Author Topic: We'll Meet Again  (Read 81253 times)

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Offline greenjunk

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Re: We'll Meet Again
« Reply #120 on: October 19, 2017, 07:14:33 PM »
For what it is worth; and I know I will probably get shoes thrown at me ....

It's October and still no word.  I have some very good sponsors that are asking for my tentative schedule for next season, it's hard to put in ECTA events when all I hear is "chirp, chirp, chirp"....

You bring up a really good point.

I've pursued a few sponsorship opportunities, but with ECTA, and lately, Bonneville, what can a racer realistically expect to contribute to a sponsor's expectations for ROI?

Other than dragging your bike/car to well attended car shows, our visibility is crushed due to lack of venues and opportunities.

We mostly do this because we love it, but to drag a sponsor in at this point, with any expectation of return on their investment, would be tantamount to fraud.




Did you seriously just use the term ROI and Land Speed Sponsorship in the same sentence? If there were even a 1% ROI we'd all have sponsors.  I personally am not interested in towing 11enty hours and camping just to a make a few passes, and camp again and drive 11enty hours home.  As you've all should have deduced if it was easy to find a VIABLE runway we'd already be racing. 
David
213mph Time Bomb Camaro

Offline Stan Back

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Re: We'll Meet Again
« Reply #121 on: October 19, 2017, 07:33:28 PM »
Ya know, they don't build runways that after a while, the staff dosen't have places to stay more than an hour or two away.  Having to drive a little each day for a hot shower and a good bed is not a real hurdle. 
Past (Only) Member of the San Berdoo Roadsters -- "California's Most-Exclusive Roadster Club" -- 19 Years of Bonneville and/or El Mirage Street Roadster Records

Offline Milwaukee Midget

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Re: We'll Meet Again
« Reply #122 on: October 19, 2017, 10:37:28 PM »

Did you seriously just use the term ROI and Land Speed Sponsorship in the same sentence? If there were even a 1% ROI we'd all have sponsors. 

Yeah, I seriously used ROI and LSR in the same paragraph.  :-D

I actually sat through a panel discussion at PRI a few years ago, touting the financial potential of Bonneville to those in the racing industry.  "Landspeed Louise" wrote an article about it a few months back in the PRI trade magazine.

I suppose if you run a 400+ mph car, a sponsor might be interested in associating with your effort - but I walked away from the discussion and the article unconvinced. 

For every LSR engine a shop sees, they'll see dozens, if not hundreds, or possibly thousands of drag, road racing, dirt track or modified street engines come and go through their shops.

I'm always amazed when anybody gets a sponsorship deal in this sport, and here's why -

Think about the demographic of an average Land Speed Racer.  Most are permitted the privilege of ordering discounted breakfast specials at Denny's.  Is this a demographic anyone other than a supplemental Medicare insurer would want to capture? 

When was the last time any of us bought a product because we were made aware of it via an LSR event?  I think it's safe to say that the Big 10 Championship game at Lucas Stadium has done more to raise awareness of Lucas petroleum products than LSR.

Monster sponsored Speedweek for a while, but do any of us have it in their fridge, or even an empty can rolling around on the floor of their car or garage?

Start with Bonneville - world renowned - and held in higher regard overseas than in the States.  To that point, the ONLY sponsorship interest I was even remotely able to draw into a sit-down was a brewer in England.  That ended abruptly when I explained the BLM wouldn't likely countenance a beer-vendor at the event.

Why would a company offer up cash to support an entry into an event seen by fewer than 10,000 people in a busy year, half of whom are associated with other participants, when that event is spread out over 30 square miles of inhospitable wasteland, on 3 or 4 separate courses, and not even broadcast on a 3rd tier cable network, nor accurately covered by media in any form, save Slim's webcast?  Did I mention that most of the spectators leave after the second day of a seven-day event?  Did I mention that the surface is deteriorating?  Did I mention that it's been rained out twice in the last 4 years, with no possibility of rescheduling?

I'm a fan of ECTA events, but realistically, any potential for a sponsor decreases precipitously when you move to a track without an established pedigree or cache.  Bonneville's been around for 100+ years - Wilmington came and went in five.

And as nice as Wilmington was, any given 1/3 mile clay oval in any Midwestern state on any given Friday night will outdraw an ECTA event.

There's just not enough pairs of eyes to warrant the expense. 

So yeah - I think LSR is largely unsponsorable - and I am happy for those who have worked the magic of convincing anybody that there is any potential ROI in this sport.

