Yes, it does explain the situation, but I'm amazed the points leader is heading to Gainesville with no sponsorship! Beckman comes out at Phoenix with Valvoline graphics and no explanation of where this is heading.
Another team owner ego/pissing match? Guess we'll all just have to quietly sit back and see what happens -

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"The Counterfeiter"

DSR has had Valvoline since last year

Remember last year when Powers announced that he would be dropping Valvoline because they were scaling back to an associate sponsorship? A week later DSR announced the signing of Valvoline to an associate sponsorship. Powers must have made a deal with Valvoline to let him run two events as a major sponsor for the same money as an associate deal for a full year.

Good one there... How about we start a rumour (if it hasn't already happened - haven't read the rest of the thread yet) about Red Bull coming on board to sponsor him?

No seriously, what about Red Bull? They have gazillions of dollars, LOVE motorsports, and with all the other energy drinks in NHRA, why aren't they involved?

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“One day when I was walking through the pits,” Millican said, “Evan said he wanted to talk to me. ‘Do you know how many millions (of dollars) I’ve spent to beat you?’ he said. ‘Since I couldn’t beat you, I’m going to own you.’ "

We saw the Valvoline body at Las Vegas during testing. I overheard Jack saying that he was going to run it at Phoenix and that one of the other cars was going to run it at another race (Sorry I don't remember which one).

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I still say this tells you where drag racing stands with the public. We all know you can be points champ one year and sponsorless the next. If you were a NASCAR driver leading points, do you think you'd have to LOOK for a sponsor for your next race? Yeah, right. Which one would you like to HAVE would be the question, because they'd be climbing all over each other to get to you. How far down in points could you BE in NASCAR and still be in that situation?

Bottom line reality in any sport until the government steps in with a welfare subsidy program for us. Don't think I haven't thought about THAT one, either! Need to come up with some kind of environmental impact study that would require the running of a top fuel funny car to see what their effect is on spotted owls, LOL. Might have to start planting a few dead ones around national events! I'll be the guy hugging one with a green shirt on while crying.

This one is really confusing to me. Let's recap. Bazemore has a ride in a DSR FC with Matco sponsorship. Matco tell DS they moving to TF and DPM. At about the same time DSR announces that Valvoline will be an associate on his team. Bazemore gets the Matco TF gig and Fuller's crew. Now Fuller has a new crew, a solid 4.4 car and no sponsorship.

I don't blame the owners or drivers for this, it appears to all be sponsor driven. Well being that the sponsors want me, Mr. Consumer Racefan, to buy their products and services I'd like to tell them, "Stop jerking with drivers and cars". Like us get behind a driver and team and support them. Let them build a following and some momentum.

Why didn't Matco just tell DSR they wanted Bazemore in a TF car with an AJ tune up like the ARMY car so they could kick the MAC and Snap-On cars butts?

If someone from drag racing has tried to sell drag racing to Red Bull, i'd
seriously wonder the same question.
I really wonder if a good sales presentation has been put in front
of Red Bull?

I am sure it has to be hard to get a sponser away from NASCAR. Think about the TV coverage. NASCAR shows qualifying, multiple practice sessions and the race and lots of regular sports coverage on several different networks. Lots of hours. NHRA has a few hours on ESPN and sometimes highlights on Speed. If you only had a certain amout of dollars for motorsports, unless you really like NHRA, I hate to say, your best money is on NASCAR. Look at CART, they have the same sponser problems.

Here's the difference... If someone blows a motor in the finals, We don't red flag the race, clean up the track, and let the quickest semi final loser race the other finalist for the title... see Daytona and Fontana the last couple of weeks... Drag Racing, the first one to the finish line wins, and we don't keep moving the finish line for "better" TV

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Red Bull is VERY focused on the $40,000,000 per year that they are spending in NASCAR right now, and the $200,000,000 in F1.

I know for a fact that they willbe in Drag Racing in the "near future," but they are waiting to see if ther NHRA ever learns how to put on a real TV schedule first...

Also.....Don't be surprised if Valvoline stays on with DPM and Fuller on a "lets-see-what-happens-one-day-at-a-time" sorta deal...I would bet money on it, if DPM would take $75,000 per event..I am not sure that Valvoline would pay the full $100,000 per race that they are asking...but then again, you never know... Either way, Valvoline could be in a VERY good position here...

Red Bull have a serious issue about not being as popular in the USA as they are over here in Europe.

I know for a fact 2 teams have approached Red Bull, they are interested but want a winning team off the bat so i think we will see it sooner or later.

I have made comments on Red Bulls income before on another thread look up my past posts and have a look.

Red Bull F1 team is entirely funded by the owners own pocket, it's his little hobby along with vintage aircraft which is the reasoning of sponsoring the Air Races. It has come a long way from his Austrian home selling it to skiers. That is also why you always see Red Bull sponsor anything snow based.

Red Bull are in good fortune they make $1,000,000 a day profit, they will break Drag Racing whether it's in Europe or USA first they will. This will probably be when people scream about rising costs as money is no object to the Red Bull team, they only like one thing winning. One example is the fact they had a HUGE contract with Ferrari for engines and they weighed more than the Renault engine. The solution? Take out an even bigger contract with Renault and keep the Ferrari engines for the reserve team 'Torro Rosso'. Thats got to be a fair few million right there!

Oh and cause i have a low post count, my source: My Dad works for Red Bull F1 team over here in Milton Keynes, England.

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Dan @ MMS
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Has anyone else seen David Powers' website lately.......it looks like Whit's own personal site. The "drivers" section says "coming soon." Don't get me wrong, i'm a huge Bazemore fan.....but throw Hot Rod a bone.

David Powers Motorsports

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* *Jim Yates' Blog* *

A division of my company prints graphics and does gatorboard mounting. They had a ton of posters in here for David Powers of Whit's car a couple of days ago. I didn't see Fuller's car at all.

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