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  • Finley Factor: Media Week Thoughts

    Finley Factor: Media Week Thoughts

    Instead of focusing on one big story, today I’m going to tackle five of the bigger stories coming out of last week’s media conferences and interviews.

    Tony Stewart criticizes Brian France for not being around often

    On SirusXM Speedway last week, Tony Stewart commented that Brian France is never around and that he wants to see him be more active. Tony is right on the ball with these comments. The Frances, both Bill and Bill Jr., were very common around the garage area. Brian wouldn’t be caught dead near it. It kind of reminds me of what happened at Dale Earnhardt Incorporated in its last few years of existence, when Teresa Earnhardt wasn’t around and team performance dropped off greatly. With everything Brian France has done in the last 12 years, probably more than his father did in his 30 years in ownership, it’s strange not to see him around. I was at Richmond in the fall of last year and it seemed crazy to me that France was nowhere to be seen for the start of the second season of what will ultimately be his legacy (The 16 driver Chase format). When introducing such wild changes to a sport or team, you need to be there and show your employees or players that you care. If you don’t, why should they?

    Denny Hamlin’s Knee Still Not Healed

    After tearing his ACL playing basketball last season, Hamlin told USA Today that he still is only “about 50 percent” but that he’s fine to get back in the car. You can say a lot about Denny Hamlin, but you have to give the Virginian credit; he has shown time and time again that he doesn’t slow down when he gets injured. Just look at Martinsville in 2010, where he won with the same exact injury before getting surgery. He’ll be fine this year.

    Tommy Baldwin Racing replaces Alex Bowman, Bowman finds out on Twitter

    Where to begin with this. You just can’t do this in today’s world without it completely backfiring on you. It would have been perfectly fine had Baldwin informed Mr. Bowman a month or even a week ago that he was out of a job. It’s not perfectly fine to make a deal on your new driver on Tuesday, tell your current driver on Wednesday night everything is fine, then officially announce the change Thursday. And then, just to make things even better, Baldwin doesn’t even really apologize to Bowman in their third press release of the week. Instead, he takes a shot at the media for leaking the story out before he could inform Bowman. Mind you, Baldwin didn’t need to announce his driver change almost as soon as the news leaked; look at how long it took a couple of years ago for Carl Edwards to announce his move to JGR after it leaked out online. Plenty of people want to root for the underdog like Baldwin’s team. But a move like this could kill any good feelings race fans may have had for TBR, and it’s because of such an easy thing to prevent.

    XFINITY and Camping World Truck Series Chases

    It’s about time. It has always been strange that the XFINITY and Truck series determine their champions in a different way from the Cup Series. Hopefully, in 2017, the Homestead ban extends to the entire chase period. It’s understandable NASCAR might have been squeamish about cutting such a large portion of the schedule out from Cup Series drivers on relatively short notice.

    Caution Clock in the Truck Series

    Probably the most controversial new change announced this season is the addition of the caution clock in the Truck Series, where every 20 minutes of green flag racing a competition caution will come out. It’s certainly controversial and definitely the brainchild of Brian France.

    Why is it happening? Because it’s a test to see if this can work and bring in the fan base NASCAR has been marketing to; the young millennials. The NASCAR audience is the oldest in sports today, according to just about every study done in the past five years. NASCAR just hasn’t attracted young fans since the sport was in its late 1990s boom period, and that’s a huge problem for advertisers/sponsors craving the 18-49 demo. And it’s not for lack of trying; just look at Fox Sport’s Daytona Day commercial aired this past weekend. Not one person among the hundreds of people in that ad looked above 30.

    You can’t say “Well, it’s because all the drivers are old,” because even in the late 90s plenty were over thirty. It’s because my generation simply doesn’t have patience and wants to see everything happen right now. Look at the smartphone, for example. Within seconds, I can watch almost anything that has ever been put in front of a camera. Why should I, hypothetically speaking, sit down and watch an hour long green flag run when I can watch, say, a few episodes of Top Gear on Netflix? I’m not going to miss much and because fast cars are everywhere (Like in Top Gear), I’m not impressed with how fast these go.

