Unlike Tiger, NASCAR finding right mix with Junior
Quote selected text Published April 14th, 2008 in NASCAR News
By Josh Stewart-Saturday afternoon, AOL.com informed me that Tiger Woods was making a major move at the Masters. After clicking on the icon, the comeback reports proved to be a hair embellished, as he was still five shots out of the lead.
This is the kind of media fawning that has created a backlash in golf. When you make Tiger the entire story, and he doesn’t win or-worse yet-doesn’t play, you’ve rendered the sport irrelevant.
The PGA Tour has done practically nothing of note to combat this image, showing willingness to ride the Tiger train and roll with the rough ratings when he’s not stealing the show.
NASCAR, in essence, has dealt with the same problem in reverse. When Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon didn’t make the Chase in 2005, the NASCAR community thumped its collective chest as the sport where any of 20 drivers could carry the ball of capturing the country’s imagination, even if that feeling was, at best, a naïve notion.
What has ensued is a sometimes-curious marketing philosophy. When the launch of NASCAR HotPass was first announced, a NASCAR official cautioned me that Junior would not be one of the featured drivers every race. The fear of overexposing a guy who still hadn’t won a championship was palpable.
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I think Jr. is doing a AWESOME Job.
Jr is doing just what he had to do and thats stay in the top 5-10 as much as he can. thats why he is now in 3rd in points. now a win would be good for the ego but not necessary at this point if he keeps up with the good finishes.
Jordo is the odd man out in this party so far… just gota love it gordo on the outs… lol
Yea I am glad to see Jr doing so well this year! I can’t wait till the chase! You don’t have to win to win the cup!
GO JR STAYING IN THE TOP TEN IS AS GOOD AS A WIN WHEN IT COMES TO THE CHASE
I’m sick of all the jr hype
Jr’s team is doing awesome. If there is hype, it’s because it’s well deserved. They’ve been working hard, and it’s paying off.
LAST WEEKEND NAPCAR MADE SURE THEY INTERVIEWED JR.WHO CARES WHO FINISHED SEVENTH.WHEN THE GUY WINS A CHAMPIONSHIP THEN HE SHOULD GET SOME HYPE.IF HE WINS A RACE THIS YEAR WE WILL NOT HEAR ANYTHING BUT HOW GOOD HE IS.
Mr. Oilspill
The media will interview most drivers in the top spots with time permitting…
They talk to JR. because he is 3rd in points and had a shot to win this race. OH and because he is the most popular driver in CUP RACING no win needed…Just like they interviewed Gordo for years no matter where he finished or if he finished just because of who he was. Not this year though. lol
wrote:
Simple, do what I and many other people do. If you don’t like the subject “DON’T READ IT”.
they interviewed jr because he is 3rd in points?????? they forgot to interview the points leadferr i like jr but he is way over rated
It is about popularity!
Great Article on yahoo sports, about JR, and JR.
IF JR. DIDN,T HAVE THE EARNHARDT NAME WHERE WOULD HE BE ? HENDRICKS ONLY SIGNED JR FOR HIS NAME IT’S OBVIOUS. HE CAN’T DRIVE. WHY DIDN’T RICK GO AFTER JJ YELEY, DAVID STREMME. WHY DIDN’T HE KEEP KYLE BUSCH. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ SIGNS MY FRIEND. HENDRICKS DIDN’T GET TO WHERE HE IS BY BEING DUMB. JR IS JUST A MARKETING TOOL. MY PINS IN THE VOODOO DOLL ARE WORKING I GUESS
Billy B, i believe it’s called Hendrick not Hendricks…get it right, no s on the end. And by the way my friend, don’t know if you know this, but all marketing and souvinor money goes to hmm JR Motorsports and Dale Jr, NOT RICK HENDRICK, but you didn’t know that did you, your probably not even a fan, which then gets me to this, why are you on a Jr article if you have nothing positive to say? Oh and side note, Earnhardt Jr didn’t need the last name Earnhardt, he proved himself in the Busch series by winning back to back championships, and then proved himself in the Cup Series by winning 17 races in a second tier Cup team… Oh and lets see, those 17 victories are more than Carl Edwards, Ryan Newman, Kevin Harvick, Greg Biffle, and more than Matt Kenseth, so maybe Hendrick hired Jr for the fact that he could drive in second hand equipment..Also the consistency so far in 2008 and along with Jeff Burton has the most top 10’s then everyone else, still doesn’t show he can drive does it? I guess not….
MY VOODOO PINS IN THE DOLL SEEM TO BE WORKIIIING, WHO OWNS THE NUMBER 88 ? NOT DALE JR UM HUM. SO HENDRICKS DOESN’T GET ANY OF THE MARKETING MONEY YOU SAY , HUUMMMM
Lets see,
David Stremme: test team driver, o wins
JJ yeley: 35th in points, 0 wins.
Kyle Busch: To hard to work with, already wearing out his welcome at GMS.
you are right about one thing, Hendrick did not get where he is now from being dumb. He hired JR.
Billy B, change your name before using mine to comment, and guess what wise guy, it doesn’t matter who owns the number 88 its all the merchandise that goes to Dale Jr, nothing has to do with the number, besides the side and roof panals
JR/HENDRICK FAN wrote:
nascar own the number 88… did you not learn ANYTHING about numbers last year??
Sam wrote:
Kyle Busch seems to be doing better with Gibbs anyways so it was a win/win outcome I suppose.
JR/HENDRICK FAN wrote:
Now thats a quote worth quoting, way to go JR/HENDRICK FAN
Billy B:
You all been told off so hit the road billy boy and go play with your voodoo dolls, lol
IF you come back to post “trash talk” on JR. you better bring your A game and a lot better
facts to back it up…
How is it that some people say JR is the best driver ever, and yet he hasn’t won a championship? LOL
wrote:
Who is saying hes the best driver ever? and I get sick of hearing hes only in cup because of his last name thats a load of crap.
wrote:
Guest, Show me one quote that says that JR is the best ever! Now Dale SR is the best ever!!!!!!!!!
wrote:
I think some people say crap like this just to get us revved up!
blah blah blah, nothing has changed with these boring dumb posts you guys put up, still a bunch of children on here that knock drivers but cant drive themselves
Howie motorsports photography wrote:
Speaking of DUMB POSTS why are you blasting people for your perceived idea of what constitutes a boring post when in fact most of what comes out of your fingers and onto these pages is nothing more than mindless dribble from a track groupie that lives his life vicariously through the lives of REAL DRIVERS, something you will probably never know anything about “shutterbug”. That is unless you count driving your truck around the grass of the infield to park as being a “Real Driver”…