Short-Track Announcing and Sponsors

[TheJet-09]

I'm sure it's always been this way, but why is it the job of a short-track announcer to spew out every friggin' sponsor on every friggin' car during qualifying or race line-ups, but when you watch the big boys on Sunday afternoons, it's up to the drivers to plug their sponsors, not the series announcers?

I've watched more races on streaming services this year than in my life (so maybe that's why it bugs me), but I feel bad for these guys/girls announcing, trying to spit out 15 sponsors a car during qualifying, especially when they're on a short track and have 13 or 14 seconds to do so.

And yes, for those who know me, you are correct..I have not one sponsor, so I guess I just don't get it. But as a fan, c'mon. I could see mentioning the chassis manufacturer and engine builder, and maybe one major sponsor, but has anyone ever called "Bob's Discount Tobacco Emporium of South Bend, Indiana" because they heard it on a race broadcast?

Okay, I'm done now.

[427c.i.]

I can't stand it when the announcer is trying to auctioneer all the sponsors off of his notes and totally misses something obvious.
Their job is to do play by play, not read their scribble cards.


I do have to say that Larry Mac in NASCAR is obnoxious with this pit reporting. The cars are coming in to get four fresh Goodyear tires and two cans of Sunoco race fuel... EVERY time a car pits.

[Rajflyboy]

Good points gentleman

[dirtSLMracing]

I must give James Essex some credit. The dude really cares about dirt late model racing.. not just showing up for a paycheck. He has gone out of his way to help me several times when I had issues when I had a MavTV account. Need more folks like him in the sport.

[dirty-white-boy]

I can't stand it when the announcer is trying to auctioneer all the sponsors off of his notes and totally misses something obvious.
Their job is to do play by play, not read their scribble cards.


I do have to say that Larry Mac in NASCAR is obnoxious with this pit reporting. The cars are coming in to get four fresh Goodyear tires and two cans of Sunoco race fuel... EVERY time a car pits.

Larry has done his job correctly since you rattled it off and hes living rent free in your head. Thats just good marketing! Period!

Arby's has not aired a "Where's The Beef" commericial in decades but we all remember it! Again, great marketing!

[dirty-white-boy]

I'm sure it's always been this way, but why is it the job of a short-track announcer to spew out every friggin' sponsor on every friggin' car during qualifying or race line-ups, but when you watch the big boys on Sunday afternoons, it's up to the drivers to plug their sponsors, not the series announcers?

I've watched more races on streaming services this year than in my life (so maybe that's why it bugs me), but I feel bad for these guys/girls announcing, trying to spit out 15 sponsors a car during qualifying, especially when they're on a short track and have 13 or 14 seconds to do so.

And yes, for those who know me, you are correct..I have not one sponsor, so I guess I just don't get it. But as a fan, c'mon. I could see mentioning the chassis manufacturer and engine builder, and maybe one major sponsor, but has anyone ever called "Bob's Discount Tobacco Emporium of South Bend, Indiana" because they heard it on a race broadcast?

Okay, I'm done now.

Just for the record, its Low Bob

https://www.lowbob.com/

[Highside Hustler25]

Totally agree Jeff. It's gotten worse since the streaming service has grown.
In their defense, I'm sure those little sponsors love hearing their names mentioned during the airing of the races. If it keeps the money coming in, that can't be all bad.
Doesn't mean that we have to like it.

[TheJet-09]

I'm laughing about it, so all is good. I'm slowly weaning off my pain meds, so we'll blame that.

But for the record:

- I'm a fan of most every announcer out there. There's only one that I turn the volume down for, and he's in the Sprint Car world (no pun intended).
- I made that "Bob's Tobacco" thing up, but am laughing my tail off because I wasn't too far off. Low Bob must have rented space in my head at some point, too!
- I think it was Wendy's that asked, "Where's the beef?" As a kid, I might have even had a tee shirt saying that.
- Essex is my guy, too...from the old Northern All Stars days. He's very personable. We can go 20 years without seeing each other, and he'll act like we just had lunch yesterday. A great ambassador for our sport.