    So overall, putting marketing aside, is this new rule good or is it bad? I’m going to reserve overall judgment on that one. Why? Two simple reasons –

    1. Let’s not pretend cautions are frequently called in national series races anyway. There are legitimate debris cautions, but there is also, say, the tiny piece of metal that caused the final caution of the 2015 season at Homestead. Is it really going to make a huge difference calling a caution every 20 minutes instead of calling one every 40?
    2. Truck races are only around an hour and a half long. So we’re talking maybe 1-4 time cautions as it is, which is probably the same amount of debris cautions in these races to begin with.

    This rule will have one of two results. It could be a complete failure and NASCAR does away with it by mid-season. Or it brings excitement to the sport and goes to the XFINITY and Cup Series in 2017 (albeit with a modified time). Is it fabricating excitement? Yes, it is, but that’s to be expected in today’s NASCAR.

    As I was finishing up this article, news broke that Barney Hall, the lead track announcer for the Motor Racing Network for many years, has passed away. Barney was an absolute legend and many in and around the sport grew up hearing him. He was a person I looked up to as a journalist and it will never feel right to me hearing anybody but Hall calling these races over the radio. There were more famous announcers over the years, such as Ken Squier, but there was only ever one voice of NASCAR, and that was Hall.

  • Tommy Baldwin Racing Announces Multi-Year Sponsorship with Nikko RC/Toy State

    Tommy Baldwin Racing Announces Multi-Year Sponsorship with Nikko RC/Toy State

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. (December 15, 2015) – Tommy Baldwin Racing has announced that Nikko RC/Toy State will become the majority sponsor of driver Alex Bowman and his No. 7 Chevrolet team for the 2016 season. Announced Tuesday at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, team owner Tommy Baldwin was joined on stage by Toy State President Andy Friess and driver Alex Bowman.

    NASCAR fans were first introduced to Toy State’s extensive portfolio as the No. 7 Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet featured their flagship Road Rippers® and Nikko™ brands during the 2015 season. The company boasts brands that include Hot Wheels™, WWE® and James Bond 007™ “lights & sound” and radio controlled vehicles, as well as Cat® and Cat® Preschool construction toys.

    The partnership between Nikko RC/ Toy State and Tommy Baldwin Racing will feature their brand as a primary sponsor of the No. 7 team in 13 NASCAR Sprint Cup races during the 2016 season and as an associate-level partner in 14 other races.

    “Nikko RC/Toy State’s level of commitment to our team during the 2015 season allowed us to strengthen our program. The multi-year partnership has enabled us to set realistic goals and expectations for towards our continued growth,” said team owner Tommy Baldwin.

    “2015 was a great experience for Toy State as a first-time team sponsor with Tommy Baldwin Racing,” said Andy Friess, President of Toy State. “We are thrilled to announce this multi-year sponsorship with the team. The growth potential of TBR and Toy State is limitless and we’re excited about the many business opportunities throughout NASCAR as a whole.” 

    About Tommy Baldwin Racing
    Founded in 2009, Tommy Baldwin Racing is a NASCAR organization that fields the No. 7 Chevrolet driven by Alex Bowman in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Baldwin, a native of Long Island, New York, is a Daytona 500-winning crew chief in his seventh season as a full-time Cup Series car owner.

  • The Future of NASCAR – Spotlight on Ryan Preece

    The Future of NASCAR – Spotlight on Ryan Preece

    To say that the month of June has been exceptional for Ryan Preece is an understatement.

    On June 3rd, he was named as part of the ‘Final Ten’ in the Peak Stock Car Dream Challenge. Each of these drivers will compete for the opportunity to win a development deal with Michael Waltrip Racing.

    Four days later, NASCAR released the roster for the 2013 NASCAR Next initiative.

