AJA SHOW AUDIO LINK

AJ Allmendinger was the Newsmaker guest on Wednesday night's The Race Reporters show on Power Up Channel. The open-wheel-winner-turned-NASCAR-racer drives for Richard Petty and finished third in the Daytona 500. Dave Kallmann and Lewis Franck were media roundtable guests plus Paul Page previewed the final two NHRA events.

Listen to the entire show using this link:

http://www.modavox.com/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=42053

Upcoming The Race Reporters guests:
(Show is live Wednesdays at 7 p.m. EDT, downloadable, and available on-demand at no cost. Click on TRR page logo in upper right-hand column.)

November 4 -- Mark Kent (GM Racing manager). Panelists: Bob Pockrass, Dave Argabright. Plus, World of Outlaws championship leader Donny Schatz.

November 11 -- Robby Gordon. Panelists: Bill Fleischman, Jim Pedley. Plus, Dave (The King) Wilson.

November 18 -- NHRA Funny Car or Top Fuel champion. Panelists: Mark Armijo, John Sturbin.

[ more early next week . . . ]

A PR LINE CROSSED

Warning: This blog is not a White House-approved news outlet.

ANYONE with ANY interest in the media, or ANY involvement in PR, should be following the White House's attack on Fox News Channel with great and careful interest.

I've done my share of "aggressive" PR over the years so I understand what the deal is here. But, I'll also say, this is one of the dumbest things I've ever seen --and it's as sure to backfire as a '68 Buick.

To try to take down an opponent by attempting to undercut his/her/its legitimacy and credibility is nothing new. I admit: I've done it myself. To try to slap a tag on Fox News as not being a "real" news-gathering organization, however, crosses a line that's as wide as the front straight at Pocono. EVERY other news outlet, and journalist, should be offended. And say so.

Of course, those designations are no longer clear-cut. These days, when the choice is between defending a Constitutionally-protected profession or a cable food fight, well, the children outnumber the adults.

I'm not especially a Hannity fan and don't always agree with O'Reilly. (At least he allows guests who disagree with him, as opposed to the Hater-In-Chief, who accepts only members of his Hallelujah Chorus.) But, come on now, please, are we to swallow that MSNBC IS a legit news organization? The one that features the Hater-In-Chief (who actually called someone else "nuts" the other night) and the Ego-for-the-Ages? And any objective scrutiny will reveal the liberal bias of, let's use Andrea Mitchell as our example, which is well displayed on cable, does carry over into the laughably titled "straight" news on NBC. Which is presided over by Brian Williams, who masks his bias by saying he's a NASCAR fan. Not long after a week-long, networks-wide series promoting the benefits of Green (parent company GE stands to make billion$ off of these government programs), last week, they did it again, promoting an agenda under the guise of women's role in our society. As part of its so-called "reporting," not-ready-for-cable-access White House reporter Savannah Guthrie embarrassed herself yet again in interviewing the president.

CNN is legit? Here's a network which fact-checked a semi-critical Saturday Night Live skit on President Obama, but couldn't be troubled to verify a false quote attributed to Rush Limbaugh. The centerpiece of Campbell Brown's nightly train-wreck is called the "Mash-Up." That's inspiring.

The White House attack is the design of the Chicago street-fighter chief-of-staff, a communications director who said in a speech she admires Mao, and a press secretary constantly spinning his mental wheels.

Where's the outrage among the supposed professional journalism organizations? (A little credit, when Fox was banned from a standard "pool" interview last week, others did resist.)

Here's what this REALLY is about: For decades, the anchors and executive producers of the Big Three network news divisions would take their news cue off of what was on Page One of the New York Times. But, recently, FNC has been breaking stories too powerful to keep out of the public consciousness -- and the White House wants to stop others from following the FNC lead.

And, respectfully, Mr. Obama best remember this: He was elected to be president of all the American people. He's acting like he's refusing to be president of the Fox audience.

Anyway -- watch closely what's happening in Washington and learn -- the way it should NEVER be done. How petty -- and stupid. (!)


FAST LINES: As a baseball fan (and former member of the Baseball Writers Association) I have to say TBS' Chip Caray was as bad in the booth as the umpires on the field during the playoffs. I hate it that ESPN is out of playoffs coverage. And, Fox, please lock Darrell Waltrip in a room to watch Tim McCarver tapes so he can learn how expert analysis is supposed to be done . . . In case you haven't noticed, NASCAR's favorite, USA Today, has been reducing its coverage. In general, somewhat shorter stories, with less-prominent placement. And, some days, nothing . . . MSNBC airhead Contessa Brewer last week read an introduction to Al Sharpton but got this response -- "I'm the Rev. Jesse Jackson." Brewer -- "The script in front of me said Al Sharpton." I remember watching when a NASA administrator upbraided Brewer for her brainless questions. As a PR rep, I would turn-down any interview request from Brewer or her producers out of respect for my client . . . If Bob Griese really knew his NASCAR, he would have said Juan Pablo Montoya was out eating one of Martinsville Speedway's famous Jesse Jones hot dogs . . . The Arizona Motorsports Hall of Fame has officially taken that honor back from Mel Martin, who sold Manzanita Speedway. This was a mistake. Future HoF candidates might wonder if they should accept as now Pandora's Box has been opened and they could face the embarrassment of having the honor taken away . . . I'll be NHRAing this weekend at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.


Here's the best column of the year, no surprise, from Ed Hinton on ESPN.com:
http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/nascar/cup/columns/story?columnist=hinton_ed&id=4584736


The American Media, October 18, 2009: Rob D'Amico, Fox and SPEED radio host, guesting on Wind Tunnel, regarding NASCAR's post-race inspections of the No. 48 and other cars. "They're all cheating." Of course, NO FACTS were offered to back-up this superficial-yet-inflammatory remark. Where are the network standards? Where is the accountability?

Upcoming The Race Reporters guests:
(Show is live Wednesdays at 7 p.m. EDT, downloadable, and available on-demand at no cost. Click on TRR page logo in upper right-hand column.)

October 28 -- A.J. Allmendinger. Panelists: Dave Kallmann, Lewis Franck. Plus, Paul Page.

November 4 -- Mark Kent (GM Racing manager). Panelists: Bob Pockrass, Dave Argabright. Plus, World of Outlaws championship leader Donny Schatz.

November 11 -- Robby Gordon. Panelists: Bill Fleischman, Jim Pedley. Plus, Dave (The King) Wilson.

November 18 -- NHRA Funny Car or Top Fuel champion. Panelists: Mark Armijo, John Sturbin.

[ A.J. Allmendinger news nugget Thursday . . . ]

ANGELLE ANTRON'S NEW TEAMMATE?

TEAMMATES AGAIN?: Angelle Sampey (left) and Antron Brown. (Photo courtesy LesWelch.com).

Antron Brown, with five NHRA Top Fuel wins this season, was the Newsmaker guest on The Race Reporters Wednesday night on PowerUpChannel.com. He's fourth in the Full Throttle points with two chances left in the Matco Tools dragster. Bobby Bennett, Corinne Economaki and Larry Henry joined me for the journalists' roundtable.

Angelle Sampey, the three-time Pro Stock Motorcycle champion, has made no secret she'd like to get into a nitro car and Brown might have hinted to us what the future will bring.

"We're helping her here at MAR (Mike Ashley Racing) and I'm helping her, as a family member. Of course, my wife's her cousin. It could do nothing but positive things for our sport, because when she rode a Pro Stock Bike, I think she was one of the top three out of the whole NHRA community, she's one of the top three drivers in the sport. To have her in one of the premier classes could only help our sport grow. I think there's some pretty serious stuff on the table right now. If everything goes well, it could be a really good addition to MAR . . . we've been working hard and she's been working hard. If this deal happens, it's going to be something that will be awesome for our whole sport."

Listen to the entire show using this link:
http://www.modavox.com/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=41913

Upcoming The Race Reporters guests:
(Show is live Wednesdays at 7 p.m. EDT, downloadable, and available on-demand at no cost. Click on TRR page logo in upper right-hand column.)

October 28 -- A.J. Allmendinger. Panelists: Dave Kallmann, Lewis Franck. Plus, Paul Page.

November 4 -- Mark Kent (GM Racing manager). Panelists: Bob Pockrass, Dave Argabright. Plus, Dave (The King) Wilson.

