Pre-Season Thunder:
Pre-season Thunder continues this week with group number two and after this week we still will know little concerning which teams have improved and which teams have not. Plate speeds/times simply put, are a crap shoot when it comes to comparing with other teams. 'Catching' the draft at the right time, on a single lap, then 'finding' a hole to drive through, then having a partner continue to push you are all key factors in making that 'top 10 lap'. While after the fact, if we were to compare Pre-season Thunder speeds to the final Daytona 500 race standings, chances are there would be little rhyme or reason to either list.
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Stewart wins 2nd Chili Bowl:
At first glance this feat might not look like a big deal for one of the most accomplished drivers in Cup, but this win does mark the first ever win for Stewart driving a car that he was the owner. I have heard that racing in the Chili Bowl is racing at it's 'purist form'. Considering the prize money offered, it is clear that few entries are in this race for the money.
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SPEED Adds 50-foot 'Fan Tower' to help fans locate SPEED STAGE:
Like there was really a need or excuse to see more 'middle aged' men and women in the background holding their cellphones to their ears one one hand, beer in the other and looking at the camera and saying. 'Am I on?....How about now?'
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Expanding the Chase:
Not sure what is positive about diluting the Chase. As the more teams that are eligible to make the Chase, the less 'important' the regular season races will become. (see the NHL and the NBA)
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Sirius Radio:
No I have not broken down and purchased one just yet. While I have been a bit more tempted since the New Year, I still have yet to see any programing that is so exclusive that it doesn't appear on the Internet less than a few hours later. Maybe next season.
Monday, January 15, 2007
Friday, January 12, 2007
Desperate needs require desperate action
Reading this article the other day I see where once again the IROC series is in serious jeopardy of becoming a figment of our imaginations. Sometimes when in desperation, and I believe the IROC Series is in that present state, something off the wall, or out of the box thinking needs to be done in order to save the series. So here is what I would do.
First and foremost, there is no current sponsor for the series, and there is a reason for that. The series has quite frankly lost it's luster, even to the point of being boring at most tracks. Few, if any sponsors are going to fork out the cash needed to back the series in this state.
The driver choices:
It is no secret that the IROC is heavily dependent on Nascar, but that doesn't mean that the other series should be ignored to the point the have been recently. Along with Nascar, drivers from (in no particular order) other that series should submit entries include:
American Le Mans Series, ARCA, Champcar, IRL, National Hot Rod Association (yes, that's racing in a straight line), USAC Silver Crown Series, and the World of Outlaws sprint car racing. I am sure there are a few other series that I am missing, but the point is that the appeal for IROC is to not simply have a 'Nascar All-Star/Legends' race. The goal would be to have a 16 car field for each race.
The Race Venues:
Its pretty obvious some of the race venues need to be changed. Some venues, because of the nature of the tracks can become a follow the leader parade in just a handful of laps after a start or re-start. So if I was to be given any 6 racing venues in the country, here are the ones I would choose.
1) Daytona Road Course: Adding this race last season was a good move for IROC as it accomplished a couple of positive things. It gave the series a road course to run on, and one that is more fan friendly in terms of viewing/site lines then most road courses. Also because of the timing of Daytona, race fans are eager to watch as much racing as possible due to the winter lay-off.
2) Hickory Motor Speedway: This .36 mile flat oval would provide some nice racing action with a 16 car field while also providing exposure to the historic North Carolina race track. IROC has really never raced at such a small race track, and that would also add to the appeal. This race would be held in the middle of the week (probably Tuesday night) in order to ease possible scheduling conflicts.
3) Knoxville Raceway: Talk about a tough ticket! This semi banked 1/2 mile clay oval would be a huge draw, not only live, but on TeVee as well. IROC has previously never raced on dirt but it is time to break that rule. This would also be a mid-week race but depending on the scheduling could be closer to later in the week (Thursday night), bookending it with a regular race weekend in Knoxville.
4) Indianapolis Raceway Park Drag Strip: I told you that desperate action is needed to save this series and this is the premier one. But seeing IROC cars and especially the non NHRA drivers in a bracket elimination drag race(s) would be something worth seeing once a year. Also another mid-week, prime time race.
5) Talladega Superspeedway: A tradition in this series and a tradition because this 2.5 mile high banked tri-oval usually offers two and three racing that should not be discontinued.
6) Richmond International Speedway: A happy balance of speed and handling would cap of a nice finale for the series if schedules allowed. Even if not, this track seems to offer the best actual 'racing' in the series in recent years. Located in a part of the country that is convenient for race teams of most series.
Format of races: This also something that needs to changed a bit with the added venues. While in the past, IROC did have the 'time-outs' in order to not make pitting a factor and that is a good thing, but surely more can be done. Of course at the Drag Racing venue, a double elimination bracket racing format is really the only way to go. The dirt track race could also have a couple of heat races and even have a round or two of transfer races to the Feature. Both would add variety and appeal to the series.
ESPN or SPEED CHANNEL would jump at the chance to program this format as it is a refreshing twist on the age old question of just which series has the most skilled all-around drivers. Is it a tricked up format? Sure it is, but that is what might be needed in order to land that much needed Series Sponsor.
First and foremost, there is no current sponsor for the series, and there is a reason for that. The series has quite frankly lost it's luster, even to the point of being boring at most tracks. Few, if any sponsors are going to fork out the cash needed to back the series in this state.
The driver choices:
It is no secret that the IROC is heavily dependent on Nascar, but that doesn't mean that the other series should be ignored to the point the have been recently. Along with Nascar, drivers from (in no particular order) other that series should submit entries include:
American Le Mans Series, ARCA, Champcar, IRL, National Hot Rod Association (yes, that's racing in a straight line), USAC Silver Crown Series, and the World of Outlaws sprint car racing. I am sure there are a few other series that I am missing, but the point is that the appeal for IROC is to not simply have a 'Nascar All-Star/Legends' race. The goal would be to have a 16 car field for each race.
The Race Venues:
Its pretty obvious some of the race venues need to be changed. Some venues, because of the nature of the tracks can become a follow the leader parade in just a handful of laps after a start or re-start. So if I was to be given any 6 racing venues in the country, here are the ones I would choose.
1) Daytona Road Course: Adding this race last season was a good move for IROC as it accomplished a couple of positive things. It gave the series a road course to run on, and one that is more fan friendly in terms of viewing/site lines then most road courses. Also because of the timing of Daytona, race fans are eager to watch as much racing as possible due to the winter lay-off.
2) Hickory Motor Speedway: This .36 mile flat oval would provide some nice racing action with a 16 car field while also providing exposure to the historic North Carolina race track. IROC has really never raced at such a small race track, and that would also add to the appeal. This race would be held in the middle of the week (probably Tuesday night) in order to ease possible scheduling conflicts.
3) Knoxville Raceway: Talk about a tough ticket! This semi banked 1/2 mile clay oval would be a huge draw, not only live, but on TeVee as well. IROC has previously never raced on dirt but it is time to break that rule. This would also be a mid-week race but depending on the scheduling could be closer to later in the week (Thursday night), bookending it with a regular race weekend in Knoxville.
