Alex Meshkin

It is not possible to predict the road NASCAR will travel by the time we reach the final 2019 checkered flag, but it will be entertaining to speculate.

This decade begins as NASCAR tail spins in the wrong direction it’s a sharp contrast to the beginning of the last decade when NASCAR viewership, attendance and corporate interest were all surging. Today, all of those trends are in reverse, and this decade will truly define whether NASCAR remains as a mainstream sport or becomes another fledgling motorsport series.

I believe the major stories and events that will affect NASCAR in the coming years will have little or nothing to do with on track racing. So let me begin with a few predictions before we take our first green flag of 2010.

Earlier today, Jeremy Mayfield was granted preliminary injunction from the U.S. District Court in Charlotte, NC – lifting his suspension levied by NASCAR – so he will be allowed to race this weekend at Daytona. This initial victory for Mayfield presents potential challenges for NASCAR and their credibility.

For those who are unfamiliar with the complexities of the judicial system, the legal threshold for receiving equitable relief is “irreparable harm” and without a question, IF Jeremy Mayfield is innocent, his continued inability to race, meets and exceeds this threshold for the U.S. District Court to intervene and provide relief to Mayfield. Or in the words of U.S. District Court Judge Mullen:

“Harm to Mayfield significantly outweighs harm to NASCAR”

While many in the NASCAR community may see this court proceeding as an isolated issue between Jeremy Mayfield and NASCAR – I believe this case could have significant rippling effects on the entire sport. Ultimately, it will challenge the “dictatorship” of the France Family and most likely require far greater transparency in NASCAR’s future actions. NASCAR’s arrogance may have finally caught up with them. Unlike any other major sport, NASCAR refuses to publish a list of banned substances – and Jeremy Mayfield claims (through his attorney) that NASCAR’s drug testing program does not meet federal workplace guidelines or follow proper procedure of SAMHSA [substance abuse and mental health services association].

But the greater dilemma that NASCAR faces is how to proceed with the ongoing Jeremy Mayfield legal battle. After NASCAR spokesman, Ramsey Poston, made accusations that Mayfield tested positive for methamphetamines, NASCAR would face a significant credibility challenge if they decided to settle the continued legal actions of Mayfield to circumvent continued discovery and future hearings/trials. However, on the flipside, the continued legal battle (Permanent Injection Hearing and Possible Civil Trial for Financial Damages) could expose very damning evidence for NASCAR and other competitors. It’s no secret that NASCAR “plays favorites” with their application of the rule book and other policies, so IF other competitors have tested positive for banned substances, and NASCAR failed to enforce their “policy”, it could cause severe and lasting damage to NASCAR. So everyone, watch out in the days and months ahead – lots of debris could be flying through the air.

Sources are telling me that instead of focusing on reinventing themselves, NASCAR is anticipating a future without automotive sponsors. Is this an omission from NASCAR that they lack a value proposition? Regardless of the poor economy or slump in automotive sales – if NASCAR sponsorship has a positive ROI, automakers would not be consider jumping ship. The reality is simply the ROI for the automakers are far below most other mediums and NASCAR may finally be getting the message. But unfortunately, it may be too late for NASCAR to adjust and to keep the financial support of the Big 3 and Toyota, but surely it’s worth a more concerted effort to evolve their business model and objectives to try and retain the majority of their automotive partners.
NASCAR today must be more than just a marketing platform. It needs to become a technical platform and support R&D objectives for the automakers. Evaluating NASCAR in the most cynical viewpoint, one could argue that the archaic technology, i.e. the use of carburetors, instead of fuel injection, is continuing the public persona that the Big 3’s product portfolio is less than innovative. It’s time for NASCAR’s leadership to make the necessary changes in the best interests of their lifeblood – their teams and automakers.

I want to enforce my statements in my post on July 21st:

NASCAR has a real opportunity for leadership – and can provide automotive manufacturers a real marketing platform that demonstrates alternative energy as performance cars – that are viable, affordable and energy efficient – and return NASCAR to its roots as “stock car” racing at its best.

NASCAR is standing at the crossroads, where the wrong decision could be the final nail in the coffin. Their choice may be a future of IROC style racing or one of a balance of innovative technology with the proper cost controls in place to secure the long term stability of all stakeholders. Unfortunately, if NASCAR becomes the next IROC, I am afraid their future will most likely be rather bleak.

On Sunday Morning, Bruton Smith conducted an interview with ESPN. After questioned about the challenging times that is facing NASCAR; Smith reaffirmed his desire to acquire NASCAR and said, “And it’s getting closer”, referring to the possibility of the France Family looking to sell NASCAR. Is Smith just stirring the pot? Or perhaps, is the France Family finally considering ending their strangle-hold on the sport?
Hypothetically, let us assume Smith’s statements are backed by an element of fact and that the France Family is looking to sell NASCAR. It is my opinion that a change in ownership from the France Family to Smith would not bring about the change needed to put NASCAR back on the track for growth. As discussed in my most recent blog entry, The Failing NASCAR Economy: A Time for Action! - NASCAR must act to bring forth changes to support its lifeblood – the race teams. A Smith regime would only continue the same old policies of providing the race tracks a disproportionate share of the television revenues as compared to the racing teams. These policies need to change – NASCAR Sprint Cup Teams must receive a greater portion of the television revenues earned by the sport – because without Teams there is no NASCAR. Yes, tracks are valuable, but as Formula 1 has proven, track owners and promoters are willing to host events without large subsidies from the governing body.
The best avenue to save our sport and put it back on track, allowing it to grow into the next decade, is for an entrepreneurial executive; who understands the sport, new media and the market trends to lead a leveraged buyout – partially funded by a team franchise model – where 43 Sprint Cup Teams would receive a minority ownership and participate in profit sharing to ensure the stability of the premiere NASCAR series – the Sprint Cup.
The impending fluctuations expected in the number of competitors in the second most watched sport in country – the Sprint Cup Series, is completely unacceptable. A new ownership structure must include policies and an agreement to secure the future of the Sprint Cup Series by enabling Team Owners to purchase Franchises and receive votes in the future of the sport that they have all built. This new structure would eliminate the sanctioning body from competing with teams for sponsors and create a more healthy sport to ensure its long term future.
2008 has been the year of “change” – Americans want “change”, NASCAR Fans want “change”, NASCAR Teams want “change”. If the France Family provides the opportunity for “change” in the leadership of NASCAR – let us all hope that it is the “right change” that comes to Daytona Beach.