[ more early next week . . . ]

RUSH-ing OUT the WELCOME MAT

Life and business are about taking advantage of opportunities. Some NASCAR Sprint Cup team owners missed a big one last week.

Here's what I would have done, if I owned a team and needed an investment partner: I would have called Rush Limbaugh.

The conversative radio talk show host (let me admit, I've been an avid Rush listener since October 1988 -- and that doesn't mean I always agree with him) got railroaded by political correctness and flat-out lazy reporting/commentary and was dropped by a group trying to buy the NFL's St. Louis Rams. Limbaugh says he's not going to sue, but I would have immediately filed against every one of those talking heads who inaccurately repeated unsourced (and, to the best of my knowledge), false quotes attributed to Rush.

Here's a true fact: Very -- and I mean VERY -- few of the media talkers and political activists who teed-off on Limbaugh could withstand similar scrutiny of their personal and professional lives.

And, let me add, the almighty NFL and its commissioner, Roger Goodell, came out of this looking as bad as, well, CNN's Rick Sanchez and MSNBC's David Shuster -- ego heavyweights/journalistic lightweights -- to name two. (Goodell's wife is Fox News anchor Jane Skinner and I wouldn't be surprised if her ratings take a short-term hit.)

The most enormous hypocrisy is Goodell and the media elites see no problem in NBC's Hater-In-Chief spewing tons of lunacy and divisiveness five nights a week on cable, but he's just fine for Sunday Night Football.

Anyway, if the NFL doesn't want Limbaugh, some Cup team owner should. (Please, don't even try to tell me Rush's controversial nature means he doesn't measure-up to the standards of some other owners. Check the record.)

I well remember Limbaugh's comments about Dale Earnhardt the day after The Intimidator died at Daytona. Rush admitted he hadn't met Dale, but was laser-on in explaining why Earnhardt had connected so powerfully with the American sports public. And, why, his passing triggered such an outpouring of grief.

If you doubt Rush would be enthusiastically welcomed by NASCAR fans, let's put it to a test: At Daytona, or Talladega, or Bristol, or Darlington, introduce four celebrities on the pre-race stage and let's see who gets the loudest ovation -- David Letterman and Brian Williams . . . or Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh.

I guarantee you, the liberal comic and liberal newsman won't accept the challenge. Their egos couldn't handle the embarrassment.

FAST LINES: Per last week's posting, suggesting racing Town Hall meetings, New Hampshire Motor Speedway communications director Fred Neergaard informs me Bruton Smith and Jerry Gappens, often joined by Marcus Smith, have held such gatherings with pre-race pit pass holders at both Sprint Cup events last year and this season. "The feedback that we get from the fans at these meetings is extremely important!!!," writes Neergaard . . . To begin Brickyard 400 ticket sales and start a fan contest to win a trip to the Sprint Cup awards ceremony in Las Vegas, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway had Elvis impersonator/Indiana State Rep. Bruce Borders perform in the lobby of its administration building. Sad, what that tells us about IMS these days, and politicians . . . I thought David Pearson (to Richard Petty what Jack Nicklaus was to Arnold Palmer) would make the NASCAR Hall of Fame's first class and Bill France Jr. would lead the second group. Here's what I learned watching NASCAR Race Hub last week -- Rick Allen should not have had a NASCAR Hall of Fame vote. Too inexperienced to make such an important decision, one based largely on a strong historical knowledge of the sport. There were two other media judges picked on the basis of their title or media affiliation, not their personal knowledge of (or, in one case, interest in) the sport. I guess I should be glad Digger wasn't a voter . . . I'll say this for the second consecutive year -- It's ridiculous Formula One doesn't make the new world champion available on its world-feed video.

The American Media, October 10, 2009: Ex-ESPNer Stephen A. Smith appears on CNN -- to talk about health-care reform.

Upcoming The Race Reporters guests:
(Show is live Wednesdays at 7 p.m. EDT, downloadable, and available on-demand at no cost. Click on TRR page logo in upper right-hand column.)

October 21 -- Antron Brown. Panelists: Larry Henry, Bobby Bennett, Corinne Economaki.

October 28 -- A.J. Allmendinger. Panelists: Dave Kallmann, Lewis Franck. Plus, Paul Page.

November 4 -- Mark Kent (GM Racing manager). Panelists: Bob Pockrass, Dave Argabright. Plus, Dave (The King) Wilson.

[ Anton Brown news nuggest Thursday . . . ]

SPERBER ON INDUSTRY COOPERATION

Bryan Sperber, president of Phoenix International Raceway, was my Newsmaker guest on Wednesday night's The Race Reporters show on Power Up Channel. PIR hosts the Sprint Cup Chase semifinal, the Nov. 15 Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500k, plus USAC on Thursday night, Nov. 12; Camping World Trucks on Friday night, Nov. 13; and the Nationwide Series on Saturday, Nov. 14. Terry Blount, of ESPN.com; and Ron Lemasters Jr., of National Speed Sport News, came on for the journalists' roundtable and joined in questioning Sperber.

I asked Sperber about increased cooperation among track operators, drivers, teams and sponsors to out-reach to fans in this current economic environment:

"All of them, the tone of the conversation is, what can we do to help? I like to think that we also, on the track side, exhibit that same level of cooperation. We are able, as a sport, now to work together in ways that we didn't do years ago. The fans are going to benefit from that. The fans will be able to see this level of cooperation in our race weekend, as we did in April, we're going to have drivers and other personalities give of their time to do fan forums in our midway . . . I don't know that we could ever have pulled something like that off a few years ago."


Listen to the entire show using this link:
http://www.modavox.com/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=41714


Upcoming The Race Reporters guests:
(Show is live Wednesdays at 7 p.m. EDT, downloadable, and available on-demand at no cost. Click on TRR page logo in upper right-hand column.)

October 21 -- Antron Brown. Panelists: Larry Henry, Bobby Bennett, Corinne Economaki.

October 28 -- A.J. Allmendinger. Panelists: Dave Kallmann, Lewis Franck. Plus, Paul Page.

November 4 -- Mark Kent (GM Racing manager). Panelists: Bob Pockrass, TBA. Plus, Dave (The King) Wilson.

[ more early next week . . . ]

TIME FOR RACING TOWN HALLS

Last week's announcement, via media teleconference, that NASCAR and its TV partners have agreed to earlier and more uniform starting times for 2010 Sprint Cup races was a welcome sign that the Powers-That-Be are listening to "real fans" -- as well as reading the ratings. (The memory of last February's rain-shortened season-starting-dud of a Daytona "500" remains strong after the Fox-mandated, ticket-buying public insulting, 3:42 p.m. EST green flag.)

NASCAR's release included this: "In making the decision . . . NASCAR consulted its Fan Council, comprised of 12,000 avid fans who serve as a sounding board on important topics."

Good. Now it's time to take the next step.

In August, the hottest action was not found on any NASCAR, NHRA or IRL track. It was in countless political Town Hall meetings, as American citizens exercised their Constitutional right to assemble and be heard by their so-called "representatives" in Washington, D.C. (Except in places like where I am, Scottsdale, Ariz., where our Democrat Congressman Harry Mitchell was afraid to come out in public and only connected with voters via a teleconference.)

I say NASCAR, as well as IRL and NHRA, should have their own Town Halls -- with "real fans" -- before the year is over.

NASCAR should have two -- Texas and Homestead make sense from a logistical and geographic standpoint. I bet SPEED would provide its stage for Brian France, Mike Helton and Jim Hunter. Some car owners, drivers and sponsor reps also should participate. NHRA could do this at Pomona before its Full Throttle finale, and ESPN2 has the platform for its pre-race show to offer Tom Compton, Graham Light and Jerry Archambeault. Whatever IndyCar Series fans who might still be out there could be invited to the Brickyard Crossing in the next few weeks to interact with whoever will, by then, be running the show at the League and the Speedway. I realize it might be tough to get top-name drivers to attend, since an American has not won a series race since Ryan Hunter-Reay at Watkins Glen -- in July of LAST year.

Such Town Halls would make good business sense and certainly would be a PR hit with those who actually spend money on tickets, concessions and souvenirs. I'm sure they would generate a nice slice of positive media coverage, too.