    This program is designed to highlight the next generation of NASCAR’s rising stars. The drivers will participate in media and promotional activities throughout the coming year. Ryan was one of 13 drivers chosen and is the only representative from the Modified Division.

    “I’m looking forward to being a part of it,” he says. “As a modified driver I’m representing the entire modified tour and that’s pretty special.”

    June 13th brought more news. Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR) announced that Ryan would make his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut with them in July at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He will participate in testing with the Nationwide Series car before the race and due to a scheduling conflict, Ryan had to withdraw from the Peak Stock Car Dream Challenge. The decision was difficult but he feels he made the right choice.

    “It’s unfortunate,” he admits, “but I feel like the deal with TBR is important and I’m excited. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime. Sometimes in life you have to make decisions and go down the path you think is right.”

    To round out the weekend, Preece won back to back races Friday evening at Stafford Motor Speedway, adding his name to the record books. His first win was in the SK Modified feature event. An early spin on lap two sent him to the back of the field but he wasted little time charging to the front and captured the checkered flag.

    After a quick celebration, he jumped into his NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (NWMT) car for the TSI Harley-Davidson 125 presented by G-Oil. A flat tire sent him to the rear of the field but Ryan rallied back once again and captured his sixth career NWMT series win.

    Ryan has been racing full-time in the NWMT division since 2007. He was championship runner-up in 2009 and 2012 and is the current point leader this season. He also races full-time at Stafford Motor Speedway, Thompson International Speedway, part-time at Riverhead Raceway and participates in any other events he can fit into his schedule.

    Ryan’s recent recognition and success should come as no surprise. He lives and breathes racing.

    A native of Berlin, Conn., the 22 year old has been surrounded by the sport his entire life.

    “My mother’s father owned modifieds and my dad started out in street stock and drove pro stock for a little while,” Ryan reminisces. “Then he stepped back and got me into racing when I was about 6 or 7 years old.”

    He began competing in quarter midgets at Silver City in Meriden, Connecticut. He eventually began traveling and competing at more tracks. From there he progressed to a dirt Sprint Micro car and continued to move up as he gained experience.

    At the age of 13 Ryan had a chance meeting that would significantly impact the direction of his career.

    “There was a guy parked across from us at a race track in Pennsylvania,” Ryan explains. “He owned a modified and his name was Billy Swartz. He came over to my Dad and was joking with me and kept trying to get me to try out the modified. I was young and shy at the time but a few weeks later he convinced me to sit in the car. So I sat in it and they buckled me in and sent me out for a practice run. For my first time, I was pretty quick. That’s what started me down the path to driving modifieds.”

    The family soon made the decision to sell the Sprint Micro and buy a modified car. Ryan gives his Dad credit for encouraging him to take the time to learn before rushing to compete.

    “I think it’s a big reason that a lot of car owners trust me to race their cars,” he told me. “I don’t tear up a lot of equipment and we run really well.”

    He appreciates the continued support of his car owners and sponsors including East West Marine, Gunsmoke Stables, Flamingo Motorsports and Falmouth Ready Mix.

    “They make all of this possible,” he stated. “I wouldn’t be able to do it without them.”

    It’s difficult to pinpoint the exact qualities needed to produce a successful race car driver but if passion and dedication is any indicator, you haven’t heard the last of Ryan Preece.

    He summed it up best saying, “racing is pretty much all I do. I really have no interest in anything else. I want to win races.”

  • NASCAR Has the Most Interesting Sponsors In Sports

    NASCAR Has the Most Interesting Sponsors In Sports

    Hornaday_CMS_Benscoter
    Photo Credit: Tammyrae Benscoter

    In the sport of NASCAR, as in  many professional sports, it is certainly the sponsors that make it all possible.

    But what makes the sport of NASCAR even more interesting is the diversity and uniqueness of the sponsors that have chosen to not only support stock car racing, but to invest in it as an asset to their own market development.

