Helton Speaks AGAIN

[kat2220]

[Helton issues sponsor warning in prerace

The sight of Nextel Cup drivers knocking Powerade bottles off their cars in victory lane is about to be a thing of the past.

NASCAR president Mike Helton warned drivers in Sunday's meeting to be respectful of every one of the sport's sponsors, even if it sells a product that competes with a driver's backer.

He said drivers who are sponsored by a product that competes with a victory lane sponsor should find another way to keep from being associated with the opposing camp.

The recent issues have mostly been with a large, blue Powerade bottle that some drivers have pushed or even knocked off their cars because of affiliations with Gatorade or with Pepsi, which owns Gatorade. Powerade is a Coca-Cola product.

"You can maneuver away from it or work around it," Helton said. "If that doesn't begin happening again, we will be forced to deal with it."]


Seems to ME that he should have addressed the crews that pull the dumb stunt in the first place, NOT the drivers and crews who hate the intrusion! AND just think what the Pepsi, Gatorade people will think about this!

 

[Bucky Badger]

Well we all know that Gordon and Johnson are the ones that started that, I agree they have no right to knock off the bottles if they are a sponsor of any kind or give money to the race.

So next year when the CC 600 comes around they can sit out and see how they like it.

 

[barelypure]

Does Jeff take any Powerade money? I was under the impression he didn't...

 

[dragonlady424]

Oh, my!!!!! I do beg to differ.
Jr. started that when he won the Pepsi 400(?)
a year or two ago. They had Pepsi cartons stacked
on the top of his car, and he quite obviously disdainfully
swept them right off. The "boys" then stacked Jr's
fav brewski on top to replace the offending Pepsi. LOL

Sooooooooooooo, friends, "Gordon and Johnson"
are merely copycating that which was done before them.
Just can't give them two boys the benefit of that
brainstorm.

 

[Bucky Badger]

Originally posted by dragonlady424@Jul 26 2004, 05:56 PM
Oh, my!!!!!  I do beg to differ.
Jr. started that when he won the Pepsi 400(?)
a year or two ago. They had Pepsi cartons stacked
on the top of his car, and he quite obviously disdainfully
swept them right off. The "boys" then stacked Jr's
fav brewski on top to replace the offending Pepsi. LOL

Sooooooooooooo, friends, "Gordon and Johnson"
are merely copycating that which was done before them.
Just can't give them two boys the benefit of that
brainstorm.           

I don't remember that, but if so it was a 1 time thing to make room for the Budweiser, the other boys are repeat offenders!

 

[Splunge]

I think it's a poor sign of sponsorship behavior to have to put YOUR product on top of the winning car. If I was sponsored by Gatoraid and there was a PowerAid bottle, I'd remove it too if was ON MY CAR.

Put it in the background, hell put a 50 foot blow-up bottle in the middle of victory lane. But leave the car alone.

I guaratee if Jeff was running the Pepsi scheme and they loaded cases of Coke on top, that the entire Pepsi Corporation would be angry. And rightfully so.

I bet we've seen the last of the PowerAid displays on the cars...

If not, it will be hilarious (and justified in my opinion) when someone sues PowerAid for "scratching" the top of their car! :lol:

 

[Gollum]

Those bottles are put on the car just as it pulls into victory lane. Why in the world dont the pit crew which is all around the car remove them before the driver gets out. That way he don't have to have the tv exposure.

 

[majestyx]

Once again, Nascar is backtracking on their instruction to the drivers.

This is an article that was printed in the July 8, 2004 Edition of Nascar Scene (bottom of page 22):
(I would post a link to the article, but it is a subscription service and it even won't let me copy the article. So I had to type it from my magazine.)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cola sponsorships create conflicts for drivers

BY JEFF OWENS
EXECUTIVE EDITOR

What is the first thing most drivers do when they climb out of their car in victory lane after winning a Nextel Cup race? They check the roof to see what sports drink is sitting there.

If it's Pepsi-sponsored Jeff Gordon and he sees a bottle of Coke-owned Powerade, he knocks it off. Ditto for drivers such as Matt Kenseth, Ryan Newman and Jimmie Johnson, who all have contracts with Gatorade, which is owned by Pepsi.

