Camping World executive happy with Truck sponsorship
By Bob Pockrass - Associate Editor
Saturday, June 27, 2009
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series drivers compete at Michigan International Speedway earlier this month.
David Griffin
NASCAR Scene
LOUDON, N.H. – Camping World is happy with its first year of sponsorship of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, the company’s director of motorsports said Friday.
“We definitely are [happy with it],” said Camping World’s Kurt Hunt prior to the Camping World East Series race Friday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. “The vital signs are good there. The TV numbers, at a time when the numbers [of other series] aren’t as strong as people would like them to be, are strong there. The truck count is strong and we’re seeing first-time winners.”
On reports that his company wants to get out of the series sponsorship, Hunt said they “certainly are untrue.”
Camping World hasn’t necessarily had the presence that former sponsor Craftsman had at the track and Camping World representatives have not been out front and center at many events. Hunt said there will be a major promotion soon that will be announced for the late summer and fall.
“Everybody activates differently,” Hunt said. “You activate through what’s going to really drive your business. I don’t think you activate based on other people’s expectations of how you go about it.
“Media is very big for us. Speed is an incredible partner to these series and an incredible friend to this sport. We chose to do a lot of our activation through Speed, through SIRIUS radio, through ESPN radio. What you see on the ground right now is not what other people do, but that’s something that we’ll inevitably grow into.”
Camping World also is sponsoring the Nationwide Series race today at New Hampshire.
“One of the things that probably helped fuel some rumors was the fact that we were getting away from sponsoring on-track with individual teams and drivers,” said Hunt, whose team ended its sponsorship of Kevin Harvick Inc. when it assumed the truck series entitlement. “That’s a tremendous duplication and an unnecessary duplication. We’re not as out there. There were races where sometimes we had two or three cars in the same race.
“You go from being way exposed on an on-track sense to changing your program to being a series sponsor and … it’s really just a change in philosophy for us.”
Hunt said the company has not done a detailed return on investment analysis of its Truck sponsorship yet.
“It’s early to do an accounting,” Hunt said. “It’s everything we thought it would be. … It takes some time to grow into it and understand what it is your role should be.”
Hunt said that the recreational vehicle business, especially the rental and service business, has picked up lately.
“We’re seeing some pretty good signs here,” he said. “The winter was a long winter. It always is for businesses that have seasonality to them. … People who own RVs are using them. They’re not letting them sit.”
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4 responses to "Camping World executive happy with Truck sponsorship". Post a Comment.
Andrew Briscoe said:
Jun 27, 2009 at 12:02 PMHappy signing a 7 year contract to sponsor a series for a ton of money when your company was already hurting, only to see the series you are rumored to be spending $4 million a year to sponsor fall apart because it's too expensive to run and even the defending champion can't find sponsorship?
Report as AbuseI don't think any normal person would be happy to see that happening. Your company's profits are being spent on a series that's literally becoming a 25 lap race to get off the track. The champions are nearly being driven off the track because sponsors refuse to go to the Truck series. Hornaday's team has no more manufacturer support, Benson couldn't get sponsorship, and Bodine's running with patchwork sponsorship from race to race. If I was Camping World, I'd be re-evaluating my sponsorship until the series becomes more viable longterm.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportAnonymous said:
Jun 27, 2009 at 5:56 PMthat's why you're not rich and running camping world. great sponsor and racing!
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This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.
» Confirm Abuse Reportrmdunn3 said:
Jun 27, 2009 at 7:05 PMJust finished watching the Truck race. It was exciting at the end. I really thought that Aric was going to win there for awhile, he ended up 4th, which is good. I love that kid Brian Scott, he is awesome.
Report as AbuseBack on subject, it's hard for anyone to find sponsorship in these tough times, everyone will just have to take whatever crumbs are thrown their way. I think Harvick can afford to do what he is doing or else he wouldn't be doing it.
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This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.
» Confirm Abuse ReportAnonymous said:
Jun 28, 2009 at 2:21 PMI've been watching the truck series and attending their races for years and was glad to see the Camping World pick up the trucks and the East Series. However, if I were the Camping World Series, I would have been unhappy that Speed did not televise live the Camping World East Series Friday night at 5. Instead they showed a rerun of the Pit crew challenge. Up and coming drivers like Ryan Truex and some more experienced like Steve Park and Matt Kobyluck put on a great race and it was quite a shame that the fans who follow this series.. (yes, I took my travel trailer to see the South Boston race, and I also attended Greenville/Pickens and Tri-county)did not get the opportunity to enjoy them at New Hampshire. We talk up the up and coming drivers.. Logano drove the CWEast series.. Ickler drove the CWEast series... Speed dropped the ball in not televising this series at NH this weekend. They had all the equipment and media there to bring this to the fans. Hopefully, next NH race in Sept will make the time slot and Speed will give the fans, the teams and sponsors like Napa, Pennzoil, Mohegan Sun and Waste Management their due.
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