 
"Problems are almost always a sign of progress."  Harold Bettes
Well, I guess we're making a LOT of progress . . .  :roll:

Offline Speed Limit 1000

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Re: We'll Meet Again
« Reply #123 on: October 20, 2017, 12:17:06 AM »
I was stationed at Wurtsmith AFB for 12 years. A good number of hotels within 20 miles of the base and more in Alpena Mi. just 45 miles north. Oscoda air park is racer friendly. A beautiful part of the USA.

John
John Gowetski, red hat @ 221.183 MPH MSA Lakester, Bockscar #1000 60 ci normally aspirated w/N20

Offline Truckedup

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Re: We'll Meet Again
« Reply #124 on: October 20, 2017, 07:45:27 AM »
 I believe that the suggestion to pool members on what is really important is a great idea.The event is for the racers and they do pay for racing..I also believe the majority of racers could deal with camping out if that was the only option ...However, you still need enough portable toilets and an actual place for several hundred people to camp...
Triumph 650 LTA MPG record holder  133.1 MPH...

Offline fordboy628

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Re: We'll Meet Again
« Reply #125 on: October 20, 2017, 07:56:34 AM »

Did you seriously just use the term ROI and Land Speed Sponsorship in the same sentence? If there were even a 1% ROI we'd all have sponsors. 

Yeah, I seriously used ROI and LSR in the same paragraph.  :-D

I actually sat through a panel discussion at PRI a few years ago, touting the financial potential of Bonneville to those in the racing industry.  "Landspeed Louise" wrote an article about it a few months back in the PRI trade magazine.

I suppose if you run a 400+ mph car, a sponsor might be interested in associating with your effort - but I walked away from the discussion and the article unconvinced. 


For every LSR engine a shop sees, they'll see dozens, if not hundreds, or possibly thousands of drag, road racing, dirt track or modified street engines come and go through their shops.

I'm always amazed when anybody gets a sponsorship deal in this sport, and here's why -

Think about the demographic of an average Land Speed Racer.  Most are permitted the privilege of ordering discounted breakfast specials at Denny's.  Is this a demographic anyone other than a supplemental Medicare insurer would want to capture? 

When was the last time any of us bought a product because we were made aware of it via an LSR event?  I think it's safe to say that the Big 10 Championship game at Lucas Stadium has done more to raise awareness of Lucas petroleum products than LSR.

Monster sponsored Speedweek for a while, but do any of us have it in their fridge, or even an empty can rolling around on the floor of their car or garage?

Start with Bonneville - world renowned - and held in higher regard overseas than in the States.  To that point, the ONLY sponsorship interest I was even remotely able to draw into a sit-down was a brewer in England.  That ended abruptly when I explained the BLM wouldn't likely countenance a beer-vendor at the event.

Why would a company offer up cash to support an entry into an event seen by fewer than 10,000 people in a busy year, half of whom are associated with other participants, when that event is spread out over 30 square miles of inhospitable wasteland, on 3 or 4 separate courses, and not even broadcast on a 3rd tier cable network, nor accurately covered by media in any form, save Slim's webcast?  Did I mention that most of the spectators leave after the second day of a seven-day event?  Did I mention that the surface is deteriorating?  Did I mention that it's been rained out twice in the last 4 years, with no possibility of rescheduling?

I'm a fan of ECTA events, but realistically, any potential for a sponsor decreases precipitously when you move to a track without an established pedigree or cache.  Bonneville's been around for 100+ years - Wilmington came and went in five.

And as nice as Wilmington was, any given 1/3 mile clay oval in any Midwestern state on any given Friday night will outdraw an ECTA event.

There's just not enough pairs of eyes to warrant the expense. 

So yeah - I think LSR is largely unsponsorable - and I am happy for those who have worked the magic of convincing anybody that there is any potential ROI in this sport.


OK . . .   Sooo, this is what I know, in order.    Based on my experience of 46+ years in various segments of the "Racing Engine Industry".

I sat through the same "discussion".   My impression was that the speaker(s) knew little about the financial realities of running the "average" racing engine shop, ie, they were marketing people.    Successful sponsorship at the lower levels is dependent on ROI.     If there is no ROI for a small business, THERE IS NO REASON TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY "PROGRAM".     Big corporations, different deal.    BUT, my experience is that "they" want ROI also.    Corporations only provide "free lunches" to their employees, and not so much anymore.    It's about "belt-tightening" and "profit-taking".     Go figure . . . . .

