[jeff burmeister]

Everyone -

While at Ojibwe this past weekend, I had an impromptu meeting with both the producers of the Speed Channel show and the Media/Marketing Team for the SCCA during a service.

The topic of discussion was; "How do we get more information about teams for the TV show so that we can improve the quality of the coverage for all of the classes?"

With the number of teams entering each ProRally, it is impossible for one person to know all of the details for every team in every class. I know first hand from when I was the associate producer in the past. So, what we are asking each and every team to do is this.

Write a short press release for each event you attend. Then send that release to us here at specialstage.com (News-at-Specialstage.com) and to the Media team at the SCCA (Ckitchen-at-SCCA.com) This way, when your car is on the program, they have some details and information to talk about. Remember to include team background information as well.

The press release doesn?t need to be long, four to six paragraphs are ideal. It needs to be sent in a timely manner. Try to get them in no later then five days after the event conclusion.

If you want to have your press release posted here on SpecialStage, include a copyright free photo of your car in action, and we will post it on our front page.

Thanks,
Jeff Burmeister
SpecialStage.com
The North American Rally Resource

 

[Chris Powell]

.

 

[gplsek]

Very interesting Chris, where do you get your information to base the statements you made here from?

I would love know.

-george

 

[jeff burmeister]

Chris -

I didn't ask for your input, nor did I ask a question on how you think people should make / pay for / or fund a TV program that the members of the SCCA don't pay for. (we should be damn thankful to Subaru, Mitsubishi, and the Air Force Reserve for letting someone other then their own cars be in it)

Your comments are yet another shinning example of people trying making the worst out of someones intent to help others.

But I do want to applaud you for being the first to jump on a topic that is intended to help people, and to successfully turn it into a contest to see who can belittle and berate the best. Well done!!!

I am sad to say that there are most likely 25 other people out there that are sad to see you beat them to the post... This is the exact type of behaviour that has made myself and the rest of the staff here, wonder why we continue to pay for your usage of this forum.

I am sorry that I'm trying to help you and the rest of the people here on our website to improve something that everyone seems hell bent on destroying.

So to sum up my very pissed off reply, Be constructive or leave.

Jeff Burmeister
SpecialStage.com
The North American Rally Resource

 

[Greg Donovan]

thank you jeff! and btw good job this weekend. akley cutoff was pretty nasty on friday w/all those extra washouts and dips wasnt it!
greg
fill in rookie codriver
#558

 

[Chris Powell]

Jeff, George, and all others concerned...sorry, I was venting some immediate frustration about other SCCA issues and got off into something fairly unrelated. Please accept my apologies.

CP

 

[Audi UrQ]

Chris - I don't think Jeff was actually suggesting that event TV coverage would include BIO info for ALL teams. Just that access to a database of general and event specific info about a team would make the TV coverage more interesting when showing news-worthy teams that end up in the coverage. News-worthy teams are not necessarily only manufacturers, but also e.g. class winners, most improved teams, those who made up the most time in the rally, teams that DNF / go off, and maybe even general interest items e.g. if a team has a specially interesting story about how they got started in rallying etc.

One thing that I would like to see added to the TV coverage that someone else brought up some time ago is a list of credits at the end of the coverage showing ALL competitiors (including those that DNF'd etc.). With most rallies capping entries at around 80, it wouldn't take but 60 seconds or so to scroll through a list of 80 driver / co-driver names in finish order. That way even the litte guy has something to show for his efforts, use to try and entice sponsors etc. Competitor to sponsor : "Look, see, I even got mentioned on national TV".

Anyway, I'm just happy to actually have coverage of national events since most of us grass-roots level competitors don't make it to most national events, and that there are people that are genuinely interested and actively trying to improve the coverage.

 

[Chris Powell]

Piers,

I understand that it wouldn't cover all the teams...I was ripping about something unrelated, and I shouldn't have done so here...I was a bit irrational at the time. I have removed my original post, so everyone can move on without being distracted. Again, my apologies.

