The Future of Offshore Racing!!!
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Re: The Future of Offshore Racing!!!
Originally Posted by racesdad
300 Spectators For Every Mile. If We Did That We Would Have 2250 Spectators
I assume you have never been to the Baja 1000 or anything like it or you would know the fans follow the race it is very easy to see many different parts of the race as there are short cuts to see the different stages. All I'm trying to say is look at a successful sport other than Nascar for answers because Offshore racing will NEVER be any more than a rich mans sport.
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Re: The Future of Offshore Racing!!!
Originally Posted by Shane B
Mike, I think your missing my point they have major sponsors and whens the last time you saw an offshore race on ABC,NBC,CBS or FOX?????? Were are all of the celebrity racers? Not racing now.
I assume you have never been to the Baja 1000 or anything like it or you would know the fans follow the race it is very easy to see many different parts of the race as there are short cuts to see the different stages. All I'm trying to say is look at a successful sport other than Nascar for answers because Offshore racing will NEVER be any more than a rich mans sport.
I assume you have never been to the Baja 1000 or anything like it or you would know the fans follow the race it is very easy to see many different parts of the race as there are short cuts to see the different stages. All I'm trying to say is look at a successful sport other than Nascar for answers because Offshore racing will NEVER be any more than a rich mans sport.
I used to Race Class II, 1600 so I know a little about Offroad. There are some elemets to consider. Auto Manufacturers do find value in promoting thier products through Racing Team Sponsorships (Toyota for years, Chevy, Ford, Dodge, etc). This is unlike Boat Manufacturers who seem to find little value, in Sponsoring an actual racing team, except for Fountain who still as far as I know does not actually "sponsor" any teams but rather a series or TV Show. Merc provides what amounts to a nominal contingency program over at OSS but all of those Racers pay to but the products, nothing is "sponsored" with the exception of a few privledged insider deals I have heard about. In Offroad Racing I think the interest is that they are more of a novelty item, you generally don't see that much racing except for Stadium Trucks that were actually great racing but I donlt even know if they have a series any longer. I think the draw to Baja is Man (or Woman) against the elements which sells well to Interstate Battteries and Autozone for auto Parts. The "spectator" crowd at the race sites from waht I have seen at the race sites are really lower income migrant workers in the towns where the racers pass through.
They have no gate control at all, just liek OFFshore and I don't see a regular series of events being televised.
I actually think Offshore, the way OSS is doing it, is more saleable as a product than the Baja but I agree that yuou don't see it on network Television.
Gregg Reichman
#15
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Re: The Future of Offshore Racing!!!
Kentucky Derby -- 2 passes and 3 minutes of racing yet it is a week long event covered in a big way by TV
Tour De France - Tens of thousands of spectators stand to watch them blow by ONCE then go back to party MAJOR TV
Dakaar- Run in long desert action not spectator friendly but for one blow by By BIG TIME TV
Ididerod - People come out to welcome at each stop and freeze their butts off doing it
Once again ONE TIME PASS BY THE FAN and HUGE TV
It has nothing to do with stadium racing and everything to do with TV coverage and atmosphere of the event not always the event itself
In the 80s they didn't run offshore stadium style yet they had alot of spectators and alot of TV
Kids on snow boards and BMX get more coverage
TV and Sponsors will bring fans and spectators! A festival atmosphere will give them reason to hang out for a while and spend money
The customer is the SPECTATOR AND FAN and they are watching TV and buying trinkets TV will make them interested in seeing events up close and personal and buy nick nacks to go home with
We already have great Boats out there , Great drivers and throttle men, great venues. What is missing ?? all the other components are in place it is TV COVERAGE and promotion that is missing
One weekend i watched a fishing marathon
it turned out to be a snore fest
but TV coverage worked hard at making it palatable
Not only is TV coverage needed but it has to be GOOD coverage ! Not just a feeble attempt The general TV audience has a short attention span so it needs to be done right
Lots to do and never enough money or vision unfortunately
To bad because offshore could be incredible with the right vision and money
I to think John Haggin is on to something and he is to be congratulated on his efforts but he alone will not a TV show make. He needs to be supported and helped in a big way
My .02 and it is worth .01
Tour De France - Tens of thousands of spectators stand to watch them blow by ONCE then go back to party MAJOR TV
Dakaar- Run in long desert action not spectator friendly but for one blow by By BIG TIME TV
Ididerod - People come out to welcome at each stop and freeze their butts off doing it
Once again ONE TIME PASS BY THE FAN and HUGE TV
It has nothing to do with stadium racing and everything to do with TV coverage and atmosphere of the event not always the event itself
In the 80s they didn't run offshore stadium style yet they had alot of spectators and alot of TV
Kids on snow boards and BMX get more coverage
TV and Sponsors will bring fans and spectators! A festival atmosphere will give them reason to hang out for a while and spend money
The customer is the SPECTATOR AND FAN and they are watching TV and buying trinkets TV will make them interested in seeing events up close and personal and buy nick nacks to go home with
We already have great Boats out there , Great drivers and throttle men, great venues. What is missing ?? all the other components are in place it is TV COVERAGE and promotion that is missing
One weekend i watched a fishing marathon
it turned out to be a snore fest
but TV coverage worked hard at making it palatable
Not only is TV coverage needed but it has to be GOOD coverage ! Not just a feeble attempt The general TV audience has a short attention span so it needs to be done right
Lots to do and never enough money or vision unfortunately
To bad because offshore could be incredible with the right vision and money
I to think John Haggin is on to something and he is to be congratulated on his efforts but he alone will not a TV show make. He needs to be supported and helped in a big way
My .02 and it is worth .01
#16
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Re: The Future of Offshore Racing!!!
