STATE OF DRAG
PHOTO: NHRA / NATIONAL DRAGSTER
★★★★★
issues in recent years, but I was consistently
surprised that – even during the recession – we
never had the big drop like other sports did, and
I attribute it almost entirely to the accessibility.
Listen, if I’m not a racer and I’m just a fan and I’m
going to spend three- or four-hundred dollars on
a weekend with my family, I’m going to take them
to a drag race. For the amount of money you’re
going to spend, you can’t go anywhere else and
meet every player, hang out behind-the-scenes,
get autographs and pictures before and after they
play – the level of interaction is unreal. If we
want to be rock stars like NASCAR drivers, all
we would have to do is cut off the access to the
pits. That’s why it’s such a big deal to see Jimmy
Johnson or Dale Earnhardt Jr. – you don’t ever
see them. If they were always readily available, it
wouldn’t be a big deal. That would probably take
our sport about three levels up in perception, but
I hope they never do. Kenny Bernstein used to say
it at our PRO [Professional Racers Organization]
meetings and I get it now – we’re never going to
be NASCAR, so we don’t need to try.
LP: I have a lot of thoughts on drag racing’s
marketability in the corporate world. For one –
and someone like me shouldn’t be saying this
– but for a long amount of time, the dollars we
asked for from sponsors was based on the operational costs to run a team, and it shouldn’t
be that way. The number we ask for should be
based on the media value and the value of the
program we’re able to offer. When we go out and
ask for three-million-dollars or more and the
July 2016
KNOW-HOW (AND WHY)
As one of the most popular and successful
Funny Car drivers, and one of the few who are
paid to drive, Ron Capps sees the effects of
the improved television package through his
interactions with fans, friends and corporate
sponsors. He’s never felt better about drag
racing’s place in the sports world.
exposure we’re able to generate – specifically in
years past when our TV coverage was subpar –
does not match, well, you’re not being a good
partner. You need to come in with at least a threeto-one ratio. Your return-on-investment (ROI)
needs to be three-to-one, and those are the kind
of programs that I work on – creating projects,
alliances, campaigns that provide the necessary
ROI. I think Ron Capps and NAPA and Antron
Brown and Matco Tools are perfect examples.
Those relationships are so successful because
they use it with their franchises to create more
business. I’m excited though because I definitely
think that ROI is growing. That’s why I’m not
giving up because I finally see the growth that I
believe will justify a pure sponsorship. As a driver,
though, I think we all have to be doing our part to
create our own personal brands that have value.
Case in point, I’ve only been with Don Schumacher Racing for a few races now and he recently
asked me why I’m always wearing a flat-bill hat,
and I told him, ‘Don, that’s just who I am. I’m a
SoCal girl, and I’ve always worn my hat that way.’
I mean, if we’re all out here looking the same,
sounding the same, saying the same thing we’re
going to get the same results. I’m making an effort
to put myself out there right now, and do things
a little bit differently than they’ve been done in
the past. We need change. We can’t expect our
sport to grow and change if we keep doing the
same things over and over.
JS: I’ve always believed drag racing to be a
very good marketing tool – it’s a lot about the
loyalty that exists out here and the dedication of
the fans. With NHRA right now and their new
relationship with FOX, I think there’s more visibility than ever. On the PDRA side, and with a lot
of series, I think there’s just a lot of opportunity
for creative thinking and trying things. I know
that I can speak on behalf of PDRA and say that
we’re open to ideas and we’re always willing to
work with sponsors to try things and go the extra
mile to create the value they’re looking for in a
marketing program. With the way social media
has taken off and the exposure that is possible
by way of the internet, we’ve really embraced
our live feed and are thrilled with the number of
viewers and reach we’re able to generate online.
People aren’t getting any less attached to their
smart phones or tablets, and I’m glad that PDRA
events are so readily accessible with those devices.
SJ: I don’t think there’s anything wrong with
drag racing in that regard, but I think far too
much emphasis is being put on the cars’ performances and not nearly enough on the people
inside the cars – and I don’t just say that because
I drive them. Fans can care less how fast the cars
are. They could care less about engine size or
pounds of downforce. They care about the story
behind the driver, the story behind the car, or
the rivalry between the two people sitting on the
starting line. Last year, for instance, me and Travis Harvey had a grudge race during Pro Nitrous
qualifying at the PDRA event in Budds Creek
[Maryland], and even in the middle of July they
had the biggest crowd of any event for the whole
season. People came out to see me and Travis go
at it because people know us and they took sides.
They want to hear me run my mouth, say I’m
going to slap the shit out of everybody and then
they want to see if I can do it. We’ve got to get
away from focusing on the numbers. I try to be as
colorful as I can out here, and it’s not because I’m
a dick. It’s because I think the sport needs it. I’ve
always said that I can’t be and will not be tamed
by marketing guys. I’ve turned down sponsors in
the past because they wouldn’t support me saying
what’s on my mind. We need more people saying
what they think. I like it when drivers don’t like
me and criticize me openly. That means they’re
saying what’s on their mind. We need to create
a culture around the sport where people aren’t
afraid to speak their mind.
Amongst the many debatable topics in 2016,
track prep – abundance of, lack of, or consisten-
DragIllustrated.com
| D r a g I l l u s t r a t e d | 81