Sponsor exposure and the Kalitta Boycott (2 Viewers)

[PJ]

look at whats going on here. we're bashing low driver pay, poor TV coverage, and the countdown at the same time! does anyone else see the irony?

BEFORE the coundown, TV coverage was bad, driver pay was low, and race attendance was just OK. at least the NHRA is trying to bring these factors up. face it, whatever was going on before the countdown was not working. and fact is, more people are watching NHRA in just 2/3 of the first countdown year than ever before.

it blows my mind how some people whine and complain about how NHRA gets "no love" from the mainstream, but then yells at the NHRA for trying to fix it.

/rant over

ok lets see sponsors are already concerned over coverage, or lack thereof, which is leading to thier payout packages being scaled back if teams don't make the countdown (which mean less driver pay for one) less money means some teams may not be able to complete the season which could lead to fields having less than 16 cars, thus angering fans who might not show up or watch on tv(ie lower ratings). You don't fix a problem by making it worse or by opening so many other issues. Gimmicks like this are short term at best and long term damaging.

 

[Suzie Q]

I am VERY proud of the Kalitta team speaking out about this. Bob Vandergriff did the same thing and it got everyone's attention. I am very interested in the ratings as well. I was very disgusted with the fact that there was no interview or even a camera pan by Douggies pit when he won the semis!

The only purpose that this year serves is to work out the kinks of this countdown. Nothing is perfect, but if we have to live with it, fine, but fix it to make it fair to all the teams and the fans. It is just a crime that 8 & 9 don't get any money. That is a bunch of crap to me.

 

[blackbeard]

ok lets see sponsors are already concerned over coverage, or lack thereof, which is leading to thier payout packages being scaled back if teams don't make the countdown (which mean less driver pay for one) less money means some teams may not be able to complete the season which could lead to fields having less than 16 cars, thus angering fans who might not show up or watch on tv(ie lower ratings). You don't fix a problem by making it worse or by opening so many other issues. Gimmicks like this are short term at best and long term damaging.

are you on a marketing team for a firm that sponsors a car? are you in the contract room when money is being discussed? do you set budgets for Pro Teams? if no, how can you pull off these claims as fact? you are speculating based on (if i had to guess) internet articles and chatter.

i'll believe your above statements as FACT when i see some FACTS. show me exact figures where sponsors are pulling back. show me figures where attendance is dropping during the countdown, and comparing figures where attendance was up during the last races of 2006 and before.

for all the bashing that you've done, have you ever given NHRA credit for at least TRYING to get NHRA more mainstream?

yes i agree there are faults in the system. but its like a ball of clay, it doesnt become a pot instantly. it has to be worked on for a while, with a little trial and failure. eventually it's a nice piece of art

 

[PJ]

actually I have given them credit for attempting to try something but will argue forever that this is not the right move to make.

As far as sponsorship money...
Lets see Jim O's article mentioned it, nascar articles have talked about it, other drag racing drivers have brought it up. Great idea asking for proof, as though I could break confidentiality agreements to post contracts on line

Ratings and attendance. As there is no outside source about attendance we have to rely on nhra numbers, which have been in question for many years. I know from the pictures I took at Indy that the numbers on Sunday and Monday were the lowest that I have ever seen there. I'll dig them up and post them.

 

[Tim5636sc]

Looks like the BOYZ will be racing In Vegas...

I am VERY proud of the Kalitta team speaking out about this. Bob Vandergriff did the same thing and it got everyone's attention. I am very interested in the ratings as well. I was very disgusted with the fact that there was no interview or even a camera pan by Douggies pit when he won the semis!

The only purpose that this year serves is to work out the kinks of this countdown. Nothing is perfect, but if we have to live with it, fine, but fix it to make it fair to all the teams and the fans. It is just a crime that 8 & 9 don't get any money. That is a bunch of crap to me.

Well Suzie...Looks like you'll have a pit to hang out in, so there is no excuse for you, or your Ta-Ta's that you almost froze off a few years ago in the Desert NOT to show up now....

ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals: *Mac Tools Dragster*

 

[blackbeard]

i apologize for getting "rant-like." everyone is entitled to their own opinion

 

[Suzie Q]

Lance,

I am not a fan of the Countdown either. This year was the test pilot for it and after this year is over, the numbers will speak.

Honestly, if you were giving a team millions of dollars, and they don't make it to the Countdown, I think you would probably place some conditions on the deal as well. It can go eother way. It may be like a bonus incentive program. Who knows! This will all be worked out in the off season. We will have to wait and see.

The Kalitta team is not complaining about coverage for their team, they are addressing it for the sport as a whole.

 

[Rajunz]

IHRA showed that we do not need a count down.

Is that right??? How many people on this board even have a clue about who is in the points chase over there??? Here's a hint!

 

[Suzie Q]

Re: Looks like the BOYZ will be racing In Vegas...

Well Suzie...Looks like you'll have a pit to hang out in, so there is no excuse for you, or your Ta-Ta's that you almost froze off a few years ago in the Desert NOT to show up now....

ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals: *Mac Tools Dragster*

Well Timmah, it looks like I am going to Vegas, only it will be on November 8-12th!!! Sorry!!! I will miss you all!

Saucey Joe, don't you worry...........You will get some "Southern Comfort" soon!!!

 

[none]

The only purpose that this year serves is to work out the kinks of this countdown. Nothing is perfect, but if we have to live with it, fine, but fix it to make it fair to all the teams and the fans. It is just a crime that 8 & 9 don't get any money. That is a bunch of crap to me.