4) Indianapolis Raceway Park Drag Strip: I told you that desperate action is needed to save this series and this is the premier one. But seeing IROC cars and especially the non NHRA drivers in a bracket elimination drag race(s) would be something worth seeing once a year. Also another mid-week, prime time race.
5) Talladega Superspeedway: A tradition in this series and a tradition because this 2.5 mile high banked tri-oval usually offers two and three racing that should not be discontinued.
6) Richmond International Speedway: A happy balance of speed and handling would cap of a nice finale for the series if schedules allowed. Even if not, this track seems to offer the best actual 'racing' in the series in recent years. Located in a part of the country that is convenient for race teams of most series.
Format of races: This also something that needs to changed a bit with the added venues. While in the past, IROC did have the 'time-outs' in order to not make pitting a factor and that is a good thing, but surely more can be done. Of course at the Drag Racing venue, a double elimination bracket racing format is really the only way to go. The dirt track race could also have a couple of heat races and even have a round or two of transfer races to the Feature. Both would add variety and appeal to the series.
ESPN or SPEED CHANNEL would jump at the chance to program this format as it is a refreshing twist on the age old question of just which series has the most skilled all-around drivers. Is it a tricked up format? Sure it is, but that is what might be needed in order to land that much needed Series Sponsor.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
The Fine line Between Innovation and Cheating
It is that time of year again, in Nascar where the inevitable will happen. That time honored tradition where Nascar Inspectors will find, confiscate parts, and penalize a handful of teams for what has been commonly called, 'cheating'. But many times, the Nascar faithful and the pundit's opinions they get their wisdom from, have trouble discerning the difference between 'innovation', and 'blatant cheating'. They simply prefer to take the easy route and paint with a broad brush and label the driver/team a bunch of cheaters.
I would hate to lump every team that has ever been fined/penalized by Nascar as simply cheating, as one really needs to look deeper into each individual case in order to pass a fair judgment. But first, lets clear up a few definitions.
'Innovation': Webster's defines it as "something new or different introduced". But lets apply that a bit further not only to Nascar, but to other sports as well. 'Innovation' could also be defined as 'using legal means (or parts or equipment) in a fashion that they were not intended to in order to gain a perceived advantage'.
'Cheating': Webster's defines it is "to violate rules deliberately".
Even by reading the Webster's definitions one can see that there is a distinct difference in the two.
Since 'Cheating' is considered by many as "Baseball's oldest profession", here are a few examples from that sport and apply them to the definitions above. (and I'll omit the obvious such as using a corked bat and such)
1) During the 2002 season, the Colorado Rockies began storing their supply of game balls in a humidor in order to combat a century old problem for 'high altitude' home ballparks. What the humidor accomplished was significant and the effect were noticed almost immediately by the team. Exactly what the Rockies did, was to store their baseballs in a climate-controlled room at 40% humidity to keep the balls from drying out in Denver’s thinner, drier air. The idea wasn’t to make the balls dead, but to make them more like the ones used at lower altitudes. Offensive power number and total runs per game immediately began to drop.
survey says? Innovation, as no current rules have been broken and the team was not directly applying any foreign substance to the baseball. As long as Major League Baseball does not have a specific rule pertaining to the storage of game balls, I'm sure the Rockies will continue this practice.
2) In the early 1980s St Louis Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog began to instruct his grounds crew to 'rake the base paths only in a certain direction'. Herzog instructed his grounds crew to only stand on the 'foul side' of the base path and only apply the rake to the ground in a motion that was towards them. Sculpting the baselines in this manner over time created a slight and subtle incline, sloping towards FAIR territory. By doing this, the result was to aid a bunted ball down the baseline into staying in fair territory. Because the Cardinals of that era were comprised mostly of a 'speed and station to station' team, many bunted balls that may have normally rolled or bounce foul, stayed fair for base hit bunts.
survey says? Innovation, as no current rules were broken (even applies today) and both teams could take advantage of this equally.
3) The 1951 NY Giants placed an assistant coach in the center field stands, stealing the opponent's catcher's signs and relayed them to the Giants' bench, as they made their magnificent comeback to force a playoff for the pennant with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
survey says? Cheating, as even back in 1951 (as today) all coaches must be stationed during play either in the bullpen/dugout area or while the team is at bat, in the first or third base coach's box.
4) Gaylord Perry was caught numerous times using Vaseline, emery boards, and thumbtacks to scuff, cut, scar, and slather, the ball in hopes of making it move erratically on the way to the plate.
survey says? Blatant cheating, applying a foreign substance or defacing a baseball in any way is clearly a violation of the rules.
Applying the same definitions and premises to Nascar, lets take a look at a few examples as well. (again omitting the obvious such is running an illegal carburetor and such)
1) In the early '60s, the Wood Brothers saw the importance of faster pitting and not only started rounding off the wheel studs, so the lug nuts could thread faster and easier. They also began using another legal 'part', or in this case, silicone (use mostly for gasket forming) to stick the lug nuts to the holes on the wheel of the tire going on the car. Gaining a significant time advantage during pit stops.
survey says? Innovation, as the Wood Brothers were not using any illegal parts, nor were they altering any part beyond legal specification.
2) At the Dover race in 2005, the 48 team found a way to trick shocks that raised the rear of the car each time the car rolled over one of the many 'concrete expansion joints' during the race, giving it improved aerodynamics. Other teams were aware of the technique used to make a shock work in this manner, but could not take advantage of it and still make the car handle properly. All the parts and pieces used in the making of these shocks were within the confines of the rulebook.
survey says? Innovation, at least for that weekend. Nascar after the race, confiscated the shocks, examined them, and later determining that manufacturing a shock that responds in this manner (being a spring assist or a jack to raise the car), that shocks should be a device that absorbs the bumps. Thus if any team attempted this type of shock after this race, then yes, it will be using illegal equipment, and should be considered cheating.
3) In 1983 at Charlotte , Richard Petty was caught using too soft of compound tires (more grip) and also using an engine that was over the cubic inch limit.
survey says? Blatant cheating. (stating the obvious)
4) In 1995 at Talladega, Owner and driver Ricky Rudd was caught using a hydraulic lift in the rear deck lid which improved the aerodynamics on the super speedway. (how did he get that in there in the first place!)
survey says? Cheating, while the innovative thought was there, a hydraulic lift kit is not an approved piece of equipment anywhere on a Nascar race car.
So if one choses to paint with that broad brush, I guess all 8 of these examples could be considered 'cheating'. However if one was ever to take out 'innovation' in just about any sport, football would still be basically 'bad Rugby', Basketball would be a lot of two handed jump shots, baseball would even more boring than it is today, and Nascar would still be getting stuck in the sand in turns 3 and 4 on the beach course.
It is just a fine line.
I would hate to lump every team that has ever been fined/penalized by Nascar as simply cheating, as one really needs to look deeper into each individual case in order to pass a fair judgment. But first, lets clear up a few definitions.
'Innovation': Webster's defines it as "something new or different introduced". But lets apply that a bit further not only to Nascar, but to other sports as well. 'Innovation' could also be defined as 'using legal means (or parts or equipment) in a fashion that they were not intended to in order to gain a perceived advantage'.