But while on the topic, why does the feature winner have to wear that silly looking, purple Hoosier neck thing in victory lane? And why does every car out there have to have a Hoosier sticker on it, when we all know...Hoosier is the ONLY tire you can run???

And if we ever open the phone lines to take requests, let me hear more about the drivers as people, or their crew members...not the company that sponsors them free shoe laces. Little Pierce's victory last night (@ Tri-City) would've been the perfect opportunity to bring Bob on camera (hint - it's also Father's Day weekend) and ask how proud he is of his son. And not just that the kid won, but that he continues to do so in a car his dad designed! To me, it's the equivalent of someone running a home made chassis and covering the field. That's your story!

[ImCryn2]

I'm sure it's always been this way, but why is it the job of a short-track announcer to spew out every friggin' sponsor on every friggin' car during qualifying or race line-ups, but when you watch the big boys on Sunday afternoons, it's up to the drivers to plug their sponsors, not the series announcers?

I've watched more races on streaming services this year than in my life (so maybe that's why it bugs me), but I feel bad for these guys/girls announcing, trying to spit out 15 sponsors a car during qualifying, especially when they're on a short track and have 13 or 14 seconds to do so.

And yes, for those who know me, you are correct..I have not one sponsor, so I guess I just don't get it. But as a fan, c'mon. I could see mentioning the chassis manufacturer and engine builder, and maybe one major sponsor, but has anyone ever called "Bob's Discount Tobacco Emporium of South Bend, Indiana" because they heard it on a race broadcast?

Okay, I'm done now.

Our local track announcer used to do this when I was young, I can still remember most of the sponsors and what driver they were associated with some 40 years later. I think there is value in that for a sponsor, but I think once a night is plenty.
IMO they need to give themselves enough time to do it also. This rushing to finish the list as the race is going green is annoying, especially after they just spent 10 minutes talking about the concession stand.

[BloomerHarvickFan]

but when you watch the big boys on Sunday afternoons, it's up to the drivers to plug their sponsors, not the series announcers?

I am not a fan of the overkill on sponsor mentions either, but I think the primary reason you don't see it so much in NASCAR is the conflict between team sponsors and network/NASCAR sponsors. I even remember back in the early 00s, when Fox actually took the sponsors off a lot of cars in the pre-race intro graphics. This drew a bunch of complaints and they stopped doing this. But, I suspect that's why you don't hear nearly as much about the sponsors from the booth.

[dirtcrazy4u]

I bet you'd all like to her your business name mentioned when your reaching in your pocket to help a team out. I know of some that make it a point to tell folks I stopped here for a bite to eat because you sponsor so and so. You have a mute button, you don't want to hear it, push it. Nah, I'd rather b*tch. WTF

[TheJet-09]

^^^ But if you read what I specifically said, who has ever really done that ^^^ based on hearing it during a short-track race broadcast? They spit the stuff out so fast, you'd have to go back and replay it a couple times to actually make out what the announcer said? If a sponsor wants to hear their name out there, give your driver the resources to win and get interviewed. If they can't, then make sure your business name is displayed well enough on the car that I can see it. I don't need to hear that the Rocket house car is sponsored by Valvoline...I can see it plastered all over the darn thing.

And consider it b*tchin' if you want, but where does sitting back and accepting everything as is get us? In anything?

[Tireguy17]

James Essex lists off every sponsor for every car during TT's and yes its excessive considering how fast he has to say them all, it all just blurs together. Fans watching online and in attendance get nothing out of it he is rattling them off so fast. If I was to suggest a change it would be to drop the product sponsors and just hit the major sponsors. If said driver gets interviewed then its on the driver to list them all off, which most do VERY POORLY! If their sponsorship is important to a team the driver should know them all by memory. Sheppard and Overton are 2 that come to mind that do a good job.

[Pennsboro32]

As someone who sponsors a few teams, I enjoy it. What else is there to say during qualifying?

[Highside Hustler25]

Gotta love when a racer has to examine one's car to read the sponsors off.