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This started off as a thread about the availability of Sunoco fuel at 100 Acre Wood.
With Garret's permission, I'm sharing some correspondence that sheds light on the question about the value to the membership of our Sunoco arrangement and others on the sponsor stack.
As a side note, Sunoco will soon be sending out a marketing insert to its 750,000 credit card holders that will promote the SCCA ProRally series, including event names, dates, and web sites. This, my friends, is PROMOTION of our sport.
--- Garret Mudd wrote:
John,
I must have missed this, but I came across it as I was going through some back e-mails.
I can provide some insights on a variety of levels. The Sunoco partnership crosses all area of SCCA activities. The Performance Rally department receives a portion of their sponsorship which helps underwrite, in some way, the overall SCCA Rally program on all levels.
Also, as I mentioned at the NorPac convention, these partnerships are like any other relationship, business or personal. I don't know about you, but I didn't get a kiss on my first date with my wife (you might have been luckier than I), but clearly that relationship has progressed. Similarly with our partnership with Sunoco or any other sponsor, with proper attention they continue to grow and get better year after year.
This has clearly been the case with Sunoco. In addition to their on-site support through fuel sales, which I will address in greater detail in a minute, they will be announcing a contingency program in the near future.
In addition, they will be doing considerably more promotion of the SCCA and the ProRally program. They will be involved in other, future promotional programs that feature the SCCA.
Specifically with regard to the fuel supply. Sunoco's commitment to make high-quality fuel available at every ProRally event is not a small one on their part. As Mike referenced, it was an "above and beyond" effort on the part of the organizer to have this type of service available for competitors. With Sunoco's involvement, competitors do not need to worry about hauling fuel to events or even think about if it will be available. Competitors at all levels can now tune their engines with the knowledge that they will be able to use identical fuel at each event.
With regard to the pricing issues, it is true that there are locations where a Sunoco retailer in the general area has the same fuel at a slightly lower price. However, that is not the case in all areas where the ProRally Championship runs. In Michigan, Minnesota and Maine, for example, they have a good retail network because of the level of racing and/or snowmobiling that takes place. In other areas it would not be available within a reasonable driving distance. Even in those locations, having the fuel available "within 30 miles" translates to a one hour round trip to get it. On a Rally weekend, having the fuel readily available, generally within walking distance, is a level of service that I feel adds value to competitors. This is the case at most major road racing tracks as well. In my previous position at Lime Rock, our on-site fuel was more expensive that other retail locations in the area or even through the master distributor who was located less than an hour away. Regardless, competitors valued knowing that they would have the fuel available right there whenever they wanted it.
It is also worth noting that the Sunoco distributors and retailers who work together to service the events do have additional costs, such as the truck, transportation and staffing necessary to making the fuel that convenient for competitors. At Sno*Drift they sold just over 500 gallons of fuel. I cannot say whether that even covered their costs. Retail stations likely have 4,000 - 5,000 gallons of the fuel in ground and can sell it over the course of a month or more. In addition, they are open for other business as well so if they are not selling race fuel they will be taking in money for selling 87 octane street gas or some other products.
I haven't seen any of the comments on Special Stage, but in general I believe that competitors do feel it is a benefit to have the fuel readily and consistently available and that this level of involvement has made the sport better for competitors.
I also think that as the relationship with Sunoco continues to grow they will continue to expand their involvement with events, organizers and all areas of the sport.
Other than the general funding that Fram, Valvoline and Hawk provide to the performance rally department, we have not yet elevated those programs. We are working with each of them to increase their involvement in all areas of SCCA including Performance Rally.
Again, thanks for expressing your concerns and opinions directly. Without knowing how people feel we cannot begin to address their concerns.
Please feel free to give me a shout if you have any other questions or ideas. I look forward to seeing you at Rim.
Regards, Garret
[hr]
[p align=right]John Dillon
John @ WidgetRacing.com
www.WidgetRacing.com
With Garret's permission, I'm sharing some correspondence that sheds light on the question about the value to the membership of our Sunoco arrangement and others on the sponsor stack.
As a side note, Sunoco will soon be sending out a marketing insert to its 750,000 credit card holders that will promote the SCCA ProRally series, including event names, dates, and web sites. This, my friends, is PROMOTION of our sport.
--- Garret Mudd wrote:
John,
I must have missed this, but I came across it as I was going through some back e-mails.
I can provide some insights on a variety of levels. The Sunoco partnership crosses all area of SCCA activities. The Performance Rally department receives a portion of their sponsorship which helps underwrite, in some way, the overall SCCA Rally program on all levels.
Also, as I mentioned at the NorPac convention, these partnerships are like any other relationship, business or personal. I don't know about you, but I didn't get a kiss on my first date with my wife (you might have been luckier than I), but clearly that relationship has progressed. Similarly with our partnership with Sunoco or any other sponsor, with proper attention they continue to grow and get better year after year.
This has clearly been the case with Sunoco. In addition to their on-site support through fuel sales, which I will address in greater detail in a minute, they will be announcing a contingency program in the near future.
In addition, they will be doing considerably more promotion of the SCCA and the ProRally program. They will be involved in other, future promotional programs that feature the SCCA.
Specifically with regard to the fuel supply. Sunoco's commitment to make high-quality fuel available at every ProRally event is not a small one on their part. As Mike referenced, it was an "above and beyond" effort on the part of the organizer to have this type of service available for competitors. With Sunoco's involvement, competitors do not need to worry about hauling fuel to events or even think about if it will be available. Competitors at all levels can now tune their engines with the knowledge that they will be able to use identical fuel at each event.
With regard to the pricing issues, it is true that there are locations where a Sunoco retailer in the general area has the same fuel at a slightly lower price. However, that is not the case in all areas where the ProRally Championship runs. In Michigan, Minnesota and Maine, for example, they have a good retail network because of the level of racing and/or snowmobiling that takes place. In other areas it would not be available within a reasonable driving distance. Even in those locations, having the fuel available "within 30 miles" translates to a one hour round trip to get it. On a Rally weekend, having the fuel readily available, generally within walking distance, is a level of service that I feel adds value to competitors. This is the case at most major road racing tracks as well. In my previous position at Lime Rock, our on-site fuel was more expensive that other retail locations in the area or even through the master distributor who was located less than an hour away. Regardless, competitors valued knowing that they would have the fuel available right there whenever they wanted it.
It is also worth noting that the Sunoco distributors and retailers who work together to service the events do have additional costs, such as the truck, transportation and staffing necessary to making the fuel that convenient for competitors. At Sno*Drift they sold just over 500 gallons of fuel. I cannot say whether that even covered their costs. Retail stations likely have 4,000 - 5,000 gallons of the fuel in ground and can sell it over the course of a month or more. In addition, they are open for other business as well so if they are not selling race fuel they will be taking in money for selling 87 octane street gas or some other products.
I haven't seen any of the comments on Special Stage, but in general I believe that competitors do feel it is a benefit to have the fuel readily and consistently available and that this level of involvement has made the sport better for competitors.
I also think that as the relationship with Sunoco continues to grow they will continue to expand their involvement with events, organizers and all areas of the sport.
Other than the general funding that Fram, Valvoline and Hawk provide to the performance rally department, we have not yet elevated those programs. We are working with each of them to increase their involvement in all areas of SCCA including Performance Rally.
Again, thanks for expressing your concerns and opinions directly. Without knowing how people feel we cannot begin to address their concerns.
Please feel free to give me a shout if you have any other questions or ideas. I look forward to seeing you at Rim.
Regards, Garret
[hr]
[p align=right]John Dillon
John @ WidgetRacing.com
www.WidgetRacing.com