'Cheating': Webster's defines it is "to violate rules deliberately".
Even by reading the Webster's definitions one can see that there is a distinct difference in the two.
Since 'Cheating' is considered by many as "Baseball's oldest profession", here are a few examples from that sport and apply them to the definitions above. (and I'll omit the obvious such as using a corked bat and such)
1) During the 2002 season, the Colorado Rockies began storing their supply of game balls in a humidor in order to combat a century old problem for 'high altitude' home ballparks. What the humidor accomplished was significant and the effect were noticed almost immediately by the team. Exactly what the Rockies did, was to store their baseballs in a climate-controlled room at 40% humidity to keep the balls from drying out in Denver’s thinner, drier air. The idea wasn’t to make the balls dead, but to make them more like the ones used at lower altitudes. Offensive power number and total runs per game immediately began to drop.
survey says? Innovation, as no current rules have been broken and the team was not directly applying any foreign substance to the baseball. As long as Major League Baseball does not have a specific rule pertaining to the storage of game balls, I'm sure the Rockies will continue this practice.
2) In the early 1980s St Louis Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog began to instruct his grounds crew to 'rake the base paths only in a certain direction'. Herzog instructed his grounds crew to only stand on the 'foul side' of the base path and only apply the rake to the ground in a motion that was towards them. Sculpting the baselines in this manner over time created a slight and subtle incline, sloping towards FAIR territory. By doing this, the result was to aid a bunted ball down the baseline into staying in fair territory. Because the Cardinals of that era were comprised mostly of a 'speed and station to station' team, many bunted balls that may have normally rolled or bounce foul, stayed fair for base hit bunts.
survey says? Innovation, as no current rules were broken (even applies today) and both teams could take advantage of this equally.
3) The 1951 NY Giants placed an assistant coach in the center field stands, stealing the opponent's catcher's signs and relayed them to the Giants' bench, as they made their magnificent comeback to force a playoff for the pennant with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
survey says? Cheating, as even back in 1951 (as today) all coaches must be stationed during play either in the bullpen/dugout area or while the team is at bat, in the first or third base coach's box.
4) Gaylord Perry was caught numerous times using Vaseline, emery boards, and thumbtacks to scuff, cut, scar, and slather, the ball in hopes of making it move erratically on the way to the plate.
survey says? Blatant cheating, applying a foreign substance or defacing a baseball in any way is clearly a violation of the rules.
Applying the same definitions and premises to Nascar, lets take a look at a few examples as well. (again omitting the obvious such is running an illegal carburetor and such)
1) In the early '60s, the Wood Brothers saw the importance of faster pitting and not only started rounding off the wheel studs, so the lug nuts could thread faster and easier. They also began using another legal 'part', or in this case, silicone (use mostly for gasket forming) to stick the lug nuts to the holes on the wheel of the tire going on the car. Gaining a significant time advantage during pit stops.
survey says? Innovation, as the Wood Brothers were not using any illegal parts, nor were they altering any part beyond legal specification.
2) At the Dover race in 2005, the 48 team found a way to trick shocks that raised the rear of the car each time the car rolled over one of the many 'concrete expansion joints' during the race, giving it improved aerodynamics. Other teams were aware of the technique used to make a shock work in this manner, but could not take advantage of it and still make the car handle properly. All the parts and pieces used in the making of these shocks were within the confines of the rulebook.
survey says? Innovation, at least for that weekend. Nascar after the race, confiscated the shocks, examined them, and later determining that manufacturing a shock that responds in this manner (being a spring assist or a jack to raise the car), that shocks should be a device that absorbs the bumps. Thus if any team attempted this type of shock after this race, then yes, it will be using illegal equipment, and should be considered cheating.
3) In 1983 at Charlotte , Richard Petty was caught using too soft of compound tires (more grip) and also using an engine that was over the cubic inch limit.
survey says? Blatant cheating. (stating the obvious)
4) In 1995 at Talladega, Owner and driver Ricky Rudd was caught using a hydraulic lift in the rear deck lid which improved the aerodynamics on the super speedway. (how did he get that in there in the first place!)
survey says? Cheating, while the innovative thought was there, a hydraulic lift kit is not an approved piece of equipment anywhere on a Nascar race car.
So if one choses to paint with that broad brush, I guess all 8 of these examples could be considered 'cheating'. However if one was ever to take out 'innovation' in just about any sport, football would still be basically 'bad Rugby', Basketball would be a lot of two handed jump shots, baseball would even more boring than it is today, and Nascar would still be getting stuck in the sand in turns 3 and 4 on the beach course.
It is just a fine line.
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
How a good deed can go sour, the ‘Plaid19’
Before I begin, let me explain that the admirable efforts by this ‘social group’ should be commended and the actual act of giving is something that they can be proud of. However, many aspects of how these unselfish acts came to fruition, simply put, is illegal. This blog is not intended to thwart these efforts in the future, but it is intended to expose issues and even possible legal problems to the people connected behind it (and yes, that includes the SFC)
To start, one must look at just what the ‘Plaid19’ is and how they, in their own words define themselves. The ‘Plaid19’ originated as a ‘joke’ referring to what seemingly was the “Southern Gentleman’s” choice of casual fashion. Simply put, it was noticed by a group of his fans that he often showed up at appearances and such wearing plaid and mismatched clothes. What started as a My-Space group, morphed to the creation of a message board (reason to be seen below) and lastly even a domain name and web site was established.
The ‘leader’ (or ‘driver’ as she calls herself) of the group defined ‘Plaid19’ when questioned ‘just what is Plaid19?’ on the group’s message board as follows:
“It is the name that we do our charity work under”
Then this quote from the SFC Website and article
“We have supported children and others who have had needs throughout the year. The funds, the time, and all the travels does not even come into the minds of the Plaid group.”
It is very clear that this group makes the claim of being a ‘charitable and fundraising organization’. Once again, the efforts are not being questioned here, as the original intent is admirable. However here lies a few problems.
Since the ‘Plaid19’s domain name and website is registered under a Virginia address and publicly solicited funds were directed to a Virginia address, Virginia State Statues and Codes would obviously apply to this organization and their claims.
"Charitable organization" means any person which is or holds itself out to be organized or operated for any charitable purpose, or any person which solicits or obtains contributions solicited from the public.”
"Charitable purpose" means any charitable, benevolent, humane, philanthropic, patriotic, or eleemosynary purpose”
"Contribution" means any gift, bequest, devise or other grant of any money, credit, financial assistance or property of any kind or value, including the promise to contribute, except payments by the membership of an organization for membership fees, dues, fines, or assessments, or for services rendered to individual members, and except money, credit, financial assistance or property received from any governmental authority.
"Solicit" and "solicitation" mean the request or appeal, directly or indirectly, for any contribution on the plea or representation that such contribution will be used for a charitable purpose, including, without limitation, the following methods of requesting such contribution:
1. Any oral or written request;
2. Any announcement to the press, over the radio or television, or by telephone or telegraph concerning an appeal or campaign to which the public is requested to make a contribution for any charitable purpose connected therewith;
3. The distribution, circulation, posting or publishing of any handbill, written advertisement or other publication which directly or by implication seeks to obtain public support; or
4. The sale of, offer or attempt to sell, any advertisement, advertising space, subscription, ticket, or any service or tangible item in connection with which any appeal is made for any charitable purpose or where the name of any charitable or civic organization is used or referred to in any such appeal as an inducement or reason for making any such sale, or when or where in connection with any such sale, any statement is made that the whole or any part of the proceeds from any such sale will be donated to any charitable purpose.
