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Meg, I liked the flowers, too! Especially the gold/yellow one. I would much much rather look at those than the wrecks. I opened one of the wrecks and ignored...
Bob Pockrass: Banquet week a crucial one for Sprint
By Bob Pockrass
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, celebrates after winning his third consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 16.
Sam Greenwood
Getty Images for NASCAR
COMMENTARY
NEW YORK – NASCAR once again is back in New York for its postseason activities in what could be considered a somewhat fun trip to honor some for a job well done as well as a begging exercise for the nation’s biggest city – one where many of the people don’t even own a car – to take notice of stock-car racing.
And while Jimmie Johnson will get to do a lot of neat stuff here over the next several days – some of the things he could do whenever he liked, considering that he already has a home here – and everyone will acknowledge him for a job well done, it seems the sport is at a crossroads.
Drivers and teams are grappling with the harsh economic climate. Who will stay and who will fold?
While the economics are difficult to predict, so is the racing with NASCAR’s new car. Will the teams and drivers that struggled with it get better – especially with a moratorium on testing? Or will it be the Jimme, Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards show next year as well?
But another crossroads is that this signifies the halfway point of the Sprint (formerly Nextel) sponsorship of the Cup series. It is five years in with five years left in a contract that has Sprint paying $700-$750 million over a 10-year span. Even considering the merger of Sprint and Nextel in late 2005, after three years, the company is entrenched in the sport even with a perception by some that it has one foot pointed toward the door.
Steve Gaffney, who heads sports sponsorships for Sprint, already was in town by Monday night. He attended a dinner to kick off the week, sitting at a table with Johnson, NASCAR President Mike Helton, NASCAR Chief Marketing Officer Steve Phelps and others in the executive kitchen at the Waldorf-Astoria.
Gaffney, who played a key role in Nextel’s acquisition of the Cup sponsorship but attended the dinner for the first time as part of his new role at Sprint, reiterated that the NASCAR sponsorship is a valuable one for Sprint, one that certainly is worth the money spent.
It’s logical to question whether a company that has lost billions of dollars and millions of customers in 2007 and 2008 would want to keep its name associated with NASCAR.
Which brings us back to being in New York City. This is a place where it seems everyone walking down the street is talking or texting on a cell phone.
This is prime cellular territory. And even if people in NASCAR are somewhat lukewarm to whether NASCAR can conquer the New York beast, it certainly behooves Sprint to make it as big a deal as possible.
It’s almost a two-way street in this city of one-way streets. If NASCAR doesn’t sell well here in New York, then why sponsor the series? If Sprint can’t engage people during the week it honors the Sprint Cup champion, then what good is its sponsorship?
Sprint plays a key role in the entire week here. This is a key marketing tool. It might well be up to Sprint whether the banquet is here or somewhere else given the expense it and NASCAR go through to have its annual celebration in the biggest of America’s cities but one where the sport does not compete.
Give Sprint credit for trying to do some new things – the victory lap around Manhattan was a great idea while it lasted, but it probably was time to move on.
Here’s hoping that Sprint can engage the fans in New York City somehow this week. It must. It cannot just have its name attached to an awards ceremony that puts drivers on a stage where they never seem to get comfortable.
While this week might be about celebrating a three-peat by Johnson, for Sprint it’s about selling phones. Right now, NASCAR and its teams might need the New York market, but Sprint needs it much, much more.
2009 Sprint Cup Race for the Chase Standings
Driver Standings after the AMP Energy 500
| 1 | Jimmie Johnson | 6248 |
| 2 | Mark Martin | -184 |
| 3 | Jeff Gordon | -192 |
| 4 | Juan Pablo Montoya | -239 |
| 5 | Tony Stewart | -279 |
| 6 | Kurt Busch | -312 |
| 7 | Greg Biffle | -340 |
| 8 | Ryan Newman | -402 |
| 9 | Kasey Kahne | -414 |
| 10 | Carl Edwards | -437 |
| 11 | Denny Hamlin | -448 |
| 12 | Brian Vickers | -556 |
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Comments
9 responses to "Bob Pockrass: Banquet week a crucial one for Sprint ". Post a Comment.
