Is ROMCO an entry level class?

[racerjim2]

What is the feeder series for ROMCO?What series does ROMCO drivers move up to?

[supertx]

You will never seperate or even get close to seperating the people that have money and the ones that don;t.Thats just the nature of the beast.When you run super late models the first thing you know when you buy a car that's it's going to be expenseve if you fool yourself that is not, your only fooling yourself. The only way that a average racer can run this series is to have sponsors, until romco gives sponsors something for a return on there dollar this is a dieing series. the last romco race that i was at the car count was way down that's not because these drivers are not good enough it's because they can't find sponsors.What sponoser would give a guy $ 50,000 to race in front of 200 to 1500 people a race, they can spend have that much and put a bill board up thats going to be in front of more people in one day then the entire season in romco.Yes there needs to be better purses but the tracks can not afford them one reason the track promoters in south texas do not promote but you can't just blame them, the series has got to promote there series also, example the world of outlaws a track promotes there coming, but the world of outlaws have done a great job of promoteing there selfs everyone knows who they are even the part time race fan. So it boils down to this if you got money and want to start in romco more power to you, if your a racer and want to run romco forget it ,it's a waste of money until you can get the sponsorship thats needed

[gasman]

Supertx,

For your information, the ROMCO series car count has been great. This series is no different than any others. Sponsors are not calling teams to put money in racing. The money is out there so you can sit back talk about the series, tracks, drivers and everyone else for not promoting something or you can get off your lazy butt, go get sponsors and have a great time racing on the weekends. There are guys with very low budgets running up front, and there are guys with deep pockets running in the back. So money isnt everything, a little hard work goes a long way.

[fishracer]

I think supertx is right, what are sponsors going to get for their investment? Most of the tracks/sanctioning bodies in Texas are the best kept secrets there is. Sometimes they need to toot their horns. The problem in most cases is that they are all sidelines to what the owners of the tracks or sanctioning bodies do everyday or they have people who are running the facilities who are not business people, just somenone who works for someone else during the day. It is not that persons fault, they just don't know why or what they are supposed to do. So in response they do the monkey see monkey do, both when they right the rules or run the facility/sanction, again its not their fault, they just don't know. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THE BOTTOM LINE for both the racers and the tracks/sanctions. RUN THEM LIKE A BUSINESS AND BOTH WILL PROSPER. Not to knock those who have tried but, just like a business you have to market and when you market you have to be consistent week in and week out, not just try it for a while and look for instant results. The problem with ROMCO as far as sponsorship is their are no full time employees, same goes for some of the tracks , it takes time to track down sponsors and work on them, not just when somenone has vacation or in the evenings. Do you think ASA, Hooters,Nascar, Woo, IMCA or any of the other sanctions just open up on weekends after their employees get off work. Hell look at Irwindale Speedway in California, every saturday night they have over 5000 people in the stands, how do people know about their great show? So basically everyone needs to just cool their jets until someone runs these venues like a business, this is the best we are all going to get. P.S. Drivers when you have a bad taste in your mouth from a track/sanction don't spread it around your just hurting yourself long term.

[tqj3]

For what it's worth, Bubba Naumann finished fourth in Pensacola Friday night, with Keith Thorpe taking the win. Naumann had been sixth in his heat race and now leads the series at Five Flags by 72 points.

In Mobile on Saturday night, Naumann finished fourth in the Cottman Transmissions 150 lapper behind Scott Carlson, Ronnie Sanders and Dave Mader III. Naumann has missed a couple of races, but he's now ninth in points in the Cottman series.

Greg Davidson took 11th, Mark Chrudimsky was 13th and Michael Crofford was 15th. Austinite Eric Wallace, now racing out of Georgia, was 17th.

[Bandit]

TQ, I have known you a long time, but what is your point? Bubba and Casey are both good friends and great drivers, but if they stopped paying you, you would not be goining on and on about them. Tavo (CT) Hellmund is abetter driver than Bubba, Casey, and me all put together. He is the best driver in Winston West but he can not get a Busch or truck ride because he can not bring enough money to the table, not because of a lack of offers. If you think a driver can move up these days based strictly on abilityand promotion, you are sadelly mistaken.

[HoosierDaddy]

Well said Bandit.

[tqj3]

Bandit-

I'm not working for Casey this year, though I am helping H. E., Heath and Bubba. Heath is sidelined right now. You're right, Hellmund is the best around here. I've never said you could get there on talent and promotion, just that you can't get there without both.

