intresting reading

[JEFF ESSMANN]

i seen this article on compitition plus site i think the man hit the nail on the head
http://competitionplus.com/index.php...3323&Itemid=21
says alot abought the sponsor dealings or lack of on the part of nhra

[Jim Wahl]

This is dead-on correct! Powerade has done nothing to promote Drag Racing outside of the sport. I remember talking to another racer last year about Powerade. We were wondering if they were going out of business. I still have a pair of "Winston" pants and several hats given to me by the "Winston Girls" at various races.Ever bought a Powerade drink at an event? It's twice the price as at the 7-11 down the street! Some support! Jim

[Dennis P Chapman]

Well Powerade did give out coolers at national events there first year. It did have there name on it LOL.

[Jim Wahl]

OK, but do you still have the coolers, and did any "Powerade Girls" give them to you? I rest my case.Jim

[Real Racer]

Originally Posted by Jim Wahl

This is dead-on correct! Powerade has done nothing to promote Drag Racing outside of the sport. I remember talking to another racer last year about Powerade. We were wondering if they were going out of business. I still have a pair of "Winston" pants and several hats given to me by the "Winston Girls" at various races.Ever bought a Powerade drink at an event? It's twice the price as at the 7-11 down the street! Some support! Jim

I HAVE A BETTER ONE FOR YOU.

HAS ANY SPORTSMAN RACER EVER BEEN OFFERED A COMPLIMENTARY ICE COLD POWERADE BEVERAGE AT THE TOP END AFTER A RUN?

I THINK NOT.

[Bunkster]

After reading that piece, I want to light up a cigarette.

[Lynn A McCarty]

What about Winston? If you follow their product, you end up in a premature grave, or in a hospital bed. My Great Grandfather lived till he was 96, and my father is 78, and they were the only two that didnt smoke. The rest of my family died of lung cancer in their early 60's, Annette's mom died at 59, and my business partner dead in 2001 at 59. My dad's brother died at age 50 after promotion to Vice President of a very large bank after being bought out of thes largest real estate firm in Indiana, missing the opportunity to help his wife campaign for governor or being appointed US attorney by the President.

Poweraid in my book is way better, but I cant drink it cause it isnt sugar-free. With the age of racers getting up there, maybe we need Viagraid?

Lynn

[Mark Ruset]

I agree with Jim Wahl, Powerade does nothing to support sportsman racers. Now how hard would it be if at an event there was a Powerade tent set up where the racers could come on a daily basis and show their run cards and get a free bottle of Powerade. I know it's not much but it would show some appreciation to the racers. And maybe just maybe it might eventually sell them more powerade.

[Jeff Teuton]

I got a Poweraid @ the Cajun Sportsnationals at the end of a run. Course that was from Pat. I have also gotten bottled water at the same event. A fat sweatty guy really appreciates that.

[Michael Beard]

Asher frequently makes a lot of great points on a lot of subjects, and on this deal he has good points as well, but he also uses a lot of hyperbole.

>> In the case of O?Reilly?s, it?s time NHRA either enforced their own widely discussed ?rule,? or just gave them an ultimatum: Either provide major sponsorship for a professional race team, or take a hike.

Riiiiiight. Like NHRA is going to tell O'Reilly to go anywhere. LOL They've got their money. Why would the push for more to risk losing everything?

Although Asher repeatedly claims that Powerade has done absolutely nothing to market or co-brand with NHRA, that's not correct. I remember seeing commercials with John Force and one or two other drivers in the early years of their sponsorship.

Asher writes: "Accelerade has embarked on the kind of national advertising blitz that POWERade has never mounted"

Actually, Powerade marketed very heavily in the early days. I'm sure everyone remembers the surfer commercial in particular. and the Lebron James spot: among others.

Powerade branded a limited-time NHRA flavor and bottle:
http://www.nhra.com/2003/news/June/062703.html

Have they done much for drag racing since? No. Should they do more? From a marketing perspective, I think so. But it's not exactly fair to say they've never done anything.

And his line: ?Well, Tom, money is the only thing that does count. It won?t matter if this extension is through 2050 if it doesn?t bring drag racing a million dollar winner.?

While everyone from the Pros to Sportsman probably merit a purse increase, I still don't get why some members of the media continue to think that the rest of the world is going to sit up and give a d*mn if some drag racer gets a million dollars. Most people probably don't even know what it pays to win the Nextel Cup championship. If they got nothing extra but the trophy, people wouldn't stop watching it.

The co-branding is going to do drag racing a lot more good. A lot of times promotions are put together in the local market. Several years ago, 2-liter Coca-Cola bottles in the Grand Bend, Ontario market had 'bottle hangers' on every bottle with discount tickets for the national event there. McDonald's is a local sponsor at US131 in Michigan. I saw flyers for the national event hanging in the drive-through windows of area restaurants. I even saw flyers in the window of convenience stores around Milan for the *Pro-Am* race each year! Hooters was a very good partner when they were IHRA's series sponsor, with a very visible! presence both on and off the track. A few years ago, I was in one of the restaurants in Ohio, and a waitress came up to me with one of their "HootersSports" magazines, pointed to a group picture of all the IHRA champs from that year and said, "Hey, is this you?" That floored me.