Motorsports Blog

Motorsports blog and writing by St. Louis based artist Shane Walters

Gateway Dirt Track Photos – Gateway Dirt Nationals Event

Gateway Dirt Nationals Photos - Edward Jones Dome Dirt Track 4793

December 14, 2016 by Shane Walters

Gateway Dirt Track Photos – Meet the Track Hosting the Gateway Dirt Nationals

Gateway Dirt Nationals track photos are posted below. Meet the brand new temporary dirt track hosting the Gateway Dirt Nationals at The Dome in St. Louis, MO.

You wanna know what you’re going to see this weekend? This little bullring race track is about to blow both your socks off. You will be very surprised. In fact, you should already be marching your ass to the ticket window.

I was one of the lucky few to witness the track test in person last night. I’m more excited to witness this dirt race than any dirt race I’ve ever been to. I’ve been to a lot of dirt races! I feel truly blessed this race happens to be in my own hometown. It has all the possibilities of becoming the best show of the year.

Gateway Dirt Nationals Dirt Track Photo 4812

The videos shown from the ‘on-track test’ really don’t do this track any justice. Videos rarely do race tracks any justice, but especially in this case.

The Gateway Dirt Nationals track surface has a lot of banking for a “flat” track. The photos below show the drastic banking applied. The middle of the track is bare concrete floor. While the corners stand well over my head. It’s about 8″ of banking from the track limits to the track infield.

This little dirt track at The Dome in St. Louis is about to put on one the best dirt racing shows in the entire country. The track might be small but it’s fast. Bullring racing at it’s finest.

Track prep was done by the pro’s. Kevin Gundaker and the Tri-City Speedway staff have been working on the surface every day for over a week now.

The effort is already showing signs of reward. Last night Kenny Wallace and Kevin Gundaker preformed a track test at the Gateway Dirt Nationals. It was the first time a dirt modified and dirt late model were seen on the new dirt oval.

I was surprisingly shocked. How fast we were up to speed.

-Kenny Wallace

Kenny Wallace exited the car last night extremely surprised at how quickly the track was race ready for racing. Kenny Wallace spoke on the track surface soon after the engine shut off.Before he even climbed from his car he was bragging about the race track, “I was surprisingly shocked. How fast we were up to speed.”

You can watch the ‘Gateway Dirt Nationals track test’ video here. Also, photos from the track test can be seen here.

Kenny talks about the Gateway dirt surface, “Then at the end [of the run]. I slowed up just like we would do at any bull ring and tracks got a lot of grip in it. This is the dirt that they use for the motocross races. It was voted the best dirt of all of motocross racing. This dirt has been sifted a lot. I holds moisture. This dirt reminds me of (Belleville, IL) Belle-Clair Speedway.”

Kenny had a lot more to say on the track. He even had a few suggestions to Kevin Gundaker on how to make it even better. He also offered tips for dirt racers coming to the event. You can watch the in-car interview from last night here.

The dirt is special. So special that it was rated the #1 dirt in supercross racing. And it was noticeable. The Gateway Dirt track has an amazing amount of grip. Right out of the gate, the track is fast.

Fans will be impressed. If you thought a little 1/5 mile track would be slow or if you thought it’s too small for racing. Then, you’re likely just a hater and but in this case you’re also an ‘incorrect’ hater. You will have a different opinion when you visit the track this weekend.

It’s small, it’s fast and it’s racy. If you’re coming to the show this weekend, you should be very excited.

The Gateway Dirt Nationals event takes place this weekend at the Edward Jones Dome in downtown St. Louis, Missouri.

You can view the Gateway Dirt Nationals event schedule for this weekends event here.

We’re based in St. Louis so you bet we’re covering everything for this event. You can view the full archive of Gateway Dirt Nationals news coverage here.

Author: Shane Walters via Racing News

Gateway Dirt Nationals Track Photos

Photos: Shane Walters

A New NASCAR Sponsor Isn’t Wanted

November 21, 2016 by Shane Walters

2017 NASCAR Sponsor Isn’t Wanted by Fans and It Isn’t Needed For the Sports Success

Placing a corporation randomly into the name of your sport is gross and tacky. Changing the name of your sport is the ultimate form of selling out. That doesn’t do the sport any favors in it’s appeal to newer fans.