"Solicitation" as defined herein, shall be deemed to occur when the request is made, at the place the request is received, whether or not the person making the same actually receives any contribution.
Now I understand that is a lot to take in, but it is also very important to understand when taking up ventures such as what the ‘Plaid19’ is currently participating in and the legal responsibilities that go with that. Of all those Code of Virginia definitions sited above, the Plaid19 has self-admitted to falling under every definition, as well can be seen by their actions. But it is becoming more and more clear that this group didn’t understand (or didn't care about) the legal implications and even the possible criticism of their noble deed(s), as seen by their lack of preparation and attention to detail.
Registration of charitable organizations: (only listing applicable code)
Every charitable organization, except as otherwise provided in this chapter, which intends to solicit contributions within the Commonwealth, or have funds solicited on its behalf, shall, prior to any solicitation, file an initial registration statement with the Commissioner upon forms acceptable to him. Each registration statement shall thereafter be refiled on or before the fifteenth day of the fifth calendar month of the next and each following fiscal year in which such charitable organization is engaged in solicitation activities within the Commonwealth. It shall be the duty of the president, chairman or principal officer of such charitable organization to file the statements required under this chapter. A charitable organization's registration statement may alternatively be filed online on a website approved by the Commissioner. Such statement shall contain the following information: 1. The name of the organization and the purpose for which it was organized.
2. The principal address of the organization, the address of any offices in the Commonwealth and its designated agent for process within the Commonwealth. If no such agent is designated, the organization shall be deemed to have designated the Secretary of the Commonwealth. If the organization does not maintain an office, the name and address of the person having custody of its financial records.
4. The place where and the date when the organization was legally established, the form of its organization, and a reference to any determination of its tax-exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code.
5. The names and addresses of the officers, directors, trustees and the principal salaried executive staff officer.
6. A copy of a balance sheet and income and expense statement, with the opinion of any independent public accountant, for the organization's immediately preceding fiscal year; a copy of a financial statement certified by an independent public accountant covering, in a consolidated report, complete information as to all the preceding year's fund-raising activities of the charitable organization, showing kind and amount of funds raised, fund-raising expenses and allocation of disbursement of funds raised; or a copy of Internal Revenue Service Form 990.
8. A statement indicating whether the organization intends to solicit contributions from the public directly or have such done on its behalf by others.
10. The general purpose or purposes for which the contributions to be solicited shall be used.
11. The name or names under which it intends to solicit contributions.
12. The names of the individuals or officers of the organization who will have final responsibility for the custody of the contributions.
13. The names of the individuals or officers of the organization responsible for the final distribution of the contributions.
14. A statement indicating whether the organization, or any officer, professional fund-raiser or professional solicitor thereof, has ever been convicted of a felony and, if so, a description of the pertinent facts.
Now that is a lot to glean, but very important especially if one questions the organization, its purpose, solicitation for funds, and finally how those funds are dispersed. Lastly, the Code of Virginia also identifies ‘non-resident registration’ just in case the group chooses to use the excuse that the organization’s hierarchy not residing in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
(b) Any charitable organization, having no office or place of business within this Commonwealth and soliciting in this Commonwealth from without the Commonwealth solely by telephone or telegraph, direct mail or advertising in national media, and any professional fund-raising counsel or professional solicitor engaged by such an organization, shall file with the Commissioner any report which would otherwise be required of it or request the Commissioner to determine that such organization is exempt under § 57-50 or § 57-60.
Anatomy and chronology of the events and the potential issues and concern:
11/12/06 – This initial solicitation comes directly from the group’s ‘leader’, via their message board (falling under the definitions sited above, ‘Charitable Organization’, ‘Charitable Purpose’, ‘Contribution’, and ‘Solicitation’. Also, this is not the first solicitation by this organization)
“The plaid #19 will donate $50.00 in Bell's name and $50.00 in Elliott's name (These amounts can grow, but we will make sure they are no less.)
To The Commonwealth Autism Society of Virginia (this is the society they donated to a few weeks ago)
The Admin and mods of this board will furnish engraved ornaments to tell Elliott and Bell about the donation. Kim has volunteered to make the plaid christmas cards with all of the team names listed to go with the ornaments.
Donations: Board members may donate whatever they wish. Donations will be turned over to ******. [name omited] Please contact her for details. She will be handling getting the donation secured.”
Once again, I should mention that this is an admirable venture to say the least, but with a blink of an eye, this venture takes a turn, and that turn is one that could cause scrutiny if others lacked trust in the organization and their intentions.
12/10/06 – Now a month after the original solicitation, there is an indication that some contributions could be diverted elsewhere with this announcement.
“The deadline is quickly approaching. If you still want to contribute, I need your money by Thursday December 14th. That way I can get the money to the bank and mail the check off to the society on Friday………… There may be another twist to our giving as soon as I get some details……… What we would like to do, is give any funds that we collect over $300.00 to her fund at the truck stop. Since right now I am at $285.00 and money is still coming in, I think we should be able to give something………. Let me know what you think or if you have any objections.”
Again, this ‘new twist’ is another example of the admirable deeds this group is attempting to wrap it’s arms around, however there are reasons for the lengthy State Codes listed above and this is a prime example. ‘Switching gears’ in the middle of a fund raising drive to divert funds to another event is simply neither ethical nor prudent. As one who donates funds under a specific premise, however said funds are contributed elsewhere at the very basic level could be considered fraudulent by others. Lastly, what is the number of ‘objections’ needed to stop this ‘new twist’, or needed to allow it to continue?
Now we see an example of the need for prudent pre-solicitation steps and the reason for getting one’s ‘ducks in a row’ before embarking on such endeavors. Why do I find myself ‘re-living’ the now infamous ‘fire shirt Ebay auction’? This is how something good can go sour very fast. It only takes a couple of accusations of misappropriations of funds and the whole credibility of an organization can crumble. If that was to happen in this instance, in my humble opinion, that would be a terrible thing, as this group’s intentions are good.
This group has claimed to have raised nearly $2000 in less than a few short weeks of time in late 2006, and their efforts have not gone unnoticed. Recently SFC posted a feature article concerning this group including pictures and background stories, complete with the Sadler Foundation Treasurer present. I would have thought that a person in such a position would have ‘done their homework’ and made sure that said organization was actually following State Law and had a valid and legal status from within the state, instead of being overcome with the emotion and potential notoriety of the event.
One proud member of ‘Plaid19’ can even be quoted in saying such incorrigible words as:
“Tax records, I dont care about anyones tax records but my own.”
Now this brings up an interesting dilemma, for not only the people who donated, but also the organization itself. Since the proper paperwork was not filed with the Commonwealth of Virginia by the organization in the first place, what are the ramifications when and if, one of the contributors attempts to claim their donation on their annual taxes? Any reasonable and rational person should think that the ‘Plaid19’ is truly a bona fide charitable organization, which is soliciting contributions from the public via the Internet. They have a website, a forum, a my-space page, a plug on the SFC website and even the Sadler Foundation Treasurer's endorsement.
