Horrible Hocus-Pocus

Is Harry Potter in charge of NASCAR?
I was amazed when they made front-wheel cars rear-drive and then four-door cars two doors.
Now, you can transfer points. Will they race on water next?

Hooray For Hedger

Thanks, Ron Hedger, for the trip down memory lane, even the bad memory of borrowing a tractor to pull a ’32 Ford Vicky and a ’34 Plymout coupe (either of which could be had for a $20 bill) out of the way just to get to a ’34 Ford three-window coupe. If only we had known!
Thanks again.

USAC’s New Direction

From my first dealings with USAC in 1959 — getting credentials for the Speedway — to 2007, helping bring USAC Midgets back to Knoxville Raceway after 36 years, I’ve always been reminded that “they are an officiating and sanctioning organization.” Meeting in the late 1960s with Frankie Delroy, Al Bloemker and Donald Davidson to talk about my primary sponsor, Rockwell, wanting to “brand” the Indy 500 and the Champ Car Series, I was reminded that I might just get thrown through the white front window again.
Fast forward to 2002: Emmett Hahn and I are sitting in the Executive Conference Room at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, talking about the declining state of sprint-car racing, the WoO and the new Sprint Bandit Series, a marketing opportunity for IRL. “IRL is a sanctioning organization, and we already have all the support from USAC.” From there, we went across the street to visit with Rollie Helmling, the new USAC president. It was encouraging when he talked about what he had done with Pepsi and his race team; he just needed time to move things ahead.
In December 2006, it was agreed that USAC, Knoxville Raceway and (my) Neimeth Racing Enterprises would work closely to build attendance through aggressive marketing of pre-entered drivers starting in February after entry forms were produced and mailed in early January. In March, the USAC did still did not have a firm entry form done. The June event, even with a first-day rainout, had great racing, all the big names — and a good bump in attendance over 2006. But we couldn’t stop thinking about “what could have been.”
Based on the initial direction of Kevin Miller and Jason Smith to market what is already a very good racing product, support track promoters efforts and become responsible for running a timely and entertaining show, USAC may be just what many tracks are looking for to attract new fans while bringing back old ones.
I wonder if the IRL might consider starting a real honest-to-God marketing program. They could just send the files and paperwork about a mile west to 4910 West 16th Street in Speedway, Ind. Turnabout is fair play. May Dave Despain forgive my trespasses.

Cost Controls Fail Racers

If there is a problem with our sanctioning bodies, the biggest one I see is the failure to control costs, probably due to too many competitors or vested interests on the ruling boards who have more concerns with winning than the sport overall. Unfortunately, when costs or safety are acted on, all too often the essence of what the vehicle represents is overlooked or compromised needlessly.
I have seen this with USAC and the IRL, my interest areas, and apparently many have seen this with NASCAR.
I believe there is a tendency for overreaction by some NASCAR fans since their sport and cars have changed relatively little. That cannot be said of our Indy car evolution to European, high-dollar, rear-engine road race cars; racing designed for participants rather than spectators.
Alternately, our midget race cars are locked into too short a wheel base with upright, dirt-car chassis and expensive engines, ignoring all the stock 2.4-liter DOHC tubo engines with the same power levels on alcohol.
Rather than quitting the sport, perhaps a better approach would be to try and either influence the board or start your own division that’s also inclusive, not exclusive.

Formula Thoughts

We will have no U.S. Grand Prix at Indy in 2008. Why? Because the English Mafioso who runs roughshod over anyone who opposes him would rather deal with countries which sponsor terrorism; countries which use their oil wealth to buy prestige while their average citizen lives in poverty; countries which will likely be short-term players but whose leaders will pony up the money that has been taken by politicians from the people.
Ecclestone has been drunk with power for too long. He has reigned over an absurd escalation of cost increases in F-1. I have predicted for over 10 years that the field would be reduced to a couple of teams and a bunch of also-rans; it has come true. He has insulted the U.S. market — the largest in the world. There is no consistent coverage on network TV, and he has discontinued F-1 racing in the U.S. over an extremely small difference of blackmail event fees. This will make it increasingly difficult for sponsors to justify the cost required to participate in the series.
As F-1 further alienates its Euro-American base, I predict the stable and loyal support it has traditionally enjoyed will ebb. Just as with NASCAR, if you abandon the base that built the sport, it will only be a matter of time before the fans will vote for change by not supporting the series. And it will be a further matter of time before the sponsors realize what is happening. What do you have when the fans and sponsors leave? IROC.