It's official, Castrol out at JFR after 2014

[d'kid]

I guess he didn't see Animal House

Guess that makes two of us that didn't make it through it... or that history had been re-written...
d'kid

 

[Randy]

Well - did we quit when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? No way? Who's with me????

Yea, all those German Kamakazi pilots bombed Pearl Harbor.

 

[yoda]

C'mon King, John is the face and mouth of the sport. That you can't deny.

You know, they said the same thing about Prudhomme, Garlits and Muldowney as well...

Robert still carries AAA, Court has Traxxas, so those two are fine. Getting a company to pony up $5M for two cars is gonna be a challenge, but if anyone can pull it off, it'll be John. It just won't be easy.

 

[Mooseman]

There was an interview once with Wally Parks. I wish I could find it. Anyone Wally Parks was asked what he thought of the fact that the Blue Max team had spent over $300,000 in 1979 getting the world championship.

Now not exactly word for word but Wally pretty much said

"Nhra was just to get people off the street, nobody was meant to be able to make a living doing this".

 

[Speedy_Sticks]

The question is; What percentage (in cash terms) did Castrol bankroll JFR? He may have used their money to subsidise his other team's programmes?

Either Coca Cola paid John very little or nothing at all, for them to sponsor that car. The story was that John made it look like they were his prime sponsor to make him look good

Also remember what he did to Pontiac by bringing Ford into his team! Hr is a very clever bloke. But I would love for him to bring in say Mercedes or Honda into Funny car.

Very interesting times!

 

[Mooseman]

Here is John Force back in his coca-cola days.

Part 1: Hidden Heros Part 1 - YouTube
Part 2: Hidden Heros Part 2 - YouTube
Part 3: Hidden Heros Part 3 - YouTube
Part 4: Hidden Heros Part 4 - YouTube
Part 5: Hidden Heros Part 5 - YouTube

 

[SundayNiagara]

You know, they said the same thing about Prudhomme, Garlits and Muldowney as well...

Robert still carries AAA, Court has Traxxas, so those two are fine. Getting a company to pony up $5M for two cars is gonna be a challenge, but if anyone can pull it off, it'll be John. It just won't be easy.

As popular as those three are/were, they don't come close to John Force.

 

[Huge]

Thank's William, that was pretty neat watching Finley do the cylinder heads, and clutch, and put the blower on by himself. Oh how things have changed...and I'm not just talking about the grey in his hair.

 

[yoda]

As popular as those three are/were, they don't come close to John Force.

Wow

Really?

You are kidding, right? Those three names can slip off the tongue of any person in the world when they see a picture of a dragster- instant association

Snake. Big Daddy. Cha-cha.

Don't be fooled by the fame that John has currently IN the sport. Even with his accomplishments, he's still got a few decades left to establish his presence in the general populace. John will be know for a racing dynasty within our sport, but ask Joe or Jane Public what those accomplishments were and 90 percent of them couldn't tell you anything other than he had daughters that raced. Being a 15 time Champion in this sport means nothing- ask ESPN or Sports Illustrated.

Snake, Big and Shirley got famous in the heyday. THAT is why they are internationally famous.
John got famous during the fall.




3, 2, 1.....

 

[SundayNiagara]

Wow

Really?

You are kidding, right? Those three names can slip off the tongue of any person in the world when they see a picture of a dragster- instant association

Snake. Big Daddy. Cha-cha.

Don't be fooled by the fame that John has currently IN the sport. Even with his accomplishments, he's still got a few decades left to establish his presence in the general populace. John will be know for a racing dynasty within our sport, but ask Joe or Jane Public what those accomplishments were and 90 percent of them couldn't tell you anything other than he had daughters that raced. Being a 15 time Champion in this sport means nothing- ask ESPN or Sports Illustrated.

Snake, Big and Shirley got famous in the heyday. THAT is why they are internationally famous.
John got famous during the fall.




3, 2, 1.....

I started attending drag races several years before the Christmas tree and I am very much aware of how Gar, Snake & Shirley were super-popular within the sport. However, John Force is known WORLDWIDE and that my friend, is the difference. Charisma is spelled, c-h-a-r-i-s-m-a and John has it in spades!

 

[Jah]

I guess he didn't see Animal House

Jeez. I can't figure out if my reference was too obvious or too obtuse...

 

[yoda]

I started attending drag races several years before the Christmas tree and I am very much aware of how Gar, Snake & Shirley were super-popular within the sport. However, John Force is known WORLDWIDE and that my friend, is the difference. Charisma is spelled, c-h-a-r-i-s-m-a and John has it in spades!

