It's official, Castrol out at JFR after 2014 (3 Viewers)

[Silly Savage]

Not saying this specific situation was in anyway brought on by actions or lack of by the NHRA....BUT, they really need to start thinking about how they can revamp the NHRA to build a stronger foundation for ALL teams out there and find ways to increase interest and exposure. How? I have no suggestions, but like any company/business, there is always ways to improve....

Costs involved with drag racing can be tightened up by rules and regulations, but it needs to be sold to the racers that it is a situation of "you're either with us or you're against us"......

 

[mastertone]

Sorry to hear this for the Force team, but thank you to Castrol and Ford for all you have done for drag racing. Funny Schumacher always seems to find sponsors. I'm sure Force will too.(I Hope) Without John and the Don fuel racing will surely die, it would become an exhibition only category.

 

[None]

Safety going downhill? Can you back up that unfounded allegation and it's relevancy?
The writing was on the wall as Castrol was bought out by BP. Much like Budweiser being bought out, bigger corporate entities see the costs of funding a team like this as an excessive expense for the return on investment. Castrol may have sponsored JFR for 29 years, BP did not. I'm really hoping JFR does land on it's feet with both Ford and Castrol pulling out, or the fuel classes will be primarily a DSR show.

Went from a full time crew to part time pick them up from the local track. The more money saved, the more left for bonuses. Never said anything about Castrol leaving other than sponsors come and go. Castrol same as Budweiser and Ford, all you can say is thank you for all the years that you were here.

 

[mick]

not sure what you call it, but for many years castrol will enjoy brand recall with anything 'force', much the same
that most of us recall 'budweiser' anytime we hear the name 'bernstein'.......or bob seger's 'like a rock' = chevy trucks.

surprised that castrol never promoted their quick lube centers via JFR.

 

[Paul]

The writing was on the wall as Castrol was bought out by BP. Much like Budweiser being bought out, bigger corporate entities see the costs of funding a team like this as an excessive expense for the return on investment. Castrol may have sponsored JFR for 29 years, BP did not. I'm really hoping JFR does land on it's feet with both Ford and Castrol pulling out, or the fuel classes will be primarily a DSR show.

BP bought Castrol 13 years ago and the merger transaction that was completed over a DECADE ago has nothing to due with them cutting costs (which they are not doing, just not marketing in NHRA) in 2015. The cost cutting of a merger is usually realized within the first 2 years after the transaction is finalized. BP sponsored JFR for almost 14 years (almost half of the time of the relationship) when this deal ends next year. This is as simple as a change in marketing strategy. When you brand is in front of the same audience for 28 yrs it is STALE and you will get a much bigger bang for your $$ entering a new market with a different audience.

 

[Nunz]

Great post Paul. This isn't entirely NHRA's fault, but let's face it, they make the rules, and while you can't control how much a racer will spend, you can contain how much NEEDS to be spent to be competitive. And I think just as important, if not more, is marketing. Drag racing cannot be marketed the same way it was 20-30 years ago. Demographics have changed. Competition for the entertainment dollar is tremendously higher than in the past. And while the young kids of today may not work on their cars as in the 60s-70s, there's no reason national events can't pack the stands simply because it's a great show. Drag racing isn't going away, but something has to be done or the "big show" will, or at the very least it won't be so big.

 

[parrotwhisperer]

Castrol and Ford no longer find NHRA an effective way to market their products. They think they can get better bang for their buck elsewhere. Advertising budgets are tight. Suits have to figure their customer demographics and develop cost effective ways to reach them. Drag racing is not fitting in as an effective way reach a large enough group of customers to justify the expense. The $$ outlay is high for the potential return.
There are many contributing factors. The economy is BAD with little chance for improvement for the next three years at least. Yada Yada BUT, the NHRA "product" is the responsibility of Glendora. Ford and Castrol have voted "no confidence" in the NHRA product and so Glendora. In ANY for profit corporation these guys would have been history long ago.
Force is a great spokesman. Castrol may never find a better one. I hope he can find new marketing partners. The NHRA product is what it is right now though, and "selling" new partners may not be easy.

 

[Nick Name]

Suppose for a minute that the Army left as well, and the sheik went home and all of Forces cars,Shoes cars AJ cars had to run on a much smaller budget. Would that be a bad thing as far as the sport goes. How many Steve Torrances would we see getting in the game when it didn't cost as much to do it.

John Ashers article couldn't have come at a better time.

 

[JB3]

Went from a full time crew to part time pick them up from the local track. The more money saved, the more left for bonuses. Never said anything about Castrol leaving other than sponsors come and go. Castrol same as Budweiser and Ford, all you can say is thank you for all the years that you were here.

WHAT ?? You couldn't be more wrong.

As for the Safari, maybe when it was first formed it was all full time. For the most part, the Safety Safari has been predominantly comprised of part time workers from the different regions of the country where the events are conducted. Yes, some may be local track workers, others are workers from the Division level, and some just choose to work 1-3 National events a year because they enjoy that. This has been the protocol for a very long time. Nothing has changed here in the last 20 years (at least), other than some faces due to retirement. But that's normal, isn't it?

There are certain roles (Directors, Truck Drivers, EMS) that are "full time "positions, but that's a small percentage (maybe 30%) of the crew at any given event. Other than that, the guys and gals in the backs of the trucks, directing people off the track, working turnaround, working the staging lanes, working the burnout box, or working the starting line are normal people like the rest of us. Most work 40+ hours a week for someone else and sacrifice much of their vacation time to travel to / from events in the middle of the night. Some may work more events than others and have more experience, but they are still average people who do this for the love of the sport.