My point about ROMCO is that it is a series anyone can enter, the car-engine combination can't be run anywhere else, it gets no promotion or publicity, and it's dependent on the back gate (car count) to make money, not on spectator count. That pretty much sounds like your average entry level class.

You are the poster boy for working your tail off and having a lot of talent, and though you've got to make more noise to attract sponsorship, you also have to have something to sell besides putting someone's name on the side of a car that won't be seen by more than 20,000 people.

And that part, making the crowds larger and the series important, isn't your job, it's the series promoter's job. Otherwise, it's just a place to race faster cars on a few different tracks until you go broke. Late model drivers in general don't get the big "rides" anyway; for the fast guys, late models are a one- or two-year stepping stone on the way to something that does get you noticed.

We're on the bottom looking up. The guys who make the important calls on hiring drivers aren't looking below ARCA, ASA and the West and Northwest tours. (Some top GM people have told me they don't look at anything below Craftsman trucks, though I think they're paying more attention to ASA these days, and certainly to ARCA.)

I want to see you and some of the other guys make it, if for no other reason than to raise the profile of Texas racing. But to do that, we need to bombard the local media.

That means EVERY driver, EVERY team, EVERY sponsor, EVERY series and EVERY track should be sending well-written press information to the media EVERY week.

Because, as I've said before, that's what all the BIG sports do. Or do we want to continue to be considered a little sport?

[zoom]

tqj3,

Gee, I guess us drivers and car owners aren't doing it right. Hey, I got an idea, do you think that you could give us all a hand? How about holding a seminar for us and teach us all how to promote ourselves, write these world class press releases, maybe a sponsor package and proposal and how about how to write a contract for the sponsors we are sure to land. I am sure that one or more of the readers of this board is a business owner that will donate the use of a place to hold the seminar, maybe we could all chip in a ream of paper so you could print off handouts so we have something to take home and study as we all muddle our way through this high class marketing and promoting business. Course, since none of us have any money, do you think you could donate your time for this seminar? Maybe you could use it as a tax write off?

Whatcha say? Can you do it?

[ups88john]

again another challange for tq, he didnt take mine, good luck mark!

 

big john

[tqj3]

What challenge was that, big john?

I've said I'm willing to answer questions and even put on a seminar. But I can't teach some things. Some of the drivers have the ability to do a lot themselves, but others don't.

Still, none of this is rocket science. The problem was stated in an Ernie Saxton article someone posted on this board recently: racers will spend no money on anything except the race car. How do you think NASCAR got where it is? Did they start at the top, with all the money they have now? Was it the R. J. Reynolds money, which didn't come along until NASCAR was over 20 years old? Or did they work their tails off to get a really uncaring bunch of sports writers and editors to pay attention to the sport?

We have the opportunity to take advantage of all of their work by copying what they did in promoting themselves and the sport, and all we can do is complain.

Repeat, we don't have to reinvent the wheel. We don't have to start at the level NASCAR is now, we start by doing what they did before they got rich and famous.

All we have to do is what every other successful sport does: promote our sport and ourselves. All successful sports use press releases, media guides, appearances at special events (even events someone else organizes), and so on. They don't expect "someone else" to do it for them, they do it themselves because they know the media is not going to come out looking for them. What part of this is hard to understand? What is it that is stopping you? To paraphrase Ernie Saxton, if you want me to work for nothing, start by getting your car builder to build you a free car to get you started, and your engine builder to build you a free engine, or maybe just one you don't have to pay for until you sign that big Nextel Cup contract.

[supertx]

gasman

 

you think the car car count is great in romco? twenty something cars give me a break.There should be a min. twice that many.I personelly know of 5 cars that are parked or sold because they can'nt get sponosors and several of these people are very good bussiness people that have the money to run these cars if they want.Why through money down the whole, they race for the challenge not to move up, the chances of moving to the big leagues from here is like hitting the lottery. Hell know body knows who romco or the drivers of this series is except for the few that travel out of state. The car count might be fair but every race you go to just watch at how many cars are not there and thats not good for any of us. And for getting of my lazy butt and get a sponsor i have made my living for over 25 years in motorsports and 99% of that time has been in circle track racing, if only all the other racers out there could be as lucky as i have been. Im not trying to run down any type of racing but if you go to several parts of this country as in indy[ sprint cars midgets] north east[d.i.r.t. and asphalt mods.]and the east coast[late models] there are a lot of people making there living in short track racing, If you go back and look at racing in texas 20 yrs ago there were plenty of people that made there living here in this state [WHAT HAPPENED] THE LIKE OF PROMOTION AND BAD PROMOTORS.It takes sponosors to race on a higher level of racing and without something to give them a return on there dollar, racing will to continue to decline in this area

