Happy Memorial Day

This weekend is the ultimate for racing fans. The Grand Prix of Monaco, The Indy 500 and The Coke 600 all in one marathon day of racing. It's a dream, really. Three completely different types of racing that last from early morning until late at night. Let's be honest, it takes a real freak to watch 16 hours of racing on the tube. The GP of Monaco starts at 7:30 AM on Speed and The Coke 600 will wrap up around 11 PM. I'll be there the whole time with my thoughts on those who have made this possible.

Many have sacrificed so that we can watch racing and this weekend is Memorial to them.

A Major Loss...

NASCAR lost one of its most independent voices this week. David Poole of the Charlotte Observer and Sirius Radio passed away due to a heart attack on Tuesday. This is a major blow to the NASCAR media community and the sport in general.
My experiences with David were limited, but the opportunities that I did have to speak with him were educational and eye opening.

He was a progressive thinker who was not afraid to challenge NASCAR at the highest levels. David Poole spoke his mind regardless of the potential negative result. That will be very difficult to replace in the echo chamber that is the NASCAR media center.

Many factors come into play for those that cover the sport. One of the strongest factors is simply survival. The desire to continue to work and interview the sport's top athletes has a negative effect on many who try to do the job. Many do not want to “rock the boat” so that they can continue to pursue their own careers. They can’t risk alienating drivers or NASCAR officials with harsh criticism because they might not get an interview the following week. David Poole was never worried about rocking the boat. He was never concerned about anything other than his views as they related to the sport. That will be difficult to replace. If NASCAR wants to continue evolving to the level of other major sports it needs more people like David Poole, not less. David will be missed.

Farewell Pontiac

This week we have learned that General Motors will discontinue the historic Pontiac brand. This news hurts me to the bone. I can proudly say, “I am a Pontiac guy” and I always will be. Make no mistake; Pontiac was GM’s affordable performance brand. Over the years, from “Fireball” Roberts to Rusty Wallace and John Force to Warren Johnson, Pontiac was a force in racing. I myself race a Pontiac. While the majority of the American car buying public identify themselves based on Ford vs. Chevy, there was always the select group of individuals that bought Pontiac.

The Pontiac brand separated itself on several fronts. To put it simply, Pontiac was always classier than it’s competition. What the Firebird was to the Camaro and the GMC is to the Chevy truck, Pontiac was to its competitors; a nicer, cooler car with a personality all its own. Sure, it was a little more expensive, but the separation from the masses was worth it.

Pontiac owners are a special breed of people who will have to choose among watered down selections from now on. I believe that GM is making a huge mistake getting rid of Pontiac. They were the third largest seller at the General and sold double the cars that Buick does. While Buick survives due to its popularity in China, the loss of Pontiac is a sacrifice at the alter of the economy and a shot over the bow of all performance vehicles.

Who to blame?

I have been trying to take this as well as possible, but the more I think about it, the angrier I get. General Motors was not in great shape a year ago, but they were not going bankrupt. Pontiac was moving to all rear-drive cars with high performance and attitude. The Solstice, the GXP and the G8 all proved to be exciting, well built cars for a good value. They looked cool and had personality. Now, the brand is going to be closed down for good.

So, who is to blame? First, we have to blame General Motors for the mismanagement of their own product and lack of profitability. We must blame them for falling behind in the 1980’s and losing an entire generation of young car buyers who now think Japanese brands are synonymous with quality and excitement. While that was twenty years ago, the failures of the 80’s are a major reason for GM’s troubles now. They lost the public relations war against the imports and now you would be hard pressed to find people younger than thirty that view Pontiac with excitement. Then again, I think anyone who thinks a Honda Civic is exciting has a mental problem.

Second, we must blame those who put the final nail in the coffin, the stewards of our nation’s economy the past several years. While I am not an economist, I do know that our economy was mismanaged at the highest levels. The recession and inability to get credit, not lack of interest, is what finally killed Pontiac. Those responsible for our countries economic disaster are also to blame for the loss of Pontiac. They will be forever linked as far as I’m concerned.

Each Pontiac commercial I see is a reminder of what we are losing and who is to blame. I, unfortunately, will now know what it was like to have been a “Studebaker” or “American Motors” guy. It is not something that I’m happy about but I will have to live with it. Fortunately, my family currently has ownership of four Pontiacs (78 Trans Am, 05 GTO, 08 Grand Prix and a 98 Firebird) that I will cherish until I can afford to purchase a 2010 G8. Regardless of what new vehicles are rolled out in the future I would always rather have the option of buying a Pontiac. This is a sad moment in automotive history.

Outrage

Outrage is very en vogue these days. Everyone is outraged about something from the AIG million dollar bonuses paid by tax payers and the Octomom getting free everything for being a crazy person. I, too, am outraged. Following a great weekend of NHRA Drag Racing in Gainesville, Florida, we have learned that Budweiser will not be returning as sponsor of Kenny Bernstein’s Top Fuel Dragster team. I can’t say that I’m surprised but now that it has happened I’m, well, outraged. While outraged and disappointed, I’m not shocked. Industry experts have forecast cuts at Budweiser since rumors of a sale to Belgian beverage giant INBEV first began. http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/inbev-takeover-spotlights-anheuser-buschs-big/story.aspx?guid=%7B627AFDF4-E32B-460F-8CE8-195A5CC2D7BC%7D

The story first broke on drag racing news site: http://www.go2geiger.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1119:bernstein-bud-parting-ways-at-end-of-season&catid=2:astory

Months ago when it first surfaced that Anheuser-Busch was considering selling there were some minor discussions among the very patriotic racing crowd of whether or not this would be a good thing. I have consistently come down on the “no” side of this issue and now we have proof. Kenny Bernstein and Budweiser have been together longer than any other sponsor-team combination, eclipsing the Richard Petty/STP relationship two years ago. Bernstein’s team has massed 85 national event wins and six national championships during the thirty year run. One championship every five years is not too shabby, but apparently not good enough for INBEV.

