Edwards Hires Driver/ Gene Simmons on Wind Tunnel/ Cup Rainout
Shepherd to Drive for Edwards
Canadian Peter Shepherd will be announced Monday as the driver of the No. 99 Carl Edwards/ R.E. Technologies Racing Silver Crown™ car owned by Carl Edwards. The 19-year-old finished in the top of the Roush Racing Driver X program. The 2004 CASCAR Rookie of the Year’s first race will be this weekend at Homestead Miami Speedway.
Also expect another driver announcement Monday from another Silver Crown team.
Simmons Sells the IRL on Wind Tunnel
Gene Simmons sold the IRL Sunday night on Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain.
Many longtime IRL critics don’t like the idea of bringing in someone like Simmons to run the series’ marketing campaign.
“Be suspicious, make us prove ourselves,” Simmons responded. “I went to Texas for an IRL race and it was unreal. It is the best product on planet earth period. I am Indy is a culture and a feeling. The only prerequisite to coming to a race is the love of Indy.”
Gene Simmons went on to say that he would personally be at every race
and that they were planning a “yellow brick road” type thing that will lead to the Indy 500. The ex rocker said the series had not been marketing itself to non-fans. He said that he wants to make non-IRL fans feel comfortable coming to a race. He admitted that the series does need more American drivers but he is doing his part adding PJ Chesson and Carmelo Anthony. Anthony will not only reach out to a new audience but help build diversity in the IRL. (We will touch on that in a later blog.) Simmons defended the foreign drivers in the series saying that other drivers are here because they desired to come here. It was their dream. Indy is the United Nations of Racing. Simmons said the marketing program isn’t about him saying..
“I am an amateur at the IRL, I just love it. Danica will leave your ass in the dust. You never know who might win. Indy should become part of your life.”
Gene Simmons said it was wrong that at times last season that Danica Patrick was the main focus of the IRL’s marketing campaign saying that it wasn’t fair to her or the other competitors for her to be the sole marketing tool of the IRL.
The Bottom Line
“Doesn’t matter how much press we get,” Gene Simmons told Dave Despain. “It only matters that we get people to the race.”
That is the key issue. Butts in the stands. Getting the people there, educating them and getting them excited. That is what got me excited about the IRL. The Foyt-Luyendyk at my first IRL race at Texas Motor Speedway. Then later, watching the super close finishes at Texas, Chicago and Kansas. That is what made me a fan. Getting the new folks there and showing them a good time is that will grow the series. The old timer fans are needed but if the series is ever going to catch up with NASCAR. It must have new fans. That 8is what Simmon’s marketing campaign is about.
Wind Tunnel will reair on SPEED at 2am and 10am eastern.
NASCAR Rainout
The Cup race at Atlanta was rained out today. The event has been rescheduled for Monday morning on FX.
Still photo images courtesy of R.E. Technologies, SPEED and the Indy Racing League.
Canadian Peter Shepherd will be announced Monday as the driver of the No. 99 Carl Edwards/ R.E. Technologies Racing Silver Crown™ car owned by Carl Edwards. The 19-year-old finished in the top of the Roush Racing Driver X program. The 2004 CASCAR Rookie of the Year’s first race will be this weekend at Homestead Miami Speedway.
Also expect another driver announcement Monday from another Silver Crown team.
Simmons Sells the IRL on Wind Tunnel
Gene Simmons sold the IRL Sunday night on Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain.
Many longtime IRL critics don’t like the idea of bringing in someone like Simmons to run the series’ marketing campaign.
“Be suspicious, make us prove ourselves,” Simmons responded. “I went to Texas for an IRL race and it was unreal. It is the best product on planet earth period. I am Indy is a culture and a feeling. The only prerequisite to coming to a race is the love of Indy.”
Gene Simmons went on to say that he would personally be at every race
and that they were planning a “yellow brick road” type thing that will lead to the Indy 500. The ex rocker said the series had not been marketing itself to non-fans. He said that he wants to make non-IRL fans feel comfortable coming to a race. He admitted that the series does need more American drivers but he is doing his part adding PJ Chesson and Carmelo Anthony. Anthony will not only reach out to a new audience but help build diversity in the IRL. (We will touch on that in a later blog.) Simmons defended the foreign drivers in the series saying that other drivers are here because they desired to come here. It was their dream. Indy is the United Nations of Racing. Simmons said the marketing program isn’t about him saying..
“I am an amateur at the IRL, I just love it. Danica will leave your ass in the dust. You never know who might win. Indy should become part of your life.”
Gene Simmons said it was wrong that at times last season that Danica Patrick was the main focus of the IRL’s marketing campaign saying that it wasn’t fair to her or the other competitors for her to be the sole marketing tool of the IRL.
The Bottom Line
“Doesn’t matter how much press we get,” Gene Simmons told Dave Despain. “It only matters that we get people to the race.”
That is the key issue. Butts in the stands. Getting the people there, educating them and getting them excited. That is what got me excited about the IRL. The Foyt-Luyendyk at my first IRL race at Texas Motor Speedway. Then later, watching the super close finishes at Texas, Chicago and Kansas. That is what made me a fan. Getting the new folks there and showing them a good time is that will grow the series. The old timer fans are needed but if the series is ever going to catch up with NASCAR. It must have new fans. That 8is what Simmon’s marketing campaign is about.
Wind Tunnel will reair on SPEED at 2am and 10am eastern.
NASCAR Rainout
The Cup race at Atlanta was rained out today. The event has been rescheduled for Monday morning on FX.
Still photo images courtesy of R.E. Technologies, SPEED and the Indy Racing League.
posted by Blake Johnson at 5:00 PM
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