Most will agree that the current economic recession will have a significant financial impact on NASCAR teams and the sport as a whole – but does it really need to be this way? In 2009, there will be significantly less Sprint Cup teams competing on a weekly basis – and yet, in economic downturns other sports such as the NFL or NBA do not have reductions in teams. Why is this so?  The answer is rather simple – other sports operate as a democracy with all teams participating in the economic benefits of the television contracts; while NASCAR on the other hand, is structured much closer to a dictatorship – with the profits being retained by NASCAR Corporate which is owned solely by the France Family.
Let’s examine the recent history and evolution of NASCAR: during the global economic expansion following the tragic events of 2001 – 9/11 & the death of Dale Earnhardt Sr., NASCAR experienced unprecedented interest from corporate sponsors; and growth was fueled by new television contracts with Fox and NBC. Because of NASCAR’s unique business model, which is vastly different than other sports, the industry flourished from 2003 until recently, gathering new teams, with investors and manufacturers flocking to the industry.
As a point of reference, NASCAR is the ONLY major US sport without a franchise model including profit sharing agreements. NASCAR Teams operate in a free market where teams must survive without much financial assistance from NASCAR Corporate; and where new teams can easily compete if they have the financial backing. I was a personal beneficiary of this policy – and at 23 years of age secured an agreement to led Toyota Motorsports into the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and went on to build  their competitive platform for their NASCAR operation.
I am very fortunate to have realized my lifelong dream of owning and operating a top tier NASCAR team; and even more rewarding to have brought Toyota Motor Sales their first two NASCAR victories. However, this so-called free market is a complete farce! The teams must secure over 90% of their operating budgets from corporate sponsors – a/k/a advertisers. What is more infuriating, and what is not common knowledge, is that NASCAR and its sister company ISC retain the vast majority of the sport’s healthy television contract revenues, and even compete against the teams  for corporate sponsors -  the  lifeblood of the race teams.  As many know, AT&T was forced to leave Richard Childress Racing (RCR) as a primary sponsor because NASCAR Corporate signed an agreement with Nextel (now Sprint) with an exclusivity provision precluding other wireless and telecommunication companies from sponsoring any racing team. So with teams on the verge of a depression – and with automotive manufactures and corporate sponsors reducing their involvement – NASCAR is busy lining their pockets at the expense of the teams.
The most fundamental precept is that without teams – there is no NASCAR; but somehow teams have failed to act on this most basic concept to leverage their position within the sport. Maybe in the past the very wealthy owners such as Rick Hendrick, Jack Roush and Roger Penske were complacent and satisfied with receiving a nominal share in the television revenues; but in today’s economic climate and the ultra competitive advertising marketplace – teams who want to keep standing on their feet, need to act now and demand a fairer share in revenues – not for personal profit; but simply to survive.
The management of NASCAR has a real opportunity to bring forth a “rescue plan” to save teams from closing their doors and fracturing the appeal of NASCAR; which could have irreversible effects on future television contracts and ultimately the profits of the France Family. The beauty of the NASCAR “dictatorship” is that they don’t need to hold a vote or seek the opinions of others; instead, they can just swiftly act to provide an increase in the teams’ alterative revenues, which would enable teams to offer sponsors a lower cost of entry to advertise in NASCAR.
You can’t expect any company to spend $20M to sponsor a NASCAR Team – the ROI isn’t remotely competitive. NASCAR needs to think long term and be willing to sacrifice some of their short term earnings for long term stability and growth in the NASCAR economy.

Over the past several months, as the advertising market has become increasingly more challenging, I have written numerous posts about the need for NASCAR and Sprint Cup teams to evolve and innovate to stay competitive in the corporate boardrooms. In my posts NASCAR 2.0 and NASCAR Sponsorship 2.0, I discussed opportunities to generate revenues and exposure through digital media.

My unique perspectives are a result of “one of kind” experiences which are vastly different than any other thought leader in the NASCAR industry: a web 1.0 entrepreneur, NASCAR Team Owner (Bang Racing), and today, an executive in the current social and digital media industry. While there are unlimited opportunities for NASCAR to leverage digital media technologies and corresponding social/digital business models; I have a specific proposal for NASCAR and specifically Paul Brooks, President of NASCAR Media Group.

I know from my personal experiences in working with Paul Brooks at NASCAR, he is one of the most forward thinking executives at NASCAR and I hope he embraces the following proposal. For those unfamiliar with NASCAR’s approach to partnerships and licensing; NASCAR has historically required substantial licensing fees to pursue any type of business relationship, which in all fairness has generated significant profits in the past decade. However, moving forward in the dynamic digital economy and facing the challenges to continue to grow their audience and fan base, NASCAR must now look to tap into emerging technologies and unlock entrepreneurial ingenuity to develop innovative business models to increase fan exposure and create new revenue sources.