    This race season as in the past, several NASCAR sponsors are focusing on fans’ health, using both race cars and trucks to market their unique products. For example, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champ Ron Hornaday has an interesting returning sponsor in Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff, a product billed as America’s original, best-selling tobacco-free smokeless snuff.

    Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff plans on advertising its wares as primary sponsor on Hornaday’s No. 9 Chevrolet race truck for at least twelve races, starting at Daytona. The sponsor will also serve as an associate sponsor for the remaining ten events in the Truck Series.

    “It’s clear that Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff is a young but growing company but I look forward to taking them to the front of the field this year, not only on the race track but in the marketplace,” driver Ron Hornaday said.

    In addition to snuff, supplement sponsors are also seemingly hot in NASCAR this year. One recent example is Nutrition53, a health supplement company coming on board to sponsor the No. 30 Toyota driven by David Stremme for Swan Racing.

    Nutrition53 is owned by Bill Romanowski, an NFL veteran, who has also joined forces with team owner Brandon Davis to take the race team to the next level and forge a unique sponsor partnership.

    “Bill Romanowski understands what it takes to win, which makes him a perfect fit at Swan Racing,” majority owner Brandon Davis said. “Bill is the only linebacker to start in five Super Bowls and he did it playing for four different teams.”

    “His leadership skills and approach to successful competition will help Swan Racing become a championship contender.”

    “I am thrilled to jump into the NASCAR world as a part owner and as a sponsor,” Romanowski said. “I’m eager to be a part of it.”

    From supplements and snuff to construction sponsors, NASCAR again seems to have it all. NASCAR veteran Dave Blaney is one driver who will benefit on the construction side, being sponsored in 2013 by new company SANY America.

    SANY America, the sixth largest industrial equipment company in the world, will serve as primary sponsor for Blaney’s #7 Chevrolet for 14 Cup events and will serve as associate partner for 22 races. The company sells cranes, concrete pump machinery, excavators and other heavy equipment.

    JJ Yeley, another NASCAR driver, will be sponsored by another equipment company, this one in the mining world. United Mining Equipment will sponsor Yeley for three races, serving as primary sponsor on the Tommy Baldwin Racing #36 Chevrolet.

    United Mining Equipment, based in Butler, PA, had their first taste of NASCAR racing at Homestead last year and decided they were hooked. They have signed on for both the Bristol and Kentucky races in 2013.

    “United Mining Equipment tested TBR and NASCAR out at Homestead-Miami Speedway last year and really liked what they saw,” Tommy Baldwin, Jr., team owner, said. “By expanding their program this year emphasizes that our program and NASCAR can work for any business category.”

    Of course, NASCAR sponsors can also be as diverse as playing safely around rail road tracks to getting lucky in lottery land.

    On the railroad safety side, CSX Transportation has announced a new partnership with Front Row Motorsports and driver David Ragan to remind fast to “Play It Safe” around rail road tracks. The company will be the primary sponsor on Ragan’s No. 34 race car throughout the 2013 season.

    “It’s important for all of us to be safe around railroad crossings and tracks,” Ragan said. “Far too many incidents occur each year simply because people don’t recognize the danger associated with taking unnecessary chances around railroads.”

    “I’m glad CSX is bringing the issue to the forefront of the NASCAR fan base and I’m honored to champion their message.”

    For some race fans, while safety is critical, they would also like to be just plain lucky. That’s why the Florida Lottery has decided on sponsoring Tommy Baldwin Racing for the three races that will take place in the Florida area.

    “We at TBR are so happy to have the Florida Lottery back for the Daytona 500, the summer Daytona race and the season finale at Homestead-Miami speedway,” Baldwin, Jr. said. “It’s a great program for us as we help spread the word about the Lottery and their program.”

    And finally, there are even sponsors who just want to be involved for the good of the order. One such sponsor ‘want to be’, PETA, is looking to get on the hood of a race car and they have a particular one in mind.

    PETA has their sights set on NASCAR’s most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who has some available space on his hood. PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has postulated that since Junior cares about four-legged critters and since he has some blank parts on his car that this could potentially be a match made in charity sponsor heaven.