The only two unknowns are: 1) Who will man-up to the challenge? 2) Who will make excuses not to hear from the customers?


In a year of weak-tea pit reporting being passed-off as bourbon, add Chris Neville's interview with Roger Penske during Saturday's Grand-Am finale at Homestead. Twice, while talking to Penske, SPEED's Neville said he "hoped" Roger's Rolex Series team would return in 2010. Hey, Chris, why didn't you ASK Roger -- yes or no -- if he was coming back? (!) Fans deserve better, and it's long-past time for the sanctioning organizations to demand it from their TV "partners."


Interview request: I would dearly love to talk with the Pepsi person responsible for making successful the sponsorship of last weekend's Pepsi 500 at Auto Club (California) Speedway. As part of the track's new policy to charge journalists for media-center meals (and, I say again, providing food is a courtesy, not an obligation), the options available to non-payers were the coffee pot and bottled water. PR Kindergarten should have taught someone, anyone, that comp Pepsi for reporters covering the Pepsi 500 was so obvious as to not even need to be mentioned. I'd call this dumb, but I don't want to insult dumb people . . . That sound I heard Sunday wasn't engines revving, but PR giants like Jim Chapman, Jack Duffy, Bill Dredge and Dick Ralstin -- who understood real PR centered around developing good one-on-one relationships with journos -- calling down from heaven, "Don't do it!"


Here's a link to my new "All Business" column in the October Drag Racing Online.com:
http://dragracingonline.com/columns/knight/xi_10-1.html

Gil de Ferran did his second retirement the same way as his first. Saturday, at Laguna Seca, he started on pole and won the ALMS finale in his self-owned Acura. In 2003, that's how Gil wrapped his IndyCar career -- pole and win at Texas Motor Speedway. It doesn't matter if you're a NASCAR or NHRA fan, you should listen to the smart things Mr. Gil said on The Race Reporters last week. Here's the show link:
http://www.modavox.com/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=41510


The American Media, October 7, 2009: Today -- produced by NBC's NEWS division, had its "journalists" dress-up in 1970s style. Why? To mark the 35th anniversary of People magazine.

Upcoming The Race Reporters guests:
(Show is live Wednesdays at 7 p.m. EDT, downloadable, and available on-demand at no cost. Click on TRR page logo in upper right-hand column.)

October 14 -- Bryan Sperber (president, Phoenix International Raceway). Panelists: Terry Blount, Ron Lemasters Jr.

October 21 -- Antron Brown. Panelists: Larry Henry, Bobby Bennett, Corinne Economaki.

October 28 -- A.J. Allmendinger. Panelists: Dave Kallmann, Lewis Franck. Plus, Paul Page.

November 4 -- Mark Kent (GM Racing manager). Panelists: Bob Pockrass, Greg Zyla. Plus, Dave (The King) Wilson.

[ Bryan Sperber news nugget Thursday . . . ]

WHAT 'THE MOST INTERESTING MAN' HAD TO SAY

In one of the best The Race Reporters shows yet, Gil de Ferran was the Newsmaker guest Wednesday night on Power Up Channel. Gil is retiring -- for the second time -- after Saturday's ALMS season finale at Laguna Seca to focus on team ownership. Ten years ago, I wrote a column calling Gil "The Most Interesting Man in Motorsports," and he proved it again on my show.

We had a great journalists' roundtable with Mike Harris and Gordon Kirby, who stayed on to help interview Gil. Actually, what we had was a good conversation. Among the questions Gil answered: Having gone through retirement once before, will it be easier for him to deal with his emotions at Laguna? What's more fun, driving an Indy Car or ALMS Acura? What's the status of his team for 2010? What was the difference in driving for Jackie Stewart vs. Jim Hall? Does he regret not driving in Formula One? What should the next generation of Indy Cars be like? (Hint: GREAT answer and I agree with Gil completely on this!)

In a question you couldn't put to a lot of people, I asked Gil, as a team owner in an American series, is his responsibility to hire the best available driver for his team and sponsors, or, perhaps, to help build the series by taking on a qualified American?

"I think my greater responsibility is always to put the best available driver behind the wheel. As a team owner, I've always thought that way. Even in the sports car program, we always felt that way. I have to say, as a driver, and not American born, I actually benefitted from that attitude from several team owners and two American team owners. One was Jim Hall and the other was Roger Penske. My opinion is a simple one: I think there are some very good, very talented, American drivers. In fact, some very good ones currently racing in Indy Cars. The one who particularly comes to mind is Graham Rahal, who is extremely young, and extremely talented. He's already getting some great results. I think the reason you don't see more American drivers coming to prominence is a simple one. It has to do with the success of NASCAR, and the draw NASCAR has in the younger generation. From an early age, many of the drivers who would have the potential to be successful in Indy Car racing, takes to a different branch of the sport and grows toward finding a ride in NASCAR. Hopefully, if Indy Car regains its rightful place in the world of motorsports, that will change."

Listen to the entire show using this link:
http://www.blogger.com/www.modavox.com/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=41510

Upcoming The Race Reporters guests:
(Show is live Wednesdays at 7 p.m. EDT, downloadable, and available on-demand at no cost. Click on TRR page logo in upper right-hand column.)

October 14 -- Bryan Sperber (president, Phoenix International Raceway). Panelists: Terry Blount, Ron Lemasters Jr.

October 21 -- Antron Brown. Panelists: Larry Henry, Bobby Bennett, Corinne Economaki.

October 28 -- A.J. Allmendinger. Panelists: Dave Kallmann, Lewis Franck. Plus, Paul Page.

[ more early next week . . . ]

GIL GUESTS 3 DAYS BEFORE GOODBYE

I will consider it a great pleasure to welcome Gil de Ferran (left, photo courtesy of Dan R. Boyd) to The Race Reporters on Wednesday, 7 p.m., on the Power Up Channel. (Click on show logo in right-hand column to listen.)

I had the joy of working with Mr. Gil for two years in CART. He's one of the smartest -- and nicest -- people I've ever met. Ten years ago, I wrote a column calling him "The Most Interesting Man in Motorsports." It was true then, when we talked about issues ranging from world affairs to U.S. politics to gun control to movies to TV production and ratings. And, it's true now, as he prepares to retire from driving for the second time.

I'll let you in on a secret: Even when he captured consecutive CART championships in 1997 and 1998, Alex Zanardi thought de Ferran was Honda's true favorite son.

After winning two PPG Cups and the 2003 Indianapolis 500, and increasingly concerned about the IRL's pack racing format, de Ferran retired. The record shows that, at that last event, at Texas Motor Speedway, he took the pole and race victory. A brief stint as an ABC/ESPN commentator followed but then Honda offered the opportunity to Gil to be sporting director of its Formula One team. One of Gil's key hires was Rubens Barrichello, now contending for the world championship for Ross Brawn, who took over the Honda team this season.

He returned last year as owner-driver to help develop Acura's ALMS P1 class car. With four wins this season, he has an outside shot at the championship in Saturday's finale at Laguna Seca. Since I passionately believe that, once a driver retires, he should never get back in a car, I'll be happy when the checkered flag waves. I'm hoping the story will end the same way it did at Texas six years ago.

Mike Harris and Gordon Kirby, who have covered all of Gil's career in America, will join me for the journalists' roundtable. They'll stay on as we talk with Gil in two segments in the show's second half-hour.


Let me say this once again: Hiding behind an E-mail is no substitute for the personal communication of a telephone call. Especially when it comes to media relations.

I'm not going to get into specifics, but I had two bad experiences last week. In one, the response to a long-scheduled but botched interview was a weak E from an experienced publicist. Only when I called him out on that did I get a phone call. In the other case, a lesser experienced person admitted to a bad bit of mis-scheduling, but at least she called right away when she realized the problem. It was a major hassle, took a lot of effort, but we worked out a solution.


To showbiz and society publicists, getting on the New York Post's Page Six is like going to Mecca. How to do that? Some tips that apply elsewhere, too:
http://http//www.mediabistro.com/prnewser/pitches/how_to_plant_an_item_in_page_six_136581.asp


Mike Kerchner, National Speed Sport News senior editor, commented on the Juan Pablo Montoya satellite TV fiasco on TRR. I give the last word to what was in Chris Economaki's notebook last week (and I agree):

"Drivers tend to stick around when television is involved. Montoya didn’t. But when it comes to print media, it is common for drivers — and their public relations representatives — not to show up, to be late and to not return phone calls."

