John Asher finally says it, nhra & powerade (4 Viewers)

[Pat]

John Asher Finally Says It!!

John Asher Finally Says What Everyone Has Been Thinking

Torco Racing Fuel's Competition Plus.com - Drag Racing's Internet Magazine - UP FRONT - TWO SUBJECTS THAT CANNOT BE IGNORED

Way to go John.

Pat

 

[Jay]

Re: John Asher Finally Says It!!

John Asher Finally Says What Everyone Has Been Thinking

Torco Racing Fuel's Competition Plus.com - Drag Racing's Internet Magazine - UP FRONT - TWO SUBJECTS THAT CANNOT BE IGNORED

Way to go John.

Pat

First of all, as many of you know, I am pretty dead on with inside information that I post here...That being said, I have never seen the documents personally, but I understand that the Powerade deal was done, for the first year, for LESS than $1,000,000. I further understand that years 2-3 weren't much more than that, either...

Now, if you look at NASCAR...NEXTEL is paying $70,000,000 per year, and the new series sponsor for the Busch Series will be over $30,000,000...

Now that being said, I am involved in a new motorsports series (NOT cars) that is coming out, and we only have 16 events per season, and we are close to a deal for WAY more than the NHRA gets from Powerade...

The bottom line is that when the NHRA did that deal with Powerade, they were VERY desperate...In fact, if I remember correctly, it was announced in December...My understanding was that part of the reason that they took the deal wqas that Tom Compton was too worried about the image that the sport would have if they didn't have a series sponsor...Instead, he took a peanuts deal from Powerade, along with several promises from them that they would get behind the series with lots of promotional muscle, etc...Obviously, that hasn't been the case...

Another reason was because NO ONE else was interested in the sponsorship...As someone who procures sponsorships in motorsports for a living, I can tell you the REAL reason that the NHRA is screwed...They did a TERRIBLE jobin trying to market the sport to a new sponsor, signed the deal with Powerade, thus showing NO price integrity, and when it came time to renew the Powerade deal recently, who in their right mind at Coca-Cola would agree to spend $6,000,000-$8,000,000 per year on the NHRA when they know that they can sit back and get it for less than half of that..?

Bottom line is that the NHRA screwed themselves by doing that deal in the first place, and then screwed the rest of you (competitors) by renewing it....

Give Aaron Polburn a chance to get his hands on some $$$ and a new TV deal once Bruton Smith's contracts with NHRA are up, then LOOK OUT....you will see...at least Aaron Polburn is on the right track....

 

[Mooseman]

Re: John Asher Finally Says It!!

me being the huge coca-cola drinker i am , I say that coca-cola should be asked to take over as series sponser and maybe sponser a team or something

 

[Nick Name]

Re: John Asher Finally Says It!!

Altho my wife has a bunch of Pepsi stock, I have been drinking Poweraid instead of Gatoraid thinking I was supporting the sport. Guess I don't need to do that any longer.

Maybe if the competitors and fans started a Poweraid boycott, Coke may step in and do something.

Jay

 

[Nitrohaulic]

Re: John Asher Finally Says It!!

me being the huge coca-cola drinker i am , I say that coca-cola should be asked to take over as series sponser and maybe sponser a team or something

LOL, we've already discussed your "coke" habit in the Lounge.

 

[Mooseman]

Re: John Asher Finally Says It!!

LOL, we've already discussed your "coke" habit in the Lounge.

yip and i still drink far too much of it

 

[Toejam]

Re: John Asher Finally Says It!!

I remember hearing that the Powerade deal was worth $3 per year when it was first announced. But at that time I had NO idea Winston was spending $12 Million per year prior to the Pullout. I just hope this HD sellout doesn't turn out to be the Sham that Powerade has been. As long as Compton/Light continue to earn the $500,000 a year salaries they make, there's no incentive on their parts to improve NHRA what so ever!

 

[StockersRock]

Re: John Asher Finally Says It!!