Suzie,

I takes guts, something the Kalitta racing has always had to speak up and Bob V. did it also, but to me this year has been only about the countdown and Ashley Force. I know people are going to say they have had a bad and tragic year, but I am talking about the start of the year it was sad how every moment of the sat and sunday shows were about a rookie. Many woman have come before her and will come after, but none will have had as much coverage.

I hope next year they can cover all the teams fairly and not focus so much on one driver, team.. Not fair to all the other teams.

Just my 2 cents

 

[blackbeard]

Lance,

I am not a fan of the Countdown either. This year was the test pilot for it and after this year is over, the numbers will speak.

Honestly, if you were giving a team millions of dollars, and they don't make it to the Countdown, I think you would probably place some conditions on the deal as well. It can go eother way. It may be like a bonus incentive program. Who knows! This will all be worked out in the off season. We will have to wait and see.

The Kalitta team is not complaining about coverage for their team, they are addressing it for the sport as a whole.

i fully respect your opinion suzie. but i'm sure that if the numbers went up across the board, you'd be willing to keep the countdown around (with a few tweaks of course)

as far as sponsorship money is concerned, i am a FULL supporter of performanced based pay...with NFL athletes, with teachers, with EVERYONE. if i am considering sponsoring a funny car, i will ask that team,"how can you increase my brand awareness." hopefully that team will be smart enough to admit that exposure will increase with winning. so i will ink a deal that will gaurantee more money based on performance. why should a 10th place finisher get the same advertising deal as the 2nd place finisher? is NHRA all of a sudden becoming a charity case? No! what happens to football coaches that don't win...they get canned! look at joe torre! and frankly, i don't think someone that finishes 15th in the points deserves as much TV time as someone in the top 4. (now i will admit vandergriff has gotten hosed)

the question is then posed, "well a sponsor can't expect us to win a championship if they don't give us championship caliber money." well, rod fuller did it for most of this season...

 

[blackbeard]

Is that right??? How many people on this board even have a clue about who is in the points chase over there??? Here's a hint!

 

[davey]

Great interview with Jimbo!

 

[you]

It will be interesting to see if they ask the Kalitta camp anything about the boycott on the next NHRA tv show.

That would require ESPN to put a camera in someone's face who isn't still in the Countdown.....I would like to see it also, but I don't think it's gonna happen......



.

 

[stanman]

Re: The Kalitta Boycott

This is a very interesting read from Competition Plus. I did not realize that 9 and 10 don't get paid. Until I read this I was still on the fence if I liked the Countdown or not. After reading this, I don't think I like it.

This was one of the first points I made against the Countdown.

And think about Melanie Troxel! I think she's won something like 9 rounds of racing since the cut-off... she sure as hell wouldn't be stuck in 9th places if not for the Crapdown!

 

[PJ]

i apologize for getting "rant-like." everyone is entitled to their own opinion

even me

 

[PJ]

i fully respect your opinion suzie. but i'm sure that if the numbers went up across the board, you'd be willing to keep the countdown around (with a few tweaks of course)

as far as sponsorship money is concerned, i am a FULL supporter of performanced based pay...with NFL athletes, with teachers, with EVERYONE. if i am considering sponsoring a funny car, i will ask that team,"how can you increase my brand awareness." hopefully that team will be smart enough to admit that exposure will increase with winning. so i will ink a deal that will gaurantee more money based on performance. why should a 10th place finisher get the same advertising deal as the 2nd place finisher? is NHRA all of a sudden becoming a charity case? No! what happens to football coaches that don't win...they get canned! look at joe torre! and frankly, i don't think someone that finishes 15th in the points deserves as much TV time as someone in the top 4. (now i will admit vandergriff has gotten hosed)

the question is then posed, "well a sponsor can't expect us to win a championship if they don't give us championship caliber money." well, rod fuller did it for most of this season...

performance is one thing but a sposnors wants coverage , brand awarenss and brand exspoure out of a deal like this. yes winning does help in those areas but there are other ways to get generate buzz for yout product beyond on track performance.

Do you think Castrol is disappointed in Ashley becasue she has not won a race? She has created alot of interest, think of how many people voted in that aol poll, one of the outfits she was in was her castrol fire suit. Max Naylor has yet to win a race but is awesome at getting his sponsor out there and giving them value for their money or (roi). I understand what you are saying with on track performance but that is only one part of the sponsorship dance.

 

[blackbeard]

I understand what you are saying with on track performance but that is only one part of the sponsorship dance.

good points, but how did Billy Madison put it, "it takes two to tango, or something like that"

 

[Suzie Q]

There are a lot of teams that got the shaft on this one. Hell, Tony Schumacher went out in the first round 12 times this year!!!

 

[Rajunz]

performance is one thing but a sposnors wants coverage , brand awarenss and brand exspoure out of a deal like this. yes winning does help in those areas but there are other ways to get generate buzz for yout product beyond on track performance.

Do you think Castrol is disappointed in Ashley becasue she has not won a race? She has created alot of interest, think of how many people voted in that aol poll, one of the outfits she was in was her castrol fire suit. Max Naylor has yet to win a race but is awesome at getting his sponsor out there and giving them value for their money or (roi). I understand what you are saying with on track performance but that is only one part of the sponsorship dance.

This is so very true PJ, and I know people will bash me for this, but perhaps that is part of Doug Kalitta's problem, he's delivers too soft spoken of an interview. He got more exposure this year for throwing his helmet than anything else.