Since the ‘Plaid19’ already has future fund raisers in the works, I hope this blog makes one point very clear and gives a 'wake-up call' to the powers that be from within this 'social group' before some sort of ‘disaster’ strikes. I would hope that before any other funds are collected or disbursed the proper filing with the Commonwealth of Virginia is completed, along with a basic knowledge of what legally is expected of such a charitable organization including record keeping, disclosure and an organization structure. But then again, its ‘parent organization’ that raises far more funds than that to date has failed to do when requested.
I would hate to see any of these good deeds turn sour.
Monday, January 08, 2007
It's that time of the year again
Yes, it is 'audit' time in the mad mad world of corporate accounting and thanks to people like Paul Sarbanes and Micheal Oxley, an annual audit is not something to be taken lightly. With a few hundred million dollars passing in and out of this office annually, the accountability process can be tedious to say the least. However, I should have these guys happily on their merry way in time to see the kick off on the College Football National Championship game tonight. (Go Gators!)
If only a certain driver's fan club and their associate groups understood the importance and implications of the Sarbanes/Oxley Act and even the laws pertaining the charitable organizations. (more on that later this week, yes they have 'done it' once again)
If only a certain driver's fan club and their associate groups understood the importance and implications of the Sarbanes/Oxley Act and even the laws pertaining the charitable organizations. (more on that later this week, yes they have 'done it' once again)
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Scatter Shooting
* I see the Tony Stewart will once again miss Daytona testing in favor of participating in the 21st annual Chili Bowl. It is not like testing at a plate track is a huge deal from the driver standpoint anyway. I can remember a few years ago, the 'Southern Gentleman' skipped a Dega test when he was with the Wood Brothers in favor of a hunting trip. At least Stewart is missing a test to be behind the wheel of a race car.
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* Speaking of the Chili Bowl, some notable drivers on the entry list.
Sammy Swindell, Tim McCreadie, Danny Lasoski, A.J. Foyt IV, P.J. Jones, Jason Leffler, Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne, and J.J. Yeley are a part of the nearly 300 car/driver field.
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* When the bowl pairings were announce just a few short weeks ago, I just had trouble getting excited about most the match-ups. But I have to say that this bowl season has given us College Football Fans some of the best drama over-all that has been seen in a long time. From great comebacks (see TTECH and Oregon State), to the never say die Boise State Broncos. We can now look forward to the inevitable imp ending riots, be it a win or a loss coming from tOSU fans in the Columbus area.
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* A promising article on the C.O.T, I just find it hard to believe that this car cannot be a good thing in the long term for the sport. Here are some highlights:
The inspection process at the track should be faster with the COT because of nine radio frequency IDs that will be installed on each chassis, allowing inspectors to verify its legitimacy electronically instead of manually.
Restrictor plate as we know it at Daytona and Talladega likely will become obsolete with the design of the COT engine package.
The COT looks more like the car on the street than the one currently on the track because the angles of the windows and headlights aren't nearly as severe, let alone the rear wing instead of spoiler.
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* Speaking of the Chili Bowl, some notable drivers on the entry list.
Sammy Swindell, Tim McCreadie, Danny Lasoski, A.J. Foyt IV, P.J. Jones, Jason Leffler, Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne, and J.J. Yeley are a part of the nearly 300 car/driver field.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------* When the bowl pairings were announce just a few short weeks ago, I just had trouble getting excited about most the match-ups. But I have to say that this bowl season has given us College Football Fans some of the best drama over-all that has been seen in a long time. From great comebacks (see TTECH and Oregon State), to the never say die Boise State Broncos. We can now look forward to the inevitable imp ending riots, be it a win or a loss coming from tOSU fans in the Columbus area.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* A promising article on the C.O.T, I just find it hard to believe that this car cannot be a good thing in the long term for the sport. Here are some highlights:
The inspection process at the track should be faster with the COT because of nine radio frequency IDs that will be installed on each chassis, allowing inspectors to verify its legitimacy electronically instead of manually.
Restrictor plate as we know it at Daytona and Talladega likely will become obsolete with the design of the COT engine package.
The COT looks more like the car on the street than the one currently on the track because the angles of the windows and headlights aren't nearly as severe, let alone the rear wing instead of spoiler.
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Thursday, December 28, 2006
But its a 'Southern Sport' right?
We hear that comment almost every time there is a discussion about the 'old guard Nascar' and the direction the sport seems to be going. The 'old guard Nascar' wants to keep the sport 'pure' and stick to it's roots, but there are a few problems with that line of thinking and preconceived notions.
In 1990 the Wall Street analysts estimated the net value of Nascar at 1.5 billion dollars. By 2005, that same net value was estimated to be 10 billion dollars. Growth of this magnitude not a coincidence, either it means that it is right in line with the 'Nascar expansion' we have seen over the past two decades or the pure bred 'southern race fan' is moving all over the country.
What I see above is that the 'Nascar fan', is in almost every case, directly proportional to the region's demographic where that particular fan lives. And the criticism from the 'old guard' has been that 'Nascar is taking away race dates and venues from the region where the majority of it's fan base is located. While that is partly true, one also has to look at where Nascar is attempting (or wanting) to move to. The Northeast and the West, make up 41% of the U.S. population, and 39% of the Nascar fan base. It only makes good business sense to see empty seats at a venue (one that only holds 55K) and want to move that race to an area of the country where the market share is less saturated. Of course we still see some empty seats at the California Speedway, but that pales in comparison to Rockingham when one sees that California still has twice the fan attendance of the failed track. And to top it all off, the same 'excuses', the old guard gave for the lack of attendance at Rockingham could be used for California. (bad race date, other race dates too close in the same area, and even weather to an extent)
Not only is NASCAR expanding geographically, it is also focused on increased ethnic diversity as well. Just how can a drive to actually add to the over-all fan base be a bad thing?
In 1990 the Wall Street analysts estimated the net value of Nascar at 1.5 billion dollars. By 2005, that same net value was estimated to be 10 billion dollars. Growth of this magnitude not a coincidence, either it means that it is right in line with the 'Nascar expansion' we have seen over the past two decades or the pure bred 'southern race fan' is moving all over the country.
|
| US Population | NASCAR fans |
| Northeast | 20 percent | 20 percent |
| Midwest | 23 percent | 24 percent |
| South | 35 percent | 38 percent |
| West | 21 percent | 19 percent |
| Source: NASCAR | ||
What I see above is that the 'Nascar fan', is in almost every case, directly proportional to the region's demographic where that particular fan lives. And the criticism from the 'old guard' has been that 'Nascar is taking away race dates and venues from the region where the majority of it's fan base is located. While that is partly true, one also has to look at where Nascar is attempting (or wanting) to move to. The Northeast and the West, make up 41% of the U.S. population, and 39% of the Nascar fan base. It only makes good business sense to see empty seats at a venue (one that only holds 55K) and want to move that race to an area of the country where the market share is less saturated. Of course we still see some empty seats at the California Speedway, but that pales in comparison to Rockingham when one sees that California still has twice the fan attendance of the failed track. And to top it all off, the same 'excuses', the old guard gave for the lack of attendance at Rockingham could be used for California. (bad race date, other race dates too close in the same area, and even weather to an extent)
Not only is NASCAR expanding geographically, it is also focused on increased ethnic diversity as well. Just how can a drive to actually add to the over-all fan base be a bad thing?
|
| 1999 | 2003 | Trend |
| Hispanic | 3.6 percent | 8.6 percent | +139 percent |
| African-American | 4.9 percent | 9.1 percent | +86 percent |
| Source: NASCAR | |||
Also, more than half of NASCAR fans fall between the ages of 18 and 44 with an annual income of more than $50,000, and women account for 40 percent of the fan base. Just how many 'marketing strategies' do we see that wants to target this very audience? What began in 1948 as an exposition of Southern bravado and a weekly bootlegger contest, today trails only the NFL as the nation’s most popular sport, and the reason for that is pretty clear.
