Grassroots Motorsports

Register Log in to GRM
- Community

Birthdays
Recently on the Classic Motorsports forums

Subscribe get a full year for only $23.95 Sample Free Test Drive—no strings attached

Login to post Forums » Off-topic discussion » Cut the Budget - Just don't touch NASCAR!!!

March 2, 2011 6:26 p.m. aircooled SuperDork

Minnesota Dem wants NASCAR out of Defense budget

Kind of an interesting twist on the whole budget thing, but entirely expected. Everyone is all for cuts... until it hits them. (Of course this almost certainly has a partisan undertone to it, but it is still a reasonable argument).

Still, seems like a totally appropriate thing to cut, considering. BTW- it's not just NASCAR, but all motor sports sponsorships. I know is partially for recruitment, but I suspect there are more efficient ways to do that.
March 2, 2011 6:45 p.m. Javelin SuperDork

Actually, motor racing has provided the most lucrative form of recruitment in the history of the military. The number of contacts and eventual candidates we got from the sponsorships was astronomical. Pretty much went from begging for people and thinking about re-enacting the draft to waiting lists to get it.

Honestly, this is one thing I'm happy the military is blowing their money on, and that's not just as a race fan.
March 2, 2011 7:45 p.m. Will HalfDork

On the surface, it seems wasteful. But if it's an effective recruiting tool, I'm inclined to let the military spend it wherever they want.
March 2, 2011 7:48 p.m. MCarp22 HalfDork

Pentagon - We could save 3 billion by cutting this jet engine we don't want or need.

Rep. - No, that's in my district. Let's cut the NASCAR advertising fund instead.
March 3, 2011 3:08 a.m. novaderrik HalfDork

the military always seems to have a pretty strong presence in the pit areas of the teams they sponsor. kids go to an NHRA national event and get to play in a Hummer, or something like that.

the military sponsorship of motorsports and NASA are probably the only 2 things that the government isn't wasting money on..
March 3, 2011 5:35 a.m. ddavidv SuperDork

Javelin wrote:

Actually, motor racing has provided the most lucrative form of recruitment in the history of the military. The number of contacts and eventual candidates we got from the sponsorships was astronomical. Pretty much went from begging for people and thinking about re-enacting the draft to waiting lists to get it.

Honestly, this is one thing I'm happy the military is blowing their money on, and that's not just as a race fan.

I'd love an explanation as to how a giant sticker on the hood of a car gets someone to join the military.
March 3, 2011 5:46 a.m. Ignorant SuperDork

While silly, the racing sponsorships are a very small drop in a very big bucket.
March 3, 2011 5:58 a.m. JoeyM SuperDork

ddavidv wrote:

Javelin wrote:

Actually, motor racing has provided the most lucrative form of recruitment in the history of the military. The number of contacts and eventual candidates we got from the sponsorships was astronomical.

I'd love an explanation as to how a giant sticker on the hood of a car gets someone to join the military.

I'd love an explanation as to how sponsorship on a car affects the average person's purchases. It makes very little sense to me.

Decisions should be based on cost and value....not what sports celebrity happens to be paid to use a product. The only possible exception to this I can see is if the sponsor's money is going to someone you know personally, like say, a member of your car club
March 3, 2011 6:01 a.m. szeis4cookie New Reader

If nothing else, think of it this way. The military spends on those recruiting commercials anyways, right? How much would the Department of Defense have to spend on national ad buys for one 30-second ad during each televised NASCAR race of the season? If that's more than the sponsorship budget, then there you go. The car logo also can't be TIVOed past, like the equivalent recruitment commercial can.

For marketing dollars that the military would spend anyways - I think it's money well spent.
March 3, 2011 6:40 a.m. Maroon92 SuperDork

joeym said:
I'd love an explanation as to how sponsorship on a car affects the average person's purchases. It makes very little sense to me.

The change is mostly subconscious. It promotes brand recognition which is the most important thing. If you are at the grocery store trying to decide laundry detergents, if you have recently seen a billboard for TIDE outside of the wallymart, you are more likely to pick that one.

The same is true with commercials, advertising, and sponsorship.
March 3, 2011 7:53 a.m. 16vCorey SuperDork

MCarp22 wrote:

Pentagon - We could save 3 billion by switching to Geico.

Problem solved.
March 3, 2011 8:13 a.m. racerdave600 HalfDork

I think they also set up recruiting stations at events as well. Most of the time, you get a lot more from sponsoring a car than just signage. You also get a lot of access to events and other direct marking possibilities than you may not have had before. Also, racing is much cheaper than traditional advertising methods for the same audience reach. Just like anything, it has good points and bad, it all depends on how the sponsoring party uses it.
March 3, 2011 8:41 a.m. Javelin SuperDork

ddavidv wrote:

Javelin wrote:

Actually, motor racing has provided the most lucrative form of recruitment in the history of the military. The number of contacts and eventual candidates we got from the sponsorships was astronomical. Pretty much went from begging for people and thinking about re-enacting the draft to waiting lists to get it.

