How curious...US Military NASCAR sponsors, and no incredulous comments?

[Major Carrales]

Seems I recall some huff and puff on the CAP NASCAR with Ashton Lewis, yet...

http://www.military.com/NASCAR/airforce

WAS CAP a PIONEER?  Or is this folly for them all?  Really, I need an education on this matter.

[lordmonar]

No,

The military has been sponsoring NASCAR and Dragsters for years and years.

I remeber watching the Army funny car back in the 70's.

The heat CAP took for sponsoring the NASCAR was not because it was not a legitamte recruiting venue....but it was not cost effective.

1.  Because we tried to do it on the cheap and got a guy who could not win.
2.  At the same time CAP was cutting funding from other programs.

The military can afford good drivers who make a good showing every year.

[RiverAux]

We probably did get a little bit of benefit out of it, but the $5 mil could have bought pages and pages of advertising in various pilot-related magazines that would have been targeted at one of our primary specialties. 

[Cecil DP]

The cost was probably much higher than the $5M mentioned earlier. CAP actually had several megamillion CD and investment accounts which were lost in the NASCAR debacle.

[mikeylikey]

We probably did get a little bit of benefit out of it, but the $5 mil could have bought pages and pages of advertising in various pilot-related magazines that would have been targeted at one of our primary specialties. 

Agreed!  They could have found other ways to advertise.  I think those billboards late 2002, early 2003 actually did more recruiting than anything else.  We really need to get into AF times, Army times, Navy Times, all Post/ Base newspapers, flight magazines, and other professional journals.  We also need to hit up schools real hard, all over the country, and make a push to get CAP after school one night a week a student activity that the schools don't have to pay for.  I could go on, but this was about nascar or something.  Sorry!

[Pylon]

Don't draw unrelated correlations.

Sponsoring a NASCAR is only a small sliver of the DoD's annual recruiting and PA budgets.  They have the financial ability to do this, without any damage to the organization if they were to lose the car in an accident.

CAP viewed this one NASCAR sponsorship as a solve-all, one-stop solution to recruiting and awareness for our organization.  CAP does not have this type of money in our advertising and recruiting budgets, and dipped heavily into investments (to the tune of about $11M total, I believe) to put this tool out there.  Not a wise choice given the risk.

[O-Rex]

I would love to poll recruits:

What made you join the military?

   a. Patriotism

   b. Job skills/Technical training

   c. Money for college

   d. That really cool car on ESPN

[mikeylikey]

I am shocked no one has mentioned seeing a military car at a Demolition Derby.  I love watching those cars smash into each other.  About 10 years ago I remember a group from a local AFB put an awesome station wagon in the derby.  They painted it all up sky blue, wrote AF all over it, and painted the phone number to the recruiting office on the hood. 

All in all, the AF car got ate up, and I think caught on fire.  It was a good night!

[NIN]

CAP viewed this one NASCAR sponsorship as a solve-all, one-stop solution to recruiting and awareness for our organization.  CAP does not have this type of money in our advertising and recruiting budgets, and dipped heavily into investments (to the tune of about $11M total, I believe) to put this tool out there.  Not a wise choice given the risk.

Actually, that was a gentleman named "George Freeman" who was hired as our Advancement Officer ("Advancement" in the parlance of non-profits like colleges and organizations = the guys who go out and beg money from donors, alumni, members, etc..), and the NASCAR thing was his "one trick pony."

(I met the guy, and while he was a nice enough fellow, I got the distinct impression that he was a bit of a "good 'ol Southren boy" who had finally found a way to "git himself a NASCAR team.."  When they were up here for a race back in 2003, I think it was, I noticed that he acted like he was the "team owner" a lot, prancing around the pits and out onto the grid during the pre-race activities, but I didn't see a lot of "advancement" actually occurring from the guy.