Nascar (mainly the France family) saw the long term potential of their product long before the old guard fan realised what had hit them. That potential was the 'nation wide marketability', both on and off the track. Nascar boasts that they have over 75 million fans, and over half of them are considered 'hardcore'. Talk about a marketer's dream! Nascar was and still is successful in selling the "marketer's dream" with a true customer relationship management, technology innovation and integration, and the 'power of a brand' it's fan base had become to understand.
Fortune 500 companies have been struggling for years about how to increase revenues and lower costs balanced with growing thier customer base, strengthening customer loyalty, offering best in class service, building brand identity and investing in technology to improve the customers’ experience. Nascar can get an A+ in just about everyone of those categories, something that few other companies can say.
I stated above, Nascar has been very successful in 'growing the fan base'. What I'll call the 'big three' Nascar race venues (Daytona, Indy and Dega), last year sold an average of 186,000 tickets per Cup event at an average ticket price of $75. Other well placed race venues include Texas, Phoenix and Chicago. TMS and PIR is one way NASCAR is capitalizing on one of our nation’s fastest growing populations, Hispanics. According to the U.S. Census Bureau the Hispanic population will nearly triple from 35 million to 102 million people by 2050. Can you say 'Juan Pablo'?
One of the other visions Nascar has been most successful at is the investing in technology to improve their customers’ experience, or the integrated experience. Attending a Nascar event, gives one a chance to experience the sport like not other sport offers. From scanners, to listen to the behind the scenes workings of teams/networks, to the garage/pit access, Nascar has been in the forefront in the race day experience. To this day, I don't understand why the NFL and a few other sports do not offer the vehicle to allow fans at the stadium to listen to the coach/coordinators chat of their headsets.
But Nascar has not stopped there, they have also tapped into the greatness of the home PC and the Internet, by making it possible to listen to the same scanner chat via 'TrackPass'. PitCommand offers a bird's eye view of all 43 cars via the Internet, as is a great companion to watching the race's network coverage. Let’s see, NASCAR has found a way to integrate fans, drivers, and pit crews through headsets, cell phones, scanners and even PCs.
The old guard to this day criticises Nascar for turning their sport from a 'regional spectacle' to a 'national phenomenon'. A year or so of declining TeVee ratings of this juggernaut doesn't even come close to what the old guard claims to be 'signs of failure', compared to the two plus decades of growth the sport has enjoyed. But I guess if the 'old guard' gets their way in the end, they would rather see their sport in old antiquated venues that refuse to upgrade, have their races televised on some obscure cable network, have their race teams become so underfunded due to limited sponsorship exposure, and have an over perception of limited growth potential.
Nascar (mainly the France family) saw the long term potential of their product long before the old guard fan realised what had hit them. That potential was the 'nation wide marketability', both on and off the track. Nascar boasts that they have over 75 million fans, and over half of them are considered 'hardcore'. Talk about a marketer's dream! Nascar was and still is successful in selling the "marketer's dream" with a true customer relationship management, technology innovation and integration, and the 'power of a brand' it's fan base had become to understand.
Fortune 500 companies have been struggling for years about how to increase revenues and lower costs balanced with growing thier customer base, strengthening customer loyalty, offering best in class service, building brand identity and investing in technology to improve the customers’ experience. Nascar can get an A+ in just about everyone of those categories, something that few other companies can say.
I stated above, Nascar has been very successful in 'growing the fan base'. What I'll call the 'big three' Nascar race venues (Daytona, Indy and Dega), last year sold an average of 186,000 tickets per Cup event at an average ticket price of $75. Other well placed race venues include Texas, Phoenix and Chicago. TMS and PIR is one way NASCAR is capitalizing on one of our nation’s fastest growing populations, Hispanics. According to the U.S. Census Bureau the Hispanic population will nearly triple from 35 million to 102 million people by 2050. Can you say 'Juan Pablo'?
One of the other visions Nascar has been most successful at is the investing in technology to improve their customers’ experience, or the integrated experience. Attending a Nascar event, gives one a chance to experience the sport like not other sport offers. From scanners, to listen to the behind the scenes workings of teams/networks, to the garage/pit access, Nascar has been in the forefront in the race day experience. To this day, I don't understand why the NFL and a few other sports do not offer the vehicle to allow fans at the stadium to listen to the coach/coordinators chat of their headsets.
But Nascar has not stopped there, they have also tapped into the greatness of the home PC and the Internet, by making it possible to listen to the same scanner chat via 'TrackPass'. PitCommand offers a bird's eye view of all 43 cars via the Internet, as is a great companion to watching the race's network coverage. Let’s see, NASCAR has found a way to integrate fans, drivers, and pit crews through headsets, cell phones, scanners and even PCs.
The old guard to this day criticises Nascar for turning their sport from a 'regional spectacle' to a 'national phenomenon'. A year or so of declining TeVee ratings of this juggernaut doesn't even come close to what the old guard claims to be 'signs of failure', compared to the two plus decades of growth the sport has enjoyed. But I guess if the 'old guard' gets their way in the end, they would rather see their sport in old antiquated venues that refuse to upgrade, have their races televised on some obscure cable network, have their race teams become so underfunded due to limited sponsorship exposure, and have an over perception of limited growth potential.
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Take it to the bank
As we close out 2006 and look forward to a new year in 2007, instead of taking a look back lets take a look forward at some key events that will happen in the upcoming year.
* By the May 12th Darlington race
Even though the 'average age' of Cup drivers continues to rise, some one will start up the bandwagon of how 'the young guns who have not paid their dues are being handed Cup rides, and this is the downfall of Nascar'.
* Before the first practice at speedweeks
Some Ricky Rudd fans will be calling for Robert Yates to hire 'Fatback' McSwain as the crew chief of the 88/28. (along with the spotter, pit crew and as many others from the old '28 days') It will be reminiscent of the famous "Blues Brother's" quote, 'We are getting the band back together'.
* After the first practice session at Spring Bristol
The C.O.T. will be called a 'failure' by some because it didn't fix the real problem with BMS. The problem is that BMS is a 'one grooved' track where passing basically can only be achieved with the aid of the chrome horn.