NASCAR is in search of yet another title sponsor. Essentially, right now the deal with Sprint expires. If NASCAR executives can sign a sponsor by February. Then, yet again, the name of the sport is set to change.

The $100 million/year price tag might be very enticing but it comes with a costly side effect. Changing the name of your sport every 10 years means you also have to start from scratch every 10 years from a marketing standpoint.

I come across many motorsports fans, regularly. When I mention the ‘NASCAR Xfinity Series’ half the time I’m instantly hit with a question, “What’s that?” They know what it is, they just don’t know the series by it’s current name. They know the series as the NASCAR Nationwide Series or perhaps even the NASCAR Busch Series.

That’s a problem. These are fans who watch some form of racing on a weekly basis. While they might not watch NASCAR all the time, they do watch it. A constant name change directly effects attendance from the casual fan. They aren’t going to click on something in the TV guide or travel to the racetrack if they don’t know what it is they are watching. This massive marketing issue is all due to a regular name change of the sport itself.

2017 NASCAR Sponsor Isn't Wanted - Daytona 500 Marketing

The Daytona 500 is extremely well marketed and as a result it’s the most watched race in America. By far. It attracts the casual fan and every year it’s also the biggest chance to grow the fan base. That’s mostly because it’s a fantastic race. However, I think there’s an underlining secret to the success of the 500 mile race…

It hasn’t changed it’s name since it’s inception in 1959. For nearly 60 years, people have had the branding of the “Daytona 500” placed in front of their face. It doesn’t need a new marketing campaign, starting from zero every 10 years.

For 60 years, Non-racing fans have seen news regarding the Daytona 500 come across their television screens every year in February. Even if they don’t pay attention, they still pick up on what it is. Each news story is a billboard. As a result, people who aren’t even a racing fan know what the “Daytona 500” is. This very approach should be taken to the label of the sport itself.

Name it, then don’t touch it. We don’t need a 2017 NASCAR sponsor. It’s a backwards concept to change the name of your sport, catering to a new sponsor every 10 years. That’s the silliest thing you could possibly do. Could you imagine the Major League Sprint Baseball, National Sprint Basketball Association or the National Hockey Sprint League. That’s a completely ludicrous concept and it’s equally ridiculous in NASCAR. Yet, NASCAR hasn’t figured that out just yet.

Beyond the general marketing flaw. Older fans are far more accepting of this mass over-sponsorship, in every aspect of NASCAR. After all, if it hasn’t bothered them before why would it bother them now? But the older fans aren’t the only people that matter. The sport we all love so much happens to be in the middle of a demographic crisis.

There’s a new generation that NASCAR needs to attract in order to grow the sport. That new generation doesn’t even feel the need for a driver’s license, after all, they have Uber. This very same generation piled up like an ant colony in support of a socialist. Bernie Sanders, the anti-corporation, eco-friendly, free college for everyone, democrat.

I’m not trying to be political. I’m simply stating that never before has a known Socialist had so much traction in primaries leading up to an election. That fact alone tells you a lot about the demographic NASCAR needs to target. Sanders nearly won the democratic nomination, mostly due to his large following of college kids, the very people NASCAR needs as ‘new’ fans to secure the future of the sport.

As you read that, many of you are saying “We don’t want them!” But you’re so wrong and you don’t get it.

Taking that approach will create certain death of the sport as we know it. Older fans won’t be alive forever. If NASCAR can’t appeal to a new generation, the sport doesn’t grow. Instead, it will continue its pattern of a shrinking fan base.

A shrinking fan base has a mass of negative effects over time. That means, niche tracks close it’s doors and transform into housing developments. Teams begin closing up shop and suddenly the sport takes a very different and drastic direction in the wrong path. NASCAR will survive, but the little guy in terms of both teams and tracks, will not survive a diminishing fan base.

The sport is still thriving off the mass appeal and quick growth of the 90-00’s. However, we are fast approaching a large problem. If NASCAR can’t attract the new generation of fans in a much bigger way, our sport is in trouble. They need a consistent marketing campaign aimed at people throughout their entire lives.

The over-sponsored selling out is part of the on-going joke of the sport, as seen from outsiders. Nothing gives that joke more merit than putting a corporation in the name of the sport itself. It makes us look like idiots.