But if the winning driver is part of the Coca-Cola Racing family, they are seen grabbing bottles of Powerade and knocking over Gatorade bottles.

It happens nearly every week as drivers try to protect their soft drink and sport beverage sponsors while firing another shot in the intense marketing rivalry know as the "Cola Wars."

The conflict gets particularly sticky when Powerade is promoting their products in "Gatorade Victory Lane", the name of the winner's circle at all tracks owned by International Speedway Corp. Then again, Powerade is the "official sports drink of NASCAR," replacing Gatorade in that sponsorship deal.

There is even one in-team conflict. Bill Elliott is part of the Coca-Cola Racing family, but his Evernham Motorsports team is sponsored by Pepsi's Mountain Dew. Elliott had to drive one of his own cars when he was sponsored by Coke at Daytona.

Gordon says NASCAR is putting drivers in difficult positions with such competing deals.

"When that deal was done, when I heard about them signing that sponsorship (Powerade) deal for victory lane, I called them and said, 'Hey, that's a conflict for us, because Pepsi is our sponsor and that's not a Pepsi product,'" Gordon said. "I asked them how to handle that. And they said 'Well, we signed a contract where it has to be put on the roof of your car, every car.' And I said, 'Well, that's a problem for me.' And they waid, 'Well, I'll tell you what. When you get in there, you take the stuff off. It's our job to put it on there, it's your job to take it off.' NASCAR said that. I was told to do that. Then this past weekend I was told not to do that. So that's something that needs to be worked out."

Gordon said NASCAR officials asked him not to take Powerade bottles off his car at Infineon Raceway.

"I was asked not to and I didn't listen," Gordon said. "I took it off anyway."

Gordon said it's unfair for NASCAR to put its drivers in such compromising positions.

"To me I think it's no different than if you're with Cingular or Alltel and Nextel comes in," he said. "I think that when they sign something like that they need to be conscious of teams that have sponsor conflicts and try to carve those things out in that agreement."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now, for my 2 cents...................Nascar needs to really think about what they are doing. With the difficulty in acquiring sponsor dollars for some very high profile teams, this isn't going to help matters any. Oh, and NASCAR is reaping the benefits from BOTH!

 

[dragonlady424]

Maj, thanks for that article. Sure is raising cane
with some of our drivers, and I cannot blame the drivers
for loyalty to their sponsors.
Just like me; I'm a Pepsi freak. Don't EVEN try to shove a Coke at me.
I clean the drains with Coke. LOL

Yeh, NASCAR has another tiger by the tail!!!!!

 

[majestyx]

You're welcome dragonlady. There is also another article on the same page of Nascar Scene titled Coke, Pepsi face off in Daytona. It's also an interesting article. If I get industrious later, I might just type it in a post too.

 

[DE_Wrangler_2]

We sure can find some of the silliest things to bash NASCAR for these days.

 

[Splunge]

I surely don't find Coke forcing itself and its nasty products on Poor Little Jeff Gordon funny!

Just think of the trama it causes him...sleepless nights, flash-backs at the soda fountains of 7-11, and the all too common "is Coke alright?" comments from evil waitresses.

It is time for this tyranny to end.

Thank you.

And a special 'thanks' to my new posting sponsor:

Looks like I've been watching too much of the democratic convention on TV!

 

[kat2220]

What makes this stupid, juvinile stuff funny?

When Sterling won, did you see a case of Miller on the top of the car?

I just think these "pranks" need to STOP, and YES Gollum I agree with you!

 

[Whizzer]

NASCAR inconsistency, again.

Here we read conflicting reports on what NASCAR has told HMS drivers and the "new" policy of sweeping an opposing sponsors product off the rooftop of the winning car if not the same as the brand supported by the winner.

This complaint is justified, if coming from the sponsor.
NASCAR has charged the Winners Circle sponsor a fee to advertise the product which might clash with the winning drivers sponsor.