* Before the Daytona 500
Another worthless 'power ranking' will be published (for some reason, I'm thinking Sirius will be the culprit), making the total 'rankings' hit the half a dozen mark. Remember, this is racing, not the BCS.
* Before the July Daytona race
A track will be littered after a late race 'controversy'. Chances are the incident will involve one of the following car numbers, the 8, 24, 29 or 48, and a long shot involves the 42.
* By the April 15th TMS race
Irony alert: Some Nascar beat writer (chances are it will come from ESPN) will write an opinion that 'Nascar is ignoring it's fans' because of the perception of 'higher ticket prices' and such.
* Speaking of ESPN/ABC
By the third broadcast on the network, someone will complain about 'too many commercials', 'missed restarts', and 'only showing a select few cars all day'.
* By the March 11th Las Vegas Race
'19 fans' will make the claim that if 'their driver had the same equipment as the #9 car, then their driver would be winning races too'.
* Moments after the 2nd Twin 150 is finished
Someone will claim that Toyota has already ruined the 'Amercan Sport' because of their willingness to open their pocketbooks.
* By the All-Star Challenge
After not getting his way once again, David Poole will write a opinion stating that more weight should be given to race winners in the points system.
* By the '24 hours at Daytona'
Jayski will have to retract or deny one of his rumors.
* By the June 10th Pocono race
A handful of 'unofficial' message boards centering around the 'Southern Gentleman' will pop up due to the 'controlism' of the Official message Board.
* By Spring Talladega
Mark Martin will announce his retirement, but will remained to be rumored for other seats, and will be seen talking to other car owners.
* By the April Martinsville race
Signs at Trackside Live can been seen saying, 'Only frauds wear plaid!'
* Before the end of speedweeks
Someone will try to stir a debate on the ThatsRacin.com boards claiming 'Nascar drivers are not athletes'.
That's all the darts I have, and remember, only one of them has to 'stick' in order for me to say 'I told you so!' Take it to the bank.
* By the May 12th Darlington race
Even though the 'average age' of Cup drivers continues to rise, some one will start up the bandwagon of how 'the young guns who have not paid their dues are being handed Cup rides, and this is the downfall of Nascar'.
* Before the first practice at speedweeks
Some Ricky Rudd fans will be calling for Robert Yates to hire 'Fatback' McSwain as the crew chief of the 88/28. (along with the spotter, pit crew and as many others from the old '28 days') It will be reminiscent of the famous "Blues Brother's" quote, 'We are getting the band back together'.
* After the first practice session at Spring Bristol
The C.O.T. will be called a 'failure' by some because it didn't fix the real problem with BMS. The problem is that BMS is a 'one grooved' track where passing basically can only be achieved with the aid of the chrome horn.
* Before the Daytona 500
Another worthless 'power ranking' will be published (for some reason, I'm thinking Sirius will be the culprit), making the total 'rankings' hit the half a dozen mark. Remember, this is racing, not the BCS.
* Before the July Daytona race
A track will be littered after a late race 'controversy'. Chances are the incident will involve one of the following car numbers, the 8, 24, 29 or 48, and a long shot involves the 42.
* By the April 15th TMS race
Irony alert: Some Nascar beat writer (chances are it will come from ESPN) will write an opinion that 'Nascar is ignoring it's fans' because of the perception of 'higher ticket prices' and such.
* Speaking of ESPN/ABC
By the third broadcast on the network, someone will complain about 'too many commercials', 'missed restarts', and 'only showing a select few cars all day'.
* By the March 11th Las Vegas Race
'19 fans' will make the claim that if 'their driver had the same equipment as the #9 car, then their driver would be winning races too'.
* Moments after the 2nd Twin 150 is finished
Someone will claim that Toyota has already ruined the 'Amercan Sport' because of their willingness to open their pocketbooks.
* By the All-Star Challenge
After not getting his way once again, David Poole will write a opinion stating that more weight should be given to race winners in the points system.
* By the '24 hours at Daytona'
Jayski will have to retract or deny one of his rumors.
* By the June 10th Pocono race
A handful of 'unofficial' message boards centering around the 'Southern Gentleman' will pop up due to the 'controlism' of the Official message Board.
* By Spring Talladega
Mark Martin will announce his retirement, but will remained to be rumored for other seats, and will be seen talking to other car owners.
* By the April Martinsville race
Signs at Trackside Live can been seen saying, 'Only frauds wear plaid!'
* Before the end of speedweeks
Someone will try to stir a debate on the ThatsRacin.com boards claiming 'Nascar drivers are not athletes'.
That's all the darts I have, and remember, only one of them has to 'stick' in order for me to say 'I told you so!' Take it to the bank.
Monday, December 25, 2006
My cats woke us up wanting to open presents.
'Boomer', 'Sooner', 'Mr Kitty'Set alarm for 0500 hrs so I could ambush the paper "boy" (approx. age, 35) and hand him a Christmas card with some $ in it. Written on card: "Thanks for all your faithful service. Now, please, work on your gunnery skills. Signed, State Your Name." (He misses the mark by at least 20 feet every time.) Waited in bathrobe, cuppa java in hand, for 1 hr. and 15 minutes until he showed up, in 42F and howling winds.
Surly lout showed up, accepted card, mumbled what may have been thanks.
0620...back to the sack.
0715...'Mr Kitty' purring contentedly as he sleeps on the pillow.
0716...'Boomer', apparently miffed at his usurping of his rightful place, attacks. I receive slight laceration to scalp as 'Mr Kitty' seeks traction in an attempt to escape felonious feline fury.
0716:45...in bathroom, dabbing Neosporin(TM) on wound. 'Sooner' chooses the high road and gives condolences with the patented 'circling of the feet'.
0718...After igniting coffee maker, seeking under furniture and in various crannies in hopes of effecting retaliatory strike. (See: Catbeating Contests I Have Won.)
0722...Discover all three cats, looking innocent and adorable, sitting in living room, looking up wistfully at their stockings (hung by the chimney, with care.)
0724...Sipping coffee, a bit misty-eyed, on the couch, watching cats roll in some newly sprinkled catnip and batting new toys between trips to small bowl of cat treats placed nearby.
Happy Holidays!
Thursday, December 21, 2006
The Big Dilemma
FINALLY!!!
Robert Yates has a replacement for Dale Jarrett. Finally, the team can get back to the business of racing and preparing cars with the knowledge of who will be behind the wheel.
But was the 'right driver', chosen? According to fellow Texan Terry Blount's ESPN blog, that answer is 'no.'
But I think before one can really pass that judgement, one needs to look at the unique situation both Robert Yates and 38 sponsor MasterFoods was really in. With DJ and UPS jumping ship, and with multi years remaining on the 38/M&MS contract, Robert not only had to find a driver for his other team, but also needed to find a sponsor. A sponsor that provided tier one dollars. (or as close to it as he could get) Not for the obvious reason, but because this was one of the reasons presented to MasterFoods in the first place when they signed on with RYR in '03.
Robert never could find that sponsor which risked leaving the 38 as a 'single car' team. One only had to hear Ricky's/RYR/MasterFood's conference call today to hear him say, "In today's market, you have to have a multi-car organization to be competitive and win races...." And that statement could not be more truer than in today's nascar.