The American Media: September 23, 2009: The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner headline caption with a photo of former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's speech in Hong Kong -- "A Broad in Asia." (The paper printed an apology.)

The American Media, October 2, 2009: The NBC/MSNBC and CNN coverage of Chicago's failed bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics. It represented cheerleading at its worst and lazily not bothering to educate themselves about the byzantine machinations of International Olympic Committee politics. Just a couple of hours before the IOC eliminated Chicago on the first ballot, Natalie Morales said on MSNBC from Copenhagen, "It's Chicago's to lose." She added, "It's Chicago's time" and rattled on about President Obama's "rock star" appearance at the IOC meeting and how IOC members "rushed" to meet Obama. (Based on media reports, I thought the world loved U.S. now that George W. Bush is out of office and Obama is in.) A perfect example of why all the surveys show the public's greatly diminished confidence and trust in what the media reports.

Upcoming The Race Reporters guests:
(Show is live Wednesdays at 7 p.m. EDT, downloadable, and available on-demand at no cost. Click on TRR page logo in upper right-hand column.)

October 14 -- Bryan Sperber (president, Phoenix International Raceway). Panelists: Terry Blount, Ron Lemasters Jr.

October 21 -- Antron Brown. Panelists: Larry Henry, Bobby Bennett, Corinne Economaki.

October 28 -- A.J. Allmendinger. Panelists: Dave Kallmann, Lewis Franck. Plus, Paul Page.

[ Gil de Ferran news nugget Thursday . . . ]

DALY NEWS

John Daly, of The Daly Planet, was Wednesday night's Newsmaker of the Week on The Race Reporters. John was an exceptional interview and anyone who has ever commented on how TV covers motorsports should listen. John's site is DalyPlanet.blogspot.com .

Here's one of John's insightful quotes:

"The No. 1 topic on my web site, and the No. 1 topic in my E-mail, is the fact that, while there are 12 drivers in the Chase, all the other teams have disappeared. The fundamental issue that ESPN, and even NASCAR, is wrestling with is that fans don't change their allegiance. So, when you eliminate Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth and all the other high-profile non-Chasers from the television coverage, you encourage the fans to turn the channel and watch their local NFL game."

Use this link to listen to the show:
http://www.modavox.com/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=41366

Upcoming The Race Reporters guests:
(Show is live Wednesdays at 7 p.m. EDT, downloadable, and available on-demand. Click on TRR page logo in upper right-hand column.)

October 7 -- Gil de Ferran. Panelists: Mike Harris, Gordon Kirby.

October 14 -- Bryan Sperber (president, Phoenix International Raceway). Panelists: Terry Blount, Ron Lemasters Jr.

October 21 -- Antron Brown. Panelists: Larry Henry, Bobby Bennett, Corinne Economaki.

October 28 -- A.J. Allmendinger. Panelists: Dave Kallmann, Lewis Franck.

[ more early next week . . . ]

STAY TUNED

The only thing race fans enjoy talking about more than racing is how TV covers racing.

That's what we'll do Wednesday on The Race Reporters, 7 p.m. EDT, on PowerUpChannel.com. (Listen by clicking the show home page logo in the right-hand column.)

John Daly, whose The Daly Planet site (http://dalyplanet.blogspot.com/) is the most influential voice analyzing motorsports on the tube, will be my Newsmaker guest. As Ed Hinton is to many NASCAR fans, or Robin Miller to open-wheel fans, or Gordon Kirby, Dave Argabright, Peter De Lorenzo or Jon Asher to others, that's what John's column is within the industry. I know it is to me.

The most important thing is John brings much credibility and experience to his postings. In brief, a quarter-century in TV production, including time at ESPN, Prime Network and Sunbelt Video. I don't always agree with his viewpoint, but I respect it a ton.

John and I will discuss the hot-button TV issues one-on-one. Honestly, I expect this to be a candid and important conversation.

Bob Margolis and Jonathan Ingram will do the journalists' roundtable. We'll wrap with NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Karen Stoffer, who made the finals at Charlotte on the Geico Suzuki.

FAST LINES: I have been saying for some time that the most insidious trend in motorsports is driver business managers making media relations decisions, which they are not qualified to do. Here's proof -- Danica Patrick recently admitted her IMG agent advised her not to do interviews or news conferences until resolution of her 2010 contract situation. This trend is to be resisted, at EVERY turn, by PR pros and journalists . . . Reports are Patrick has a three-year contract extension with what is now Andretti Green Racing. I would not be making any big bets there will even be an IRL series in three years, at least as we now know it . . . ALMS is another series traveling a far-more fragile path than most realize. Only nine races on the 2010 schedule (St. Pete gone). Based on my experience, I consider 12 the absolute minimum for any sort of legitimate corporate marketing/publicity ROI. At Road Atlanta, ALMS President Scott Atherton said U.S. TV viewership has remained virtually flat. “In this era, flat is the new up,” he announced. Running Petit Le Mans the same weekend as the Tour Championship (and FedEx Cup finale) in the same market sure didn't help anyone, from a coverage standpoint . . . SPEED didn't label Saturday night's Las Vegas Truck race as being 350 kilometers. I'll say it again: The American public does not think event distances are in the metric system. A "350" is assumed by the public to mean MILES. Is it really too much to ask for everyone involved in such gimmicks to at least honestly label them as such? . . . Some very important people would be smart to note that ING, Renault's primary Formula One sponsor, removed its ID when the FIA sanctioned the team for ordering one of its drivers to crash in a race last year to help his teammate win . . . I don't play golf, but follow that industry, because there are many parallels to auto racing. Here's another reason why I consider the LPGA to be headed down the same road as CART -- An American player hasn't won on that tour since MAY, when Cristie Kerr got the trophy at the Michelob Ultra Open at Kingsmill, in Williamsburg, Va. (FYI -- Anheuser-Busch, under new ownership, just dropped its sponsorship of that successful tournament.) And a USAer hasn't been LPGA Player of the Year since 1994; that was Beth Daniel. (Of course, Annika Sorenstam was PofY eight times in that span.) IRL, please take note . . . The bottom sure has fallen out of hard-liquor sponsorships in NASCAR, after a lot of lobbying efforts to get Daytona Beach to OK the category. The Jack Daniels (Richard Childress Racing) and Jim Beam (Robby Gordon) money will dry-up at season's end. Replacements? Since the proposed Richard Petty Motorsports-Yates Racing combo would eliminate two entries, and Roush Fenway is required by rule to cut one, Cup car counts in 2010 again loom as an issue . . . Add this to last week's list of what egoist sports talk radio show hosts think listeners care about -- What expensive steakhouse they went to for dinner.

The American Media: September 25, 2009 -- John Gambadoro, Sports 620 KTAR (an ESPN affiliate), Phoenix. "To go to a NASCAR race, I'd rather shoot myself." As for the drivers, ". . . if you want to call them athletes." Why didn't Danica go to NASCAR? "Maybe it's (she's) too much of a gimmick for them." (Ever heard of the Chase, John?) The Indianapolis 500? "Shoot me now before I have to watch that stinkin' race."

Upcoming The Race Reporters guests:
(Show is live Wednesdays at 7 p.m. EDT, downloadable, and available on-demand. Click on TRR page logo in upper right-hand column.)

October 7 -- Gil de Ferran. Panelists: Mike Harris, Gordon Kirby.

October 14 -- Bryan Sperber (president, Phoenix International Raceway). Panelists: Terry Blount, Ron Lemasters Jr.

October 21 -- Antron Brown. Panelists: Bobby Bennett, Corinne Economaki.

[ John Daly news nuggest Thursday . . . ]

JEG on QUALIFYING

U.S. Nationals winner and four-time Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. was the Newsmaker guest on Wednesday night's The Race Reporters show on PowerUpChannel.com. NHRA announcer Alan Reinhart, Drag Racing Online.com editor Jeff Burk, and National Speed Sport News senior editor Mike Kerchner joined me for the journalists' roundtable -- and they engaged in a very informative conversation on various topics.

