|
6/6/03
A Double Dose of Reality
ometime even the most cynical, battle-scarred journalist
like the Burkster will want something so badly that he will
put on the rose colored glasses, beads and bell-bottoms, (that
mental image ought to keep you awake at night) and pretend
that everything is mellow, man. But then, as it always does,
someone or something, as the Firesign Theater troupe would
say, "hits you like the hot kiss at the end of a wet fist"
and jerks you back into the cold, hard world of reality.
That's what happened to me this week after I read a couple of letters from
IHRA pres Bill Bader and a quote from NHRA exec. Len Imbrogno. I was
reminded once again, regrettably, that before it is a sport, drag racing is a
business just like any other professional sport and the bottom line rules the
day. I was also reminded that everything written or spoken is subject to
interpretation.
In an interview in the Performance Racing Industry magazine about
sportsman racing, Imbrogno was asked a question regarding the future of
Pro Mod, a class that he's been very supportive of in the past.
"I don't see it becoming a professional class anytime soon," he is quoted.
"Tom's (NHRA president Tom Compton) vision is to limit the number of
professional categories, which will allow better television coverage on
ESPN. If you have too many pro classes, the TV show will become diluted,
and not enough time will be giving to the classes and the respective sponsors
that they deserve."
I almost had a stroke when I read that quote. (In the interest of full disclosure you should
know that I do public relations for several Pro Mod teams that compete almost
exclusively at NHRA events.) To be honest, that statement could signal the demise of
some present and future Pro Mod teams who are using the NHRA as a stepping stone to
secure a sponsor. Most companies that are non-automotive related are only interested in
professional classes. A lot of teams have held out hope that Pro Mod would eventually
become an NHRA professional class; evidently that is not the case.
To be sure, NHRA's Graham Light has made it clear more than once that there are no
plans for Pro Mod to ever be a professional category under the POWERade umbrella, but
again, many racers held out hope that Pro Mod might become a "separate but equal"
professional class within NHRA. I can tell for a fact that there are sponsors that feel that
way also.
Despite the fact that NHRA sponsors such as CARQUEST, Summit Racing Equipment,
Budweiser, AMS, and InfiNet, as well as major corporate sponsors like Lee Boy and
Radiac Abrasives, use Pro Mods as marketing tools, NHRA can't seem to share the
enthusiasm for the class beyond using them as an exhibition class to fill the time between
Pro sessions. Many of these companies sponsored Pro Mods based upon the fact that
they are a professional class in the IHRA and that they held out hope that they might
become a pro class in NHRA. It is interesting to note that most of the companies don't
sponsor any entries in Pro Stock or Pro Stock Bike.
The reality is that Pro Mod racers and their sponsors will have to deal with
the fact that if they continue to support NHRA racing they do so knowing
they are expected to be a professional class but without most of the perks
that come with being a professional class racer. No TV, no contingency, no
"Wally," and seemingly damn little respect from NHRA's marketing and
management team. The one bright spot in this deal is that National Dragster
Editor, Phil Burgess, has assigned a beat writer to the Pro Mods and gives
the class a page in ND after each event and covers the class on nhra.com.
I don't know, maybe it's the Pro Stock Truck racer's lawsuit or other Pro
classes who are afraid the Pro Mods will steal their sponsorships that's to
blame.
But more likely it is just a matter of economics. If you think about it
logically there is no reason for NHRA to change their stance. They get 20-24
of the best Pro Mods in the nation every time they open the doors with
plenty of racers waiting in the wings. They have a sponsor who pursued
them for the rights to sponsor the series and pay the purse. The fans don't
know or care about the racer's plight. All they know that they get to see Pro
Mods when they buy a ticket -- and the class is very popular with the fans. It
wouldn't make good business sense for NHRA to do anything different.
Luckily for NHRA, most of the racers don't seem to have the same sense of
business the sanctioning body does; they're evidently just glad to be able to
race at NHRA venues -- after all, they asked to race with the high sheriffs;
they weren't asked.
If the Pro Mod deal didn't give me enough angst, there is always the IHRA.
Boy, the guys that run that sanctioning body have some stones. But then
what would you expect from a group whose motto is "Nothing but attitude."
First, they schedule a race in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada that for most of
their core racers in the Southeast U.S. means a minimum 3,500-4,000 mile
round trip and about 10 days off of work if they attend. To my knowledge
nobody at IHRA ever asked their racers how they felt about attending a race
that far away. Hell, they can't even get enough racers to go to Texas or
Illinois; what made them think racers would tow even more miles to
Canada? Billy Meyer learned that lesson when he tried to have IHRA races
at the Texas Motorplex.
Nope, the IHRA went with the "schedule it and they will come" program.
Then, when more and more racers made it clear that they weren't interested
in going to Edmonton, IHRA ignored them. IHRA VP Aaron Polburn even
wrote a column in Drag Review saying he wasn't worried.
Now, with the race quickly approaching and it becoming evident that many
racers are going to pass on this event, IHRA starts lobbying the racers. First,
Bill Bader sends out a letter telling the racers how good things are going
with IHRA, how the track has sold over $100,000 in advance tickets, and
how, if the racers want IHRA to keep growing, they better show up at
Edmonton.
Then he followed that with another letter titled "Maximum Earnings
Guarantee" that promised the top 18 teams in Pro Stock, Pro Mod, and Alky
Funny Car points first round loser money if they came to Edmonton. So
those racers are guaranteed $2000 to show -- sort of. He forgot to mention
that the race teams still have to pay to get into the race. So now these guys
are guaranteed about $1500 for a 3000-4000 mile tow. What a deal, huh?
I think that IHRA racers should support IHRA races, but if the track has
indeed already sold over $100,000 in advance tickets, maybe it would be
good business for IHRA to wave the entry fee for the Pro classes just this
once. If 40 Pro cars show up it would cost the track and IHRA around $12-
15,000 I figure, but they'd still make money.
That "nothing but attitude" is beginning to make some sense to me now.
So, I'm burning the glasses, beads and bellbottoms, and
replacing them with a suit, sensible shoes and a briefcase
just so that I wont forget that drag racing is a business
first and a sport second ... dammit! 
|
