The face of drag racing changing...... (1 Viewer)

[BJN]

With the retirement of The Snake, it leaves a huge void of big business team owners. That is no way meant as a knock on any other team owners im just speaking in terms of longevity/history/cred in the sport, where corporate America can relate. Obviously Force, Bernstein and Schumacher got it down, as did Snake, but very few are able to bring in major sponsors and major money of which it takes to run the team, EFFECTIVELY. Snake brought in some of the biggest sponsors in the sports history. I dont believe its lacking knowledge of HOW to secure a major, its just relationships, luck and timing. This economy doesnt help.
On another hand, when certain team owners make a deal with outside agencies to bring in sponsors and they dont pay them, that also hurts the sport tremedously. There are a handful of guys who spend countless hours, days, and months working on a teams' behalf and when a deal is secured, they are to be paid their agreed to commissions. The business of bringing in new non traditional sponsors is a much needed shot in the arm, one that is needed desperately to keep this sport alive. Its gonna be interesting to see what new names and faces will be entering the NHRA in the next few years, I know the sport of drag racing will be missing a huge legend, and one that brought tons of credibility to this sport.

 

[rollingthunder]

Is the thread about the end of drag racing or sky is falling ?
or is that coming yet ?

 

[bukweet]

Seems like a "changing of the guard" is taking place in drag racing.

NASCAR made it through and hopefully drag racing will as well.

No one replaces the greats.

New blood will earn it's own way.

 

[Tim5636sc]

Its gonna be interesting to see what new names and faces will be entering the NHRA in the next few years,

Want some help answering that question.....

click here


BTW.... How ya been Bill? Long time no see!

 

[BJN]

no actually to be more blunt, there needs to be more experienced, big business team owners with the ability to lock down big sponsors or be respectable when they hire on outside help to secure a partner to pay their bill. Theres only two ways to get a "real" sponsor, do it yourself or hire an outside party. Thats my point, if they cant do it themselves be a stand up business person and honor their committment or nobody on the outside will want to work trying to grow the sport for free. Losing Snake at this time will be missed business wise for the NHRA.
No glum thread here, just stating my point. NHRA will survive.

 

[Tim5636sc]

Is the thread about the end of drag racing or sky is falling ?
or is that coming yet ?

No Jon... It's about a changing of the guard.

Drag Racing has been a sport which legends like Snake, Bernstein, Force and several others have changed the face of themselves. Snake brought in The ARMY in the 70's.... Bernstein "BUDWEISER" FOR 30 YEARS. Force had several 'Mainstream Marketing Partners" early in his career, (Mountain Dew, Wendy's, Coca-Cola) prior to Castrol. Some of them are now leaving the NHRA 'SERIES' to enjoy the rest of their lives.

Bill is right. The sport is PRIME for an influx of new faces and a new marketing platform. This is gonna hurt several purists out there, but in order for drag racing to survive and reach the next level, The DRIVERS need to be a BRAND to sell. Its what NASCAR has done well for the past few years now.

Bill also put together one of the best and creative marketing platforms EVER in the Max Naylor Jager and Vegas Fuel Marketing Partnerships. I have used that as a platform in which to do my own business. Times have changed. It's time to roll with them.

 

[BJN]

Tim, how are you, email me.

 

[BJN]

Yeah, Ive done a few of these things in addition to Tim's response,,,,,,,,,MeatLoaf(Skuza), Motley Crue(Etchells/Epler), Santana(Pedregon), George Thorogood(Stevens), Black Label Society(Skuza), Disturbed(Naylor), Vince Neil(Capps), Cognigen Communications(Sickles), and Allmand Bros(Naylor).

 

[PJ]

its always a bummer to see the greats move on but such is life. In our sport we are lucky to have our greats be apart of it for much longer than most sports.

We also get to see the greats of yesrterday race the greats of today and maybe even the greats of tomorrow all at once.

The sky is not falling there will just be new people holding it up

 

[kenny]

it is a shame that prudhomme couldn`t find sponsorship,it would be cool if jolly rancher would get back in the sport they used to have beautiful trucks and could have made for a nice paint scheme.

 

[JF]

You have to take into consideration:
The NHRA/Coke forcing out potential small/BIG sponsors (Ie:Monster) by monopolizing.

 

[BJN]

All very good points. It just baffles me at the lack of corporate sponsorship. Yes economy sucks we all want to blame that, but companies are still spending huge money on advertising, marketing and promotions, they HAVE too. I really would like to get down deep as to WHY they are hesitant, i mean they dont HAVE to start as a major even though they might be a MAJOR company. Is it that the party trying to secure them tries to hit the homerun right off the bat and kills the deal by pushing to hard to cover their budget in one shot? There are many many factors. Its just been an ongoing issue and with premier team owners shrinking, somebody needs to change the path and get wise to change.

 

[Toejam]

no actually to be more blunt, there needs to be more experienced, big business team owners with the ability to lock down big sponsors or be respectable when they hire on outside help to secure a partner to pay their bill. Theres only two ways to get a "real" sponsor, do it yourself or hire an outside party. Thats my point, if they cant do it themselves be a stand up business person and honor their committment or nobody on the outside will want to work trying to grow the sport for free. Losing Snake at this time will be missed business wise for the NHRA.
No glum thread here, just stating my point. NHRA will survive.

Good point there Bill, the NHRA will survive just won't have the Mega sponsors it has grown used to having! You gotta admit the economy has to be a factor here, and not just that sponsors are hard to find! But lets be blunt here, getting a sponsor to plop down $2 mil. to sponsor a sport that nobody watches.....

WE are Diehards of a sport very few people are aware of or follow!

 

[mick]

IMG retained by NHRA and JFR, yet rumored 3 car team for JFR in 2010
and sport losing icon owner due to lack of funding.
hope IMG is not being paid a retainer.

not even sure why it's the 'full throttle' series - everything points to
an aging demographic for the nhra.
keep thinking NHRA must be a steal.

 

[BJN]

Nobody would work the NHRA for free, i wouldnt. I would almost guarantee IMG is getting paid.
Plus it looks good to the outsiders that the sport has retained a major player, makes corporate America look twice, but then still walks away.
Just look at the cross marketing promotions that almost any major sponsor in NASCAR uses in its advertising.
The NHRA needs to change the vision of what America thinks it is.
Sit in a mall and ask 100 people what is the NHRA? Theres your answer.

 

[TSK]

It would have been nice if Snake could have gotten a sponsor to allow him a retirement tour.
I was at Ennis in 1994 when he won his last race. But, knowing he was still going to be part of drag racing, it wasn't like he was going to disappear.
However, he always said he wouldn't race if he couldn't find a sponsor.
I guess it's time for him to slow down a bit. But, dang, Snake is one of those racers you just figured would be around forever.

 

[Super Mod]

Seems like a "changing of the guard" is taking place in drag racing.

NASCAR made it through and hopefully drag racing will as well.

No one replaces the greats.

New blood will earn it's own way.

The flag of the "new guard" File:Flag of Qatar.svg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Johnny Mopar]

Bill,

Will we see Max compete this season?

 

[BJN]

John
No clue, i no longer work with him.........sorry

 

[Todd]

What have you been up to Bill....

Kicking K8 seems to be in full swing. Is that your main focus now? Love the musc by the way. Any chane of swinging through the Twin Cities ? You seem to have lots of dates in the area.