Etchells

Naturally, I am talking about sponsors and fans. Although the relationship between the two is fairly obvious--sponsors sell products and the fans buy them--this week I will use an example specific to Etchells Racing that is developing as we speak.

Over the years, the costs of fielding a competitive team have escalated to the point where it simply is not feasible or possible to race without solid financial support. However, the days of simply displaying a company's name in exchange for their sponsorship are well behind us. In today's day and age, the racing effort must be part of a carefully crafted business plan, which maximizes every dollar invested.

Throughout the NHRA's existence, it has seen many great sponsors, and the Etchells Racing team has been fortunate to be associated with several of them. Even so, we are currently involved with a company, Bass Pro Shops, that brings a unique flavor never before seen in our sport. More importantly, however, is what I believe our sport will bring to Bass Pro Shops.

A key element of the Bass Pro Shops organization are their fourteen Outdoor World superstores located across the country. Not only is each one a one-stop source for everything and anything related to the great outdoors, but they feature a myriad of interactive in-store displays to offer their customers a unique and entertaining shopping experience. A quick look at our schedule shows that we race in ten of those market places. There are many ways that NHRA drag racing can help bring additional customers to those stores.

Mail order is also an important part of their business, and we could help there as well, through such things as coupons included as part of the driver handout cards distributed at the track or manufacturer's midway promotions.

You have to understand Bass Pro Shops' intentions. Naturally, they want to increase business, and draw new customers to their stores. However, their primary competition is not the specialty outdoor stores, but the major retail chains and such. Our goal is to convince people who shop there to go to Bass Pro Shops for all their outdoor needs.

What ties the whole package together is our fan base (Remember, I told you I would bring the two together!). Bass Pro has found that people coming to our races closely fit the demographics of their typical customer. They have also learned about the loyalty of race fans as consumers, and how they support those companies involved in racing. It is a proven commodity, and Bass Pro Shops recognizes this.

Another plus is our television package, and the audience it draws. Much like the people sitting in the stands, the ESPN viewer fits the prototypical Bass Pro customer profile. On any given weekend, the NHRA telecasts draw a 1.0 to 2.0 rating, which is a huge audience. As a result of our shows' performances, over the course of the season ESPN has doubled the number of broadcast hours allotted to NHRA races.

Obviously, having so many good things going on makes it easier for us to bring someone like Bass Pro Shops to the party. They're a great bunch of people, but first and foremost they're smart businessmen and women. With today's economy as it is, any marketing plan must be solid to have a chance being approved.

If you lay all the facts on the table, it's easy to see that NHRA drag racing is a great buy. We see how the costs have skyrocketed in NASCAR, and many companies are second-guessing their involvement. Right now, the NHRA is a hot property, and it's only going to get hotter.