Espn

[Harry 6674]

I think the whining and bitching got to Terry before he said start your engines but he may still be working on it. Lets hope something gets started.

[bill dedman]

Jackie,
Explain something to me, please...

You said, "Of course you would have to have NHRA’s permission to tape and show their product so figure on writing them a check, as well."

Fact: NHRA does little or nothing to "promote" Sportsman racing (beyond the alky cars, which is not the focus of this discussion.)

Fact: NHRA is in deep financial trouble compared with, say, five years ago before the "crunch" hit everybody and his brother...

Fact: TV time of ANY KIND is good exposure for something as relatively obscure in the public eye as NHRA racing (go up to the man on the street and ask him who John Force is; you'll get a blank stare 9 times out of ten... and he's the best they've got in terms of name recognition.)

Fact: A show with lots of close-ups of wheelstanding Stockers and Super Stockers could be a very visually-appealing spectacle on today's H-D TV screens, if the announcer could get it right.

Fact: Jackie says in order to bring this off, somebody would have to cough up $$$$$ to grease NHRA's palm....

Let's look at that statement.

If nobody can come up with the cash to give NHRA, what happens?

Nothing. NHRA gets NO exposure from this deal...

NHRA desperately needs ALL THE EXPOSURE IT CAN BUY, BEG OR BORROW...at anytime, anywhere, anyhow. It's a too-well-kept secret in the TV scheme of things.

Since NHRA is going to be the prime recipient of the PR benefits of this activity, and it will cost NHRA virtually NOTHING to make happen, why wouldn't they welcome this idea and the producers of such a show with open arms, and THANK THEM for the exposure??? Asking them for money, TOO, would seem to be not in their best interests, since it might queer the deal, and they'd benefit nothing from the lost opportunity.

WHY wouldn't NHRA allow this show to be produced and aired for NO CHARGE, since they would be the primary beneficiaries of the exposure?

It seems to me that that would be just another instance of NHRA cutting off its nose to spite its face, asking for the producers of this to PAY THEM for something that is already going to benefit them in untold ways.

What's up with that, Jackie???

[63corvette]

NHRA will not release anything unless they get PAID...
I witnessed the NHRA security get physical with a photographer at Indy last year over photo's he was taking. He had a press credential and all but he was being questioned and asked (forced) to leave along with being threatened with arrest if he did not turn over his film or memory card.
I don't know all the story but I was right next to the photographer when it happened so I know it was a strong arm job.
That is why I say NHRA will never let something out unless dollars are exchanged.
My 2 Cents

Bill,

Corvette has it right. NHRA is a “brand” that is owned by NHRA, they own the rights to anything and everything “NHRA”, that includes the “races” and what goes on at the races. You are positively right about they need the exposure but they also need/want the money as the organization is now run by businessmen for businessmen, possibly not very savvy businessmen but nonetheless...

There was a time I think when they would have welcomed the exposure with open arms but no longer. Because NHRA is now a “brand” and a for profit business they want to control how it is portrayed, how it is presented, and a piece of the pie if any money is going to be made off it i.e. their brand.

BF Goodrich got into a “spat” with them over a tire ad a few years ago because you could see NHRA and Lucas Oil logos in the background and they didn’t get a check for it, so go figure. Now, if they won’t let a tire company show a photo of a wheel standing race car to sell tires because their logo is in the “incidental background” what makes you think they are going to let a TV show anywhere near one of their races without writing them a check and probably have at least some control over the content to make sure it is “properly presented”.

Remember the scheme to split the “pro NHRA” from the “sportsman NHRA”? Their elite view of the world doesn’t allow them to see past the end of the nose, sportsman racing is not racing it is some hayseed hick sport that nobody cares about because you don’t cross the finish line upside down and on fire

NHRA is run by businessmen bean counters not racers, they have no concept of what the sport is about or what motivates racers or race fans and that includes even the Pro’s. If you want to see what happens to a business when it is taken over by bean counter businessmen and brand managers just look at GM and Chrysler. Those are the only two car company’s not run by car people and look where they are.

Jackie McCracken

Disclaimer/Guarantee:
My opinions are my opinions and are not anybody else’s opinions either living or dead. Any similarity of opinion, thought process, or idea with anyone else either living or dead is merely coincidence and should not be construed as anything else…