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NHRA doing it again...poor sponsors!
- Thread starter Jrod
- Start date
I received this same correspondence today....and to say that I was shocked is an understatement!
I don't see charging your contingency sponsors $6500 for the "right" to banner as a prudent way to generate revenue and treat the very companies that continue to support the NHRA contingency program and the racers year-after-year. Given the fact the only companies that are allowed to banner at a NHRA event are the contingency sponsors, official sponsors and event sponsor(s)...why would NHRA do this?
It's time for some changes...and that time is now.
I don't see charging your contingency sponsors $6500 for the "right" to banner as a prudent way to generate revenue and treat the very companies that continue to support the NHRA contingency program and the racers year-after-year. Given the fact the only companies that are allowed to banner at a NHRA event are the contingency sponsors, official sponsors and event sponsor(s)...why would NHRA do this?
It's time for some changes...and that time is now.
I have spoken to a number of contingency sponsors and they are not happy.
I think it would a good idea to have the entire NHRA management staff and representatives from each contingency sponsor discuss this in an open forum or private setting with everyone at Pomona this week.
I am sure the management group can find the time in their busy schedules to make this happen...aren't sponsors the life blood of our sport?
I think it would a good idea to have the entire NHRA management staff and representatives from each contingency sponsor discuss this in an open forum or private setting with everyone at Pomona this week.
I am sure the management group can find the time in their busy schedules to make this happen...aren't sponsors the life blood of our sport?
Draw 3D
Nitro Member
Ah no, the racers are.
mick
Nitro Member
a lot to know about this program.
- does nhra keep, transport and hang banners @ each event?
- how many banners can be displayed per company brand?
- how much did this program cost before?
- are the banners in front of grandstands? or in obscure places?
$6500 divide by 23 events = $282/event + greater value if includes other races.
wouldn't get much radio in local market for $282 over 3-4 day period?
- does nhra keep, transport and hang banners @ each event?
- how many banners can be displayed per company brand?
- how much did this program cost before?
- are the banners in front of grandstands? or in obscure places?
$6500 divide by 23 events = $282/event + greater value if includes other races.
wouldn't get much radio in local market for $282 over 3-4 day period?
The aftermarket manufacturers already pay significant fees for the “privilege” of presenting contingency awards. The bannering fee is an add-on, and the timing for this announcement ranks right up there with their announcement of a while back about increasing sportsman fees.
It’s not as if the economy is booming and every aftermarket manufacturer is flush with cash. If you read the trades you’ve seen that in the last five years numerous companies have outright folded, while others have become small parts of larger operations. Many others have been forced to forego contingency programs just to keep their doors open.
Any serious racer on this board knows that the potential contingency earnings for winning a points meet or national event are significantly less than they were five years ago. They’re embarrassingly smaller than they were 15 or 20 years ago.
Steadily increasing fees and more difficult “working conditions” have driven some contingency award presenters away, and when they leave, everyone loses. Fewer contingency awards means less money for winning. It means fewer “win” ads in Dragster and magazines like Drag Racing Action.
You might not be old enough, but there was a time when the pages of Hot Rod, Car Craft and others were filled with small “win” ads from Holley, Hooker, A-1 Automatic, Jesel Performance and too many others to mention.
If holding the fees down encourages a company to participate, NHRA should be doing it, but no, their concept is to try and squeeze the last drop of blood out of that stone.
Make no mistake about it, NHRA is going to lose serious money this year. For every packed house like Las Vegas 2 there’s been a pretty much rained out Winternationals, or a deserted Charlotte (both times), so things are not good.
But taking this route of trying to gouge more out of the aftermarket is a self-defeating exercise.
Believe me, there’s nothing like trying to mend a relationship with an aftermarket rep who’s already so pissed off at how he and his company are being treated that it’s all he can do to get his top management to stay involved. This one will be the tipping point for some companies who are on the edge.