(the idea behind a corporate NASCAR sponsorship is that for every "exposure" of car #46, it counts as an "impression" to a viewer, and NASCAR supposedly has the highest "impressions per hour" or some such.. Never mind that its hard to be "impressed" as the car whizzes by at 200mph and you can't even see the tri-prop on the hood.. We were supposedly getting beaucoup marketing exposure time for our $$$.. I think that kind of metric is total snake oil from NASCAR's standpoint...)

That money would have been better spent on the Advancement Officer's travel budget as he went around the country glad-handing corporations for $$ instead of saying "Hey, look, we're so flush we can afford to blow $11M on a race car.. But give us more money, 'cuz, you know, we need it, or something.."

[♠SARKID♠]

Just a little stats on that car we had.

http://www.motorsportsone.com/busch/lewisas1.htm


MAYBE THIS IS WHY IT WAS A BAD IDEA!!! Yes, that is the CAP car!  Crash & BURN!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtyvRUhu3cc


Mod Edit: A few points... All CAPS=bad. Big font= more bad. Subverting the language filter with acronyms="Oh no you didn't!"  -TA

[lordmonar]

I guess I was misinformed.  I though our guy was not that good.  Ranked 12th the year he drove the CAP car.  That's not too bad...plus a cool crash!

[pixelwonk]

MAYBE THIS IS WHY IT WAS A BAD IDEA!!! Yes, that is the CAP car!  Crash & BURN!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtyvRUhu3cc

Good 'ol Crashton.

[ELTHunter]

I seem to recall the rational being the the service branches had success with their own NASCAR's and CAP thought they could do the same thing.  Maybe not a bad idea of your audience is 18 - 24 year old males, but probably not as usefull for attracting 12 - 15 year olds.

It seemed like every time I watched a Busch race, I had a hard time picking out the CAP car.  Selling the CAP Racing merchandise was another huge mistake.

[Cecil DP]

It seemed like every time I watched a Busch race, I had a hard time picking out the CAP car.  Selling the CAP Racing merchandise was another huge mistake.

It was the one in the rear_burning money. Our Money!!

[SarDragon]

A little in Mr Lewis' defense - if you look at the stats, he wasn't a horrible driver. He has finished in the top 20 every year since 2001, and had 11 top 5 race finishes in the same timeframe. As for crashes, everyone crashes, and as often as not, cars involved in the crash are just collected up by others. I couldn't really tell in the one in the link above. It loked like #24 might have tapped him in the back as he lifted in the turn.

[pixelwonk]

maybe not a horrible driver, but he was a fantastic crasher

[NIN]

He came to my squadron prior to a race.  He's a super dude, I felt sorry for him that he got such a crappy sponsor (honestly, CAP was not cut out to be a NASCAR sponsor.. Its just not our alley.. It was George Freeman's alley, just not ours...)

[jimmydeanno]

He came to my squadron prior to a race.  He's a super dude, I felt sorry for him that he got such a crappy sponsor (honestly, CAP was not cut out to be a NASCAR sponsor.. Its just not our alley.. It was George Freeman's alley, just not ours...)

It's kind of like having Bill Buckner on your team...

[JCW0312]

Anyone have a good picture of the CAP car? I would be interested to see it. I was on sabbatical during that period.

[RiverAux]

I did used to wear my CAP racing hat all the time.  Though even that part of the program was sort of messed up as the hat didn't really show of CAP very well. 

[Eclipse]

>I< have a diecast CAP car!

...and it was found in a retail store, not bought direct form the (then) bookstore!

[NIN]

It's kind of like having Bill Buckner on your team...

If he was a so-so driver who blew the championship because he tossed his gum out the window or something, I'd say "yes!"

[a2capt]

A member of Congress wants to end the military's sponsorship of NASCAR race teams, saying it's a waste of taxpayers' money.


Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minnesota, is offering an amendment to the 2011 House budget bill to ban the sponsorships, which her office said has cost the military $100 million over the past 10 years, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/02/16/congresswoman-wants-to-end-militarys-nascar-sponsorships/
Took a few years.. but..

[jspear]

I'd really like to have one of those  #46 CAP 1/24 diecast cars.... anyone know where I can find one??