Coughlin finished NHRA's "regular season" atop the Pro Stock standings. But the points reset for the Countdown, and NHRA added bonus points for each qualifying session. I reviewed Jeg's stats vs. Mike Edwards' through last weekend's Charlotte race: Starting line wins 43-16 vs. 23-34; Holeshot record 5-1 vs. 1-6; Round wins-losses 47-12 vs. 42-15. But Edwards has 11 poles to none for Jeg, and their average qualifying position is 1.89 for Edwards to Jeg's 6.68. Edwards now leads by 56 points. I asked Jeg if he was worried about losing the title based on qualifying results instead of what happens in final eliminations.

"I'm not worried about that. I think the qualifying points are just part of the new rules and we have to adjust. We've got some work to do with our qualifying . . . The goal is to get the car in the top eight. We have the horsepower and the car to do it."

Listen to the show using this link:
http://www.modavox.com/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=41220


Upcoming The Race Reporters guests:
(Show is live Wednesdays at 7 p.m. EDT, downloadable, and available on-demand. Click on TRR page logo in upper right-hand column.)

September 30 -- John Daly (editor, The Daly Planet.) Panelists: Lewis Franck, Jonathan Ingram. Plus, NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Karen Stoffer.

October 7 -- Gil de Ferran. Panelists: Mike Harris, Gordon Kirby.

October 14 -- Bryan Sperber (president, Phoenix International Raceway). Panelists: Terry Blount, Ron Lemasters Jr.

October 21 -- Antron Brown. Panelists: Bobby Bennett, Corinne Economaki.

[ more early next week . . . ]

LISTENING and LEARNING

SWEET TREAT: To celebrate last week's 40th anniversary of the first race at Talladega Superspeedway (quick -- who won?), track president Rick Humphrey surprised members of a tour group with cake in victory lane. Showing that the small PR gesture still has a useful role. 'Dega hosts the Amp Energy 500 Cup Chase race Nov. 1. (Answer: Richard Brickhouse.)

Since I began hosting The Race Reporters (Wednesdays, 7 p.m. EDT, PowerUpChannel.com) last June, I've found myself listening to national and local sports talk radio in a different way.

I pay more attention to the promos. Here's something I've noticed: People who used to be "reporters" now are called "personalities."

I hear that these shows are "personality-driven." I think they are more EGO-driven.

See how many of these items apply to those on your audio speaker:

1. The host mentions he has tickets to a sold-out concert.

2. The host mentions who (celebrity) he played golf with and/or the premier course he played.

3. The host mentions the party he is going to/went to and who he met.

4. The host talks-down to the audience. (In Phoenix, one guy said last week that he had received 140 E-mails about the Arizona Cardinals, and "only two of them were intelligent.") Or, rips fans for not "supporting" (read that: buy tickets) to an event, while talking about what he saw from the press box or premium seats.

5. The host has stupid nicknames for studio sidekicks, producers or engineers.

I, as a listener, don't give a damn about any of the above. I wonder why these hosts would think you would. Oh, I already answered that: EGO. (!)

Information for the August TRR (four shows) vs. July (five shows) is in: Our total numbers increased by just a fraction under 800 percent.

THANK YOU!

Let me repeat what I said when the TRR was launched. What I am working hard to offer you is INTELLIGENT INFORMATION. I am most proud of the very high quality Newsmaker and media guests who have accepted my invitation to join the conversation. Yes, I have my brief commentary in the opening segment. Then, I try to get out of the way and let you hear from the likes of Richard Petty, John Force, Ashley Force Hood, Dario Franchitti, Tony Schumacher, Scott Pruett, Ray Evernham, Chris Economaki, Joey Logano and the other Newsmakers who have been on. As well as a selection of the country's top journalists. I see my role as steering the discussion, asking questions, and adding points-of-interest.

We'll go again Wednesday night, with four-time NHRA Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. Alan Reinhart (NHRA top-end announcer), Mike Kerchner (National Speed Sport News senior editor) and Jeff Burk (Drag Racing Online.com editor) will join me for the journalists' roundtable.

As I promise at the start of every show: If you listen, you'll learn. And, as I conclude each show: If you read and listen to good journalism, you'll be a better race fan.

Please keep listening. Or give us a try. Thanks again.


Sure, this is a great excuse to run a picture of Jennifer Aniston (new movie, Love Happens), but I AGREE with her 100 percent in this quote from Parade magazine:

“It’s embarrassing that people are focused so much and putting so much money into gossip magazines to escape. The paparazzi and the magazines deserve their share of the blame, but they’re just supplying a demand. It’s unfortunate that people don’t care that they’ve been lied to, they don’t care that they’re being sort of messed with and not given the full truth. They buy them anyway.”


FAST LINES: Every journalist and media organization in this country should be desperately worried about the results of last week's Pew Research Center for the People & the Press survey. No less than 63 percent consider information they read, hear and watch frequently inaccurate. That's the highest level of skepticism since the survey began in 1985. I'm not saying the poll is perfect. I am saying to the business and editorial decision-makers: YES, the economic environment is terrible. But just why would you expect people to buy your products given this perception? Improved quality is a key to any financial rebound . . . NASCAR steered away from what it did in the past for national pre-Chase promotion from the New York City media day. Previously, individual tracks hosted a local gathering in a restaurant or other suitable location, and four drivers came on via satellite TV for interviews tailored to that market's event. This time, while there were satellite interviews to specific stations, it otherwise was done via the regular Internet/phone format. I'm sure cost-cutting was an issue. I have no doubt the talking point would go something like, "We took advantage of technology to make this more convenient for the media." OK, but, at the foundation of good PR is building one-on-one relationships. The previous format offered the chance for that in-person experience as well as localizing the story (read that: Ticket $elling). My politician friends call this an op to "press the flesh." This time around, it was used to press the "send" button for another E-mail -- just how many phone calls were made to media reminding/encouraging them to participate? . . . EVERY team owner, sponsorship manager and "PR" rep should be sat down in a room together and required to watch and listen to this -- and I'm referring to the announcer's commentary (note the down-arrow graphic): http://www.fox40.com/videobeta/watch/?watch=027b811e-6268-4c76-b8eb-a0bfc822efd2&src=front . . . I've been told by NASCAR it does not release black-box crash data, such as Gs at impact. Drivers I've asked have punted. (Since such info is readily available in other series, that only leads to suspicion.) Apparently, though, Ron Hornaday Jr. didn't get the memo. In the New Hampshire media center, he admitted his accident at Gateway registered 68 Gs . . . Legendary TV production executive Don Ohlmeyer's ESPN.com postings, in his role as ESPN's new ombudsman, are educational for those wanting to learn more about the "inside" of the biz . . . Excuse me while I roll my eyes: ESPN Radio's Dan Davis said, in a commentary last week, that the PGA Tour players policy board should adopt a rule that pros can wear only ONE sponsor ID per round. (!) Hey, Dan, if that happens, I hope ESPN will find the budget to let you cover the European and Asian tours, because that's where a lot of the top players will be teeing it up . . . The American Media, Sept. 17, 2009 -- Ted Kennedy Jr. (selling a book) to NBC News cable's Hater-In-Chief: "My father was a huge fan of this program." Cue the Hater-In-Chief (bowed head, misty eyes, lump-in-throat, deep breath): "I remain speechless at the thought."

Upcoming The Race Reporters guests:

September 30 -- John Daly (editor, The Daly Planet.) Panelists: Lewis Franck, Jonathan Ingram. Plus, NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Karen Stoffer.

October 7 -- Gil de Ferran. Panelists: Mike Harris, Gordon Kirby.

October 14 -- Bryan Sperber (president, Phoenix International Raceway). Panelists: Terry Blount, Ron Lemasters Jr.

[ Jeg Coughlin Jr. news notes Thursday . . . ]

ANY NEW AUTOMAKERS COMING to NASCAR?

Lee White, president of Toyota Racing Development, was Wednesday night's Newsmaker of the Week guest on The Race Reporters on PowerUpChannel.com. Fox and TNT NASCAR pit reporter Matt Yocum; and Autoextremist.com founder Peter De Lorenzo, joined me for the journalists' roundtable.

Lee was asked about Lexus' status in the Grand-Am sports car series (uncertain) and a variety of other topics.