40+ years into my "career" and I had never seen, or had firsthand contact with an LSR effort, UNTIL CHRIS CONTACTED ME.    And that contact was just a "shot in the dark" seeking rare information.

In the majority of shops where I've been, there is NO LSR presence.   NONE.    And in the shop where I currently am, which is drag and street centric, THE ONLY LSR PROJECT IS THE ONE CHRIS & I "DRAGGED IN".   They are happy to be associated with a record setting effort, but there just is not enough business available to chase the "local" competitors.   And I'm talking competitors from a 3/4 state area here.  They have drag customers that come to their shop from as far away as Georgia and Florida.    Now I know that there are several LSR efforts in Wisconsin and Illinois.    What engine shops are they using? ? ?


It's not like they were unaware of LSR, AND, Bonneville is held in high regard.    BUT, their only exposure was to the top end, high dollar efforts in magazines and perhaps on WIDE WORLD of SPORTS.  And let's face it, those efforts are either concentrated in southern California or in small "pockets" of LSR activity scattered across the country.

And as far as camping is concerned, I did it when I was younger.   Now my old bones cry out for a shower and a comfortable bed to sleep in at the end of a day in the "wilderness".    If you think I'm cranky normally, you don't want a piece of me after a restless night!!!

JMO and 2¢ . . . . .

 :cheers:  :dhorse:
DraggedintoLSRboy
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Offline RansomT

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Re: We'll Meet Again
« Reply #126 on: October 20, 2017, 10:52:12 AM »
Hmmm?  I now starting to realized how blessed I am as it pertains to LSR sponsorships.  I am associated with a individually owned small motorcycle performance shop here in Lexington (H&H Racing).  The shop has 1 full time employee (owner/mechanic), 1 part time-me (the tuner/electronics), and that's it. Small jobs like tire mounting tires, machining, etc.. is farmed out, but only under the careful watch of the owner.

At any given time in the shop, other than my LSR bikes, we have 2,3,4 or more bikes that LSR.  Granted a lot more drag bikes are worked on, but an LSR presences is in the shop.

Other than H&H Racing listed above, I have 2 other sponsors that directly or indirectly help pay for actual racing expenses outside of products; Ignite Race Fuels and KPMI (Kibble White).  I have 4 sponsors that "give me at no cost" products that I actually use; Brock Davidson Performance (whole bunch of stuff), Tiger Racing, Alisyn Oil, and Wizard of NOS.  Then I have 5 sponsors that I purchase products/services from that are greatly discounted (below dealer) Galfer USA, Worldwide Bearings, Vortex, Rider’s Discount, and Cooper Performance.

Offline Seldom Seen Slim

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Re: We'll Meet Again
« Reply #127 on: October 20, 2017, 11:22:44 AM »
Ransom:  How cool of you to have managed to gather some "real" support.  You've gotta be one of the few that have had so much success.

Most of us have heard of the "big" names you mention, but that your local shop gives you so much is worthy of some note.  Thanks for telling us.

 :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:
Jon E. Wennerberg
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Offline manta22

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Re: We'll Meet Again
« Reply #128 on: October 20, 2017, 11:26:23 AM »
Chris:

"Monster sponsored Speedweek for a while, but do any of us have it in their fridge, or even an empty can rolling around on the floor of their car or garage?"

Yes, their sponsorship worked on me. Now I'm addicted to Monster Absolutely Zero. Good stuff. Maybe their big black tent blowing away in a windstorm that last year had something to do with their dropping sponsorship... or maybe not.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ
Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

Offline ronnieroadster

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Re: We'll Meet Again
« Reply #129 on: October 20, 2017, 05:38:37 PM »
 So what would all of the above mean to the ECTA for finding a location to hold events at? The way I see it absolutely nothing. Kind of losing the focus of we will meet again.   :dhorse:
Working in the shop I use the 'F' word a lot. No not that word these words Focus and Finish go Fast and Flathead Ford!
 ECTA  XF/BGRMR Record 179.8561
 LTA    XF/BGRMR  Record 200.921 First  Ever Ford Flathead Roadster to hit 200 MPH burning gasoline July 2018
 SCTA  XF/BGRMR Record 205.744  First gas burning Ford flathead powered roadster to top 200 MPH at Bonneville August 7, 2021 top speed 219.717
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Offline RansomT

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Re: We'll Meet Again
« Reply #130 on: October 20, 2017, 07:53:43 PM »
O.K. then ...

