NASCAR Competition Cautions – an Oxymoron
Everything that could be said has been said – the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard was a total disaster and a complete disgrace for the entire NASCAR community. The most troubling aspect with the tire debacle was simply – the problem was easily avoidable. Goodyear saw the problem firsthand when it tested in April. The [...]
A Dream Turned Realty – Making History with Toyota
Today marks the 4th anniversary of Toyota’s first NASCAR Victory during the Line-x 200 at Michigan International Speedway — (July 31, 2004). It was the 13th race for Toyota and my race team (Bang Racing). That historic day in NASCAR; also became a day I will not soon forget. Toyota and I made NASCAR history; [...]
NASCAR 2.0 – Online Advertising Soaring
In my posting NASCAR Sponsorship 2.0, I previously discussed how teams have a real opportunity to leverage their “content” through digital channels creating supplemental advertising revenue to offset their losses in traditional on-the-car sponsorship. Some may ask, is there really an opportunity in digital advertising for NASCAR teams? A recent report from eMarketer, projects online [...]
Crown Royal to Cheerios?
Rumors are swirling that Jamie McMurray, currently the driver of Roush Fenway Racing’s #26 Crown Royal/Irwin Tools Ford, will be the driver of Richard Childress Racing’s 4th team, to be sponsored by Cheerios/General Mills. Could this be a sign that Roush Fenway Racing is unable to secure a replacement sponsor for the American Automotive Association [...]
NASCAR – Is it Still Stock Car Racing?
On Friday, Wired published an article titled – The Car of Tomorrow Has an Extension Cord – a discussion of the future plug-in hybrids coming soon to your local car dealer showroom. This discussion further demonstrates the continued divide between NASCAR and all automakers. The founding principle and most basic concept behind NASCAR was and [...]
Shelby SuperCars – World’s Fastest Electric Car
Shelby SuperCars is introducing the Ultimate Aero Electric Car that has over 500hp and can go in excess of 200 mph. Conventional wisdom wouldn’t immediately associate Shelby SuperCars as an innovator of alternative energy cars, but maybe this announcement should not surprise us. As one of the leading innovators in new car technologies, they are [...]
The Future of the NASCAR Truck Series
When I reflect back to 2004, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series was on top of the world. This resulted in part from unprecedented levels of financial commitments from the Big 3 American automotive manufacturers and the grand entrance of Toyota into NASCAR. Because GM, Ford and Dodge made every effort to fend off Toyota Motorsports’ [...]
NASCAR Sponsorship 2.0
Over the past few years corporate marketing and advertising budgets have made a dramatic shift from Old Media towards New Media, which provides measurable customer acquisition with a recognizable ROI. Today, current NASCAR Sponsorship programs are structured much like Old Media, which fails to present corporate marketers with the value presented through “new media” channels. [...]
Atlanta Journal-Constitution Bang Racing Digital Media eBay Hendrick Motorsports Joe Gibbs Racing Michael Waltrip NASCAR NASCAR Corp NASCAR Corporate NASCAR Sponsorship NASCAR Sponsorship 2.0 New Media Old Media RaceWorld Roush Fenway Racing Sports Toyota Motorsports Web 2.0 YouTube
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Update: GM Cutting Back on NASCAR Spending
According to the Associated Press (AP) today, General Motors officially announced their first round of motorsports spending cuts. Troubled General Motors has notified two racetracks that operate NASCAR events that their current contracts will not be renewed as part of an overall $10 billion cost-cutting program. Speedway Motorsports Inc., which owns eight tracks that hold [...]
Cost-Cutting at GM Racing – NASCAR a Branding Problem?
The day is fast approaching when the automotive manufacturers are going to reign in their motorsports budgets to reflect the current state of the automotive industry. The fundamental issue with NASCAR as a branding tool for the car companies is that it fails to demonstrate the future product portfolio and demands for “green” vehicles. Even [...]
Stewart Haas Racing Taking Shape
Yesterday, Ryan Newman officially announced his departure from Penske Racing. This much anticipated announcement comes days following the unveiling of Stewart Haas Racing. Is this just a mere coincidence? Or will the two Indiana natives be teammates in 2009? All signs point to a Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman duo which ought to light up [...]
The Verdict is In –Tony Stewart’s 2009 Season
Shortly after the official announcement from Tony Stewart about his plans to race under the rebranded Stewart Haas Racing (formerly, HAAS CNC Racing) for 2009 and beyond – I posted a poll question asking my readers about their predication for Tony Stewart’s success in 2009. Personally, I am shocked by the overwhelming predication of more [...]
Team Consolidation on the Horizon
Robert Kauffman is the billionaire hedge fund manager from Fortress Investment Group who last year purchased and secured control of Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) looks now to be leading a movement of NASCAR Sprint Cup Team Owners to survive through consolidation. Personal friendships may even play a significant part in the boardroom discussions. The likely [...]
The Navy Sets Sail
The U.S. Navy will not return next year as sponsor of the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and driven by Brad Keselowski. “We were informed last week that our sponsorship with the U.S. Navy will not renew at the end of the year,” said Mike Davis, director of communications for [...]
The Nationwide Series Will Live Another Day – COT on Hold
NASCAR officials have notified team owners in the Nationwide Series that they will delay the introduction of the Car of Tomorrow (COT) in the Nationwide Series by at least one year. According to Ramsey Poston, Managing Director of Communications at NASCAR, the reason for the change is because “testing and development” is still needed before [...]
The Reality of an IndyCar Champion
2007 Indy 500 Champion – Check, 2007 IndyCar Championship – Check, Superstar Actress Wife – Check, NASCAR Sponsor – Only in his Dreams. In 2007 Dario Franchitti was one of the most accomplished drivers in American motorsports. When he moved from IndyCar (IRL) to NASCAR in 2008 he was full of hopes and dreams for [...]
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