I beg to differ, Mark. I wear my NHRA garb worldwide (and several here can attest to how much I spend time off of these shores), and the names that are always related to the dragster on my shirt are, in order:

Big Daddy

Snake

Shirley Cha-Cha

This is in places like Moscow. Hong Kong. Cape Town. Manila. Sao Paulo. Places not exactly known for their fan base of drag racing. Yet, someone will recognize a dragster, and the name that they associate the image with is one of the three I mentioned. John has a long road to hoe to get to their status, worldwide.

He may have charisma, but its only because NHRA and ESPN put him in a place to have it be in OUR face all the time. All of the time.

Shirley, Gar and Don have staying power- and yet, finding the $$$ to put a car out there successfully? Well- we all know how that's working out for them. John has had a brilliant run with Castrol- I can only hope that he finds another company to support him at that level for his future endeavors. But, as history has shown us, even superstars, both past and present, can't squeeze blood out of a stone.

 

[Ron]

A major house cleaning in Glendora is in order here. If John Force, "the best mouth in all of motorsports AND the public face of drag racing" loses major sponsors, who is to blame? N-H-R-A!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Further, Castrol/JFR was asked by NHRA to delay the announcement until the season ended and they declined, saying, "the sooner, the better.

Do you think John's reason for announcing had anything to do with trying to lock up sponsors before they maybe went with a lesser team? What I mean is, racer X goes to Corp. America and tries to sell them on sponsorship for his/her race team. Mr/Mrs Corp America thinks I have a shot at getting the John Force team for less money than Castrol was paying so why even let racer X in the door!

 

[SundayNiagara]

I beg to differ, Mark. I wear my NHRA garb worldwide (and several here can attest to how much I spend time off of these shores), and the names that are always related to the dragster on my shirt are, in order:

Big Daddy

Snake

Shirley Cha-Cha

This is in places like Moscow. Hong Kong. Cape Town. Manila. Sao Paulo. Places not exactly known for their fan base of drag racing. Yet, someone will recognize a dragster, and the name that they associate the image with is one of the three I mentioned. John has a long road to hoe to get to their status, worldwide.

He may have charisma, but its only because NHRA and ESPN put him in a place to have it be in OUR face all the time. All of the time.

Shirley, Gar and Don have staying power- and yet, finding the $$$ to put a car out there successfully? Well- we all know how that's working out for them. John has had a brilliant run with Castrol- I can only hope that he finds another company to support him at that level for his future endeavors. But, as history has shown us, even superstars, both past and present, can't squeeze blood out of a stone.

I'll, based on over 50 years in the sport, stand by my previous statements and add, John did it himself, he along with many others, is a self-made-man.

PS: I've also been several places outside the US.

 

[SundayNiagara]

Do you think John's reason for announcing had anything to do with trying to lock up sponsors before they maybe went with a lesser team? What I mean is, racer X goes to Corp. America and tries to sell them on sponsorship for his/her race team. Mr/Mrs Corp America thinks I have a shot at getting the John Force team for less money than Castrol was paying so why even let racer X in the door!

As has been written previously, NHRA asked JFR to delay the announcement until the season ended and JFR declined, saying they wanted to get a head start on finding a new sponsor.

 

[yoda]

I'll, based on over 50 years in the sport, stand by my previous statements and add, John did it himself, he along with many others, is a self-made-man.

PS: I've also been several places outside the US.

Just short of you buddy- SoCal 1967-68

How many threads on this site alone b!tch about how much airtime the JFR machine has gotten in the past decade? Self made? Ehhhh...
In the beginning, Brute Force days, I'd agree. Not anymore.

Association and network assisted? Absolutely.

 

[SundayNiagara]

Just short of you buddy- SoCal 1967-68

How many threads on this site alone b!tch about how much airtime the JFR machine has gotten in the past decade? Self made? Ehhhh...
In the beginning, Brute Force days, I'd agree. Not anymore.

Association and network assisted? Absolutely.

And he deserves every drop of ink he gets!

 

[z28]

Do you think John's reason for announcing had anything to do with trying to lock up sponsors before they maybe went with a lesser team? What I mean is, racer X goes to Corp. America and tries to sell them on sponsorship for his/her race team. Mr/Mrs Corp America thinks I have a shot at getting the John Force team for less money than Castrol was paying so why even let racer X in the door!

I think JFR announcement a decision based on how fast news travels. Beat the leak

 

[Vern]

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.

I also thought about this ??

 

[Toejam]

And he deserves every drop of ink he gets!

Dude your Obsession with JF is starting to sound Stalkish, Yes JF has won a lot of Championships, does he deserve 3 times as much airtime as any other driver out there...No!