Never saw the NHRA edition/flavor of Powerade here in New England, or Connecticut anyway. And my biggest gripe with Powerade, has been the fact that they have other sports logos on the label as the official such and such of, but no NHRA logo. Great piece, John!

 

[knightrider]

Re: John Asher Finally Says It!!

The only ads I ever see on TV are the ones with the woman with 1 arm bigger that the other, or the tennis shoe with the laces

 

[cephus]

Re: John Asher Finally Says It!!

Geart info guys, NHRA has no balls whatsoever, I know i'm a nobody but there is a lot of us nobodies out there and there is an empty feeling of disgust and this is a perfect time for a someone like an IHRA to capitalize on alot of screwing and money hungry guys at the top, they try to act like NHRA is a family sport what a hoot! It's all about money, If they think sponsors don't read and research these issues they need to get there head out of the big three's ass which they can't, see these good ole boys in the South will
at least listen to reason unlike the boys to the West to much pride & arrogance in Ca

 

[PJ]

Re: John Asher Finally Says It!!

Never saw the NHRA edition/flavor of Powerade here in New England, or Connecticut anyway. And my biggest gripe with Powerade, has been the fact that they have other sports logos on the label as the official such and such of, but no NHRA logo. Great piece, John!

I'd be interested to know what the real $$ is. I like that powerade came in as it was a product I already liked and was happy to use more of to support drag racing. I have been disappointed in the lack of attention I've seen outside of racing. I did see the nitro bottle they did a few times in stores but it was very short lived. Like Andy said I wish they'd promote it on their bottle as they do other sports. Maybe even start a contest, one of those win a trip to the races type of things.

I also don't get what the issue is about O'reilly only sponsoring races? Sure it'd be nice to see them get behind a team but the machinery as a whole needs race sponsors as well. I would think the more businesses we make our sport accesible to the better. If the rule is that a business needs to spend even more to sponsor a team just to sponsor a race it may scare more off.

 

[Toejam]

Re: John Asher Finally Says It!!

Geart info guys, NHRA has no balls whatsoever, I know i'm a nobody but there is a lot of us nobodies out there and there is an empty feeling of disgust and this is a perfect time for a someone like an IHRA to capitalize on alot of screwing and money hungry guys at the top, they try to act like NHRA is a family sport what a hoot! It's all about money, If they think sponsors don't read and research these issues they need to get there head out of the big three's ass which they can't, see these good ole boys in the South will
at least listen to reason unlike the boys to the West to much pride & arrogance in Ca

Guy the only way NHRA would ever panic about an IHRA threat, is "IF" the Big name NHRA stars started running IHRA races. And Yes I'm talking about Team Force and Team Shoe. Could you imagine if a Ron Capps or John Force ever ran an IHRA race over an NHRA race?? Tom Compton would have ulcers unknown to the Human race if that happened!

 

[Joker]

Re: John Asher Finally Says It!!

Great article Jon. I have been saying this all along that I have been very disappointed in Powerade. I havent seen a single one of there products with NHRA on it except at the racetrack. To me it seems that if your getting such a gravy deal for being the title sponsor of a series then you should be able to spend alot more on advertising it.

 

[PJ]

Re: John Asher Finally Says It!!

Guy the only way NHRA would ever panic about an IHRA threat, is "IF" the Big name NHRA stars started running IHRA races. And Yes I'm talking about Team Force and Team Shoe. Could you imagine if a Ron Capps or John Force ever ran an IHRA race over an NHRA race?? Tom Compton would have ulcers unknown to the Human race if that happened!

that could happen to, with the countdown missing a race is not a big deal anymore so if either of them got po'd enough it would be very interesting.

 

[Harry Mannback]

Re: John Asher Finally Says It!!

"Give Aaron Polburn a chance to get his hands on some $$$ and a new TV deal once Bruton Smith's contracts with NHRA are up, then LOOK OUT....you will see...at least Aaron Polburn is on the right track...."