The first initiative I believe NASCAR should pursue is to open up access to the racing data acquired through the on-board computer/black box. Just to be clear, I am not suggesting that NASCAR should allow live telemetry for the racing teams, but I am proposing an online database which could be accessed for technology entrepreneurs, game developers, media, and entrepreneurs and racing teams. By enabling open access to the racing data that could be parsed and leveraged, businesses and entrepreneurs could bring forth innovation to drive new revenue sources and digital media exposure for NASCAR and its teams.

Technically speaking – NASCAR needs to publish a set of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) which could be available for commercial and non-commercial use that could create the opportunity to unlock the creativity of technology and digital media entrepreneurs and leverage the private equity markets to develop business models to reignite the excitement and consumer interest in NASCAR.
Even though my current business focus has little to do with NASCAR or motorsports, I strongly believe that NASCAR must embrace new media business models and techniques. Paul, if you are interested to speak regarding these ideas -you know how to reach me. Best, Alex Meshkin.

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; setting records and I became more than just the youngest team owner in history -- but now a victorious team owner at just 24 years of age.

It had been a turbulent few weeks leading up to this incredible day. Perhaps; in some ways, this made the win ever sweeter. I had recently made significant personnel changes to improve our racing operations and team chemistry; wanting to provide a better chance to score our first victory. Our two race teams entered Michigan International Speedway with a renewed confidence and attitude following the departure of Larry McReynolds from Bang Racing and we expected to demonstrate our team’s unity and potential at the Line-X 200, a race event sponsored by Line-X Spray-On Bedliners, one of our team’s primary sponsors.

We didn’t disappoint our sponsors or racing fans that day; our trucks combined to dominate the entire event finishing 1st and 3rd and bringing Toyota a victory in the backyard of the Big 3 American Carmakers. Much was noted in the press about this precocious internet whiz kid who came out of nowhere to lead Toyota’s flagship racing team and become the youngest NASCAR team owner; and then, breaking numerous NASCAR records and going on to make history as the most successful first year race team. It was a tremendous achievement for our new team; and an honor to herald the banner for Toyota in their inaugural year in NASCAR. But equally rewarding was having a childhood dream become a reality.

This dramatic victory has paved the way for today’s on-track performance of Toyota’s flagship NASCAR teams. But Bang Racing will always remain in the NASCAR and Toyota motorsports history books -- as the team which brought Toyota their first victory in NASCAR. Without a doubt, this victorious day was etched in the hearts of many and will not be soon forgotten.

Alex Meshkin and Bang Racing Make History -- Toyota’s First Win in NASCAR

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 advertising for sports sites will double from 2008 to 2012 – to $2 billion.

The sports site online advertising market is mostly untapped by NASCAR and remains a huge opportunity for race teams to tap into and ensure their continued viability in these difficult economic times.
While the most dedicated NASCAR fans are not your typical early adopters of online services; there still remains a tremendous opportunity to harness the power of the loyal demographic who embraces the internet as a regular source of news and entertainment. According to Quantcast, NASCAR.com generates approximately 3.7 M monthly unique users and peaks at over 6.5 M during the beginning of the season. So while the audience may be limited in numbers, the unmatched advertiser loyalty provides a desirable market opportunity to distribute content directly to fans through digital channels for racing teams such as Hendrick Motorsports, Roush Fenway and Joe Gibbs Racing. Unlike the franchised sports teams of the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB; NASCAR Teams have complete autonomy of their online presence and content. This provides a significant value proposition where teams can leverage their content through a variety of online business models to create interaction with fans and ultimately new sources of advertising revenue. This would likely result in considerable exposure for their existing sponsors; and consequently create a new advertising inventory that would be measurable and provide a clear Return on Investment (ROI).
As a former NASCAR Team Owner, Sports Marketer and Digital Media Entrepreneur; I have succeeded in bringing new sponsors such as eBay and Toyota into NASCAR, and leveraged online advertising to unlock revenue sources from digital channels that created a history making NASCAR racing team. The potential has never been greater and the most successful teams have the largest market opportunity to generate significant value that can be monetized in the digital economy.

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 than 5 wins for Stewart. While I personally agree with my readers, that Tony Stewart will find more success next year than this – 5+ victories would be a tremendous achievement.
The most intriguing aspect to the Stewart announcement is the further strengthening of the Hendrick Motorsports umbrella. Under the support of Hendrick Motorsports, Stewart Haas Racing will field at least 2 competitive Sprint Cup teams and JR Motorsports will continue in the Nationwide Series. In 2009, Chevrolet will support 10 NASCAR Sprint Cup championship contending race teams: 4 with Hendrick Motorsports, 2 with Stewart Haas Racing, and 4 with Richard Childress Racing (RCR).
The Stewart announcement provides Chevrolet and GM Racing a major conquest in the pursuit to fend off the aggressive maneuvers of Toyota Motorsports and Toyota Racing Development (TRD). As a former business partner of TRD and the Lee White led organization, I look forward to the strategic plans and business maneuvers of Toyota Motorsports in the quest for NASCAR dominance.

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 car is approved for competition.
While that does sound very nice and tidy, the real reason is far more ominous – and the decision was based upon the economic impact on the independent teams in the Nationwide Series. The introduction of the COT would require teams to replace their entire fleet of race cars and it would be financially inconceivable and ultimately would devastate the Nationwide Series in 2009.
Back in May, I wrote an article Car of Tomorrow (COT) – Friend or Foe for the Nationwide Series; where I foretold of the impending disaster of the COT for the Nationwide Series and quoted Dale Earnhardt Jr. about his race team’s future plans and the viability of the Nationwide Series with the COT:

And they’re going to bring a COT in and we won’t be able to race in the Nationwide Series with the COT probably. That’ll just be too expensive to switch all that over. …And the COT program is going to be too expensive for me to justify creating a whole new program with COT stuff, so I’d just as soon go into the Cup Series or get out of the Nationwide Series altogether.