Self-control from NASCAR executives can go a long way, paying dividends for years. Saying no, stopping yourself from completely selling out to corporations would be a big step in attracting the much needed younger fan base.

Author: Shane Walters

Photos: Chris Trotman/Jared C. Tilton/Matt Sullivan/Robert Laberge/Jeff Curry/NASCAR via Getty Images

I Hated Jeff Gordon until…

I used to Hate Jeff Gordon until - Jeff Gordon Leading Bristol

October 30, 2016 by Shane Walters

After Visiting My First NASCAR race in 1995 I Learned to Hate Jeff Gordon and So Did You

I hated Jeff Gordon. In 1995, I remember tossing a Jeff Gordon die-cast off a 3 story roof. Why? I thought a Jeff Gordon car looked best when it had a bit of damage.

I visited my first NASCAR race in 1995 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Jeff Gordon was the young California kid who came into the sport in 1992. When it came to short tracks he was a mix of fast and aggressive. The very things that make short track kings. The same thing that makes fans hate you.

Related: Jeff Gordon’s Last Race – Today at Martinsville Speedway

Jeff Gordon bumps Rusty Wallace at Bristol

He wasn’t at all afraid to move a driver out of the way and take the win. It didn’t matter if you were a rookie or a NASCAR legend. All the same driving characteristics of Dale Earnhardt. He had all the things that put on a great show, bring fans to the stands and provide entertaining racing.

Jeff Gordon and Rusty Wallace battled nearly every year at Bristol. The #2 vs the #24 resulted in a lot of bump and runs. The classic battles might have even resulted in the invention that bump-and-run phrase.

However, in the mid 90’s, the face of NASCAR was just beginning to change. The old Southern boys, sporting a mustache were on their way out. Jeff Gordon was one of the first to come through the door. But, Jeff Gordon knocked the door off it’s hinges. He won his first race in his debut season and didn’t take long to pick up his first title. In 1995, Jeff Gordon won his first of four NASCAR Winston Cup Series championships.

I used to Hate Jeff Gordon until - Bristol Motor Speedway 2005

He and other young drivers would soon become the new face of NASCAR. If there’s anything I’ve gathered being a NASCAR fan for 20+ years it’s that NASCAR fans don’t like change, of any kind.

Boo’s of Jeff Gordon ensued. Parade laps, pace laps any laps resulted in booing of Jeff Gordon. If he was highlighted on the jumbotron, you’d hear boo’s over the sounds of the engines. And this was at Bristol, where cars are on the extra side of loud bouncing of the surrounding aluminum seating.

Some fans took it up a notch. They were strong willed to hate Jeff Gordon more than the next guy. If he won, you can bet a beer can would be lifted over the Bristol fence, taking aim at the #24 car. Which was amazingly stupid by the way.

Related: Best Jeff Gordon Paint Schemes

The only time you witnessed cheers for Jeff Gordon was when he was in the wall. One year I remember seeing Jeff hit the wall in turn 3. Fans jumped out of their seats, spilt all their beer and nachos, just to cheer for a crash. I was 10 years old. 120,000 people (Bristol was smaller then) cheering against Jeff Gordon influenced me to do the same.

My hatred for Jeff Gordon lasted until 2005. That’s around the time I realized all the the old guys were gone. The edge of the drivers had been grounded off. The new driver personalities were robotic. The strong edgy characters of the drivers in the sport were gone.

With the exception of Jeff Gordon who was in the sport just early enough to pick up a bit of the old style. Once the young California kid, was now the only driver left with ties to the good ol’ days. I had an epiphany realization that I had actually come full circle. I was now a fan of Jeff Gordon.

Right now, Jeff Gordon is running his final NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race as we speak. His 805th start will end his career at the short track of Martinsville Speedway. I hope he picks up 94th career in his final NASCAR race.

Author: Shane Walters

Jeff Gordon Photo Album

Photo: Sherryl Creekmore/NASCAR

Nick Laham/Getty Images

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images

Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR

Worth Canoy/VPS

Dirt Tracks Working Together – A Growing Trend

Dirt Tracks Working Together to Grow Attendance

October 10, 2016 by Shane Walters

Dirt Tracks Work Together to Grow Mutual Attendance

Dirt tracks working together, this is a growing trend in the world of dirt track racing. In years past, dirt tracks all across the country would purposely schedule conflicting events with neighbor tracks. Many dirt track owners have realized that putting your neighboring dirt tracks out of business does not mean a boost in attendance at your track, it actually means the opposite.

