SMI President H.A. 'Humpy' Wheeler Bullish on 2001 NASCAR Season
14 December 2000
SMI President H.A. 'Humpy' Wheeler Bullish on 2001 NASCAR Season
CONCORD, N.C., Dec. 14 After what has been classified by
many analysts as a flat year on the business side of the motorsports industry,
H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler, president and chief operating officer of Speedway
Motorsports, Inc. , revealed today he believes the tremendous
growth experienced by the industry, and NASCAR Winston Cup racing in
particular, during the 1990s will resume in 2001.
Wheeler, a longtime motorsports promoter who also serves as president and
general manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway, indicated the growth will resume due
to myriad reasons. They include:
On-Track Competition
"The popularity of any sport is driven primarily by its stars and the
intensity of its media coverage," Wheeler explained. "Great stars are born in
the intense heat of competition, and competition in NASCAR Winston Cup racing
will improve in 2001. Simply look at the final six races of the 2000 season
-- they produced a lot of drama, as well as an amazing 169 lead changes.
Overall, the Winston Cup season saw 14 different winners and four first-time
visitors to victory lane.
"Few realize how hard the people in NASCAR have been working behind the
scenes to insure there is close competition, and we all know close competition
is what produces great rivalries. These rivalries in turn produce the drama
and color that must accompany any successful professional sport."
Network Television Package
"2001 will mark the first time in history television viewers won't have to
consult a crystal ball to find out what channel is covering a particular
week's race," Wheeler said. "I think one thing a lot of people have
overlooked about the new TV situation is the fact that 27 of the 36 Winston
Cup races will be on network television, and therefore available to 100
percent of the country.
"This will result in a popularity increase in the markets where NASCAR
Winston Cup racing has been the weakest, and that's in the top-10 markets
where a substantial number of homes do not subscribe to cable or satellite
television.
"Having major motorsports facilities in large markets such as Dallas/Fort
Worth, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, etc., and finally being
able to reach all those people on a weekly basis via television will continue
to bring our sport a lot of new fans.
"In addition, with FOX Sports televising the first half of the season,
viewers will see a lot of creative innovations, which have become their
signature. This will really put pressure on NBC and Turner as they attempt to
out-do their television counterpart during the final half of the season.
"The ancillary pre-race and post-race shows planned by the networks will
also help to develop stars quicker because of the added media intensity."
Youth Movement
"What excites me most about the current state of NASCAR Winston Cup racing
is the crop of young drivers," Wheeler noted. "We've got Tony Stewart, Dale
Earnhardt Jr., Steve Park, Jerry Nadeau, Matt Kenseth and don't forget Jeff
Gordon. We have never had this many drivers this young winning Winston Cup
races. Richard Petty didn't start racing until he was 21 and Harry Gant was
25, but Gordon drove his first race at the age of 5 and Stewart was 7.
"This 'Pop Warner' generation of drivers has really helped to broaden the
demographics, particularly among males ages 16 to 25.
"And what's really exciting is that we've got thousands of new 'drivers'
out there learning to race via electronic games such as NASCAR Heat and Dirt
Track Racing. These games are so realistic it's scary. In the not-so-distant
future, there will be two winners of the Coca-Cola 600 -- the one on the race
track and a virtual reality player who will be able to compete in the race via
pay television."
Dodge Returns
"With Dodge returning to NASCAR Winston Cup racing in 2001, it will mark
the first time since 1985 that this country's 'Big Three' automakers have gone
head-to-head on the race track," Wheeler said. "There are many Chrysler
loyalists who quit following the sport the day the last Dodge turned a wheel,
and they will be back when the 2001 season kicks off.
"The intense competition among GM, Ford and Chrysler to win races and the
championship will create another great rivalry that will be very positive for
the sport."
European Influence
"During 2001, the sport of NASCAR Winston Cup racing will also make major
inroads in Europe. The new television package will flood these countries with
stock car racing, a type of motorsports many Europeans have yet to
experience," Wheeler said. "Also, two major oval speedways will open in the
United Kingdom and Germany in 2001 and while no NASCAR races are currently
planned at these facilities, eventually we all know stock car racing of some
type will surface."
Sponsor Confidence
"The sport recently received another real shot in the arm when Street &
Smith's Sports Business Journal released a survey showing NASCAR continues to
lead all sports properties in the eyes of national sports sponsors," Wheeler
explained. "In the survey, NASCAR scored highest in 17 of 20 categories
measured, including the three areas sponsors rated as most important in
determining their marketing decisions."
Added Prize Money
"Prize money for competitors in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series will
increase by at least $60 million in 2001, further galvanizing drivers and
teams in a positive manner," Wheeler concluded.
Taking each of these elements into consideration, Wheeler believes NASCAR
Winston Cup racing will experience significant growth during 2001, growth that
will be unmatched among other professional sports.
Speedway Motorsports is a leading marketer and promoter of motorsports
entertainment in the United States. SMI owns and operates Atlanta Motor
Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Lowe's Motor Speedway at Charlotte, Las
Vegas Motor Speedway, Sears Point Raceway and Texas Motor Speedway. SMI also
provides event food, beverage and souvenir merchandising services through its
Finish Line Events subsidiary and manufactures and distributes smaller-scale,
modified racing cars through its 600 Racing subsidiary.