FROM MANUFACTURER #1
Dear Mr. Nicholson: I just read your DRO commentary on the
IHRA Contingency and felt compelled to respond. Although
it may have been presented as rhetorical, I will attempt
to answer your question "Why would a company care if
the decal was on for all the rounds when there is nobody
watching anyway?" from a major contingency sponsors'
point of view.
First, all drivers and team owners are appraised of the
"decal slapping" rule and its consequences prior
to racing. Tim Irwin and the IHRA notified all contingency
sponsors of this particular infraction of the rule; however,
they specifically stated that payments were at the sponsors'
discretion. I have spoken with a few other manufacturers,
and I know that some are still planning on paying the racer
you cite.
Amalie Oil Company is proud to have a long history in drag
racing, sponsoring pioneers like Connie Kalitta and Shirley
Muldowney. We also enjoy fierce brand loyalty - Gene Snow
has not been sponsored by Amalie since he stopped racing
a full national event schedule years ago, however, he currently
purchases our race oils and has requested Amalie decals
for his newly renovated rail because he "started racing
with Amalie and wants to race with us until he dies".
Conversely, a "decal slapper" typically has little
to no affinity for the companies or products shown on the
decals.
I think that you underestimate the camaraderie and respect
that the IHRA racers have for each other. Racers frequently
talk and share successes and experience in the pit area
(and in many cases parts and labor as well). A decal slapper
may, or may not, have even used the product in question,
and is extremely unlikely to have talked about its
effectiveness with other drivers. More decisions about product
usage are made in the pits than by looking at the contingency
decal. Additionally, the assertion that "nobody is
watching" is incorrect, there are plenty of people
watching the qualifying rounds. The Amalie Oil Texas Nationals
(the race in question), had the largest Friday crowd of
any prior IHRA event.
Contingency sponsors have a great affinity for the sport
and truly like to support the drivers, but obviously we
have a profit motive as well. Slapping a decal and providing
a $25 receipt to receive a $500 check is a no-brainer for
a driver, but it is fiscal suicide for a manufacturer unless
there is goodwill or advertising exposure derived from it.
As benevolent as most contingency sponsors are, they will
cease to be in business unless they earn a profit. Most
manufacturers do not want to make a single sale, we want
to build relationships. A one-time decal exposure does not
guaranty any longevity.
Drag racing is an expensive endeavor and winning a National
event is extremely difficult, so when a driver is denied
$7000 it is cause for scrutiny. Certainly the IHRA is not
perfect, but the rules are published and disseminated to
the drivers. Those rules are then enforced to protect the
integrity of the contingency program, which reassures manufacturers,
who then are willing to put up the large sums of money that
we do for those drivers who obey the rules.
I like your web site and appreciate your opinions in your
Dead-On commentary and am happy that you raised this important
issue, although I think your conclusions are misguided.
Amalie Oil Company boasts over 100 years of lubricant manufacturing
expertise. We produce over 180 different lubricants including
our Amalie PRO semi-synthetic racing oil which is the Official
Oil of the IHRA. We are a major IHRA contingency sponsor
and the title event sponsor of the Amalie Oil Texas Nationals
and the Amalie Oil North
American Nationals as well as sponsoring a number of former,
current, and future IHRA World Champions.
Andrew Bornstein - Business Development Manager
Amalie Oil Company
FROM MANUFACTURER #2
Read your rebuttal in regards to the IHRA decisions vs.
contingency payouts! Every side has two stories and thank
goodness for that. I appreciate your concerns and want to
make certain your efforts are not over looked for any reason.
As Co-President of PEAK Racing Equipment I/we want our customer
or potential customers to be pleased with the products and
the programs offered to you [the racer, our customers].
So, if for any reason you were using our PEAK Racing Equipment
products that qualify for contingency payout and there was
some misunderstanding where you or another individual that
you know were qualified for the program and the sanctioning
bodies decision thought otherwise. Please notify me by e-mail
and we will discuss matters of correction!
PEAK Racing Equipment and I state; "Has NO problems
with the IHRA and their programs and appreciate all they
have done for our company and the sport!"
"We want all parties with a legitimate case to present
it to us directly and PEAK will make the decision and hopefully
EVERYBODY will be satisfied with the out come." It
has become way too expensive to participate in this sport
today!
Keep up the good work and the sport appreciates your "Side
Of The Story." Keep in touch!
Cheers,
Greg Chelak!