I asked Lee if he thought a European or Asian automaker might enter NASCAR in the near future. Here's his answer:

"That's a good question for them (NASCAR). Certainly, it would be very difficult, today, for us to propose entering anything. It would be challenging for me to go to our management and say, 'We want to take this on.' I guess I have to say we, at TRD, are probably very fortunate that we pulled it off five years ago, when we came into Trucks. We actually started that process 10 years ago, when it became apparent open-wheel racing in North America was going to have significant challenges. We at TRD basically encouraged the company to look at this (NASCAR) along with us as a survival mechanism, to keep the folks at TRD employed. Could it happen? Absolutely. The mechanism is there. The Car of Tomorrow is easily adapted to anyone. Before we came back in, Dodge came back in, and built a from-scratch NASCAR racing engine. That enabled us to do the same thing. Now, GM and Ford have done from-scratch racing engines for NASCAR. There's no question someone else could come in and do that if they desired."

Click this link to listen to the show:

http://va.radiopilot.net/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=41051

Upcoming guests:

September 23 -- Newsmaker: Jeg Coughlin Jr. Panelists: Alan Reinhart, Mike Kerchner, Jeff Burk.

September 30 -- John Daly (editor, The Daly Planet.) Panelists: Lewis Franck, Jonathan Ingram. Plus, NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Karen Stoffer.

October 7 -- Gil de Ferran. Panelists: Mike Harris, Gordon Kirby.

October 14 -- Bryan Sperber (president, Phoenix International Raceway). Panelists: Terry Blount, Ron Lemasters Jr.

[ more next Tuesday. . . ]

FORCE(D) ERRORS

CONGRATULATIONS: To Ashley Force Hood for winning the U.S. Nationals . . . but this image would have been SO much better without the cap pulled down on her head and the big sunglasses, which only served to hide her. The public needs to SEE Ashley (no, not like Danica) if she truly is to be drag racing's superstar for the next generation. The unzipped uniform and safety harness detracted, too, from what could have been a classic PR picture. Yes, there were other photo-ops, but this was the most important -- the moment of victory. Ten seconds of attention would have made all the difference. (Photo courtesy NHRA.)

For once, John Force shouldn't have plugged his sponsors.

I know. I know. He can't help himself.

But, this time, he should have.

For all the sound and fury that burst forth from the U.S. Nationals -- and I'm not going to replay all of that -- I honestly have only one criticism of John. And, it's probably not the one you think.

To me, it's not that he (almost certainly) let teammate and son-in-law Robert Hight win their semifinals match, and thus, advance into NHRA's Full Throttle Countdown to One championship. It's that John was TOO OBVIOUS about it.

Not just by being asleep-slow off the line (.209 light vs. his .086 season average), or going out of the groove, or smoking his tires.

Amidst a terrible season for Team Force in what John himself billed as his "no excuses" tour (no wins for John, Hight or Mike Neff), to me, the most surprising has been Hight's struggles. We are very accustomed to seeing Robert and tuner Jimmy Prock put up impressive ET and top speed numbers, and while I'm not into predictions, I likely would have made Hight my pre-season title favorite. Instead, he's had a couple of DNQs, and went into Indy needing to jump from 12th to 10th in points to make the Countdown.

John made no secret that he was willing to do whatever to get Robert's Auto Club Mustang into the Countdown, and that is where I think drag racing's greatest champion and biggest personality make a mistake. To me, the series of verbal errors launched with his post-Brainerd ESPN2 interview. That's when John announced he had just spoken with the Auto Club president, and would swap cars with Robert for the next two events.

And so it began: Over and over and over again, John said the same thing: That Castrol and Ford and the Auto Club and his other sponsors pay him to win and be in the Countdown. We heard that message some more at Reading, and certainly at Indy. No one could have missed it because John seemingly never did an interview without saying it, and because ESPN2 -- in the name of ratings -- heavily overweights its coverage in his favor.

John was clearly signaling his intentions. We all knew the story.

It would have been better, though, in this instance, if John had not attached the string of sponsor names to this talking point. I would rather he had just called it a "business decision" or "I'm going to do what's best for my team." By naming all the corporate names, he, in effect, put the burden -- and, maybe, the PR hit -- on them.

It was invisible to the media and public, but some of the best PR work I ever did was keeping a sponsor's name OUT of an interview or a story. Obviously, no one can control John Force. I'm not certain if he even can be counseled. But this was a time when John needed to carefully consider the possible consequences of what he said and did.

P.S. We had a lively talk about this in the first two segments of last week's The Race Reporters. Click this link to listen:
http://www.modavox.com/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=40919

Here's a link to my September "All Business" column on Drag Racing Online.com, on NHRA's incredible self-inflicted wound:
http://dragracingonline.com/columns/knight/xi_9-1.html


Kenny Wallace had the nerve to talk about his "reflections" of Sept. 11, 2001, in the Richmond Raceway media center last Friday. Well, here's MY reflection of Wallace and 9/11: Kenny going on ESPN2's old rpm2night show a couple of days after the national tragedy and saying that everyone needed to "chill out." Yes, that's what he said. If there were any standards within cable TV, Wallace would never again have been hired as a commentator -- or had a sponsor, not to mention an agency of the U.S. government -- after that grotesquely insensitive and inappropriate remark. I'm still waiting to hear his apology.


Steve Snoddy was not only a friend of mine, he was the rare person who gave back to motorsports. When I was CART's communications director, 1980-1983, Steve took on the task of running photographers' seminars at just about every race. He taught the veterans and newcomers safety and courtesy tips. I had the pleasure of calling Steve to the stage at the 1983 CART awards ceremony and presenting him with an appreciation award. A couple of years ago, Steve told me it was his dream to create a racing photographers Hall of Fame. He didn't get the chance. Steve, a member of the Jim Chapman Award selection committee, died last week. Thank you, Steve, and God Bless.

Upcoming guests:

September 16 -- Newsmaker: Lee White. Panelists: Matt Yocum, Peter De Lorenzo.

September 23 -- Newsmaker: Jeg Coughlin Jr. Panelists: Alan Reinhart, Mike Kerchner, Jeff Burk.

September 30 -- John Daly (editor, The Daly Planet.) Panelists: Lewis Franck, Jonathan Ingram. Plus, NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Karen Stoffer.

October 7 -- Gil de Ferran. Panelists: Mike Harris, Gordon Kirby.

[ Lee White news nuggest Thursday. . . ]

PRUETT: GRAND-AM WITH NASCAR or I-500?

Scott Pruett, who I consider to be one of America's most under-appreciated racers despite all his wins and championships, was the Newsmaker of the Week guest on Wednesday night's The Race Reporters on PowerUpChannel.com. He and Telmex Lexus-Riley co-driver Memo Rojas are five points out of the championship lead with two Grand-Am events to go. Next up is Utah's Miller Motorsports Park Sept. 19. John Oreovicz, of ESPN.com, and Jim Pedley, managing editor of RacinToday.com, joined me in questioning Pruett. Mark Armijo also was on the journalists' roundtable. I addressed the John Force-Tony Pedregon controversy head-on in my opening commentary and we had a lively discussion about it during the roundtable.

I asked Pruett about last week's historic Grand-Am test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I asked him if there would be a race at IMS, and, if so, when, and sprint or enduro? His answer surprised me and, I think, made some news:

"We can put on a show there like they've never seen before . . . I'm thinking something like six hours or 12 hours where we start in daytime and go into night . . . Everybody's really excited about the opportunity . . . The biggest question mark is when do we go? Do we try to do something with the Indy 500, say on a Friday, or Thursday? Do we try to do something with the Brickyard (400) on Friday or Saturday? Or do we do a stand-alone race? . . . I think that opportunity is out there. I'm hopeful for 2010."

Listen to the entire show using this link:

http://www.modavox.com/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=40919

Upcoming guests:

September 16 -- Newsmaker: Lee White. Panelists: Matt Yocum, Peter De Lorenzo.

September 23 -- Newsmaker: Jeg Coughlin Jr. Panelists: Alan Reinhart, Mike Kerchner, Jeff Burk.

Sept. 30 -- John Daly (editor, The Daly Planet.) Panelists: Lewis Franck, Jonathan Ingram.

October 7 -- Gil de Ferran. Panelists: Mike Harris, Gordon Kirby.