CP

 

[Texrex]

Does this include the club guys? How about something about the workers that come out and spend all weekend to make the rally run smoothly? You guys should be thankful for the coverage you got ;-)

 

[go fast photo]

Or, How about the photog's that cover the events? I love doing it. The smell of hot brakes, racing gas, and the 3 lattes it took to get me on stage at 7am, priceless. I wish I could go to every event. I wonder what ROCKSTAR tastes like with coffee, I think it just might work. Hope to see George and Jeff at WW.
Chris..gofastphoto

 

[jeff burmeister]

{a distant ghost-like voice says...}

"if you write 'em, he will post...."


and Rockstar with coffee isn't great, but Diet RockStar with a little shot of expresso is a real eye opener...

We'll see you out there Chris if we can get this thing about only being allowed to register for the Pro event for Wild West on Thursday cleared up. The team, crew, and myself bought our Air tickets last week and changing them for this new post about registration restrictions will run in the thousands of dollars to change.

It might be cheaper to skip it and do something else.

Jeff Burmeister
SpecialStage.com
The North American Rally Resource

 

[Pete Kuncis]

>Or, How about the photog's that cover the events? I love
>doing it. The smell of hot brakes, racing gas, and the 3
>lattes it took to get me on stage at 7am, priceless. I wish
>I could go to every event. I wonder what ROCKSTAR tastes
>like with coffee, I think it just might work. Hope to see
>George and Jeff at WW.
>Chris..gofastphoto

Amen, especially to the race gas part.

Pete

 

[Morgan]

I've seen the back of your head a few times on the show, isn't that enough?}>

 

[Trevor Donison]

>.

If you are going to stick your neck out and say something, at least be a man and leave it up.

 

[Chris Powell]

Not here, not now. I already choked on my own foot once, don't make me do it again with that response Trevor.

 

[Bruce]

The answer to all these "what-ifs" is that if you DON'T send in any information, you can be ASSURED that none will get on TV.

Bruce

 

[AlanPerry]

And if you have a press release already written, you should also send it to [email protected].

alan

>Write a short press release for each event you attend. Then
>send that release to us here at specialstage.com
>(News-at-Specialstage.com) and to the Media team at the SCCA
>(Ckitchen-at-SCCA.com) This way, when your car is on the
>program, they have some details and information to talk
>about. Remember to include team background information as
>well.
>
>The press release doesn?t need to be long, four to six
>paragraphs are ideal. It needs to be sent in a timely
>manner. Try to get them in no later then five days after the
>event conclusion.

 

[Chad]

Hi Jeff,

I don't run in the ProRally's in the US so this doesn't concern me too much, though I do run in National Rallies up here in Canada which get coverage from SportsNet. CARS entrants were asked to do basically the same thing (bio and fact sheets) for all National events and I think for the most part, the coverage has been improving and has made use of this 'grass roots' data.

In conjunction with that, I would also would make a suggestion to you about the SCCA coverage. While the top teams should get most of the coverage (some of them infact pay the bills for the show), I think that there should be a section in the 1 hour show, that reels through some of the exciting shots of the race. Whoever they are. I KNOW that there are drivers, while in slower cars who are pushing it and have some exciting driving on video. But just something to really capture peoples attention. So what in the style of Sports Action vidoes, edited with music.

Lots of other race programs, not nessicarily motorsport, have a energetic reel edited together in the mist of the regular race coverage.

Just some thoughts for you and those involved.

Cheers,

 

[go fast photo]

>I've seen the back of your head a few times on the show,
>isn't that enough?}>
But you can never read the hat!!! That's funny, I always see Todd's mug from the in car footage. Is he secretly a rally hood ornament?
Chris

 

[Morgan]

>But you can never read the hat!!! That's funny, I always see
>Todd's mug from the in car footage. Is he secretly a rally
>hood ornament?
>Chris


You mean like this}>

http://mysite.verizon.net/vze2j5nz/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/img0046.jpg