    “PETA knows that Dale cares about animals and we’d love to have his help in fighting the animal overpopulation crisis in North Carolina and across the US,” PETA President Ingrid Newkirk said. “A spay and neuter message on the No. 88 could inspire millions of NASCAR fans to take the simple but lifesaving steps of ‘fixing’ their dogs and cats.”

    Yes, indeed, from PETA to the Florida Lottery, NASCAR most surely does have the most interesting sponsors in the world of professional sports. And that is what makes the cars on the track go round and round.

  • Underdogs of the Good Sam Club 500

    Underdogs of the Good Sam Club 500

    The Red Bull Racing team of Brian Vickers and Kasey Kahne need to be recognized for their effort on Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway. Kahne started 26th, Vickers 30th, and used the two-car tandem to push their way into the top-five within 10 laps. They had troubles with the two-car tandem on Lap 159, when Kahne spun across the nose of Vickers race car to bring out the caution.

    [media-credit name=”Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]However, with 50 laps to go, the pair had already hooked back up and was heading to the front. Unfortunately they just couldn’t catch the RCR duo of Clint Bowyer and RCR, but still came home with fifth (Vickers) and sixth (Kahne) place finishes.

    Red Bull will be leaving the team at season’s end, with no word yet on if the team will continue on. Kahne will be taking his business over to Hendrick Motorsports where he will drive the No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet. Vickers has yet to announce what his plans are for the 2012 season.

    Dave Blaney’s third place finish at Talladega became Tommy Baldwin’s Racing’s best finish yet at the Cup level. This isn’t the first time Blaney has run well at restrictor plate tracks. He also was a front-runner in the Daytona 500 and the spring race at Talladega this year, but didn’t get the finishes he deserved. This is a big step for a small organization, with a short history in the sport. Team owner Tommy Baldwin hopes this is just the beginning for improvement in preparation of the 2012 season.

    Underdogs Landon Cassill and Casey Mears had strong race cars at Talladega and were front-runners all race long. Before the first lap of the race was even complete, Mear’s No. 13 GEICO Camry had moved from its 42nd starting position into 26th. On Lap 3, Mears paired up with Cassill, who qualified 38th, to race to the front. They spent most of the race in the Top 10 and eyed the lead on multiple occasions.  This continued until Lap 174 when Cassill was collected in a turn two crash involving Bobby Labonte and Kurt Busch. This separated the pair and forced Mears to find another dancing partner.  They eventually found each other at the end of the race to finish in 16th (Cassill) and 17th (Mears)position.

  • Stephen Leicht Makes the Most of Richmond Opportunity

    Stephen Leicht Makes the Most of Richmond Opportunity

    After being out of a race car for two years, Stephen Leicht got the opportunity of a lifetime to slide behind the wheel of the No. 36 Golden Corral Chevrolet for Tommy Baldwin Racing at Richmond this past weekend.

    [media-credit name=”Photo Credit: prweb.com ” align=”alignright” width=”200″][/media-credit]And the young driver took full advantage of it, staying out of trouble, finishing the race right behind Chase contender Matt Kenseth, and taking the checkered flag in the 24th position.

    “That was a great night for us,” Leicht said. “I was very proud of the entire Golden Corral TBR team.”

    “We weren’t very good when we unloaded and in practice on Friday,” Leicht continued. “We completely aborted the first set up we had in and completely changed the race car.”

    Leicht admitted that not only did his team work hard on the car, but he also had to work hard on himself particularly as he had not been in a race car for over two years.

    “We got it driving good and then jumped up a little bit on the speed charts in the second practice,” Leicht said. “Part of it was me not being in a car for two years and part of it was the race car. But all in all, the team did a great job all weekend and I thought we ran pretty well in the race.”

    After being away from the sport, Leicht experienced many emotions when the command to start engines was given under the lights at Richmond, ranging from relief to anxiety to intense focus and just trying to have fun.