So here is my suggestion.
IF....... Powerade is the Winners Circle/Victory Lane sponsor, permit banners, decorations, standups, super-sized air filled balloons and simulated containers to encircle the area, but keep them OFF the winning car rooftop unless the winning driver is a representative of the sponsoring company.

IOW, should Johnson win and his sponsor is Gatorade as well as the Winners Circle sponsor, Johnson leaves the simulated product on the roof of the car. If a Powerade driver wins and the Winners Circle product is Gatorade, there can be no Gatorade product on the rooftop of the winning car.
All parties have a stake in this.
In any situation, the opposing brand to the Winners Circle sponsor would not be permitted on the roof top of the winners car, unless they are one and the same.

One additional situation needs to be addressed and in either situation, no matter the Winners Circle sponsor, the winning driver should be permitted to "drink" his sponsors product in the Winners Circle no matter who the Winners Circle sponosr might be for that event.

 

[fergy1370]

Originally posted by Gollum@Jul 26 2004, 07:23 PM
Those bottles are put on the car just as it pulls into victory lane. Why in the world dont the pit crew which is all around the car remove them before the driver gets out. That way he don't have to have the tv exposure.

Why would the pit crew even let them near the car? The people who work for Powerade, or any other sponsor that's not affiliated with the car, don't own it, why should they be around it?

 

[Eagle1]

I agree with you Whizzer.
The real problem is NASCAR's as I see it. I don't think a big blow up or sign is allowed in victory lane for Powerade because NASCAR has sold the rights to Gatorade. They circumvent that by placing the stuff on the car, which in turn conflicts with the drivers and teams. But what the heck do they care, they're getting the money not the teams. :EEEEK:

 

[indyracing]

Well the sponsers are there to get thier name out to the world of nascar, so i don't think drivers should be pushing bottles off cars or else you may not see them back next year...

 

[Splunge]

As everybody knows, in the world of media there is no such thing as 'bad coverage'.

I bet more people notice those PowerAide bottles when Jeff knocks them off his hood...he could just stand in front of them.

Plus add to that the people who will buy PowerAide simply because they hate JG! You know it happens!

Bottom line, PowerAide should probably thank JG and JJ and the like for knocking those bottles off so they can have something to make a big deal about!

I've thought more about PowerAide today than I have in the last year!

 

[Patrick9999]

IMO, there are more ways than one to have your product prominately displayed in the winners circle - without causing a conflict for the driver.

What's next, Stewart attacking Johnson with a home depot ceiling fan or Johnson displaying the Fall collection of wall sconces on the #20?

 

[racefan against nascare]

the wierd thing is that nascare doesn't own the teams and the drivers aren't their employees...what right does nascare have to guarantee powerade they would be put on top of every car?

if they were to punish someone (who is not an employee of nascare) for pushing powerade (which doesn't pay that driver) off their car (which is not owned by nascare or supported by powerade) in victory lane not on nascare property (nascare doesn't own any tracks), would that driver, team, or competing sponsor be able to take action against nascare, either in front of the fia (last i heard, nascare recognizes fia as the ultimate arbitrator in appeals) or in a court of law?

 

[gmcbreadtrk]

Originally posted by racefan against nascare@Jul 29 2004, 04:32 AM
the wierd thing is that nascare doesn't own the teams and the drivers aren't their employees...what right does nascare have to guarantee powerade they would be put on top of every car?

if they were to punish someone (who is not an employee of nascare) for pushing powerade (which doesn't pay that driver) off their car (which is not owned by nascare or supported by powerade) in victory lane not on nascare property (nascare doesn't own any tracks), would that driver, team, or competing sponsor be able to take action against nascare, either in front of the fia (last i heard, nascare recognizes fia as the ultimate arbitrator in appeals) or in a court of law?

Using that totaly foolish logic.............. NASCAR has no right to punish nor fine any team, driver for anything. Not rough driving, traction control, passing after the yellow, slapping reporters...... etc.

 

[racefan against nascare]

i disagree...nascar has the duty to enforce competition rules and protect their image...i was just wondering out loud where the line should be drawn. imo, promising placement on top of cars without consulting with teams first and without considering sponsorship conflicts is at least one step over that line.