IMSA's attempt to match performance of the prototypes and too many, too confusing, classes.
* Will the Tony Stewart-Kevin Harvick-Kurt Busch-Danica Patrick combination be a Dream Team or a nightmare?
* Formula One's new cars and turbo engines: Game-changer or more Red Bull-Sebastian Vettel domination?
* Juan Pablo Montoya's return to IndyCars: Just what Team Penske needs? Or proof that you really can't go home again?
* In its last NASCAR season, will ESPN go all-out or mail it in? Best guess: somewhere in between.
* How will NASCAR fans react to the return of the 3? A number many -- including me -- think should have been retired.
SINCE LAST POSTING: Is anything more impersonal that an E-mailed holiday greeting "card"? I typically delete every one of them, unopened. A perfect symbol for how technology (and "green" political correctness) have helped to dumb-down those vital 1-on-1 relationships that are make-or-break in business and life . . . Two companies that didn't have a merry PR holiday were Target and UPS. Given the serious nature of their issues, I'm very surprised neither CEO promptly publicly stepped forward as other CEO's have done in crisis situations. That would have been my recommendation. Target admits its sales have taken a noteable downturn and I wonder it its racing sponsorships might be used to communicate a message related to this crisis . . . Mark Armijo and I were honored to be included on Phoenix International Raceway's list of 50 top influencers. PIR is celebrating its 50th anniversary this season. http://www.phoenixraceway.com/Vanity-Pages/2013/Storied-Legends.aspx
For all the good work it does, ESPN also enables what is wrong in today's sports "journalism." Around the Horn -- the worst and most embarrassing, mindless show on TV -- is a primary example. Providing a TV and radio platform for egohead Dan Le Batard is the current prime case. This self-absorbed over-rated mouth gave his Baseball Hall of Fame vote to website Deadspin as a "protest." Let me explain what Le Batard did: He committed voter fraud. As a former Baseball Writers Association member, I applaud the organization's decision to take away his voting privilege. ESPN should sanction Le Batard for an ethics violation. Saying his vote came from the Miami Herald is just a spineless excuse.
I'm sure I'll use Twitter while at Barrett-Jackson so here's a reminder of how I use T: 1. As a breaking news/headline service (like when I broke the story that Marty Reid was out at ESPN); 2. As a vehicle to share thoughts on important news between blog posts; 3. To let you know of my media appearances or other activities; 4. To share links to my Arizona Republic and CompetitionPlus.com stories. @SpinDoctor500
[ more next Monday . . . ]
Meanwhile, Happy New Year. Thanks for returning to this cyber outpost. Here are 14 things I recommend you do and watch for in '14:
* Go see Steve Kinser race in what he says will be his final full World of Outlaws' season. No real race fan can go without seeing sprint car's King do his thing one more time.
* If you see Dario Franchitti at an IndyCar race, say "thank you" and "congratulations" on a great career.
* Keep a close eye on any entertainment improvements from the new Gen-6 car rules package. It should be obvious from recent internal NASCAR executive changes that putting on a better show is Brian France's top priority. If the show doesn't improve, I would be looking for more internal shuffling.
* Listen to Paul Page call an IndyCar race on radio. Welcome back, Paul.
* Support a local short track or club event at least once. We all need to make sure not to overlook racing's grassroots.
* Go to an NHRA national event. Don't look down on the drag racers even if you think you're not interested. They -- especially Funny Car -- more often than not put on an eye-popping 16,000 horsepower show.
* See if the Return of the Apron at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway makes for more passing at the Brickyard 400.
* Read Gordon Kirby's book on legendary IndyCar series team manager/chief mechanic Jim McGee. It's scheduled to launch in May.
* The long-awaited unified sports car series deserves to be checked-out at least once, although I'm expecting a somewhat messy season due to IMSA's attempt to match performance of the prototypes and too many, too confusing, classes.
* Will the Tony Stewart-Kevin Harvick-Kurt Busch-Danica Patrick combination be a Dream Team or a nightmare?
* Formula One's new cars and turbo engines: Game-changer or more Red Bull-Sebastian Vettel domination?
* Juan Pablo Montoya's return to IndyCars: Just what Team Penske needs? Or proof that you really can't go home again?
* In its last NASCAR season, will ESPN go all-out or mail it in? Best guess: somewhere in between.
* How will NASCAR fans react to the return of the 3? A number many -- including me -- think should have been retired.
SINCE LAST POSTING: Is anything more impersonal that an E-mailed holiday greeting "card"? I typically delete every one of them, unopened. A perfect symbol for how technology (and "green" political correctness) have helped to dumb-down those vital 1-on-1 relationships that are make-or-break in business and life . . . Two companies that didn't have a merry PR holiday were Target and UPS. Given the serious nature of their issues, I'm very surprised neither CEO promptly publicly stepped forward as other CEO's have done in crisis situations. That would have been my recommendation. Target admits its sales have taken a noteable downturn and I wonder it its racing sponsorships might be used to communicate a message related to this crisis . . . Mark Armijo and I were honored to be included on Phoenix International Raceway's list of 50 top influencers. PIR is celebrating its 50th anniversary this season. http://www.phoenixraceway.com/Vanity-Pages/2013/Storied-Legends.aspx
For all the good work it does, ESPN also enables what is wrong in today's sports "journalism." Around the Horn -- the worst and most embarrassing, mindless show on TV -- is a primary example. Providing a TV and radio platform for egohead Dan Le Batard is the current prime case. This self-absorbed over-rated mouth gave his Baseball Hall of Fame vote to website Deadspin as a "protest." Let me explain what Le Batard did: He committed voter fraud. As a former Baseball Writers Association member, I applaud the organization's decision to take away his voting privilege. ESPN should sanction Le Batard for an ethics violation. Saying his vote came from the Miami Herald is just a spineless excuse.
I'm sure I'll use Twitter while at Barrett-Jackson so here's a reminder of how I use T: 1. As a breaking news/headline service (like when I broke the story that Marty Reid was out at ESPN); 2. As a vehicle to share thoughts on important news between blog posts; 3. To let you know of my media appearances or other activities; 4. To share links to my Arizona Republic and CompetitionPlus.com stories. @SpinDoctor500
[ more next Monday . . . ]
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)