    “It was relieving to be back in the car,” Leicht said. “I’ve spent a lot of time preparing myself and you’re always anxious the first time back in a race car.”

    “You want to be smooth and fast and do well but at the same time, you’ve got to be cautious because you haven’t been in a car in a while,” Leicht continued. “But the guys gave me such a great race car, that it really was easy to focus on what I was doing. And racing with some of the best in the world was a lot of fun.”

    “I thought I’d be really nervous but to be quite honest, I was so focused,” Leicht said. “The car was locked in the points so that gave me the opportunity to just race.”

    “Knowing that going in, I tried not to get nervous and just focus,” Leicht continued. “I was very surprised that I was able to do that.”

    Leicht said that the opportunity to drive the Tommy Baldwin Racing No. 36 came about three months ago, after a conversation with the team owner.

    “I’ve known Tommy (Baldwin) since back in our Yates days in 2006 and 2007,” Leicht said. “Basically, I had some sponsorship opportunities coming up and he was working on some stuff as well.”

    “He said, ‘Let’s go do some testing and we’ll see how that goes,’ Leicht continued. “Things just clicked and we got to go to Richmond.”

    Leicht admitted that he faced many challenges in the 54th Annual Wonderful Pistachios 400. One major challenge was getting the car to handle on short runs in addition to the long runs, as well as handling his own physical reaction to being behind the wheel.

    “For us, we had two biggest challenges, one was that our race cars just would not go on re-starts,” Leicht said. “We definitely have to work on our shorter run package.”

    “Personally, my biggest struggle was that my body was not used to all the heat in the race cars for that long of a race,” Leicht continued. “It’s a different world out there and you definitely have to be in shape. I got pretty dehydrated in the race. But all in all I thought everything went great.”

    Leicht said that another major challenge for him was balancing racing hard for himself while also respecting the drivers in the Chase, as well as those trying to make the Chase. And he was definitely cognizant of the beating and banging that went along with that.

    “I believe I came on the radio about 50 laps into the race and asked if they always wrecked that much,” Leicht said with a chuckle. “There was a lot going on and I was dodging a lot of stuff out there.”

    “You want to do great as a team and as a driver and for your sponsors, but at the same time with me not running for points and the team not being in the Chase, we had to be respectful of the ones trying to make the Chase and the ones locked into the Chase,” Leicht continued. “It definitely changes the game plan a little bit.”

    “But all in all, I think we were able to balance the two well,” Leicht said. “I was very pleased with the outcome.”

    With the Richmond race in his rear view mirror, Leicht is now focused on the upcoming race at Chicago in which he plans to start and park for Tommy Baldwin Racing. After that, there are no further formal plans in the work.

    “I’m not sure about anything else at this point,” Leicht said. “We’re just focused on trying to make the race at Chicago this weekend and you never know, there could be an opportunity for getting some more laps in this year.”

    “I just know that we’re focused on what we’ve got going on sponsorship-wise for next year,” Leicht continued. “Our goal for next year is full-time racing, myself and (Dave) Blaney.”

    “That would be awesome because Blaney is a great guy and a great driver and it would be awesome to be teammates with him.”

    Although Leicht’s focus is now on continuing his Cup career, he has a long history in racing, starting at the young age of six in go karts. And for Leicht, racing was his savior as far as keeping him out of trouble.

    “It was my parents’ way of keeping me out of trouble,” Leicht said. “I was kind of a bad little kid but I loved to race so much that my parents told me if I stayed out of trouble, they would allow me to race.”

    “It didn’t take long and I was winning a bunch of races, Leicht continued. “Then it became more than a hobby and became a passion of mine. And I’ve been doing it ever since. I can’t get enough of it.”

    When asked what one word would best describe him as a racer at this stage in his career, Leicht said simply, “Determined.”

    He then shared a caveat to the determination, that of being very grateful and very proud.

    “I’m very proud of the TBR organization,” Leicht said. “And I can’t thank Tommy Baldwin enough for this opportunity.”