[FW]

We probably have a few gathering dust in some box at NHQ.  Of course, there is always E Bay...

[BillB]

The dicast #46 were listed on eBay as of Sunday.

[Eclipse]

From the article:
Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minnesota, is offering an amendment to the 2011 House budget bill to ban the sponsorships, which her office said has cost the military $100 million over the past 10 years, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

"I would challenge the Pentagon to give me one example of someone today in Iraq or Afghanistan who saw the Go Army car going around the racetrack and that's why they joined the Army," Bill Harper, McCollum's chief of staff, told HamptonRoads.com. "It may be the reason why they go to Home Depot but not necessarily Afghanistan."

I would actually take that bet. $10M a year is nothing in terms of the exposure and good feeling the NASCARs get worldwide.  Not only it is a recruiting tool, but the affinity felt by service members cannot be discounted, either.  A good percentage of military personnel are blue-collar, beer-drinking, Joe-6'ers who enjoy NASCAR and other motorsports.

I never thought it was a good fit for CAP, if for no other reason than most NASCAR happens on nights and weekends, so someone invested enough in NASCAR to be swayed by its having a sponsored car, is probably otherwise engaged when we'ed need them, but then again we never had a driver who was competitive, which could have made all the difference.

Here's mine:

[davidsinn]

From the article:
Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minnesota, is offering an amendment to the 2011 House budget bill to ban the sponsorships, which her office said has cost the military $100 million over the past 10 years, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

"I would challenge the Pentagon to give me one example of someone today in Iraq or Afghanistan who saw the Go Army car going around the racetrack and that's why they joined the Army," Bill Harper, McCollum's chief of staff, told HamptonRoads.com. "It may be the reason why they go to Home Depot but not necessarily Afghanistan."

I would actually take that bet. $10M a year is nothing in terms of the exposure and good feeling the NASCARs get worldwide.  Not only it is a recruiting tool, but the affinity felt by service members cannot be discounted, either.  A good percentage of military personnel are blue-collar, beer-drinking, Joe-6'ers who enjoy NASCAR and other motorsports.

I never thought it was a good fit for CAP, if for no other reason than most NASCAR happens on nights and weekends, so someone invested enough in NASCAR to be swayed by its having a sponsored car, is probably otherwise engaged when we'ed need them, but then again we never had a driver who was competitive, which could have made all the difference.

Here's mine:

I want one. It'd look great in my display case next to my toy tractors.

[flyboy53]

Keep watching the national news. There's a move on the Hill to cut any funding for this type of advertising/sponsorship.

[a2capt]

Heh, wow, seriously? They made one. Okay, I want one.

[caphornbuckle]

Heh, wow, seriously? They made one. Okay, I want one.

I've got one displayed with my other NASCAR collectables.  1:24 model still in the box.  Got it on E-Bay.  Didn't pay too much for it and had no other bidders.

Not for sale 

[davidsinn]

Heh, wow, seriously? They made one. Okay, I want one.

I've got one displayed with my other NASCAR collectables.  1:24 model still in the box.  Got it on E-Bay.  Didn't pay too much for it and had no other bidders.

Not for sale 

Mind bringing it up to the Eval or April SAREX so I can drool over it?

[caphornbuckle]

Heh, wow, seriously? They made one. Okay, I want one.

I've got one displayed with my other NASCAR collectables.  1:24 model still in the box.  Got it on E-Bay.  Didn't pay too much for it and had no other bidders.

Not for sale 

Mind bringing it up to the Eval or April SAREX so I can drool over it?

Not going to beable to make it to either but if I ever get down to your unit for a visit or you make it up to wing, I think I can provide a sneek peek for you!

[Eclipse]

I met Kenny Wallace a million years ago when my company at the time was sponsoring a portion of his car.

[caphornbuckle]

One of the actual CAP NASCAR Bush Series cars were for sale a while back after the team was dissolved.  Would've been nice to have sitting next to the plane at NHQ.   

[a2capt]

Not for sale 

Why the face? What did I say? I didn't demand anything from you. There's plenty of them out there.