[gasman]

ROMCO is the top series around, their car count is just fine. So why cry piss and moan about not having a series to compete with ASA or whoever. If you dont like it, start your own series and get a good taste of running a series. Their is you challenge TQ and supertx. You can call it the

"SUPERTQ series". Good luck.

[fishracer]

Hey gasman I think you need to give TQ and SuperTx a break, we know you are relatively new to the sport and have lots of enthusiasm (Which I don't want you to lose) But give the guys with experience respect for working hard with little capital and staying with it this long. They are trying to give their experience to those who might listen and benefit, they sound like they are just exasperated at the state of racing in Texas because they have given their lives to it, and to have someone new telling them to quit moaning is a slap in the face. Lets all help to make it better. Like I said before if someone has a bad taste in their mouth and spreads it around all it does is hurt everyone long term. Also as one other said their are good business people out their with money to spend on racing but when it becomes apparent that the money spent goes no where and the enthusiam is taken out of it, why try. What a loss.

[Guest Justaracefan]

I don't know if you would classify ROMCO as an entry level class but I certainly would not label it a professional racing series.

 

The 2003 ROMCO points speak for the level of competition - The top four in the points have made every race. The 5th place contender missed 1 race and only received 3 points at 1 race. Then the 6th place driver has made ever race. Go to a professional series (ASA or ARCA, NASCAR) and look at their top-ten driver point standings, no driver stands in the top-ten that has missed a race that's for sure.

 

To finish in the top-10 of the Romco Series is kinda like When you are king of the mountain but you are the only one on that mountain what have you really got?

 

TQ mentions ASA and ARCA - I have clipped a article that was posted on the ASA website a couple of days ago.

"Grassroots Media Coverage Crucial"

 

“Mike Side" W/Miller — Grassroots Media Coverage Crucial

 

The sport of stock car racing shares many of the same challenges that any sports entertainment property does in that it constantly looks for ways to gain attention in the mass media. At ASA’s level print coverage is usually provided in the respective markets that the series competes in. For example the recent event in Madison, Wis., was afforded wall-to-wall reporting from the nearby Janesville Gazette, Capital Times, Wisconsin State Journal and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. It was a textbook successful effort that may largely have been due to the prior relationships ASA has developed with the respective entities.

 

Attempts at gaining consistent season-long coverage in the various markets have been less successful. On occasion a full-time competitor in a specific market will draw some regular coverage, especially if that individual has had some on-track success of significance. Otherwise it may be a case of having a strong public relations person with some writing ability to assist the local print media in convincing them to provide attention.

 

Racing radio shows are somewhat prevalent in a number of the cities that ASA competes in. The programs range in variety of production quality, as some are quite good while others haven’t yet grasped a sense of timing or flow to the broadcast. The programs that aren’t done in a strong professional manner still serve to provide some locally specific racing information in the face of the otherwise onslaught of NASCAR coverage that is available.

 

Remember also that many of these racing radio programs can be accessed on the internet, either through a site specific to that show or with the listen live software of a specific radio station. Using the search engines will get you quickly to where you’re interested in going.

[HoosierDaddy]

Is this all we can do is criticise the racing we DO have in texas? No wander racing is where its at right now, everyone criticises it. We should be trying to get the word out ourselves and get more people in the stands. Yeah the local tracks and touring series need to be promoting, but if they dont do it we should try and help them out just by word of mouth.

 

and by the way, has anyone ever watched an ARCA race?? Thats about the most un-competitive racing I've ever seen. Frank Kimmel starts on the front row at about every race, and theres only about ten cars that can halfway keep up with each other. Its usually not even nine or ten laps into the race and there already lapping cars, and thats on a 2.5 mile track like Pocono.

[Bandit]

Dito, HoosierDaddy.

[Jason]

You can define an entry level class as whatever you want but the way I see it ROMCO is not an entry level class. Nationally ROMCO is not a premier series but in Texas it is the premier series. I think if ROMCO and other series and tracks can get the word out about themselves and get people to bring friends and relatives who have never been to a race to come with them racing will grow.