An official announcement is expected from NASCAR in two weeks.

During NASCAR’s off week, IndyCar stole the media headlines thanks to Danica Patrick winning her first race to become the first woman to win in open-wheel racing history. A few days ago, Danica was interviewed by Fox News and discussed her history making performance. While some may argue that her victory was a result of strategy and not performance – at the end of the day – the end result was a victory. This historic win will never be erased and will catapult IndyCar’s reemergence.

This recent ground breaking victory brought back many good memories of my own personal story in NASCAR and our team’s historic moments which were featured in interviews in 2004 on Fox News. Without a doubt, the marketing savvy of IndyCar to leverage historic racing moments, has become quite evident in recent days. In contrast and in comparison, after delivering Toyota’s first historic NASCAR victory I was the first NASCAR team owner ever to be interviewed on Fox News. As the youngest team owner in NASCAR history the media was mesmerized, not only with my young age; but with our historic and record-breaking year in NASCAR. However, unlike the IRL (IndyCar), who is leveraging Danica’s historic moment in history – and is utilizing this moment to bring in new sponsors into the sport to reach new demographic markets – not surprisingly, NASCAR failed to leverage their moment.

But only time will tell if Danica’s historical victory will be the “watershed event’ that reignites IndyCar as a true corporate sponsorship alternative for NASCAR.

By: Alex Meshkin

 

10 years ago, if I told a NASCAR fan that Robert Yates Racing would lose all of their sponsors and be on the verge of going out of business and becoming another “defunct” team, every single fan would have said “you must be out of your mind.”

But fast forward to 2008 and so called “super teams” – Yates Racing, Chip Ganassi Racing, Bill Davis Racing and Dale Earnhardt Inc. all have primary sponsor vacancies and may shutter one or more of their teams. Some may ask “How did this happen?” You will hear many say the principle cause is the rising costs of drivers, personnel and other expenses. And YES, while these are all contributing factors; the fundamental flaw of a NASCAR sponsorship program is the inability to measure the performance and success of the program. While NASCAR has always positioned itself as a branding vehicle; in 2008 branding is only achieved through customer acquisition; and NASCAR sponsorship does not provide an effective means to measure its performance.

With the rapid growth of online advertising opportunities and pay-for-performance models, why would one invest a large portion of their marketing budget into a non-quantifiable advertising campaign? If motorsports’ agencies and teams cannot provide an answer to this daunting question – NASCAR fans will be more disappointed as more and more teams become sponsorless and face the inevitable loss of their favorite teams.    

When a potential corporate sponsor investigates a NASCAR sponsorship opportunity, the chief value proposition that is touted – is the high brand loyalty that sponsors’ receive. This approach is not only out-dated but the  value proposition is severely overrated.  As many know, I grew up as a die-hard Dale Earnhardt Sr. fan and subsequently, in recent years have cheered for Dale Jr. But do I drink AMP, Mountain Dew or any other Pepsi product? Ah No. Do I drive a Chevrolet? No. Clearly, brand loyalty is not enough to justify $20 Million dollars to sponsor a Sprint Cup team.

NASCAR teams, unlike Formula 1, completely rely on advertising revenue to fund their operations – and the option of reducing operating expenses is just not realistic. Consequently, unless NASCAR decides to “share the wealth” and allocate a larger percentage of television revenue to their racing teams, those teams MUST reinvent their marketing approach to survive.  But it’s not doomsday for everyone in the sport – Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing and Roush Fenway Racing are on top of the racing world – with world-class drivers and premiere equipment – to drive their considerable sponsorship demand. But where does that leave, lesser know drivers and less significant teams, and perhaps even future teams?

As the youngest NASCAR team owner in history and with the best track record for any first year team, I scored Toyota’s first two NASCAR victories and know what it takes to perform on the race track and in the corporate board room. I personally pioneered the development of online loyalty and incentive programs in NASCAR and leveraged internet marketing strategies to secure companies such as, eBay to sponsor Bang! Racing. But without an integrated approach whereby teams can leverage the NASCAR brand, innovative business models will not prosper and teams will continue to fail at an alarming pace.

I implore NASCAR, its team owners and motorsports agencies to collaborate to develop and implement a better approach and solution before the majority of teams become bankrupt and are forced to be remembered as simply “defunct.”

By: Alex Meshkin, former owner of Bang Racing

Brooklyn, M.I., Aug. 1, 2004 – Travis Kvapil stepped into his sponsor’s suite at Michigan International Speedway on Friday and with his usual, quiet candor asked a foretelling question as he was drawn to the brightly-colored yellow and black Line-X logo decorating the infield grass just outside the window.

“If I win tomorrow, I’m going to run through the grass and spin out across that logo but only if that’s ‘OK’ with everyone here,” he asked. Call it fate with a little bit of luck, but just don’t call it happenstance. Kvapil was on a mission to keep that promise and did. After capturing the checkered flag, he wheeled the No. 24 Line-X Tundra into the infield as a victorious nod to the jubilant yellow Line-X shirts lining the roof of their suite.

The historic victory was one of many firsts: the first checkered of the season for the 2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Champion, the inaugural win for first-year team, Bang Racing, and an achievement that etched a place in the history books for Toyota as the championship manufacturer continues its winning legacy in NASCAR.

“This is huge.what a day!” Kvapil exclaimed. “Toyota gave me some great horsepower again. I screwed up yesterday and drove my truck into the wall off turn 2 after only getting five or six practice laps. Then we broke a motor and had to start in the back. I really have to thank crew chief John Monsam, Mike Skinner and the 42 crew for helping us out with all their notes. They had a fast, fast race truck in happy hour yesterday, and we were able to look at their notes and go a little bit more in their direction from where we were and tune on our truck for the race. So we relied a lot on my teammate and his setup.”