[ more next Tuesday. . . ]

A FEW POST-HOLIDAY FAST LINES

Grand-Am's test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway: Legit tryout for a possible race or simply a PR return-of-favor for the 2007 IRL practice at Daytona. (See my Feb. 6, 2007 blog.) Could sports car run Indy? We'll ask one of the testers, Scott Pruett (left), on Wednesday night's The Race Reporters on PowerUpChannel.com . . . Three of the four most important stories of the weekend were business related: Kenny Bernstein found a sponsor, Don Prudhomme lost his and will be out of racing without a new one or an investor, and Danica Patrick apparently will start to cash-in on NASCAR, while still cashing-in on IRL, with a limited stock car development schedule . . . Fascinating to observe how different organizations spend their PR dollars. Bruton Smith's group spent wisely and flew a group of Charlotte-area media to Indy Saturday for a day of B-roll and interviews at the U.S. Nationals. Others choose to eliminate media guides . . . ESPN2's 600-frames-a-second camera is awesome for drag racing, especially matched with Mike Dunn's ace commentary. Overall, though, TV's U.S. Nationals hype was a bit too ripe, particularly Dave Rieff's shouting . . . I'm surprised Jerry Archambeault isn't all-over the ESPN2 announcers for talking about drivers being "amped-up" at Full Throttle series races.

Ratings for NHRA-on ESPN2 are down over 20 percent this season. Here's an example of a true show-killer from Monday's final eliminations at Indy: Funny Car teammates Bob Tasca III and Tim Wilkerson were the last pair in the first round. We saw the two on the line. Then, in order: A replay, commercials, a taped intro, a network promo, a taped roundtable feature, Jeg Coughlin Jr. interview, commercials, another shot of Tasca-Wilkerson on the line, Ashley Force Hood interview, engine change in the John Force pits, network promo, Spencer Massey interview, Massey first-round replay, Track-tionary feature, Matt Hagan interview, points review graphic, Dave Rieff voicer. Only then, almost 19 minutes later, did we see Tasca beat Wilkerson!

Oh, yes, I have some thoughts on the PR ramifications of the Force-Pedregon controversy at the U.S. Nationals. Come back here next week for those.

Racing expert Brad Daugherty told us Sunday night on ESPN that leader Juan Pablo Montoya was "checking out" from the field, only Kevin Harvick passed Montoya moments later . . . It would have been good for NASCAR, and its promoted story-line of a Labor Day weekend race back in the South, if Richard Petty had been prominently positioned for TV in victory lane with Atlanta winner Kasey Kahne . . . Dave Despain returned from his biking vacation to host Wind Tunnel with a long and insightful interview with John Force. It reminded me of the amazing and emotional 90 minutes I spent with John in his motorhome and pit area at Firebird Raceway, January 2008, his first time back on-track after his accident . . . I'm not into predictions, but I'll make a professional forecast. In the run-up to Diane Sawyer's debut as anchor of ABC News, network publicists will limit her interviews and stress Sawyer's hefty journalistic background and achievements. This, as opposed to CBS' overwhelming and failed hype for Katie Couric, which didn't shy away from Couric's celebrity and star power . . . Here's something I've noticed a lot more of this year: The only phone calls from some publicists come when they want to COMPLAIN about something. I'm pretty sick of it. One recently ringed me with a bit of unhappiness about something someone else said on TRR, but admitted he hadn't actually listened to the show . . . Stew Reamer, who died just over a week ago, was one of the first to awaken my interest in Business of Racing issues via his Racing Promotion Monthly newsletter. In recent years, Stew wrote a column for National Speed Sport News.

Upcoming The Race Reporters guests:

September 9 -- Newsmaker: Scott Pruett. Panelists: John Oreovicz, Jim Pedley, Mark Armijo.

September 16 -- Newsmaker: Lee White. Panelists: Matt Yocum, Peter De Lorenzo.

September 23 -- Newsmaker: Jeg Coughlin Jr. Panelists: Alan Reinhart, Mike Kerchner, Jeff Burk.

September 30 -- Newsmaker: John Daly (editor, The Daly Planet). Panelists: Lewis Franck, Jonathan Ingram.

[ Scott Pruett news nuggest Thursday. . . ]

LOGANO GRADES HIMSELF

Joey Logano was the Newsmaker guest on tonight's The Race Reporters show on PowerUpChannel.com. Mark Armijo (Arizona Republic) joined me in the questioning and John Sturbin (RacinToday.com) was part of the journalists' roundtable.

NASCAR's top rookie (19th in Sprint Cup points with one win) was asked if he's satisfied with the progress he's making, and what grade he'd give his performance (according to NASCAR stats, Joey's average starting and finishing position is the same -- 20.6):

"I didn't know that stat. I think that, compared to what we had at the beginning of the year, compared to now, is night-and-day better. We made one real big step from the beginning of the season until now, and we've got one more to go. As we got to tracks for the second time this season, everything seems to be getting a lot better . . . I never think about what I would grade myself. At the beginning of the season, it wouldn't be good at all. It definitely wasn't where we needed to be. Now, maybe a B. We're coming along. For me, I'm never going to be satisfied . . . Never being satisfied is something that got me to this point."

Click this link to hear the entire show, including Logano's comments on having Kyle Busch as a teammate, and the unprecedented expectations placed on him coming into NASCAR:
http://www.modavox.com/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=40779

Upcoming show guests:

September 9 -- Newsmaker: Scott Pruett. Panelists: John Oreovicz, Jeremy Shaw, Jim Pedley.

September 16 -- Newsmaker: Lee White. Panelists: Matt Yocum, Peter De Lorenzo.

September 23 -- Newsmaker: Jeg Coughlin Jr. Panelists: Alan Reinhart, Mike Kerchner, Jeff Burk.

[ more next Tuesday. . . ]

'BIG GO' IS BIG NEWS

Only members of Congress, at Town Hall meetings, have taken more heat lately than NHRA. There's been more controversy than John Force Racing wins. I'm not going to recount all of that now -- Jon Asher on CompetitionPlus.com and Susan Wade in National Speed Sport News, among others -- have done it well. I have my own angle on this and will deal with it later.

For now, let me remind you this is "Big Go" week -- the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals -- and management performance aside, this is worthy of your time and attention.

This is the third consecutive year I've called for attention to drag racing's most prestigious event, at O'Reilly Raceway Park, near Indianapolis. I think it's important because, from my observation, PR and marketing people engaged in other motorsports' series -- and, yes, journalists -- would do well to see for themselves. (Hint to those active in the IRL: It's an off-weekend. Get out to ORP and learn something.) The access fans have to drivers -- and, maybe more importantly, the drivers' happiness to interact with the public -- is the best I've experienced anywhere.

Reporters who don't know much about the straight-line sport but who seek nothing more than a good story, well, this is like going through an all-you-can-eat buffet. Great personalities, interested in telling their tales, and it's easy to get to them. It'll repeat what I've often said: NHRA is an under-reported motorsport, and deserves more respect from the non-drag racing media.

ESPN2 has six hours of coverage Labor Day Monday. I plan to watch it all, with special focus on the endlessly fascinating Funny Car class. Including my friend Jack Beckman, pictured above.
********************************************************************
FAST LINES: When will Speed TV senior production management insist on some standards? Just one week after Krista Voda's crude opening on Wind Tunnel (see last week's blog), Justin Bell said this on Sunday's ALMS-at-Mosport show: "I think I just peed myself." In what lowered the bar for the worst pit reporting anywhere this season (even making Robbie Floyd look OK), Bell's equally amateurish pit partner, Jamie Howe, blew the call on Gil de Ferran's pit stop. Even though Howe was standing on pit road, directly in front of de Ferran's car, she inaccurately reported that there was a driver change even though Gil got back in (he hadn't completed his minimum time behind the wheel.) Howe was looking right at it, just a few feet away, and still couldn't get it right! . . . What were they thinking? Starting an Indy Car race after 10 p.m. EDT (9 p.m. local) at Chicagoland. Ridiculous. And just what does it tell you about how severely the series' fan base has been eroded that the IRL president says the embarrassing ratings on Versus are what was expected? . . . Perception can = reality. Words mean things. Maybe this was just poorly phrased (I sure hope so), but I was concerned to read the following on Krista Voda's website (emphasis mine): "Recently, I attended the Iowa State Fair with Ron Hornaday and Ricky Carmichael. NASCAR sent us there to promote the September 5th truck series race at the Iowa Speedway." NASCAR "sent" a journalist somewhere to "promote" a race? . . . Going back to what I wrote following the U.S. Formula One team's unveiling on Speed, that network needs to stop breathing in the fumes of self-interest, and start asking more pointed, legitimate questions about this enterprise . . . As in years past, I encourage you to participate, if you are able, in the upcoming NASCAR blood drive for the Red Cross. I'll be at Phoenix International Raceway Sept. 10. Check with your local NASCAR track, or NASCAR.com/foundation, for details.

