GM official says company is examining NASCAR expenses
INDIANAPOLIS – Terry Dolan, marketing manager for Chevrolet racing, said Thursday that it is too early to predict where the company could cut into its NASCAR marketing program as it tries to return to profitability.
“We are examining and continuing to examine all expenditures,” Dolan said at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a track where Chevrolet is an official sponsor. “This is not an unusual occurrence by any means.
“We continually review not only our marketing initiatives but all of our racing programs to insure there is a solid return on our investment. But racing has been part of our DNA going to back to [co-founder] Louis Chevrolet. We build cars. We race cars. And we are natural-born competitors. And we compete successfully on the track with a variety of manufacturers and we plan on continuing to do so.”
Chevrolet mainly supports four Sprint Cup race teams – Hendrick Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing, Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Haas CNC Racing. Chevrolet won 26 of the 36 races last year (when Chevrolet also had Joe Gibbs Racing) but has won only four of the first 19 races this year.
“Frankly, when it comes to our involvement in NASCAR Sprint Cup competition, we value the philosophy of our co-founder Louis Chevrolet,” Dolan said. “We plan on continuing to honor Louis Chevrolet’s legacy of 'never give up.'"
Dolan said there are three key principles to being involved in a racing program – it needs to be able to race to win, the audience needs to care about Chevrolet’s involvement and the company needs to get a return on its investment.
“Win on Sunday, sell on Monday – it’s not that direct [anymore],” Dolan said. “It’s not a case of Dale [Earnhardt] Jr. winning this race Sunday afternoon and people flock to the showroom Monday.
“But there is a presence and a connectivity over a 12-month duration that influences our business. The plus of NASCAR is that it has a 10-month calendar. We have a 12-month business. I can divest marketing resources in one location that provides me nice duration, good frequency and outstanding reach.”
Tony Stewart, currently driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, will be co-owner of the new Stewart-Haas team next year. Dolan said he wanted to wait until Stewart’s announcement Friday of sponsors and car number before commenting on Stewart and his return to the manufacturer.