The win marks the second time Kvapil and Bang Racing have made history and helped Toyota to the forefront of acclaim after an impressive out-of-the-box display at Daytona International Speedway earlier this season. Kvapil drove Bang Racing and the No. 24 Line-X Tundra into the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series history books by breaking the highest finish for a new team at Daytona, previously held by Kenny Martin who finished fifth at the Speedway in 2000, clinched the highest qualifying position (third) for the new manufacturer and led the first lap on Lap 8 for the Toyota Motorsports contingent.

“We went to Daytona and didn’t really think we had a shot at the win – and we finished second,” Kvapil said. “It seems like it’s been so long since then. To be able to pull it off here with Line-X sponsoring my truck and the event is just awesome. We’ve been trying so hard all year. For Bang Racing and Toyota to put the total package together in the other manufacturers’ backyard is pretty special.” Kvapil battled against the odds from the back of the pack and another grazing off the turn 4 wall as the initial laps ticked down. From the wave of the green flag, racing action looked more like Daytona as Kvapil worked the advantage of the draft and quickly knocked off 15 spots in 20 laps at the two-mile venue despite loose conditions.

“The draft definitely played in my favor at times,” Kvapil said. “I’d be back a little ways and I’d just fit in and catch the next group. Then I’d pass some more and draft up behind the next group. But it played against me a couple of times, too. I’d try to make passes down on the bottom, and it seemed like everyone wanted to lay-up on the outside. If I had any help, I could make some passes but everyone wanted to stay in line. It was just like Daytona – if you had someone to go with you, you could make your way to the front. But during the last 20 laps of the race, my truck was strong enough to do it on my own.”

Following the first caution flag for debris and a quick pit stop for air pressure, track bar and wedge adjustments to tighten up his ride, Kvapil exited pit road just outside the top-10. As teammate Mike Skinner took the lead mid-way through the 100-lap event, the reigning champ had worked his way into 10th and waited for his green flag pit stop. Then fate stepped in. Kvapil pulled the wheel from heading down pit road for a green flag stop in seventh place as NASCAR called the fourth of seven caution flags for debris. After the crew feverishly changed all four tires taking air pressure out of each and added two cans of fuel, the No. 24 team gained four spots as an ecstatic crew watched Kvapil fall in line behind teammate Mike Skinner. The pair sailed past race leader Bobby Hamilton on lap 77 until yet another caution on lap 81 for Kelly Sutton’s spin in turn 2. When racing action resumed three laps later, Kvapil drove past Skinner and never looked back despite two additional yellows and the race finale ending under caution. “I knew if I ever got to the lead and out in clean air, I could get to the front fast,” he said. “Clean air is so big at Michigan. You’ve got all the downforce on the truck working for you. I thought I had a good enough truck that I could drive away from them, and that’s exactly what happened. It was a great feeling to look in the mirror and see that I was pulling away.”

“Eric [Phillips] and everyone on my team did a great job and gave me tremendous pit stops today,” he said. “They picked up three and four spots every time I pitted and made perfect adjustments on the truck. Earlier in the race, I was able to drive up to about 10th or 15th fairly easily, but once I got to those trucks they were pretty good and it was hard to pass. My truck was just too loose. We really had to work on our truck pretty hard to get it to where I was that fast. The draft was a big equalizer, too. There were some guys that probably don’t have the horsepower that Toyota has under the hood, and they were able to keep up. But I had a good horse under the hood. The last 20 laps were the best laps I had all weekend. I was just riding around wide-open. And Mike and I worked together really well at the end. I thought it was going to be a one-two, but it was pretty darn close.” Kvapil’s joy ride couldn’t have come at a better momentum-boosting time mid-way through the season.

“I expected it a little earlier than 13 weeks into the season to be honest,” Kvapil said. “I knew my owner, Alex Meshkin, had put together a tremendous group of people. With Toyota behind us giving us all the tools we need to go to the race track to run well – I know I’ve got great bodies, I know I’ve got great engines and I know Alex has got the best pieces bolted on the truck that we can buy. I’ve got Eric and Brad [Whaley], a great engineer, and now John’s on board as the new 42 crew chief. We’ve got a good group of people that really work together and communicate well, and I think that’s what the key was to our weekend. We finally put the whole package together. We tested last week in Nashville, and it was a huge turn around for our team. Since testing there, we brought a completely different truck with a totally different setup to Michigan, and Toyota providing us with that testing time and giving us that opportunity to get on the track was a key in my victory.”

As the youngest team owner in NASCAR to reach victory lane, 24-year-old Meshkin’s laurels were all the more sweet as both drivers finished inside the top-three after a roller coaster month of average finishes and changes within the organization. “For the past couple of weeks, I’ve taken more hands-on control of the team making changes to help the two teams become stronger and bring them together,” Meshkin said.

“I think we’ve accomplished that. Thanks to the hiring of our new crew chief on the 42 team, John has helped further solidify our team. Our track performance today, Mike having the best happy hour yesterday, two top-five finishes in which either of our trucks could’ve won and to have Travis win his sponsor’s race, it just can’t get any better than this. It’s an honor to be able to deliver Toyota their first win. To have Travis in victory lane – nothing could be more special.”

“I’m just really proud of the teamwork from the 24 and 42 crews working together to change the motor after we hit the wall in happy hour,” Phillips said. “Everyone put in so much effort and hard work to get us to the front, and I had all the confidence in the new Toyota engine we put in our Line-X truck. Our team has had the Michigan race circled on the calendar since Daytona and really wanted to win for Line-X and for Toyota in the big-three manufacturers’ backyard. To go up there and run really well with both teams just shows how good our race team really is. Our momentum keeps getting stronger which is so important since we’re just getting into the middle part of the race season.” “One of the biggest positives of our team’s win is an answer to a lot of the doubts over the past month about our race team and where we’re headed and what we’re doing,” Phillips said.

