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From NASCAR comes word that a thousand layoffs took place within the various teams following the Homestead finale. Petty Engineering is reported to be phasing out and there’s talk that the IRL could be out of business by 2012. Also, the Detroit Big Three automakers are talking about bankruptcy unless they get government loans. It’s all tied to the economy going in the tank. We expected a recession due to the crazy price of oil. But the banking meltdown combined with the oil situation has the world economy reeling. |
A1 Autoracing.com reports that Bob Jenkins could be retuning to the Indy Car broadcasts. Jenkins covered NASCAR a decade ago when ESPN and ABC aired that series. Bob also covered the Indy 500 in past years. He’s been on the racing scene off and on for various sanctions and it appears that he’s trying to mount a comeback.
The second annual Driver Advancement Marketing Summit, scheduled January for 24–25, 2009, will be comprised of motorsports industry leaders who will speak on issues most critical to off-track development of race car drivers seeking to pursue a professional motorsports career. Jim Hunter, NASCAR vice president of corporate communications and one of the most accomplished professionals in all of motorsports, will discuss NASCAR’s various developmental series and share invaluable information for drivers looking for opportunities to “make it” in the sport.
Beginning as a sports writer and later serving as president of Darlington Raceway, Hunter has held several positions in NASCAR including vice president of administration and vice president of NASCAR’s Regional Touring and Weekly Racing Series. His passion for grassroots racing, together with a lifetime of experience at all levels of motorsports and a great sense of humor, makes Hunter ideal for speaking to ambitious drivers about how to rise through the ranks.
The Driver Advancement Marketing Summit is a service project of Performance PR Plus, the motorsports marketing and public relations agency best known for handling DuPont Motorsports marketing activation and Jeff Gordon’s public relations for the last 16 years. “It is important for us to choose the topics that are important to drivers who race in various series around the county and then choose the experts in the industry who can offer the best information, examples and advice to provide real insight as to what drivers’ next career steps might be,” said Kymberly Brantigan, president of Performance PR Plus.
Brantigan emphasized that to protect the integrity of the Summit, speakers and Performance PR Plus will not seek to sell any type of product or service, and there is no title sponsorship. Speakers also are not selected on name recognition but are chosen based only on their experience and what they can offer. Other speakers include Tom Deery, CEO of DIRT Racing and one of the leading “grassroots-to-professional-racing” industry leaders. Having grown up and promoted his family’s Rockford (Ill.) Speedway and then managing NASCAR’s weekly racing series, Deery will lend a perspective and provide advice from his experience at all levels.
SPEED TV’s Ray Dunlap, who interviews many rookie and veteran drivers alike in covering NASCAR’s Truck Series and ARCA, will talk about interviewing and how drivers represent sponsors in front of the camera and through public relations efforts. Dunlap will offer specific examples and will demonstrate interviewing techniques.
Tony Blanchard is the former crew chief for Joey Logano in both the ASA and USAR Pro-Cup Series; he worked with the Joe Gibbs Racing driver development program, and currently owns and operates TB Development in Mooresville, N.C., which specializes in working with young up-and-coming drivers in stock car racing. Blanchard will talk about Logano’s career path as he went from local driver to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rookie. He will discuss what drivers should look for in a driver development program, and will highlight the significance of not skipping important steps while working to move through the ranks.
USAC driver and 2008 Driver Advancement Marketing Summit attendee Jeremy Frankoski will return this year to speak about what he learned in last year’s summit and how he applied it which led to increased opportunities including a working relationship with 2008 Daytona 500 winner Ryan Newman. A to-be-announced professional from a NASCAR race team will speak about their organization’s driver development program and how drivers are selectively chosen. Additionally, a tba sponsor representative is expected to talk about why companies sponsor motorsports, what kind of return they expect, and will examine and give examples of effective sponsorship proposals.
Speakers from last year’s summit included professionals from Hendrick Motorsports, Roush-Fenway, FOX TV, ASA, General Motors Racing and Lowe’s Home Improvement. The Summit once again will be held at Victory Lane Karting Center in Charlotte, NC, and at the conclusion, attendees will be able to compete on the track.
From SportsBusiness.com comes this item which is a sign of the times. Honda is pulling out of Formula One, blaming the world economic crisis for plans to sell its team, according to UK press reports.
