hugewally - 24 June 2009 10:53 PM

The article I linked above isn't directly about improving car counts, but making racing more affordable for teams and track, etc.

I know, just some wishful thinking on my part.

There are too many things ALMS haven't done, like going after a series sponsor as GA has, helping teams find funding, and, last but not least, better purses and payouts.

Are you sure that they haven't?

hugewally - 23 June 2009 01:55 PM

No, its not. The point is that racing needs to be run more like other top sports leagues (MLB, NFL, etc as examples) business models.

The problem is that sportscar racing is not like other sports entities who have cultivated their fanbase thru decades of consistancy.

The first fall of IMSA saw a good product go to waste due to egos and lack of vision. Sportcar racing in the US has lacked a resiquite amount of professionalism for decades. The closest thing we've seen to a "business model" is what Grand Am does, but Grand Am is not widely accepted because it is practical. Tell me this is not messed up thinking!

People want swoopy, hi-tech factory "competition," but fail to understand that to support that kind of platform, takes a boatload of cash. Cash that must be generated from marketing sources. Sportscar fans in the US do not come to the number level of the WNBA fanbase, so how does one expect sportscar to flourish? The WNBA at least has a consistant product, the backing of the NBA and advertisers know what to expect from year to year.

This is a case of practicality. Many sportscar fans in the US think just because the car is sexy, that the series should be the most popular form of racing out there. Little do they know that they are in the great minority.

This economy is down, but the New York Yankees are still in business, The Pittsburgh Steelers are still in business, the Los Angeles Lakers are still in business, but Audi North America decided to park their cars but for one or two races in the US. And people wonder...

Hate on NASCAR if you wish, and point to the gaps in the stands that you may see this year, but they still are racing 43 cars a week, and ESPN, TNT and FOX are still making a profit broadcasting from those less than full tracks.

This glorified club sport has not stood the test of time, because it is something that cannot be counted on from year to year to be the same product. Any good business model is built on consistancy of product. Its that simple.

Swing and a miss Mark, swing and a miss...

hugewally - 25 June 2009 03:55 PM

Swing and a miss Mark, swing and a miss...

Time is not agreeing with YOU.

At the heart of this "SPORT" is people who either make good BUSINESS decidions or bad ones.
The survival of the entities they work depend on those decisions. History is telling this story, not me and not you. Who has a better chance of survival and why will they survive.

You seem to be a smart guy... Figure it out.

Only when you take off your corporate hat.

Wally, I'm surprised at your response to Comanche. He's made one of the most salient posts on this topic in recent memory, IMHO.

If there isn't a valid business case for being part of a series (whether as a competitor, sponsor, driver, etc), then you end up relying on people making "discretionary" decisions or what is essentially charity. Neither of which are in great supply in this economy.

-k-

Karl, thats why I posted a link to an article to start this thread...

While the article makes valid points, it really is only applicable if here is a big pot of gold to divide. Except for NASCAR there the pot of gold that is being divided within the various serious over the years has been marginal at best.

Stick and ball sports are completely different business models from motorsports. Stick and ball franchises often own their own venues and make money from ticket sales, local broadcast rights, luxury boxes, concessions, etc. A team in a stick a ball sport is more like a promoter in racing then a race team. Franchising would also certainly add all the fun labor complexities experienced by all major stick and ball sports. Franchising creates as many problems as it solves and only will benefit those who can afford to join. The barrier of entry into professional motorsports is already high enough but at least it allows anyone with reasonable capital to come and play. The last NFL franchise fee paid was $700M. Even if you made the fee zero for the original franchises, at some point in the future the teams will insist on a fee if for no other reason but to increase the value of their existing operations. So if you want to join this mystical franchise motorsports series, you will have to find people who have made money in other businesses and that are willing to invest huge sums of money just to get the right to be included in the club and go racing. Exactly what did we solve?