“There have been a lot of changes, and I still believe all of the changes are for the best for Bang Racing and its future. I’m really proud of the guys standing behind me and this race team through all of it. I think running one and two at the end of the race just shows how strong this race team can be when we work together. The communication with John has been really great, and I know we will work well together the rest of the year to continue down a successful path.” From victory lane and a momentous time in motorsports history, it’s hard to imagine less than 10 months ago Bang Racing didn’t even own a hammer. “I remember last fall when we didn’t have any employees or a race shop,” Kvapil said.

“We have done a lot in a very short time. And we just keep getting stronger and stronger. I’ve been saying for the last couple of weeks, the second half of the year is when Bang Racing is going to come on strong. We’ve been testing all this time, and the engines are getting better under the hood. Now that we’ve been to a lot of these race tracks once and know exactly what to bring for setups, we’ll start climbing our way to the top. We still definitely have a shot at the championship. Our team hasn’t given up and is looking for some more victories.” As Kvapil pulled away from the field during the last laps of the race, his crew and the Line-X employees weren’t the only ones acting as a cheering squad. Little known to anyone else, Kvapil himself acted as a cheerleader for his team before the race had even begun. “I told my crew the last time I wrecked my truck in practice, I won in Texas a couple of years ago,” Kvapil smiled. “And we’ve seen Carl Edwards change his motor a couple of times and come from the back to the front to win. So, this wasn’t going to be all bad. I knew if there was a place that I had to drive from the back to try for the win, Michigan was going to be one of the easiest places to do it. I’m just proud to be the driver to bring home Toyota’s first NASCAR victory.”

By Dick Brinster, The Associated Press June 10, 2004
3:53 PM EDT (1953 GMT)

Dressed in a T-shirt, jeans and sneakers, his cap on backward, Alex Meshkin bears little resemblance to other NASCAR team owners.

That’s what Larry McReynolds thought when the former crew chief was approached last spring by Meshkin and asked to join Bang Racing, now a fledgling team in the Craftsman Truck series.

“I asked him, ‘Where’s your dad at? Your dad must be the one who’s going to do this deal,”‘ McReynolds recalled.

Little did he know this was a 23-year-old whiz kid who six years earlier took some money his parents put aside for college and made a few million sitting at his computer trading stocks.

“I was able to (turn) it into a little bit of wealth and start my own company,” said Meshkin, whose Bang Technology Software affiliate is based in Bombay, India.

He also heads a merchandising company and Nutzz.com, which rewards consumers for the use of products in a manner similar to retailers giving frequent flyer miles.

The two-truck team is costing Meshkin nearly $15 million a year, and he expects the operation to be profitable by 2007. That’s the fast lane in a sport where sponsorship can be tough to maintain.

But super salesman Meshkin isn’t concerned. His teams, with series champion Travis Kvapil and former Cup driver and Craftsman champion Mike Skinner, are backed by Toyota and eBay among others.

Meshkin laughs when asked about his attempt to become a racer.

“I always wanted to be involved in racing since I was a little kid,” said Meshkin, who briefly campaigned a formula car. “I prefer the ownership side. I think I’ll just stick with what I do well.”

To McReynolds, who owns a small share of the team, Meshkin stands out because of his “passion” for the sport.

“Every other business I’ve been involved in, the excitement to me was when I could sell it to make money,” Meshkin said. “For this, I don’t care how much they offer me, I wouldn’t sell it.”

In fact, he plans to expand to the Busch series and eventually to Nextel Cup. The truck teams are just the foundation of his racing program.

Meshkin knew he wouldn’t have much credibility without bringing aboard a high-profile racing figure. So he targeted McReynolds, and was persistent when first rebuffed.

“I wasn’t really interested in talking to him,” said McReynolds, Dale Earnhardt’s former crew chief and a TV racing analyst. “Since I stepped off the pit box at the end of 2000, I’ve had 30 or 40 people come at me.

“I always had the feeling that they were looking for someone with a magic wand in their back pocket to wave over the race team and try to fix it.

“Even though I won 23 Cup races as a crew chief, I lost 447. So, obviously, I don’t have a magic wand.”

Finally, Meshkin sold McReynolds on the team and then sold him a piece of it.

“He’s an awfully good salesman,” McReynolds said. “And he knows how to go out and get those sponsors.”

With McReynolds as vice president of racing, Meshkin is able to concentrate almost solely on the business side of the operation. Part of that is pairing sponsors and trucks.

Skinner’s effort is backed by Toyota and Kvapil’s chief sponsor is Line-X, a spray-on bedliner for pickup trucks. Meshkin secured them and is confident his acumen as a salesman will eventually allow Bang to field about a half-dozen teams spread through NASCAR’s top three divisions.

“Our goal is to be the best and the biggest,” Meshkin said. “We’re not modest here.”

Fruition of his plan would put Bang at the level of Hendrick Motorsports or Roush Racing, the biggest operations in the sport. Meshkin believes that’s attainable because he expects to hold sponsorship by giving backers a fair return on their investment.

“That’s why sponsors come into the sport and are gone in a few years,” he explained. “We need to keep them by doing what’s right for them and the race team.”

Meshkin, now 24, says being young hasn’t hurt him in his marketing. Actually, he’s always considered youth an asset.

“Even when I started my first company as an 18-year-old,” Meshkin said. “People would look at me and figure, ‘I want to hear what this kid has to say.”‘

http://www.nascar.com/2004/news/headlines/truck/06/10/amishkin_feature.ap/

Thomas Chemris

Alex Meshkin has a resume similar to most Fortune 500 CEO’S.

