ESPN2 and RallyCross: What Really...

[spalind]

happened...

spoke to a contact at ESPN today and ended up with this article:

http://nismostuff.blogspot.com/2010/...ever-made.html

[SPONSOR]

Membership in the largest desert racing community has its advantages - Participate in Forum Discussions - Send and Receive Private Messages - Maintain Public Photo Albums - Access to Groups - User Profile in our Social Network - Increased Access to more Sub Forums - Reduced Online Advertisements Join our community today

[D4D]

Watch the videos on line, this would make horrible TV. Not rallycorss, rallycross could be huge in the States but what has been put together so far SUCKS! I love rally and want it to work in the States but Rally America/Rallycar is in way over their head!

[dirtyimpreza]

A lot of smack talking in that post, but here's the real deal. The future broadcast dates on NBC's World of Adventure Sports:

November 14th, 2010, 3:00pm - 4:00pm ET Round 1 Rallycross Championship
January 16th, 2011, 3:00pm - 4:00pm ET Round 2 Rallycross Championship

http://www.dirtyimpreza.com/index.ph...ycross_on_nbc/

[spalind]

A lot of smack talking in that post, but here's the real deal. The future broadcast dates on NBC's World of Adventure Sports:

November 14th, 2010, 3:00pm - 4:00pm ET Round 1 Rallycross Championship
January 16th, 2011, 3:00pm - 4:00pm ET Round 2 Rallycross Championship

http://www.dirtyimpreza.com/index.ph...ycross_on_nbc/

yes, three months later well after they announce the ESPN deal and less than 24 hours after I post that criticism of them, they finally get around to announcing their NBC deal...

The amount of cranius rectus displayed by RallyCar distinctly reminds me of another, now defunct motorsports series that took its fans, racers and potential sponsors for granted...

[D4D]

Funny you bring that up. Back in 2008 they tried to work together to run a rallycross at Chula Vista.

The NBC coverage is nothing special, it's not like RallyCar has cash as CORR, Lucas, WSORR and TORQ have all have/had yet their network shows have never been great and are simply treated as a revenue source by the TV channels who do not care how well they are promoted or edited. And that show on NBC is a hodge podge of junk.

[rallyorg]

Well when I look at some of the other broadcasts as well of other racing associations with the exception of NASCAR, Open Wheel, etc. ....sometimes they are not that great... do you know how much it cost to broadcast shows? Lets just say it is a house mortgage of two homes worth back in 2007 when home mortgages and values were through the roof...that is how much give or take a few.

Unless you have worked for a sanction body and see the expenses that needs to be paid...don't be so critical. You have to understand there are contracts to be signed and/or negotiated by the sanction body and broadcast company.


Denise McMahon
Organizer- Desert Storm Rally
Series Director - Bilstein SWRC Series

[D4D]

I have owned and ran a pro race sanctioning body and sponsored many others over the last 17 years so I DO know what I am talking about.

[rallyorg]

I have owned and ran a pro race sanctioning body and sponsored many others over the last 17 years so I DO know what I am talking about.

Great that you have been a owner and sponsored many others as you stated but RallyCar dba Rally America (which alot of businesses have merged with other organizations)which the series is called Rally America is a business and owned by ralliest and the owner of that company has been a rally competitor. I have been a steward for the sanction body national and regional and know the people very well. I have been a organizer for over countless years and a series director for over 6 years and my husband has competed in this sport since 1980;s and then gave back to this sport as a volunteer and then as a organizer and trying to get the rally car done to get back into the fun part again. The staff of RallyCar work hard at what they do and they watch our backs as being a organizer to protect us. So when someone is being so critical..we do take offense. Sure everyone can have their opinion and you know as well as anyone how hard it is to put on series or a particular event and we are not promoters because we do not make a profit or what little profit we make goes right back into what we have paid out of our pockets and our commitee pockets. RallyCar has been very helpful in keeping our event insurance down in premiums over the years and if any problems arise they have taken care of any situations. I sometimes do not agree with certain things with the sanction body but for the most part...they have been there for the organizers and to make sure we can still make events happen across this country.

Sure the marketing portion needs a bit more tweek to it and I do not deny that, but I do know the cost behind getting that done as you well know can be a big factor in your expenses. The more sponsors they get the more they can do...just like any series or motorsport associations. I have seen upswings and downswings in this motorsport discipline. Sometimes a broadcast company can dictate when you do a press release and when/where and what you can you do. It would be nice that a BIG sponsor comes on board and let the ralliest do the show because they know what works and what does not...

But thank you for your passion to see it be done better...just realize it sometimes is dictated by someone else on what you can do if they are spending the bucks to get your sport out there to be seen.

Send me a PM if you like to discuss it further...

Here is the press release from RallyCar - http://rally-america.com/news/798/

Denise McMahon
Chairperson - Desert Storm Rally
Series Director - Bilstein USA Southwest RallyCup Series

[D4D]

I think there is a feeling that Spalind and myself are anti-rally by what we have said here, the opposite is true. both he and I rally, I have supported various rally groups and drivers going back to the heyday of SCCA rally in the late 90s- early 2000s.

What I have issue with is the BS that is happening in the US (not just Rally America) at the current time. It is a power struggle where there are a few groups all fighting for the top spot when really the market is barely big enough for one group. In their fighting they tout these huge, grand things that for the most part never come to be and when they do they are marginal compared to what was presented. Am I bitter? Yes I am. I have a number of friends that had deals put together based on what Rally America put out there. These guys had big sponsorship for the rallycross series and with what has happened (not just the lack luster TV but the event orginization, PR, marketing and so on) these guys have all lost their funding after they have bought cars and all that. Yes I am one of those sponsors that had large 2011 plans built around a high profile driver running in the rallycross series next year, with what has gone down he lost his ride from an OE manufacture and has killed the whole thing.

How hard would it have been for Rally America to send out a notice saying that the TV deal fell apart and they were working on something else? That never happened and that is what turned a lot of people and sponsors off, it appeared to be a bunch of BS. While Spalind posted this these things have been talked about and killed for the past few weeks behind closed doors, Spalind just made it public. If you are going to be a pro racing sanctioning body you have to act like one!