Sources told BBC Sport that the team were “optimistic” they would continue, but an investor had not yet been found. A deadline of January has been set to find a buyer, but workers at Honda’s Brackley base have been told to expect redundancy letters before Christmas.
Honda, which spent more than £300 million a year on F1 added that it would also no longer supply the sport with engines, but that ext year’s Japanese Grand Prix at its Suzuka circuit would go ahead as planned.
In a statement to the press, Honda president Takeo Fukui, said: “Honda Motor Co. has come to the conclusion that we will withdraw from all Formula One activities, making 2008 the last season for participation. This difficult decision has been made in light of the quickly deteriorating operating environment facing the global auto industry… and the sudden contraction of the world economies. “Honda must protect its core business activities and secure the long term as widespread uncertainties in the economics around the globe continue to mount.”
According to the Reuters news agency, team bosses Ross Brawn and Nick Fry told a meeting of the Formula One Teams’ Association: “They have a month to find a buyer, otherwise they are closing the team.”
If no buyer is found, Honda’s decision will leave F1 with just 18 cars on the grid next season. The 2009 Formula One season begins on 29 March, in Australia.
AMA Pro Racing and Dunlop tires kicked off a three-day test last weekend at Daytona International Speedway in preparation for Daytona 200 Week By Honda on Feb. 27 – March 7.
The test was held during the day and pair of three-hour night practice sessions were held on Friday and Saturday in preparation for the inaugural nighttime running of the Daytona 200 By Honda Daytona SportBike race on Friday night, March 6.
Among the riders in attendance for the test include Josh Hayes (Yamaha), Ben Bostrom (Yamaha), Jake Zemke (Erion Honda), Blake Young (M4 EMGO Suzuki), Chris Ulrich (Roadracingworld.com) and Neil Hodgson (American Honda). Riders are using two different race courses during the test – the American Superbike on the short 2.9-mile course while Daytona SportBike is on the 3.51-mile road course.
Before the three-day tire test even started on Friday, Richie Morris Racing announced a three-year sponsorship deal with GEICO Powersports. Morris will field a Buell 1125R with veteran Florida rider Michael Barnes. Morris is still working on finalizing the details for his second team.
For Barnes, who resides in Boca Raton, he says riding for Morris in the Daytona SportBike class for 2009 will be one of the best opportunities that he has had in his career. “This ranks right up there with some of the top rides that I have had,” Barnes said. “I think there’s more to come. It’s not an equation that is totally complete. We’ve still have got a lot of work to do. It’s been a long year in getting those details worked out. Now they are getting worked out, we can all get to work.
“This is tremendous for me. My biggest opportunity came unfortunately after Vincent Haskovec’s injury (in 2005) and getting on John (Ulrich’s) team. The opportunity here with Richie and Buell, it’s a little bit more personalized in a sense. I’ve been chosen for my previous performances on Buell and my work with the company. I’m think I’m getting a little bit of reward for that and the years I’ve put in on the Buell.”
Riders prepared during the tire test for a Daytona 200 Week By Honda schedule with a new look. The Daytona 200 By Honda will be held under the lights for the first time on Friday night, March 6. The Daytona 200 By Honda was previously held on Saturday afternoon.
The other significant change to the 2009 Daytona 200 Week By Honda schedule is the Daytona Supercross By Honda, America’s toughest and most demanding Supercross event, will now be held on Saturday night, March 7. The Daytona Supercross, which was previously held on Friday night, will now be contested on a traditional Saturday similar to all AMA Supercross events on the schedule.
Here’s some highlights on the tube this week. On Monday, December 8 Speed airs the Craftsman Truck Series Awards Banquet at 8 p.m. Speed also offers the SCCA Runoffs from Topeka, KS on Wednesday, at Noon for the GT Series. At midnight Saturday TSN airs the NASCAR Nextel Cup Awards Banquet held in NYC. At 4 p.m. Speed returns with the IHRA National from Tulsa, OK. Sunday’s offerings include an 11 a.m. airing of the SEMA Show highlights from Vegas. Then that cable channel broadcasts the Atlantic Series from Edmonton, Alberta at 5 p.m. HD Theater offers Why We Race; The Mustang Challenge at 8 p.m.
NOTE: INFORMATION FOR THIS COLUMN CAME FROM VARIOUS REFERENCED SOURCES, PRESS RELEASES, NOTES AND OTHER SOURCES.