Karl Sajdera said:
Dec 2, 2008 at 12:05 PMIt seems that year after year I hear of NASCAR (and also the title sponsor) trying to cozy up with the fans in the New York area, but then the inevitable happens. The "cozying" up (if I can use that as a word) is nothing more than a marketing bombardment and never really does anything to attract new fans and really does nothing to keep existing fans like myself. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that NASCAR has alienated a large part of its core audience. NASCAR, it seems is now less and less about the racing and more and more about hawking your product. Just watch a race on any one of the myriad of channels they're broadcast on and there's 4 minutes of racing and 6 minutes of commercials. If you want race fans, show the race. If you want a marketing blitz, open a big Sprint store in Times Square. Oh sure, there was that tract of land NASCAR had in Staten Island, but nothing ever came of it. Not to mention the traffic jams that would have ensued getting out. It would probably have made leaving Dover look easy!
Report as AbuseRace fans like racing. Show some. If you want fans up here in the New York area, race here. I'll buy a ticket; just give me some place to go that I can call "my" home track.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportBruce Kravitz said:
Dec 2, 2008 at 2:50 PMIn addition to what Karl said, I would add that the TV show of the banquet for the fans is one of the least entertaining parts of NASCAR marketing. Put it in the heartland (of racing) and see what happens. I believe it ought to be held and broadcast from the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportPat Draper said:
Dec 2, 2008 at 2:58 PMIf your a real nascar fan you will find a way to to a race near you. I know times are tuff right now i couldn't afford to go to any race. Its time they take nascar out of New York. Its the same old thing every year. Some thing new needs to be done, what i have no idea but then i don't get paid the big bucks that nascar higher up's do. I have a feeling racing won't be the same next season as we have known it. There is to much trouble with the big 3 car companies. Next season will be interesting that is for sure.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportBernadette Motherway said:
Dec 2, 2008 at 3:58 PMThe next thing you know, Brian France will be wanting to get a race in New York! Forget New York, support Detroit!!!
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» Confirm Abuse ReportKarl Sajdera said:
Dec 2, 2008 at 4:17 PMPat....I go to Dover. I love Dover and next to Bristol, it's my favorite track. The point of the story was that NASCAR and Sprint are trying to make us more aware of the sport and the banquet being held here is important to reach that end. My comment was directed to that. As a Jersey boy (5 miles from NYC), I think that champions week would be better suited in Las Vegas, Daytona or, of course, Charlotte.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportMarilyn Fisher said:
Dec 2, 2008 at 6:26 PMI go along with Karl. Have the dinner somewhere else. The guys can "dress up" for other places I'm sure. Having it in New York is getting old. Besides, they air the event on ESPN Classic which many people don't get, so that doesn't help the fans either. I have to wait and see it on ESPN 2 on Monday evening.(which is OK with me)
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» Confirm Abuse ReportSally Baker said:
Dec 2, 2008 at 6:54 PMAiring the banquet on ESPN Classic is more an indication of how 'important' Nascar is to ESPN. They put it on a channel that the majority of their fans don't even get. As far as Sprint, since the latest Consumer Reports magazine once again rated Sprint consistantly at the bottom of their wireless service ratings, perhaps Sprint should put their efforts to upgrading their service instead of the smoke and mirrors of a pricy banquet in a city that cares less about Nascar.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportBrian Russoniello said:
Dec 3, 2008 at 11:44 PMIt's about time that we start appreciating the wonderful sport than NASCAR has become! Most of the comments suggest just how cynical we are as Americans today... It's a shame...
Report as AbuseWhat began as a regional sport has flourished into an exciting national series showcasing not only the heritage and evolution of our automobile industry, but also some of the best companies, products and services that America and the world has to offer.
New York City is the perfect place to host the Cup Awards Banquet. "The most exciting city in America hosting a party for the most exciting sport in America", it makes perfect sense to me.
And for all of you cynical people out there, try to have a positive attitude; it's a little thing that makes a big difference!
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» Confirm Abuse ReportJim Branham said:
Dec 4, 2008 at 9:53 AMwhy, Why, WHY is this event held in NYC? Who came up with this idea? Take a sport that no one in Manhattan gives a **** about and have the yearly end of season awards banquet there. Does no one at the head office in Daytona have a clue? The kind of person who would be interested in being a NASCAR fan is pretty much the opposite kind of person who would be interested in a black tie awards banquet at the Waldorf Astoria. This has got to be the worst pairing of demographics and marketing in the history of the world! Although I hate to do my job of marketing for free, I will make an exception...MOVE THAT EVENT TO CHARLOTTE at least for a year to the Hall of Fame! Then if you want, rotate to big event cities like Dega, Bristol, Richmond, Vegas, Phoenix - places the fan base is comfortable and familiar with because Cup races are actually held there!!! Stop trying to fit a square beg into a round hole. You are not going to resonate with the audience in Manhattan, but you ARE alienating your existing fans. JEEZ, someone please help these clueless money hungry folks at the big office.
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