The other side of this dilemma was MasterFoods themselves, their 'loyalty' to their partnerships and the carrot that was dangled in front of them by RYR. That carrot was an opportunity to 'combine' sponsorships of two teams into one large sponsorship without significantly hurting the 38 team. Of course that came with a price tag, but the long term upside was much greater than the short term down side. MasterFoods over the past two decades and especially in the past 3 years had invested too much into their Nascar image. Risking losing that because their RYR counterpart team was dangerously close to folding was something that they could not let happen.
So in comes MasterFoods to save the day, not only are they saving in the short term Robert Yates Racing, but also saving their 20 year investment. This 'one year' deal does exactly what it is designed to do, which is to 'Buy' RYR another year to rebound from a dismal '06 season and find that stability in sponsorship the RYR has benefited from over the years.. One that has seen one driver 'mail it in' race after race (actually I feel DJ has been doing this for a couple of years), and another driver 'give up' in mid stream. Call it a 'band-aid', call it what you want, but sometimes something like this is needed to stop the bleeding and rejuvenate a race team. MasterFoods and their sponsorship does just that.
Now I have never been in the Ricky Rudd faithful camp, but for a 'one year deal', and having an 'unproven' driver in the 38, I cannot think of a better driver to help turn this ship around, as long as Ricky has his 'head right with ball'. Judging from the conference call, that seems to be the case, and lets site a couple of examples.
1) The year off has helped Ricky in terms of being 'hungry' again.
2) The three seasons he spent with the Wood Brothers gave him an appreciation for having quality equipment and it's uniqueness in today's Nascar. (remember, in '02, Ricky can be quoted saying that the Wood Brothers had 'just as good equipment is anyone else') Now RYR is not the Wood Brothers of those days, but they are not far off, and Ricky's insight and recent past experience is just an added bonus.
3) Both Robert and Ricky mentioned how events took place in their parting in '02, but it was what Ricky said that stood out. He likened it to arguing or fighting with a family member, and over time, even though you still think you are 'right', it is still family. You realize that mistakes were made, and hope that if the opportunity arises again, those same mistakes will not be made again.
4) Even in '02, Ricky prefered 'year to year' deals. While this is not the best in terms of sponsorship, it fits this situation to a Tee.
Bottom line:
Robert needed time to secure long term sponsorship for one of his teams, Ricky was ready to race again and lastly, MasterFoods needed to protect their existing investment. For this upcoming season, I can't help to think there could be anymore of a 'win/win/win' season, for all involved.
Now add the icing on the cake, realistically, just what are the expectations of either RYR team this upcoming season? A top 18 to a top 14 in points (mix in some a couple top 5s and a few top 10s, maybe a contention for a 'win' now in then). If RYR can do that, sponsors will come banging down the door as the foundation has been laid for a great '08 season. Even if Ricky is not in the plans, he would have his choice of quality rides if he chose that path.
Really, when you think about it, this whole deal is pretty amazing that all parties involved were able to pull it off and i wish all parties the best. As it has renewed for me , my personal interest in Robert Yates Racing.
The irony of it all!
Robert Yates has a replacement for Dale Jarrett. Finally, the team can get back to the business of racing and preparing cars with the knowledge of who will be behind the wheel.
But was the 'right driver', chosen? According to fellow Texan Terry Blount's ESPN blog, that answer is 'no.'
But I think before one can really pass that judgement, one needs to look at the unique situation both Robert Yates and 38 sponsor MasterFoods was really in. With DJ and UPS jumping ship, and with multi years remaining on the 38/M&MS contract, Robert not only had to find a driver for his other team, but also needed to find a sponsor. A sponsor that provided tier one dollars. (or as close to it as he could get) Not for the obvious reason, but because this was one of the reasons presented to MasterFoods in the first place when they signed on with RYR in '03.
Robert never could find that sponsor which risked leaving the 38 as a 'single car' team. One only had to hear Ricky's/RYR/MasterFood's conference call today to hear him say, "In today's market, you have to have a multi-car organization to be competitive and win races...." And that statement could not be more truer than in today's nascar.
The other side of this dilemma was MasterFoods themselves, their 'loyalty' to their partnerships and the carrot that was dangled in front of them by RYR. That carrot was an opportunity to 'combine' sponsorships of two teams into one large sponsorship without significantly hurting the 38 team. Of course that came with a price tag, but the long term upside was much greater than the short term down side. MasterFoods over the past two decades and especially in the past 3 years had invested too much into their Nascar image. Risking losing that because their RYR counterpart team was dangerously close to folding was something that they could not let happen.
So in comes MasterFoods to save the day, not only are they saving in the short term Robert Yates Racing, but also saving their 20 year investment. This 'one year' deal does exactly what it is designed to do, which is to 'Buy' RYR another year to rebound from a dismal '06 season and find that stability in sponsorship the RYR has benefited from over the years.. One that has seen one driver 'mail it in' race after race (actually I feel DJ has been doing this for a couple of years), and another driver 'give up' in mid stream. Call it a 'band-aid', call it what you want, but sometimes something like this is needed to stop the bleeding and rejuvenate a race team. MasterFoods and their sponsorship does just that.
Now I have never been in the Ricky Rudd faithful camp, but for a 'one year deal', and having an 'unproven' driver in the 38, I cannot think of a better driver to help turn this ship around, as long as Ricky has his 'head right with ball'. Judging from the conference call, that seems to be the case, and lets site a couple of examples.
1) The year off has helped Ricky in terms of being 'hungry' again.
2) The three seasons he spent with the Wood Brothers gave him an appreciation for having quality equipment and it's uniqueness in today's Nascar. (remember, in '02, Ricky can be quoted saying that the Wood Brothers had 'just as good equipment is anyone else') Now RYR is not the Wood Brothers of those days, but they are not far off, and Ricky's insight and recent past experience is just an added bonus.
3) Both Robert and Ricky mentioned how events took place in their parting in '02, but it was what Ricky said that stood out. He likened it to arguing or fighting with a family member, and over time, even though you still think you are 'right', it is still family. You realize that mistakes were made, and hope that if the opportunity arises again, those same mistakes will not be made again.
4) Even in '02, Ricky prefered 'year to year' deals. While this is not the best in terms of sponsorship, it fits this situation to a Tee.
Bottom line:
Robert needed time to secure long term sponsorship for one of his teams, Ricky was ready to race again and lastly, MasterFoods needed to protect their existing investment. For this upcoming season, I can't help to think there could be anymore of a 'win/win/win' season, for all involved.
Now add the icing on the cake, realistically, just what are the expectations of either RYR team this upcoming season? A top 18 to a top 14 in points (mix in some a couple top 5s and a few top 10s, maybe a contention for a 'win' now in then). If RYR can do that, sponsors will come banging down the door as the foundation has been laid for a great '08 season. Even if Ricky is not in the plans, he would have his choice of quality rides if he chose that path.
Really, when you think about it, this whole deal is pretty amazing that all parties involved were able to pull it off and i wish all parties the best. As it has renewed for me , my personal interest in Robert Yates Racing.
The irony of it all!
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