He parlayed investments in the stock market to raise start up capital for a new Internet company, Surfbuzz. Surrounding himself with some of the countries brightest marketing executives to grow the firm into a multi-national development group specializing in software and technology applications.

With such a successful track record, the assumption could be made that Meshkin hails from the likes of Harvard, MIT or Wharton, but in reality he successfully built his company between the ages of eighteen and twenty-two, just out of High School.

Meshkin has now taken the same formula for success and applied it to the world of Motorsports with the debut of Bang Racing.

At age twenty-three, he is the youngest team owner in NASCAR, and after speed weeks in Daytona, heads turned as veteran drivers, owners and crew chiefs realized this team is for real.

Utilizing a familiar business plan, Meshkin began his journey into Motorsports by acquiring a marketable product. He signed on as one of the start-up teams for Toyota Racing Development and it’s launch of the Tundra into The Craftsman Truck Series.

He then surrounded himself with the best and brightest with the likes of Larry McReynolds, and former and current series Champions Mike Skinner and Travis Kvapil.

Add to the mix solid sponsorship from Line-X and Toyota, and the group was poised to assemble tops teams and make its mark at the season opener.

In a sport that has seen many new owners who have more money than brains, Meshkin, as with most things he has done in his life appear to be the exception.

Qualifying third for the Florida Dodge Dealers 200 at Daytona, Kvapil scored a runner up finish, while Skinner, who qualified fourteenth finished twenty-eighth after being caught up in a multi-truck wreck mid way through the event.

“I don’t believe we had any surprises at Daytona”, noted Meshkin.  “We knew we had two good teams and two great drivers. The only surprise was having Mike Skinner’s number Forty-Two Toyota Tundra involved in the accident that eventually took him out of the race.  But regardless, I was very pleased with both team’s performances.”

Bang Racing is committed to the Truck Series through 2006. Many would argue that is enough to keep the team busy while learning the ropes as the “new kids on the block”.

Once again proving that he is ready to break all the rules Meshkin and company announced before the Daytona event that with support from internet giant Ebay, the team would field a part time cup effort during the second half of 2004, and a full time effort for the 2005 season.

“We’re thrilled to have ebay become an associate sponsor in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and support a young entrepreneurial team’s entrance into the Nextel Cup, NASCAR’s premier series,” said the young owner.

Not a small accomplishment. Taking into consideration that there is a current sponsorship crisis in NASCAR’s premier series. It is expected that 2004 will mark the first time in years that there will be less that forty-three entries at some events, and the controversy of field fillers is already an issue. Established teams like Roush Racing and Ultra Motorsports cannot find full time sponsorship for proven winners Jeff Burton and Jimmy Spencer.

A first year team with no Cup experience scoring a multi-year sponsorship with a major company is well beyond the norm of traditional racing business.

But with Alex Meshkin, nothing is traditional.

In a sport where many drivers lament that it is better to be “lucky than good”, Bang Racing is proving their success has nothing to do with luck.

http://truckseries.com/cgi-script/csArticles/articles/000002/000211.htm

By JEFF WOLF
REVIEW-JOURNAL

NASCAR Craftsman Truck series driver Travis Kvapil, left, and 24-year-old team owner Alex Meshkin have teamed to win two races this season. COURTESY PHOTO

The past year of racing for Travis Kvapil has been so unique it makes the spelling of his last name seem like Smith or Jones.

It started at the end of the past NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season when he had to sit in his truck after the finale in Homestead, Fla., until race officials determined whether he or Ted Musgrave had won the season championship.

Although the ruling favored Kvapil, his reign started under clouds of uncertainty as owners of his truck team had decided to cut him from its 2004 lineup.

So the 28-year-old from Wisconsin hooked his championship wagon to a team owned by Alex Meshkin, a 24-year-old Internet entrepreneur who never had owned a race team before starting Bang Racing late last year.

Adding to Kvapil’s gamble: Meshkin’s team would rely on the new Toyota Tundra in the truck series. The Japan-based manufacturer had a proven history in other forms of racing, but this would be its first in one of NASCAR’s three major series.

It was a pair of long shots for Kvapil, but both gambles have paid off.

He will start Saturday night’s Las Vegas 350 truck series race as one of three drivers through 18 races who have won more than once this year. He has six top-five finishes.

With one year left on his contract with Meshkin, Kvapil has no regrets that he joined the youngest team owner in a major NASCAR racing series.

“I really believed in the program he was building, and I knew that Toyota would put good motors and trucks on the race track,” Kvapil said.

Kvapil and teammate Mike Skinner, the series’ first champion in 1995, are among four teams using Toyota equipment, but Kvapil is the only one who has won.

His second win was Saturday in Loudon, N.H.

“To get the second one makes a statement that this team is for real,” Kvapil said. “We’re contenders.”

Kvapil’s team is sixth in the standings with six races left and 188 points behind leader Bobby Hamilton. While Kvapil remains a contender for the season title, he also is looking toward next season when he and Meshkin move up to the NASCAR Busch Series.

“That’s the plan,” Kvapil said. “I wouldn’t say it’s 100 percent solid, but our sponsors are behind us to move up to Busch. (Meshkin is) working on some other sponsors, so we really have the money we need.”

Kvapil also denied rumors published last weekend that he was in line to replace Las Vegan Brendan Gaughan in the No. 77 Dodge for Penske/Jasper Racing in the Nextel Cup Series.

“It’s that time of year for rumors,” Kvapil said. “No one from Penske has talked to me.”

Meshkin, a native of Washington, D.C., said he expects to make an official announcement about his NASCAR plans in 45 to 60 days and it could include a second part-time team in the Busch series. He also said Kvapil will compete in some truck races next year to support one of the team’s sponsors that makes products geared to pick-up trucks.

