BAM Racing’s Flash in the Pan
Flash in the Pan: 1. A Project, person etc that enjoys only short lived success.
2. Something which disappoints by failing to deliver anything of value, despite a showy beginning.
The above phrase came to mind when first reading SI’s report of Barack Obama’s plans to sponsor the #49 at Pocono in August. My second was fat chance of the car making the filed as a go or go homer but that goes without saying.
Obviously a team in the position Bam Racing finds itself can’t be very picky about who or what pays to wrap your race car, on the other hand just what is the Obama campaign thinking?
Other than the current media being enamored with the story and quick to point out this the first time a presidential candidate has sponsored a car I fail to see any long-term gain.
Come Pocono, assuming the story is true or he doesn’t back out of the sponsorship, the campaign will gain a little air-time on Speed if they broadcast Cup practice and also a bit more as Schrader makes his two lap qualifying run and returns to the garage to load-up and go home.
It all ends up being the consummate flash in the pan.
And then there is the fallout that has started even before the story is confirmed and the final digital bits of it squeak through your modem.
As seen here, and here the followers of Obama aren’t exactly, shall we say warming to the idea. (WARNING, both threads are filled with the “normal” auto racing/NASCAR hating lunatics)
It also gives the late night comics fresh fodder (as if they need it during a presidential campaign) this from Conan O’Brien: “Barack Obama is campaigning very hard, going everywhere these days to get the vote out. Barack Obama’s staff recently announced that Barack is planning to hold a campaign event at a NASCAR race. Yeah. The event will be called ‘Meet your first black guy.’”
I hope Obama enjoys his current flash in the pan because come Pocono that flash may turn out to be Fool’s Gold.
UPDATE: CNN reports Democratic presidential candidate Bob Graham sponsored a team in the NCTS in 2003.
I was also reminded a Canadian member of Parliament Jim Flaherty and their Conservative Party “sponsored” Whitlock Motor Sports in the NASCAR Canadian Tire NASCAR Series last year. That effort didn’t exactly go over very well.
UPDATE II: Obama equals no pan… no flash: “The Obama campaign will not be sponsoring a car in the Sprint Cup series, though we will continue to look for ways to reach out to voters and convey Senator Obama’s message of change.” Bill Burton, Obama Campaign Spokesman”.
Technorati Tags: Obama, NASCAR, BAM Racing
This is the dumbest move he could make. Sheesh.
I tend to think the same thing Clance’.
I can hear the “greenies” screaming about how Obama is supporting a car that burns “excessive” amounts of that EVIL gasoline.
Who’s Clance?
Anywho, this is exactly what I was thinking.
a) Like they’ll make the show.
b) What’s the sponsor thinking?
The only conclusion I could come to was that the price was right.
They’ll get some exposure between now and then, as well as once they get to the track. The media will cover it, for two reasons. 1) Who’s on the car. 2) BAM hasn’t been on the track since last spring.
If the price was low enough, it was probably a decent media buy.
Oh look Luke’s aliiiiiive!
Anyway, Clance authors Church of the Great Oval.
Really? She does?
Hmmm, that’s funny. I thought she had a cattle fetish.
Alive, yes. Meeting myself coming and going… yep.
I swear, they need to slow down the rotation of the earth so there is 36 hours in a day.
Heh, oh well, sleep is overrated and for the weak.
Bob Graham did indeed sponsor a truck in the trucks series. It was a Roush truck and it won a race at Kansas City in 2003.
If Obama wants some real mileage out of a NASCAR sponsorship, there’s an opening over at JR Motorsports now that the Navy is pulling up anchor.