| 43 scarabthunder |
04-17-2012 10:10 PM |
Well confirmed 100 percent this is a don jonson signature series one off few made talked to larry smith he remembers the boat and is friends with bill taylor.
Snap on notice people also didn't seem all that interested in the IHRA champion alcohol-fueled funny car or some of the world's fastest motorcycles. What they did want to see, judging by the very long lineups, was Power Boating Canada's 1989 triple-engine, 43-foot Wellcraft Scarab Don Jonson Special Edition Poker Run paceboat which also happened to be at the Snap-on Tools display. Not only was Brian genuinely amazed at the drawing power of Publisher Bill Taylor's power boat during the entire race weekend, he decided then and there to harness the marketing and promotional power of offshore boats. That was in 1993, and Snap-on Tools, a world-recognized name in quality hand and power tools, had just celebrated 75 years in business, most of which had associated the company with racing of one form or another. In fact, the Snap-on name can be seen in association with such fast and famous names as Dale Earnhardt who races on the Winston Cup circuit, Miss Budweiser on the Unlimited Hydroplane scene and Al Unser Jr.'s Penske Racing Team in Indy Car racing. After inking a deal with Bill Taylor for Snap-on to become a major corporate sponsor of Power Boating Canada Poker Runs, Brian Ross and his entourage arrived at their very first event in NASCAR style with two very prominent large support trucks, a huge tent displaying Snap-on Tools products and licenced merchandise (clothing, souvenirs, etc.), a show car replica of an award-winning late model stock car, a 20-foot-high Snap-on tool box and literally miles of Snap-on banners and pendants. As National Sales Manager for Snap-on Tools of Canada, the quiet-spoken Brian Ross was well known for his marketing expertise, and he knew from the start that poker runs and high performance offshore boats were rife with opportunity. Not only were they highly visible to the potential buying public, offshore boats were a natural magnet to Snap-on's professional automotive technician customers and their huge network of franchised dealers across the country. Brian worked in conjunction with Bill Taylor to give rides as sales incentives to the top dealers on the Scarab paceboat that entire season. When not enough of them could be accommodated at each event, arrangements were made for separate prize-winning trips on both the paceboat and the previous flagship, the 38 Scarab Miami Vice boat. The chance of winning a ride proved such an incentive that Brian realized not only the promotional opportunities of poker runs but direct, measurable sales results through dealer sales increases. In the fall and winter of 1993/1994, a business plan came together to field a poker run team that would not only support itself financially but also generate new revenue for the company. To achieve this, partners were required. First, Snap-on purchased Power Boating Canada's Miami Vice Scarab. Ed Hakonson, President of Choko Motorsports in Stouffville, ON, was already a licensed supplier of apparel and collectibles for certain Winston Cup racing teams. Choko came on board. Through Ed, Brian met Larry Fink Jr., who, at the time, was Director of Sales and Marketing, for General Motors Servic
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