[tqj3]

That's part of my argument, guys. The racing in ARCA is pretty boring, and so is the racing in NASCAR, with the exception of the Craftsman Truck series (and old "B. Gone" seems to be trying make that boring, too).

But people still watch NASCAR. Why? Because they know the drivers, and care about them. The drivers have been promoted, made into household names.

People who don't know anything about racing are aware of Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Little E, and so on. Fans are avid about them. They're not watching cars go around, they're watching to see how their favorites (and unfavorites) are going to do this week.

If you'll think about it a minute, you don't pay much attention to races unless you know at least some of the people on the track.

That's why we have to make noise. Some of the best racing of the last couple of years has happened at Thunder Hill in the last three weeks, from the late models to the trucks, but how many people know about it?

Word of mouth can help, but it sure takes a long time. We have to make the fans know about, and care about, the drivers.

What's the problem with CART and the IRL? Only one identifiable driver. That ain't good, and it won't make the sport work.

Mike Miller's piece at asaracing.com is pretty strong, talking specifically about who and how they got publicity. Take a look at it.

[meredith race engines]

supertq now thats funny

[racerjim2]

ROMCO has it pro's and con's. The traveling around the state provides a larger market for the driver to be able to sell sponsorship.South texas or regional company would be a good canadate. The total dollar outlay is probaly detramental.for a sponsor to get their $$$$ out of a sponsor they would have to hire a publisist build a show car and buy banners or signs at the sreies tracks. Doing all this would take a full time racing person to accomplish.Is there any team with the $$$$$ HORSEPOWER to get this done?

[ROMRD]

I would like to make some comments about the ROMCO series. As someone who has worked for the series from the begining, I feel I might know what I am talking about. This series was formed after the demise of T I D A by a man that didn't want to see this type of racing go away in Texas. I can assure if he did not step up to theplate, this is exactly what would have happened. We at ROMCO have worked very hard to make it possible for racing fans to have a quality show anytime we are at the track.

As far as people say the series needs a major sponser, I can tell you that we have and will continue to search for that one group in this city or in the state that is willing to give the money up. I cn't begin to tell you how hard it is to find someone in this town who is willing to spend the money to help sponsor a racecar let alone a race series.

As for Romco being an entry level type of racing series, I would say entry into what? ASA, Craftman trucks, etc.. Then I would say Yes it is. That is what were we hope some of our drivers end up. This type of racing is very expensive, but I don't think it cost any more to run this series than it does for a racer to run evey Sat. nite at their local tracks if they were running in the tracks premier class. It doesn't matter what class a person startsout in, they are all expensive to race if you are going to race.

I think we have some of the best drivers in the country in this series, but as as the word gettig out about them, a lot of the blame should lie with the media. I don't what it will take to get the point across to the newspappers,not only in San Antonio, but all over Texas to help cover the local tracks with more than just the results from saturday nite on Monday. If any ony has the answers to these problems, please let all of us know.

 

 

Terry Barden

Romco

[tqj3]

Geez, Terry. Haven't you been paying attention?

[supertx]

ROMRD I read what you had to say now I am willing to help you out tell me what romco has to sell to a sponsor is it large crowds? is it large car counts?who are the drivers anybody famous? Now one other Question how can the sponsor get a return on his dollar if he gives you 25000 can you give him 75000 back in revenue? Thats what all the big marketing firms say that to get a sponsor this is what you got to do. they are there to sell beer or colas or what ever, they could care less about having there name on a series that will not give them a return, it's about bottom line Terry. I have watched your series since you started it and you have done a good job.But it going the way of TIDA it is getting smaller instead of growing, you are losing quality cars,racers, mechinacs and SPONSORS to other series, because they get noticed, and they have something to sell .To gasman and anybody else that i offened im not trying to hurt or destroy any racing in Texas im trying to put out a little something for you to think about.Not that along ago Texas was one of the places to come to to race.look at all the big names that have come out of texas, now in the last 10 years who has come from here David Star maybe a few others but we are not taken seriouserly by the rest of the racin community because we are way behind in the marketing of the racers in the great state

[gasman]

supertx,

Why dont you choose another career if racing is so bad. There you go again blaming someone else because you are not happy. This is america, you are free to do what you want. Have some fun, life is great, let go tear up some toys.