As much as I’d like to sit here and try to eloquently use my writing skills to explain in detail why it is a huge mistake for BUD, I’d rather simply be frank. I grew up looking forward to having a Budweiser when I was of age. The ONLY reason I even know about Budweiser is Kenny Bernstein’s Budweiser King thanks to my early NHRA Drag Racing experiences. The first beer I ever drank was a Budweiser. So, as far as I’m concerned Budweiser would never have existed without Bernstein. To millions of NHRA Drag Racing fans like me, this is a fact of my beer drinking life.

Another fact: Budweiser Sucks. The only reason I ever drank it was because it was the first beer I ever knew about, but I stuck with it. Why? Kenny Bernstein’s Budweiser King and the company’s support of drag racing. It gives me an instant headache, but I bought it anyway. I didn’t even root for Kenny on the track, I rooted for Don the Snake, and yet, I bought Budweiser (and Miller, the Snake’s sponsor). I’m sure I’m not the only racing fan who feels this way. I must say, however, that Bud light is drinkable. However, I cannot see myself ordering a Budweiser ever again, now that INBEV has dropped one of drag racing’s biggest stars, unnecessarily, during a tough economy. Talk about not taking care of the people who have taken care of you. The value of their sponsorship was worth ten times what they were paying, having deeply impacted millions of drag racing fans like me. The fact that they are pulling out is grossly disrespectful to the NHRA fan base that have supported them through the series.

The decision has already been made and Bud is not returning in 2010. INBEV is simply interested in cost cutting and gutting an American institution. Hopefully, some other company will take advantage of the next generation of NHRA fans to grow up watching the Bernstein family, now with son Brandon behind the wheel. In the mean time, I can only voice my protest by avoiding any beer supplied by INBEV. Perhaps you’ll join me in not having a beer.

A list of INBEV brands is at the following link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:InBev_brands

The 30th year

This weekend marks a 30th Anniversary for me. The idea that I have been able to attend anything including Christmas and my birthday every year since 1980 is both shocking and something I’m proud of. In 1980, my father who is the source of my racing gene, decided that my family would attend the NHRA Gatornationals in Gainsville, Florida. The Gatornationals are the NHRA’s traditional East coast opener with frost bitten racers from the entire country packing the track. At just 7 years of age, I had no idea what I was about to be exposed to. I can still remember walking through the staging lanes for the first time. Pro Stock was in the lanes. I remember seeing Bill “Grumpy” Jenkin’s “Gumpy’s Toy” Camaro parked next to “Dyno” Don Nicholson and Bob Glidden. I found myself entering the world of professional drag racing for the first time. That experience was very influential to me as I have made racing a large part of my life and career.

Near Misses

You don’t string together 30 years without a few near misses along the way. Just a few years into the streak, my father had purchased some Center Line wheels for our car, the 1978 Trans Am that later became my race car. When we put our luggage into the trunk of the car, the new, wider wheels and tires rubbed the inside of the quarter panel. So, with a full trunk, we were off to a local business (Cole Muffler) to purchase some air shocks for the rear of the car. Long story, made short, within two hours the car was on FIRE! This, however, was not a deterrent. We made it to the race with some blankets covering the charred back seat. In fact, that weekend I learned to love the smell of fire extinguisher.

Over the years we have endured massive traffic, medical issues and weather. In 1986, the event was rained out. We decided to return to Gainsville the following week and were rewarded by seeing an underdog driver from New Jersey, Don Campanello win in Pro Stock. He even invited us to stand in his winner’s circle photo. Don Garlits’, 272 MPH historic run in Swamp Rat XXX was icing on the cake. Ed McCulloch won in Funny Car.

History in the making

There have been many historic runs over the years. So many, that National Dragster editor, Phil Burgess, has created a list found at http://www.nhra.com/blog/dragster-insider/ Easy ones include the first 260 (Joe Amato), 270 (Don Garlits) and 300 MPH (Kenny Bernstein) runs in Top Fuel.

First Time

There is nothing better than going to an NHRA National event with first time fans. Seeing people experience the most extreme of motor sports in person for the first time is like returning to my own first experience in 1980. I have invited many of my friends during this 30 year streak and each has walked away a fan. (Except for one, my Dad’s friend, who thought it was too loud.) Much has changed over the years, the pit area, the tower and the staging lanes have all evolved. One thing that hasn’t changed is the reaction from people the first time they witness a nitro engine start in the pit area. They laugh while they cry from the nitro fuel. There is nothing in the world of motor sport that can compare to the “live” race day product of the NHRA and The Gatornationals is one of best examples of it. As my streak continues into its 3rd decade, I hope that new fans will begin their own. See you in Gainsville.