Pardon my ignorance, but what does Bruton Smith's contracts have to do with the TV deal, just wondering?



Dan

 

[stanman]

Re: John Asher Finally Says It!!

... I also don't get what the issue is about O'reilly only sponsoring races? ...

Because as Jon Asher noted in his article, NHRA is violating their own policies by allowing O'Reilly to have title rights to six national events without sponsoring a Professional category team. First and foremost, teams need sponsor to compete. And NHRA has a history of poaching sponsors for their own benefit.

I remember commenting as we arrived to pit at the Winternationals when Powerade first came on board and every competitor got a nice new Powerade cooler that the cooler would probably be the only thing we ever see from Powerade.

I stopped racing National events a couple years ago because of all the B.S. NHRA was shoveling... especially to the sportsman racers. And I've been commenting on issues like this even longer and have been labeled a complainer or NHRA basher.

After reading Jon's article, I feel sadly vindicated. This is not what want our sport to be.

 

[Angus]

Re: John Asher Finally Says It!!

If John or Ron were to ever miss an NHRA event in order to attend an IHRA event, they'd probably have so much fun the would never go back.

Oh ya, and it would be real nice if the event they chose was Edmonton.

 

[Triple Nickel II]

Re: John Asher Finally Says It!!

I'll step in with a somewhat contrary point of view.

1) What is the retail price of a pack of cigarettes vs. a bottle of Powerade?

Although the markup percentages may be the same for both RJR and Coke, there are more advertising $$$ available when your promoted product brings 4x's or more the sales and income of another item or brand.

2) Did NHRA (or expand this same question to other sanctioning bodies, race teams, tracks, etc.) have a line of businesses standing in line with money in hand wanting to take RJR's place?

NHRA's Powerade deal came down very near the season start. IHRA has had both series and events that came down to the final days this year before having sponsorship in place. "Hot Rod" Fuller still races down the track with body panels that are bare. NASCAR is still looking for a replacement for the Busch sponsorship that is leaving their #2 series at the end of this year.

If you listen to commercial radio, you must have noticed the increase in :15 commercials.

Times are tough. Sponsors and advertisers are hard to come by, no matter who you are. Sometimes you have to make adjustments.

3) A small point but Asher lamented Powerade for not offering free product at the events like RJR did. It's been a while since I've been to a NHRA National Event but all that I did attend in the past years (Indy and Columbus) had free Powerade available for those who hung around for the Powerade winner's circle presentation at the end of the day.

======================

The whole point of my post is that big guy or small guy...there aren't a lot of people out their wanting to open up the checkbook or wallet, even for proven winners.

The suggestion by others boycotting an existing sponsor seems foolhardy and may even drive away other potential sponsors who would see this as just one more reason to keep their Benjamins in their own pocket.

 

[Nunz]

Re: John Asher Finally Says It!!

Great piece Jon. It amazes me that after 50+ years, drag racing remains to be the red-headed stepchild of motorsports. The sport with "all the potential", the "best bang for the buck in all of motorsports". Yet, in 2007, we have only a handful of racers who really make a living racing. The rest of the sport, from the majority of the pros to a good portion of sportsmen racers, is filled with wealthy people racing because of their passion. It's unreal how well the events have been attended by fans this year, given the lackluster marketing efforts directed toward drag racing. It makes you wonder what could be if all the "potential" was lived up to. I've said it before, nobody is really looking to the future of Professional Drag Racing. There will come a time when the guys who started it all, either won't be around or will want to relax and call it a day. Then what? If it doesn't make business sense for someone to come into the sport as an owner, and make the investment necessary to build a team, then eventually there will be a major problem. It may not be as far away as we think.

 

[davey]

Re: John Asher Finally Says It!!

The retail price of a pack of cigarettes versus a bottle of Powerade is irrelevant. A huge portion of the price of cigarettes is "sin" taxes.