Knoxville Raceway announced in a press release that they were taking this approach with surrounding dirt tracks. Knoxville Raceway, Badlands Motor Speedway and Jackson MotorPlex are working together for 2017 season.

“In an effort to enhance and continue building sprint car racing in the region, the three tracks have agreed to not compete against each other during high profile racing events in 2017.”

-Knoxville Raceway

Two tracks are usually better than one, three is better than two. It gives drivers and fans options. They don’t want to go to the same track every week. When you have several neighboring tracks it actually helps the attendance at all three speedway’s. The attendance of your dirt track is actually fairly dependent on neighboring tracks thriving at the same time.

A single monopoly dirt track can thrive on it’s own. Putting your neighbor out of business with combatant schedules can sometimes work in your favor. But that’s only in the short game. That’s not a long game approach to growing the sport as a hole. It won’t help you set any attendance records and will eventually backfire on you fail to grow the sport by yourself.

A single track can’t go the sport by themselves. Three tracks will attract more dirt track fans to the area than just one track. Drivers probably won’t relocate to the area for just one track. But if you have 3 tracks nearby, drivers flock to the area for the options.

Fans do the same. When dirt track fans are considering an out of state move they are taking dirt tracks into consideration. We’ve all done this when looking to move out of sate. Racing is in our blood, a good dirt track is more important to us than a nice community park or a local zoo. An area with three or more dirt tracks will attract more permanent resident dirt track race fans as well as weekend travelers, than a single track.

Beyond current fans and drivers. Having three dirt tracks in the area builds a new generation of dirt track fans faster than a single track. For example, one new fan visits track A for the first time, falls in love with the sport. Now, we have a new dirt track fan who will also want to check out nearby track B and C. You have 3 tracks growing the sport in a single area, instead of just one. Each track is picking up new fans from the other two tracks and vise-versa.

The future of the sport is dependent on attracting a new, younger audience. All the time. Attracting a single new fan in your area might sell 10-30 or more seats in 5 years. That new fan brings his buddy to the track with him every few months, or even just once a year. It’s a never ending and very important cycle to grow the sport.

Dirt Tracks Work Together to Grow Mutual Attendance

“With the 2017 sprint car season scheduling underway, we are excited to be a part of putting together a schedule that helps promote our special shows at Knoxville, as well as those at Badlands Motor Speedway and Jackson Motorplex. Our three tracks working together will benefit fans and teams alike,” said Knoxville Raceway Race Director John McCoy. “I know Tod, Chuck and I share the same goal to continue to advance the popularity and growth of sprint car racing in this region by continued cooperation between the three tracks.”

“With all three tracks sitting down and working through their 2017 schedules together and honoring each tracks large events is a huge step for the Midwest and Sprint Car Racing,” said Tod Quiring of Jackson Motorplex. “This is going to give every fan and competitor the opportunity to attend all of the large events at Jackson Motorplex, Badlands Motor Speedway and Knoxville Raceway. I feel this is a great start to build on and I’m looking forward to all working together on future opportunities.”

“It has been a giant step in the right direction to have all three of our legendary dirt track facilities at the same table to discuss ways to make the 2017 race season the best possible for race teams and race fans alike,” said Badlands Motor Speedway founder Chuck Brennan. “Personally I am excited to not only visit both Jackson and Knoxville next year for their key races, but to host both Tod and John at BMS in 2017. I am a big fan and both these tracks do it up right!”

Working with your neighboring dirt track is a great thing for business. Stomping out the competition might work for car washes, bakeries and drug dealers but it no longer applies to the dirt track business model. It’s just not in your tracks best interest.

Knoxville Raceway, Badlands Motor Speedway, and Jackson Motorplex are just three, of many, dirt tracks working together across the country. Working together to grow the sport as a whole is what’s best for the sport.

Quotes:
www.knoxvilleraceway.com
www.badlandsmotorspeedway.com
www.jacksonmotorplex.com

Author/Photos: Shane Walters

Is Apple Inc buying McLaren Automotive?