Upcoming The Race Reporters guests:

September 2 -- Newsmaker: Joey Logano. Panelists: Mark Armijo, John Sturbin. Plus Mike Dunn to preview the U.S. Nationals.

September 9 -- Newsmaker: Scott Pruett. Panelists: John Oreovicz, Jeremy Shaw, Jim Pedley.

September 16 -- Newsmaker: Lee White. Panelists: Matt Yocum, Peter De Lorenzo.

September 23 -- Newsmaker: Jeg Coughlin Jr. Panelists: Alan Reinhart, Mike Kerchner, Jeff Burk.

[ Joey Logano news nugget Thursday . . . ]

ASKING ASHLEY

Ashley Force Hood was Newsmaker of the Week for the second half-hour on last night's The Race Reporters show on PowerUp Channel. Holly Cain, Jeff Wolf and Bobby Bennett joined me in asking questions and for the journalists' roundtable.

We covered many topics with Ashley in advance of the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. Including what she experienced in a major engine explosion last weekend and what she's doing to improve her reaction-time skills. I asked Ashley if she was more pleased with five No. 1 qualifying runs and six final rounds, or more frustrated at only having one win:

"I'll take No. 1 qualifying spots and I'll take final rounds all season long, because that means we're going rounds. We're getting experience and we're gaining points. Of course, you always want to have a win, but it's the toughest thing in the world to have a win and then, in the next race, not qualify or not be able to go a round. When we get on a roll, like we were earlier this season, when we were going to semis and finals week-after-week, as much as we want to win, we do want the points . . . I can see a team getting frustrated by that, but we're not."

Listen to the entire show using this link:
http://www.modavox.com/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=40638

Upcoming show guests:

September 2 -- Newsmaker: Joey Logano. Panelists: Mark Armijo, John Sturbin. Plus Mike Dunn to preview the U.S. Nationals.

September 9 -- Newsmaker: Scott Pruett. Panelists: John Oreovicz, Jeremy Shaw, Jim Pedley.

September 16 -- Newsmaker: Lee White. Panelists: Matt Yocum, Peter De Lorenzo.

September 23 -- Newsmaker: Jeg Coughlin Jr. Panelists: Alan Reinhart, Mike Kerchner, Jeff Burk.

[ more next Tuesday . . . ]

BIG SHOW

Chris Economaki, appearing on my The Race Reporters show, lamented the absence of "drum-beaters" in motorsports. So let me take his words to heart and say I'll have a BIG SHOW this Wednesday, 7 p.m. Eastern, when Ashley Force Hood (left) will be the Newsmaker interview subject for the second half-hour.

Depending on whose survey or metrics you use, Ashley is one of the five most popular drivers in the country. Better yet, she's a legitimate contender for NHRA's Full Throttle Funny Car championship. Ashley is third in points, with one win, six finals rounds, and five No. 1 qualifying runs, heading into the Labor Day weekend U.S. Nationals. Last weekend, at Maple Grove, Ashley went No. 1 but had a major engine explosion that meant she had to race a backup Ford Mustang. She won in the first round only to have the car DQ'd as underweight.

For my journalists' roundtable, and to join in interviewing Ashley, I have: Holly Cain, of AOL Online Sports and AOL Fanhouse; Jeff Wolf, of the Las Vegas Review-Journal; and Bobby Bennett, editor of CompetitionPlus.com.

Click on the show logo in the right-hand column to listen.
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FAST LINES: Need proof on the power of celebrity? Look no further than golf. The PGA Championship final round on CBS was up 150 percent in household ratings over the previous year, when Tiger Woods wasn't in the field. Meanwhile, the LPGA -- which recently bounced its Andrew Craigesque commissioner -- has fallen way off the media scope post-Annika Sorenstam, who was in the hunt to win in virtually every tournament she played . . . Can't let the Sprint Cup season go on without noting Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch's pro-active media relations efforts. Kurt comes to the media center for his NASCAR-required media avail, a move his team describes as "his effort in reaching out to the media rather than making them come to him at the team transporter" . . . Oh, my, how the bar has been lowered: Nicole Manske and Brad Daugherty chosen to interview the President of the United States. It wouldn't have been more gushy if the South Lawn sprinkler system pipes had burst. And, by the way, it would have been journalistically appropriate to have respectfully asked the president about appealing to the voting force known as "NASCAR Dads" . . . The death of political reporter-columnist Robert Novak deserves mention here, because Novak was one of -- if not the -- last of the true "shoe leather" journalists. In a half-century of covering the political scene, Novak was not one to sit at his desk, rewriting news handouts, or waiting for a newsmaker to come to him. He worked the telephone relentlessly, was up on Capitol Hill, traveled with the campaigns, and -- yes -- ate and drank with the decision-makers. As every writer wishes for, Novak was a "must read."


Even though her NASCAR assignments have shown she needs to sharpen her interviewing skills, one might have reasonably thought personable Krista Voda a good substitute host choice for vacationing Dave Despain last Sunday night on Wind Tunnel. One would have been wrong. What turned out to be the worst episode in WT history began with Voda introducing herself by saying -- and, NO, I am NOT making this up -- "I may not pee standing up" but had less hot air. What was she thinking? What did that crude remark accomplish? Not too classy! Which only served to undercut the credibility of her subsequent response to a caller's question, a by-rote defense of female pit reporters. (Yes, there are plenty of bad male announcers, too. Speed employs more than its share.) This was followed by a desperately-in-need-of-media-training Ken Anderson's (of the start-up U.S. F1 team) pitifully bad interview. Followed by the embarrassing Rob D'Amico, who Voda probably would trade a Despain bobblehead to for his earrings. Meanwhile, Robin Miller -- with legitimate news on Danica Patrick apparently staying in Indy Cars -- was relegated to the show's Internet afterthought. Voda then put one of her shoes on the desk as a prop. Voda closed by plugging Tommy Kendall and Danica for the next show and said she was sure they'd be talking about the upcoming motorcycle race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.(!) What?

THIS is destined for the political sound-bite Hall of Fame:
http://www.breitbart.tv/obama-on-dc-handwringing-everybody-in-washington-gets-all-wee-weed-up/
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National Speed Sport News, marking its 75th anniversary, issued a report on the history of advertising in the weekly. It's interesting and here's a part of it:

"The first issue of National Speed Sport News contained 13 advertisements with a combined total of 41-column inches, or less than half of a page. The list of companies purchasing space included: Midget Parts Co., Green Engineering Co., Clymer Motors, Paterson Body Co. and Vorhees Photo. The only product advertised was Pyroil, a racing lubricant used extensively in midget racing.

"By 1936, classified advertising appeared on a weekly basis and ads for upcoming races across the country had become a major part of the paper. Champion began using National Speed Sport News to promote its spark plugs and Montgomery Ward ran several advertisements for its line of midget racing tires.

"As corporate involvement in racing grew, so did the number of companies purchasing advertising space. Race ads continued to be the cornerstone, but by the 1960s ads for companies such as Firestone, Autolite Spark Plugs, Humble Oil & Refining Co. and Oilzum Motor Oil appeared regularly. The Feb. 13, 1963, issue marked a significant milestone when Pepsi placed the first non-automotive consumer product advertisement.

"As corporate sponsorship became an integral part of racing during the 1970s and '80s, brands such as Winston, STP, Goodyear, Valvoline, BFGoodrich, CRC Chemicals, Wrangler and Gatorade supported their racing efforts with ads in the pages of National Speed Sport News. Isuzu Trucks was the first advertiser to include spot color when red appeared in the company's Dec. 5, 1984, advertisement, and Chevrolet published the first four-color ad in the Feb. 3, 1988, issue."

[ Ashley Force Hood news nugget Thursday . . . ]