THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX
DRO always wants to give praise when praise is due in the drag racing world and this time it's to John Drummond of Goodguys in promoting the 9th
Pomona Nitro Nationals this weekend.
Drummond convinced the morning news producers at Channel 5 KTLA television in Los Angeles to bring out a reporter and crew for a live segment about the Goodguys race on their popular morning news show.
The billboard for the show at 7:00 a.m. had the reporter sitting in a vintage
Goodguys Chrysler station wagon next to VRA Tech Director Larry Westervel and then heading down Parker Avenue with a roadster in the other lane for a teaser. The home viewers were treated to an almost 5-minute on-camera explanation of Goodguys VRA racing by Drummond with questions from reporter Gayle Anderson.
At 8:00 a.m. Anderson showed Gary Turner's "Pedaler" Arrow flopper (shown) with the crew getting ready with the obligatory reporter comment on funny cars, "I don't see anybody laughing."
Shortly afterward the KTLA traffic chopper made a pass over the Fairplex strip while the
crew readied a nostalgia dragster on the starting line. After another commercial break two nitro funny cars fired while file footage of last season's Pomona Goodguys event played. The floppers made their burnouts with the KTLA reporter and Drummond at the guardrail while the helicopter picked up the action from the air.
Not bad exposure for a down day at the drags while racers lined up their transporters for the weekend. Total TV time for the sanctioning body: approximately 12 to 13 minutes for the cost of a few phone calls to the right people. Goodguys didn't pay for the crew, segment, or helicopter, but got thousands of dollars in real exposure for one of their premier drag racing events.
A tip of the Agent's tin-foil hat with the antenna to Mr. Drummond for a job well done, but the Agent suggests he lose the shorts for his next cameo TV appearance. . .oh, those legs! (Bryan Ellis photo) [5-5-2006]
TODD TO GET SKULL SHINE SPONSORSHIP
Tuttle Motorsports has just announced that Skull Shine and Torco Racing Fuels are now the team's primary sponsor, which will enable driver JR Todd to compete full time on the NHRA POWERade tour.
Todd's new paint scheme will be similar to that of current NHRA points leader Melanie Troxel, who also carries the Skull Shine banner. Currently, the cars are being painted and the trailers are getting vinyl wrapped in preparation for the Pontiac Performance Nationals in Columbus Ohio, May 18 -21. [5-5-2006]