Blytheville, AK - closed air force base, Texas Mile folks hold 1 event there each year.  Very smooth track....

Kinston Regional, NC - former Naval Base, long enough to do 1.5 mile runs.  Black Ops did fly out of there, but my sources say that has stopped.  Very limited flights.

Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport, MI - another one that you could do 1.5 mile runs, is up for rent.

Everything else I have looked at is either too short or has too much traffic.

Offline Truckedup

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Re: We'll Meet Again
« Reply #131 on: October 22, 2017, 06:51:59 AM »
 Hmm, So here we all are sitting on our asses expecting someone else to find a track?  Perhaps new people need to step up and make arrangements with the location in Michigan as it certainly sounds like it meets the needs...
Triumph 650 LTA MPG record holder  133.1 MPH...

Offline Milwaukee Midget

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Re: We'll Meet Again
« Reply #132 on: October 22, 2017, 12:52:29 PM »
Hmm, So here we all are sitting on our asses expecting someone else to find a track?  Perhaps new people need to step up and make arrangements with the location in Michigan as it certainly sounds like it meets the needs...

Are you proposing a new sanctioning body, or stepping up to offer time to the ECTA to help get this done?

A ton of time and effort to make the former happen:

1. Make the contacts with the civic/government officials
2. Chase down insurance
3. Wait out the decision makers at the local level as to whether or not they will or won't
4. Put into place a rule book and distribute it to potential racers
5. Get your hands on 450 orange cones
6. Find timing equipment that is verifiable, accurate and indestructible
7. Put together the group of volunteers to run the event
8. Get out the press releases and hope they get disseminated through as much media as possible
9. Follow through on those press releases, including phone interviews, local news and camera crews
10. Collect membership and entry fee monies
11. Pay for the facility rental
12. Take care of the next 3 dozen things that we can't imagine will pop up before a car or bike even turns a wheel

That the ECTA has done as much as they have over the last 20 years is hugely remarkable.  They have the expertise, the connections, and the good will of a lot of racers to draw upon.

But it does seem as though they've been unusually quiet of late.


"Problems are almost always a sign of progress."  Harold Bettes
Well, I guess we're making a LOT of progress . . .  :roll:

Offline QikNip

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Re: We'll Meet Again
« Reply #133 on: October 22, 2017, 01:50:31 PM »
Hmm, So here we all are sitting on our asses expecting someone else to find a track?  Perhaps new people need to step up and make arrangements with the location in Michigan as it certainly sounds like it meets the needs...

Are you proposing a new sanctioning body, or stepping up to offer time to the ECTA to help get this done?

My take is that we could help move things along by assisting the hard working ECTA folks. For starters, is there a Land Speed racer living near that Michigan facility who can develop a full list of local lodging options (with distances from the facility)? And since hotel availability seemed to the major drawback mentioned by the ECTA, we might be of some help by validating (or refuting) that belief. Any takers from somebody who can do that?
Based on the original comment made above regarding the availability of that site, it appears there may well be genuine interest on the part of the local authorities to host an LSR event. If true, that is a major potential obstacle out of the way.
Rick
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145.632 G/CPRO 8/17 Bonneville Record
149.825 G/CPRO 8/18 Bonneville Record
142.443 G/CPRO 9/20 Loring 1.0 Mile Record
156.343 G/CPRO 9/20 Loring 1.5 Mile Record

Offline ronnieroadster

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Re: We'll Meet Again
« Reply #134 on: October 22, 2017, 04:22:33 PM »
Milwaukee Midget
    Your list of needs is outstanding truly an in your face to the reality of what its going to take if and when  a new location is found. Many of us have no idea what it takes to put on these events. The fact the ECTA has an excellent track record on how to do it and do it well for such a long time leaves me wanting to support their efforts since I know when it happens their events will be hard to beat.
 Ronnieroadster
Working in the shop I use the 'F' word a lot. No not that word these words Focus and Finish go Fast and Flathead Ford!
 ECTA  XF/BGRMR Record 179.8561
 LTA    XF/BGRMR  Record 200.921 First  Ever Ford Flathead Roadster to hit 200 MPH burning gasoline July 2018
 SCTA  XF/BGRMR Record 205.744  First gas burning Ford flathead powered roadster to top 200 MPH at Bonneville August 7, 2021 top speed 219.717
 SCTA  XXF/BGRMR Record 216.131 plus a Red Hat
"Life Member of the Bonneville 200 MPH Club"