Forum: Oklahomatidbits.com General Forum (go)
Moderators:  /  David Smith Jr

In the '70s, racers in the upper echelons of competition would get 'appearance money' just to show up. Of course the car they were known to drive would be there too.

I was told by a former crew member of Jim Harkness's team that Lanny would pay (Harkness/Praither/$250 to show up at Lawton when the NCRA came to town. These guys would come from Hutch just to race in Ok. I'm sure that many other drivers got a deal too if it suited the powers that be. I really believe that back then promoters were turning a healthy profit when the supers came to town. You wanted the best to perform in front of your own people. Probably like that today.

Gardner, Jones and the others who normally run USAC could have been paid just to show up and give credibility to the wingless series as sort of a traveling "Chili Bowl" package for the summer. Agressive, embellished marketing may have been seen as the antidote for a wingless series that comes through on a Wednesday. This can be a tough sell in these times.

I'm not saying that it's right to tell 'little white lies', but if it helps make this deal a success and ensure that it can get bigger next year, I'm okay with it. I've seen 'racers' do worse. Not all of course, but you'd be surprised at the famous ones who'd cheat their own grandmother.

I'm betting the Tel-Star car is every bit as potent as the normally driven USAC car, and the driver is the celeb. Throw in Kahne and Stewarts names, you up the female population at the event, which can't be all bad.

And I envy you like H#*L for having this while I'm stuck down here.

I agree with you Brain. It is all marketing. If you can get that fan that does not know much about sprint car racing much less non-wing cars to show up b/c the know who Kahne and Stewart is then the ad did its job.

But it could bit you in the butt also. You get someone to show up out there expecting to see Kahne's or Stewart's car and it is a no show they might get really pissed and you loose a potential fan and potential money. It is a high risk high reward chance.

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands 
in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he 
stands at times of challenge and controversy." 
Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Erich Petersen