Apple buying McLaren Automotive - Apple Takeover

September 26, 2016 by Shane Walters

Is Apple Buying McLaren F1 and McLaren Automotive? – Possibly

It’s a bit of a leap to go there but it’s possible that Apple is buying McLaren. I think it’s possible something big is in the works. If they are interested in a takeover, it’s likely for the McLaren Applied Technologies division of the automotive company.

Apple approached McLaren on a possible investment or purchase. That is according to The Financial Times, a reputable source.

An investment from either a marketing or technology standpoint would make sense. Especially when you have $610 billion to do a bit of marketing with. However, I tend to lean more toward a possible sponsorship of the McLaren F1 Team. Among other reasons, Apple hasn’t been known, in previous cases, to take on acquisitions.

Could that possible Apple McLaren investment be a sponsorship of the McLaren F1 Team? Or is Apple interested in investing in future technology they could bring to their iCar. Which is no joke, well the name I gave it ‘might be’. Apple has been, not so secretly, working on a tech friendly car for years now to go head-to-head with the innovators and friendly California neighbors at Telsa Motors.

Apple has been in a bit of a stall out as far as innovation goes. I fancy the lack of a headphone jack myself. But, this is the company that revolutionized the computer and soon after put the computer in our pocket. Yet, billions of dollars later they haven’t stepped too far outside of the phone and computer box.

The McLaren Applied Technologies division would come along with a bit of a headache. The McLaren Formula One team is costly, $523 million costly. That was the 2015 budget of the McLaren F1 team.

The costs add up fast, very fast. As you can see from the photo of the McLaren MP4-X concept car they push the boundaries. You have to if you want to win.

It’s a cost mostly justified by auto manufactures, with the exception of Red Bull, as they develop and test future auto technology in a highly competitive environment. The innovative technology slowly starts making it’s way into consumer cars. When you’re creating the technology in your car, it gives you an advantage against rival auto makers.

Aside from the use of new technology in their own auto line, the F1 team does have other ways of being useful. McLaren F1 brought in $120 Million from the Constructors Championship fund, paid once per year. The fund is basically a portion of revenue generated from the worldwide television broadcasts. The sport had 600 million tv viewers in 2008, 400 million in 2015.

Usually, McLaren would stand to make more money by finishing higher in the F1 standings as seasons end. However, they’ve been in a development stage with a new Honda engine. F1 is not plug and play. It’s an all out technology development war against other major automotive manufactures. Honda coming into F1, means they have to start from scratch and build their way to the top. Hence the $523 Million budget.

At the same point, McLaren recently lost it’s long time primary sponsor Vodafone, aka British Verizon. Usually, sponsorship helps justify the development costs of the worlds fastest sport. In this case, McLaren appears to be holding out, in a refusal to drop the rate card as they make their slow climb back to the podium step.

Unless… Apple is visiting McLaren F1 to display their freshly bitten Apple logo to millions of viewers, worldwide. This possible marketing partnership makes a lot of sense to me.

They are on the same page. These two tech companies do tend share the same mindset as far as modern design goes. The are certainly on the same page when it comes to marketing style, design and ever the general design of each others headquarters.

However, there’s more pieces of this jigsaw puzzle. Apple recently tripled it’s R&D budget to $10 Billion. In the same breath they laid off a large number of the staff working on the iCar. It’s fairly hard to increase your R&D budget and cut staff at the same time. So, it’s likely that staff will need to be replaced. Why the lay off to make room for the future McLaren Automotive Group employee’s turned Apple employee’s?

McLaren jumped very fast to deny all possibility of an investment. But they jumped so fast to denial that is makes me believe something big is about to happen. If it was false, they likely wouldn’t care to comment.

Here’s what McLaren had to say, “We can confirm McLaren is not in discussion with Apple in regards to any investment,” said McLaren spokesman Adam Gron. He also said, “any other discussions between the two companies would be confidential.”

So, is Apple buying McLaren Automotive? Perhaps! At the end of this, we can only speculate. If something is in the works neither company is interested in sharing it with us at this time. Time will tell, I tend to think we are weeks away from a major announcement.

The Financial Times valued McLaren at $1.3 – $1.9 billion.

Author: Shane Walters

Photos: Mclaren.com