[caphornbuckle]

Not for sale 

Why the face? What did I say? I didn't demand anything from you. There's plenty of them out there.

Nothing intended.  Just being selfish with my toys. 

[caphornbuckle]

Found one!

1:24 Civil Air Patrol NASCAR Die Cast on e-bay

http://cgi.ebay.com/2002-RC-Ashton-Lewis-Civil-Air-Patrol-Auto-NASCAR-1-24-/300533093554?pt=Diecast_Vehicles&hash=item45f92b14b2

[davidsinn]

Found one!

1:24 Civil Air Patrol NASCAR Die Cast on e-bay

http://cgi.ebay.com/2002-RC-Ashton-Lewis-Civil-Air-Patrol-Auto-NASCAR-1-24-/300533093554?pt=Diecast_Vehicles&hash=item45f92b14b2

I'd rather have the 1/64th. That way it matches my farm toys.

[a2capt]

* a2capt sets up a snipe...

[RickRutledge]

NASCAR warm and fuzzies aside, what we need is a comprehensive Public Affairs/Marketing plan that we actually stick to. A few years back (07 I believe) the PA team at NHQ put together a strategic plan to move forward with a massive media campaign to gain some much needed exposure, on paper the plan looked great, but the follow through sucked.

Good, old fashioned organic media coverage will do wonders for both public awareness and recruiting. But we have to sell our strongest points: All Volunteer, Largely Self Supported organization that assists the Air Force and SAVES TAX PAYER DOLLARS! Internally, every wing and NHQ could do a better job to sell our mission capabilities to the customers -- in turn we'll gain more exposure by being a larger part of incidents. AND, a better PAO training program will make a huge difference because we can plan to plan, but if the follow through and execution is lacking, the results will be far less than expected. 

After 14 years in media and marketing that's just my two cents.

[RADIOMAN015]

NASCAR warm and fuzzies aside, what we need is a comprehensive Public Affairs/Marketing plan that we actually stick to. A few years back (07 I believe) the PA team at NHQ put together a strategic plan to move forward with a massive media campaign to gain some much needed exposure, on paper the plan looked great, but the follow through sucked.

Good, old fashioned organic media coverage will do wonders for both public awareness and recruiting. But we have to sell our strongest points: All Volunteer, Largely Self Supported organization that assists the Air Force and SAVES TAX PAYER DOLLARS! Internally, every wing and NHQ could do a better job to sell our mission capabilities to the customers -- in turn we'll gain more exposure by being a larger part of incidents. AND, a better PAO training program will make a huge difference because we can plan to plan, but if the follow through and execution is lacking, the results will be far less than expected. 

After 14 years in media and marketing that's just my two cents.

Excellent comments above -- make a strategic plan with operational sub plans, evaluate and adjust as the plan is implemented.  Yes in my public affairs role, I was unable to download the newest video to use on a personal computer at an amateur radio feast we were invited to attend,and had to resort to an order video.  I've come down to the conclusion that we don't need any gimmicks to recruit members (e.g. sponsored race cars) but just personal recruiting efforts with the National HQ website being the primary information source to include sorted news by each wing.  Websites tend to not get updated when the member doing it leaves and on one else knows who to do it.  Also I think the effectiveness of face book, twitter, and my space needs to be studied BEFORE more emphasis is placed on this media (and the same type of evaluation is now going on on some industries).   My understanding is one firm has to have 1 person dedicated almost full time to looking on comments on the face book page and editing/deleting if necessary -- We don't have the resources in our units to do this.

Also we shouldn't be making promises we can't keep whether it be flying for free or having an emergency mission every week that a member can participate in.   There's NO reason to recruit someone who will just leave a year later,this is very costly in time & materials to the organization.  On the senior member level ideally we should do target recruiting for the skills and personal attributes we need in the organization.  Cadet wise is much more difficult in retention, because teenagers are really in a come and try, experimental mode, and may find that the program just isn't  for them.

Public awareness is doing things for the community and showing what are training is all about and what are emergency capacities are (but also what they are note).

RM