Honestly, this is one thing I'm happy the military is blowing their money on, and that's not just as a race fan.

I'd love an explanation as to how a giant sticker on the hood of a car gets someone to join the military.

It's not just a "sticker on the hood". Go to a race where they have sponsorship, like the NHRA Top Fuel car. There's tanks and Hummers everywhere, soldiers talking to the fans and giving tours, a rock climbing wall, and recruiters explaining the benefits of signing up. It's direct marketing. Kid sees the Army car, it kicks butt, they see all the "cool" Army equipment, talk to a recruiter, and whammo, they're signed up for a 4-year tour. It's extremely effective.
March 3, 2011 10:49 a.m. pilotbraden HalfDork

I have always thought do we really want someone in the military that signed up due to a TV advertisement? That is not the person I want in my foxhole.
March 3, 2011 10:59 a.m. Appleseed SuperDork

Without Army money, Don Prudhomme wouldn't have gotten to drive this:
March 3, 2011 11:20 a.m. aircooled SuperDork

Javelin wrote:

It's not just a "sticker on the hood". Go to a race where they have sponsorship, like the NHRA Top Fuel car. There's tanks and Hummers everywhere....

I am pretty sure they don't need to be sponsoring a car to bring those things to a race.

Also the article talks about giving tax breaks to tracks, which has pretty much nothing to do with recruiting.

It is piddly stuff, but that seems to be what they are dealing with in the budget, rather then looking at the behemoths in the room...
March 3, 2011 11:30 a.m. JoeyM SuperDork

Maroon92 wrote:

joeym said:
I'd love an explanation as to how sponsorship on a car affects the average person's purchases. It makes very little sense to me.

If you are at the grocery store trying to decide laundry detergents, if you have recently seen a billboard for TIDE outside of the wallymart, you are more likely to pick that one.

I guess I'm cheaper than the average person. I'll buy generic laundry detergent every time....
March 3, 2011 12:01 p.m. aircooled SuperDork

It's true, I was walking down the street the other day thinking about my career when I saw an Army recruiting station and really wanted to walk in... I must have been watching NASCAR earlier that day...
March 3, 2011 12:07 p.m. z31maniac SuperDork

pilotbraden wrote:

I have always thought do we really want someone in the military that signed up due to a TV advertisement? That is not the person I want in my foxhole.

I'll take anyone who will sign up to protect my freedoms, since my chicken E36 M3 self isn't going to do it.

What does it matter what the motivation is?
March 3, 2011 12:54 p.m. aircooled SuperDork

From what I have heard, a LOT of our military is now being outsourced to contractors, who make a lot more money then our soldiers... sad.
March 3, 2011 1:12 p.m. pilotbraden HalfDork

aircooled wrote:

From what I have heard, a LOT of our military is now being outsourced to contractors, who make a lot more money then our soldiers... sad.

I have a good friend in the 82nd Airborne. He joined 6 years ago at age 34. He is up for reenlistment or getting out. If he stays he will stick with it until retirement. If he gets out he is considering a contract job that will pay very well. He likes the life, but the money ain't great.
March 3, 2011 1:23 p.m. 914Driver SuperDork

That's pretty much like New York State trying to pinch you for $25 to register a bicycle! Sure ya need the money, but why can't you just cut back on spending like every other houshold-business-check book balancer?

Dan
March 3, 2011 1:25 p.m. poopshovel SuperDork

Kind of an interesting twist on the whole budget thing, but entirely expected. Everyone is all for cuts... until it hits them. (Of course this almost certainly has a partisan undertone to it, but it is still a reasonable argument).

I would argue that every politician is for cuts, until it involves their state/district.

I am all for spending cuts that would affect me, especially when it comes to SS/Medicare. I would gladly promise to take care of my damned self at retirement (assuming I ever retire,) and keep a larger portion of that money that normally goes to SS, still contributing a tiny fraction of that extisting amount for those who are TRULY destitute, starving, and unable to work.

Hell, I'd even give up my portion and continue to pay the current rates until all the current recipients die, for posterity's sake. For real.
March 3, 2011 1:36 p.m. triumph5 Dork

Almost all food services, logistics, and most ambassador protection is out-sourced.

RE: Don's funny car: your money funded it.

The return on investment for advertising dollars spent in motorsports in envied by many, many private sector companies. If you were to add up the time an army-sponsored car appears on TV, then buy air time to replace it, the increase in funding would be HUGE.

Don't forget, the armed forces do screen where to best put someone--and yes, it's not a perfect system, but it's not "here's a body, give'em a rifle." And Navy screening is simply incredible, FBI background checks BEFORE basic training. Ask my nephew about that one.

You'll need to log in to post.