Marketing and promotion are the keys to becoming successful, the tv is a natural process when the other two are working. When a race is announced, you cant wait til that weekend to let the town know. If you have a national sponsor, what are you doing for your sponsor?? instead of arriving thursday you need to have some people there a week in advance, to not only promote the product but the race as well. Signs, banners, contacting the local media, IE TV and Radio. If possible take some of the media out for a run, bring various media , pictures, dvd of the boat in a race , file footage, etc.
And yes this takes time and money, but in order to make money you have to spend a little money. Haggin and AMF, have established a new standard with the live footage available, while it may not have 6 million viewers, it is available to them. Those that view it live also have the chance to see footage not normally seen via the Jumbotrons. Which in the least gives the first time viewer a overall positve impression. thats what may bring them back for more!!
And yes this takes time and money, but in order to make money you have to spend a little money. Haggin and AMF, have established a new standard with the live footage available, while it may not have 6 million viewers, it is available to them. Those that view it live also have the chance to see footage not normally seen via the Jumbotrons. Which in the least gives the first time viewer a overall positve impression. thats what may bring them back for more!!
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Re: The Future of Offshore Racing!!!
Funny thing is that it's always the fans asking for unification, it's never the racers or the people that run the show.
If the racers wanted to unify the sport, they could.
If the racers wanted to unify the sport, they could.
#19
Re: The Future of Offshore Racing!!!
TV is what got me my sponsors and what's keeping them. SBI/APBA had TV last year (2005 season) and has it lined up for this year (2006 season). Not to mention, JC has BIG TV lined up for the Super Bowl race (2007 season).
Winning races with big purses is helpful, but it wouldn't sustain my team...sponsors sustain my team...my sponsors want TV.
Of course, if OPA brought their "no fees" model, OSS their "event marketing" model and SBI/APBA their "TV production model" to the same table, nothing could stop how big offshore racing could be.
Sean
Winning races with big purses is helpful, but it wouldn't sustain my team...sponsors sustain my team...my sponsors want TV.
Of course, if OPA brought their "no fees" model, OSS their "event marketing" model and SBI/APBA their "TV production model" to the same table, nothing could stop how big offshore racing could be.
Sean
Last edited by TGOR; 12-11-2006 at 09:08 PM.
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Re: The Future of Offshore Racing!!!
I used to think unification was the answer , but not anymore. Every Racer is either happy with the Org there racing with, or looking to make a move. A few joint races would go a lot further in promoting our sport. Key word is promoting. There are more people driving cars,trucks, motorcycles,bicycles, skateboards etc. then boats like ours. So sponsors/ advertisers are plentiful for them. Boats as a whole are divided even more, Sailing, Cruisers, Sailboats, Fishing boats ,so in the boating world we are a minority, so promotion is critical. It's easier to get a sponsor for a bass boat then it is for a racer. It's up to us as racers to promote and help the event planners to get the word out at every site. As I race more and more I realize the race is for the racers, the other 95% is for the fans, talking in the pits , parties ,etc. We usually spend 4 to 6 days at each race site and maybe 2 hours in the boat, if we win the love us, if we come in last they love us. I'm happy with that. WE need to self promote, and the TV and media will come to see what all the ruckus is.
Have a safe, happy, healthy and wealthy holiday season,
Louie
Have a safe, happy, healthy and wealthy holiday season,
Louie