Going to hell in a hand basket
 

Checking out Comp.Plus the last few days has turned up the lastest gems in NHRA's "formula for
success".
The Top Fuel and Funny Car Shootout sponsors are gone for 2009.They are ripping off the nitro cars on fuel supply and prices.Now they are putting restrictions on the non sponsoring energy drinks who ride on the side of some of the cars.I really dont feel too sorry as these guys can always come up with a sponsor if they perform well enough,but NHRA is showing their leadership skills for what they are.In the soccer world the word would be NIL.Not to mention the way they are handling the rules and enforcement in the sportsman classes.

Ed F.

Member: Travis fan club.

Re: Going to hell in a hand basket
 

Technicoat didn't renew after fall Vegas last year for the Top Fuel cars. Understandable because their sponsorship was more of a gift than an expected return on an investment. Skoal not renewing for next year for the Funny Car shootout is different, but it will have the same effect if no other sponsor steps up to sponsor the shootouts in either class. I think there are a few ways to view this. The most obvious to me would be to compare it to contingency sponsors. Some stick around because they find it to be beneficial. Others don't and they leave.

The energy drink sponsors who are covered under the grandfather clause of those products can and will still be able to provide full Pro car racing sponsorships. The "restrictions" being placed on them at Indy this year aren't unusual. Keep your scantily clad women promoting your product(s) in the general vicinity of your sponsored car. Handing out product or discount coupons in front of your business competitors' sponsored car pit areas should not be allowed in my opinion, and I hold the same opinion for every type of racing sponsor. They should all have the ability to promote themselves, but not to the direct detriment of other sponsors.

Re: Going to hell in a hand basket
 

They do seem to have a stranglehold on sponsors.Example,I dont think a pro car can have Pepsi for a major sponsor.The one that gets me is the fact that there is a list of approved fuels for S/SS yet only VP is allowed on the property at races.They also get their fingers in the pie on tee shirt sales.I guess that's the way business is done in the 21st century.

Ed F.

Re: Going to hell in a hand basket
 

From traveling all over the country and attending drag races at many different venues, my observation is Pepsi is spreading their money out at the local level rather than funding a Pro team. It's my understanding that the only prohibition concerning major Pro sponsorships or event presentation title rights are/have been limited to direct market competitors to POWERade. Gatorade sponsorship at any level has been a no no. I've seen many Pepsi scoreboard-named lanes and quite a few NHRA tracks that sell only Pepsi products in their concession stands. I've seen an alky Funny Car receive best appearing car at an NHRA National event with a prominent Pepsi decal on it. Not a major sponsor, not a Pro car, but it was there. Just my opinion (as is everything I might write here), Coke isn't worried about their domination of that particular market share enough to pressure either the sanctioning body or the tracks to try and force changes in them. The switch from POWERade to Full Throttle as the series title sponsor is a different animal. Coke doesn't own a dominating market share product in this particular arena. The influx of energy drink companies into this sport got their attention. I suspect the last thing they wanted to see was Red Bull pouring megabucks into this sport in direct competition with their own Full Throttle product line. Monster and Rockstar's presence also had to have raised a few eyebrows.

I'm not going to comment on the fuel deal, other than to say VP has National event racing fuel supplier rights, and Sunoco is still the "official" racing fuel supplier at a number of drag strips. ...even National event tracks. I'll leave it up to the lawyers to figure that stuff out.

Re: Going to hell in a hand basket
 

Pushed the submit button before I was finished! It was Oakley sponsoring Scotty Cannon that actually changed the sales mode and method of team and sponsor related merchandise at National events. Before the rolling O store hit the vendor area, "official" NHRA souvenir vendors were the only places you could buy fan stuff. Cutting the pie into pieces is still there, even for the porkchop-on-a-stick and funnel cake sellers.