 

[cephus]

nuttin last 4ever just the way it is,, BP's money 2 force just a drop n da bucket,, & NHRA members otta vote the suits out for new cast of common sense suits,,, cant hurt

 

[Nunz]

Jay you nailed it!! NHRA shouldn't be reluctant to come up with a new formula for fear of p***ing off the teams out there now, as I've heard mentioned before. The infrastructure is what it is, creating a "car of the future" for the pros won't hurt anyone, these cars have an extremely short shelf-life as it is. And just like short fields tend to bring out more privateers, so would creating a much less expensive package to begin with. And while this will never be "cheap", it's gotten to the point of not making sense for even the wealthy players. This is really beating a dead horse, but with the parts available today, we should be able to have a fuel car that falls between a Nostalgia car and a Big Show car, that would cost a fraction of today's cars to campaign. Then the other part of the equation is aggressive marketing, maybe fueled by the return of fuel cars to the 1/4 mile.

 

[cephus]

maybe the suits n Glendora otta approach the new fox sports channel #219
about carrying the events, cant hurt,, the crap we have with ESPN sux since they have 2 pay 2 play anyway,,look outside the box sometimes comptom 2 worried about his hair and belly fit pants

 

[NYNitro86]

Castrol and Ford no longer find NHRA an effective way to market their products. They think they can get better bang for their buck elsewhere. Advertising budgets are tight. Suits have to figure their customer demographics and develop cost effective ways to reach them. Drag racing is not fitting in as an effective way reach a large enough group of customers to justify the expense. The $$ outlay is high for the potential return.
There are many contributing factors. The economy is BAD with little chance for improvement for the next three years at least. Yada Yada BUT, the NHRA "product" is the responsibility of Glendora. Ford and Castrol have voted "no confidence" in the NHRA product and so Glendora. In ANY for profit corporation these guys would have been history long ago.
Force is a great spokesman. Castrol may never find a better one. I hope he can find new marketing partners. The NHRA product is what it is right now though, and "selling" new partners may not be easy.

I predict the soon to be 2013 Sprint Cup ROTY Ricky Stenhouse Jr gets sponsorship of Castrol GTX on his Ford for Roush-Fenway Racing. Plus his bedfellow is the #1 Marketing Machine in motorsports.

Danica >>>>>>>>>>> Force Girls; sorry it's true. Again I had NEVER EVER SAW the ESPN Body Edition ANYWHERE where I lived. What a Waste.

 

[Rat]

That is the drag racing shot heard around the world. If sponsor loyalty is going away after a strong bond like this, I am worried for the sport now more than ever. Instead of the sport making excuses on its target audience changing, (as that is a fact) how bout a consideration is finally made about the management at the NHRA not being effective enough to do something about the changing of the times?

If I am wrong, prove it to me, but it always seems as if the NHRA just WAITS for someone else to take the ball and do something about it as from an outside view it looks like the NHRA takes a lot for granted until things are at a deadly state and need drastic action. They nearly KILLED PSM last season. It may not be the most popular class to watch, but at least this year you have no idea who is going to take that wally, and even when the Harley's do win again, it won't be like last year.

 

[Silly Savage]

That is the drag racing shot heard around the world. If sponsor loyalty is going away after a strong bond like this, I am worried for the sport now more than ever.

NO sponsor relationship lasted forever. Not with Bernstein, or Prudhomme, Bob Glidden, Warren Johnson, etc, etc. All good things come to an end and it has nothing to do with loyalty.

 

[Mike]

JR, very true. There is a new person in charge of marketing at Castrol.

 

[Rat]

NO sponsor relationship lasted forever. Not with Bernstein, or Prudhomme, Bob Glidden, Warren Johnson, etc, etc. All good things come to an end and it has nothing to do with loyalty.

I want to know the other side of what is not made public. I doubt all these companies leave because, "they want to pursue different strategies." "Loyalty" meaning maybe they wanted to stay, but the sport makes them leave because it's not that the sport is not growing or even maintaining, it's shrinking. I have yet to really see a serious effort at outside growth. We can't even get 1 million people to watch even 1 of the 24 elimination broadcasts on tv. It's pathetic and I think it has to start with the TV. It takes an hour get done with the first round of TF and FC on TV, and in that time at the track you may even get though the first round of pro stock as well in the same time.

Tell me I am blowing hot air, I expect it, but 3 hour programs is not something a drag racing fan can do, TiVo or not. The sport wants to grow the TV structure needs to be reorganized, it's long and amazingly redundant and I am sure somebody on here can agree that when you watch the race and you just know the hour is just dragging along. Longer is not better. Any fan today that the sport wants to capture is not going to sit down for 3 hours when a fast paced show could be an hour and a half.

 

[Paul]

Interesting thought that came to my mind, Courtney Force poses virtually nude in the ESPN Magazine and within 2 months 2 of their biggest sponsors leave them. I always said actions spoke louder than words. This could be a complete coincidence, but it is interesting timing.

 

[Silly Savage]

Interesting thought that came to my mind, Courtney Force poses virtually nude in the ESPN Magazine and within 2 months 2 of their biggest sponsors leave them. I always said actions spoke louder than words. This could be a complete coincidence, but it is interesting timing.

Maybe a Hail Mary by Force knowing that this was coming and he was trying to bring as much exposure to his team ASAP. I think the posing was a reaction not a cause.....

 

[FC138fan]

Before Ford with Tasca on the front bumper, he had Don Steves and raced a Firebird. He was in an Oldsmobile for the first half of the 90's. Depends on your perspective, but for me JF is synonymous with Castrol, not Ford.