Jon Asher
It’s not as if the economy is booming and every aftermarket manufacturer is flush with cash. If you read the trades you’ve seen that in the last five years numerous companies have outright folded, while others have become small parts of larger operations. Many others have been forced to forego contingency programs just to keep their doors open.
Any serious racer on this board knows that the potential contingency earnings for winning a points meet or national event are significantly less than they were five years ago. They’re embarrassingly smaller than they were 15 or 20 years ago.
Steadily increasing fees and more difficult “working conditions” have driven some contingency award presenters away, and when they leave, everyone loses. Fewer contingency awards means less money for winning. It means fewer “win” ads in Dragster and magazines like Drag Racing Action.
You might not be old enough, but there was a time when the pages of Hot Rod, Car Craft and others were filled with small “win” ads from Holley, Hooker, A-1 Automatic, Jesel Performance and too many others to mention.
If holding the fees down encourages a company to participate, NHRA should be doing it, but no, their concept is to try and squeeze the last drop of blood out of that stone.
Make no mistake about it, NHRA is going to lose serious money this year. For every packed house like Las Vegas 2 there’s been a pretty much rained out Winternationals, or a deserted Charlotte (both times), so things are not good.
But taking this route of trying to gouge more out of the aftermarket is a self-defeating exercise.
Believe me, there’s nothing like trying to mend a relationship with an aftermarket rep who’s already so pissed off at how he and his company are being treated that it’s all he can do to get his top management to stay involved. This one will be the tipping point for some companies who are on the edge.
Jon Asher
lol!! I really have no idea what in their mind says this would be a good idea. They just want to be greedy and take in more money? NHRA has no reason for this, not 1% of it is covering an expense related to the sponsors. Keep up practices like these and they are gonna lose the support, it won't hurt them, it will hurt the racers, the racers are the backbone of the sport, not the sponsors. It's the racers that run well enough to have a sponsor to want association and this pisses me off cause this affects the pro's, yea whatever they can get over it, but it's the grassroots in the sportsman's that are gonna feel the pain. I say this because I would think it's obvious the economy has affects more of the sportsman guys then the pros. Bad deal NHRA, you CAN'T hurt the guys that make this sport survive running national and divisional events
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SoCal Racer
Nitro Member
Here hear!
Oh come now Rich, how dare you think they are overpaid!! I think all NHRA members would agree that the Chairman of the Board Dallas Gardner is working hard for his $330,000 salary. After all, since his only duties are the weekly board meetings (supposedly one hour), he's only earning $6346.00 an hour
Even if you give the guy the benefit of the doubt and 10X his reported workload, that still works out to $634./hr.
Give the guy a break, he's already taken a 33% pay cut, back in 2002 he made $491,000!!
rocketman
Nitro Member
Maybe they are not over payed in a good year where everything is going well. But this is a bad year for them financially and rather than go back to the sponsors for more the execs need to look at what's best for their organization. Like Mr. Asher said, the sponsors are having a hard enough time as it is.
JF
Nitro Member
Here is what I think sponsors should do.
Be Creative, Find places to put banners that do belong to NHRA.
Racers Trailers. I fly a K&N banner out my back door.
Fences before and along track outside of track
Planes towing banners
Wrap cars that are just driving to the event
Large Magnetic signs
Billboards before track
Have you ever seen Pirate Radio? Every track has a radio station. From a motorhome nearby over power the track station (During other ads) and broadcast your ad. (OK, Maybe this won't work)
But think outside the norm, It will cost some money also but don't give in to NHRA
Be Creative, Find places to put banners that do belong to NHRA.
Racers Trailers. I fly a K&N banner out my back door.
Fences before and along track outside of track
Planes towing banners
Wrap cars that are just driving to the event
Large Magnetic signs
Billboards before track
Have you ever seen Pirate Radio? Every track has a radio station. From a motorhome nearby over power the track station (During other ads) and broadcast your ad. (OK, Maybe this won't work)
But think outside the norm, It will cost some money also but don't give in to NHRA
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