“When we go Busch racing, it’s more competitive and you’re racing Cup teams,” Meshkin said. “It’s an opportunity to beat (teams like ) Hendrick, to beat RCR (Richard Childress Racing). That will give us the momentum when we go Cup racing.

“We won’t go racing in any series unless we’re going to be competitive.”

Meshkin’s first year in NASCAR has included a learning curve. A disagreement with Toyota over unspecified issues led the manufacturer to announce three weeks ago that it was pulling support from the team that would have forced Meshkin to find Fords, Dodges or Chevrolets for his drivers to finish the truck season.

A week later, however, Toyota backed off the threat, but Skinner left Meshkin’s team and began driving for Bill Davis Racing, another Toyota-backed program.

“When there’s stuff like that there’s always going to be distractions, but it was neat the guys in the shop never missed a beat,” Kvapil said.

Meshkin brings a new approach to NASCAR’s tradition-based world.

“I think we’re the most successful new team in NASCAR history,” he said.

“You can accomplish anything; it’s how you go about it. I think we’re more relaxed than other teams. By having a culture that has created unity, we are a more competitive team.”

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2004/Sep-21-Tue-2004/sports/24812898.html 

Place your bids
Bang Racing announced an agreement with online aution site eBay, which includes a co-primary sponsorship of the Bang Racing motorsports teams in the NASCAR Nextel Cup and an associate sponsorship in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

“We’re thrilled to have eBay become an associate sponsor in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and support a young entrepreneurial team’s entrance into the Nextel Cup, NASCAR’s premier series,” said Alex Meshkin, CEO and principle owner of Bang Racing. “We hope other technology companies will follow eBay’s lead and join forces with Bang Racing to reach brand loyal NASCAR fans.”

EBay’s associate sponsorship of Bang Racing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series includes the No. 42 Toyota Tundra with driver Mike Skinner, the 1995 series champion, and the No. 24 Tundra with driver Travis Kvapil, the 2003 champ. The agreement includes eBay’s sponsorship of Bang Racing in the Nextel Cup series during the second half of 2004 as the team prepares for its full-time entrance in the Nextel Cup Series in 2005.

“We’re proud to sponsor Bang Racing and be part of NASCAR series,” said Gary Dillabough, vice president, eBay strategic partnerships. “This sponsorship agreement provides eBay an opportunity to reach the passionate motorsports community and introduce Bang Racing to the eBay community, now totaling more than 95 million registered users.”

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=1732213&type=story 

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (AP) — Toyota officially became part of NASCAR’s Craftsman Truck series on Friday, announcing agreements with four teams for the 2004 season.

Bill Davis Racing, Innovative Motorsports Inc., Waltrip Racing Inc. and Bang Racing, all new to the series, will field Toyota Tundra trucks in the season-opening event Feb. 13 at Daytona International Speedway.

Davis will bring 18-year-old Shelby Howard to the truck series, while Robert Huffman and Hank Parker Jr. will drive for George deBidart’s Innovative Motorsports.

Darrell Waltrip, a three-time Winston Cup champion who is now a TV analyst, has hired David Reutimann as his driver and will get behind the wheel of a second entry for two or three events in 2004.

The new Bang Racing team, co-owned by Larry McReynolds, former Cup crew chief and now also a TV analyst, and Alex Meshkin, has hired 1995 truck series champion Mike Skinner and is expected to run a second entry for new series champion Travis Kvapil.

Davis also will work with Toyota Racing Development in building the race trucks and V8 engines for all four teams.

“What I’ve seen Toyota accomplish in such a short time in the IRL series, and the support they have given those teams … there’s no question that their intentions and goals are the same as they head toward the truck series in 2004,” said McReynolds.

Toyota engines competed in the IRL series for the first time in 2003, and Scott Dixon won the series championship in a Toyota-powered car.

In another truck announcement Friday, General Motors will add to its role in the Craftsman series with sponsorship of three teams.

A Chevrolet Silverado driven by Dennis Setzer for Morgan-Dollar Motorsports will carry the Silverado sponsorship, while Jack Sprague will drive a vehicle sponsored by Chevy Trucks for Xpress Motorsports.

Kevin Harvick Inc., will field a Silverado driven by Matt Crafton and sponsored by GM Goodwrench.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2003/racing/11/14/notebook.ap/

Alex Meshkin, CEO of huvi; and an innovator of digital media secondary markets, is a serial entrepreneurial that is well documented in leading publications including CNBC, Fortune, Fox News, and many others. Alex Meshkin is not a newcomer to the technology world and at the age of 19 started his first internet company. However, he is most widely known for his success as the Founder and CEO of Bang! Racing, a company formed through a strategic partnership with Toyota Racing Development. In 2004, Bang! Racing became the most successful first year team in NASCAR history, going on to break numerous motorsports records; including Alex becoming the youngest NASCAR team owner in NASCAR history at the age of 23; and Bang! Racing becoming the first NASCAR team to bring Toyota their FIRST two victories.

Additionally, Alex Meshkin managed a Joint Venture between Bang Racing’s parent company (Bang!) and Vertrue Inc. (NASDAQ: VTRU), and strategic technology partner eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY) to launch the first consumer membership program in the field of motorsports targeting NASCAR fans. Together, Bang!, Vertrue and eBay launched an innovative consumer membership which delivered consumers deep discounts at leading NASCAR sponsors including; Home Depot, Sunoco and Target, and provided incentive credits redeemable through an online auction powered by eBay.

Most recently, Alex Meshkin served as Vice President & GM of Cloverleaf Partners a global software developer and sports marketing agency.

Alex Meshkin is an avid motorsports enthusiast, a passionate golfer and poker player.

LinkedIn Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/meshkin

Check out his videos on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/alexmeshkin