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RE: F1's Cluster

To: "'Brett Johnson '" <356drb@indy.net>,
Subject: RE: F1's Cluster
From: Bill Babcock <BillB@bnj.com>
Date: Sun, 19 Jun 2005 17:45:31 -0700
 I thought it was hysterically funny that Bernie said there wasn't enough
marketing and that it was unsophisticated. Bernie, I'm no NASCAR fan, but
even those guys have fogotten more about marketing than you'll ever know.
first of all, its about the brand, and your brand is all glitz and no go.
For all the technology and money spent the racing is astonishingly boring.
the real shame is that the six car debacle they put on today was only
marginally less boring than the usual race. You can find more close,
spirited competition in a bowling alley than the typical F1 race--and I
still watch them all, because I love racing. 

It says a lot about F1 that the best show is the qualifying. High speed solo
II. 

The bottom line with F1 is that they don't do anything for the fans. Simple
arrogance. Could you imagine a scene like that at NASCAR? CART and the IRL
are hosing themselves as fast as they can because they car more about thier
internal nonsense than the fans. Stick and ball sports are finding out that
when you screw the fans, they screw you right back, and there are a lot of
them. 

It's ten times harder to get a customer than keep a customer, and it's all
but impossible to win one back. These businesses exist to sell customer
eyeballs to companies. Too bad that they forget that so easily. I bet no one
in those secret meetings ever said "how can we even contemplate screwing
over all these fans. We must reach a compromise."  

If Bernie had no part of the decision then he's redundant.

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-fot@autox.team.net
To: Joe Curry
Cc: KLynch7589@aol.com; fot@autox.team.net
Sent: 6/19/2005 4:22 PM
Subject: Re: F1's Cluster

Haven't been following this thread, but from a local perspective, 
Bernie hasn't made many friends here this week by saying that the event 
should be better attended and that the poor marketing here was the 
cause (not the F1 attitude of excellence, driver access, etc., etc.) -- 
and he belittled Danica Patrick (!!!).

Interesting commentary in much more depth at:

> http://www.speedtv.com/commentary/17688/

There is already rumor of ticket refunds (though IMS has already 
officially said to register complaints with Michelin, the FIA & F1 
Management -- Uncle Bernie, himself!!!!!), but the damage is done.  
There was an article on the front page of the Indianapolis Star this 
morning which lamented that this F1 thing just wasn't catching on here 
and that only about a fifth of the folks at the race come from Indiana. 
  That said, this year's attendance was apparently the highest ever 
(first year may have been bigger).  This type of political behavior 
certainly won't sit any better with the locals, than when Michael S. 
blatantly let Rubens by for the win a few years back.

Kinda seems like billion dollar Championship Wrestling in a way....

Warming up my television for Mr. Despain's take.

Brett Johnson


On Jun 19, 2005, at 6:13 PM, Joe Curry wrote:

> I was referring to your suggestion that the trouble was caused by the 
> F1
> people rather than the FIA.  Bernie made it abundantly clear that he 
> had
> nothing to do with the decisions that were made.
>
> Joe

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