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October 28, 2006
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WSORR Press Release
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WORLD SERIES OF OFF-ROAD RACING
World Headquarters: PO Box 99 Crandon, WI 54520
WSORR: A FEW QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
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The Lucas Oil World Series of Off-Road Racing has received a multitude
of emails, telephone calls and faxes. We thought it would be helpful
to issue a "Q&A" and share those questions and answers with all racers
and sponsors. Here is a sampling:
Is there a web site address for World Series of Off-Road Racing (WSORR)?
A domain name has been registered! That domain name is
www.wsorr.com.
The site has been under construction and is nearing completion. As
soon as it is up and running we will announce it to racers, sponsors,
promoters and the media. As the Series already has a title sponsor and
presenting sponsor, those founding sponsors are being liberally
featured on the site. The
www.wsorr.com site will not only provide all
of the information you need to be a part of our exciting Series, but
also act as a conduit for you to communicate to us your ideas about
how we can make off-road racing better.
How do I join WSORR?
Membership material will be available on-line once the web site is
operational and will also be mailed to racers and others. Excluding
last season, this material will be available as it has in the past --
no later than the first part of January. As most of you know,
membership has its privileges -- first on board will be the first to
get the PR!
How do I get my hands on a WSORR logo?
An official WSORR logo is attached to this email. This is our
inaugural logo. We are looking at several derivatives and a you can
look for a new logo before the 2007 season begins.
Do we have to use Lucas Oil to race with WSORR?
Lucas Oil makes great products of the highest quality and it works.
And Lucas Oil was founded in the Midwest (Indiana). And Lucas Oil has
carefully watched the growth of off-road racing for many, many years
from SODA to CORR to WSORR in the Midwest and are 1,000% supportive of
short course off-road racing. We deeply appreciate their title
sponsorship of the World Series. The WSORR and Lucas Oil have no
"exclusivity" with regards to the brand of oil to be used in vehicles
racing in the Series. Everyone is welcome and there will be fair
competition. Competition helps make more and better products. Truck
makers, tire makers, soft drinks, energy drinks, oil companies and
more are all competing to prove they have the best products. The Lucas
title sponsorship remains the same that has been in place for many
years and the same policy that has been employed at Crandon Raceway
for many years: Win on the track. The racing action is the true
battleground. Win on the track, with any product, and you will be
recognized in WSORR publicity, WSORR TV and with WSORR awards. For the
past 5 years, Lucas Oil has earned oil exclusivity from a marketing
perspective within the Series and on television. This will continue.
Make no mistake: Lucas Oil is a sponsor because they believe in
grassroots racing and this method of marketing helps them merchandise
and move product -- lots and lots of it -- off the shelves, through
distributors and more. Thus, for their enormous investment in the
Series they are entitled to a substantial amount of exposure.
What about the concept of class reps? Will that be used for the
WSORR?
Definitely. WSORR will maintain the Sportsman class rep structure. In
has been in place for many years and works. In fact, Jake Flannery,
WSORR Chief Race Steward, and Cliff Flannery, have been in contact
with the class reps, seeking opinions and opening lines of
communication.
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Does WSORR have a rules package yet?
Rules for all classes are not expected to change. There may be some
small evolutionary changes but nothing "revolutionary". Jake Flannery
and Cliff Flannery have contacted class reps and meetings will be held
on Saturday, November 11, prior to the "Night of Champions" banquet.
During this inaugural transition year, we don't expect any major rule
changes. Once input is received from class reps and drivers, some
modifications to rules may be announced. We will be adopting a "SAFETY
FAST" motto. Right now, we like the parity across the classes. Look at
the Series champions and the World Champions for 2006. Any driver can
win on any given day. There were three different Cup winners this
year: Greaves (13th annual FCP Chairman's Cup), Douglas (12th annual
BorgWarner Shootout), Oberg (Jason Baldwin Cup) -- that's all good!
What's the deal on the November 11 "Night of Champions" banquet?
We are going to honor 2006 Crandon Pro and Sportsman World Champions.
We are going to honor 2006 CORR Sportsman Series Champions. We will
present Scott Douglas the $7,500 BorgWarner "King of Off-Road Racing"
trophy and display the $125,000 BorgWarner Cup with his name and the
Ford logo. We are going to pay out contingency awards and thank the
sponsors for providing those substantial awards. All Sportsman will
receive a 2006 season highlights DVD. And, we have a few other
surprises planned. Racers, sponsors, promoter's will all be in
attendance. We are going to talk about the future of off-road racing
-- the Lucas Oil World Series and the monster payback made possible by
the Forest County Potawatomi in 2007. There will be presentations by
sponsors. It will be crowded. We'll be issuing a media release about
the banquet soon so that all racers -- Sportsman and Pro --get the
recognition they deserve.
I read where there is a 3-year TV package on SPEED Channel. Does
that include Sportsman, too?
Right now, the TV package in place is for the Pro classes for 16
rounds of racing. As already noted, the WSORR will be shown on SPEED
nationally in prime-time and we are elated to be able to secure that
for our Series. That contract has been signed for three long years and
that gives us unprecedented long-term commitment. Beyond that, certain
critical components of the TV deal, above and beyond the traditional
package, are still being negotiated with SPEED and our title sponsor,
Lucas Oil. We don't want to create any false hopes in terms of what
might happen. Those are the facts for now. The minute we have
finalized specifics of the TV package we will announce it so racers
can continue to pursue their sponsorship efforts. Our own Series
sponsorship packages will be enhanced tremendously based on what we
are able to secure for TV so you can be assured we are making every
effort so that we finish these negotiations successfully. We have gone
ahead and announced the three-year TV deal to help clear the air about
the validity of the WSORR. The World Series is a legitimate touring
Series bringing stability and credibility and a three-year sponsor and
TV package to a sport that needs it. That we have racing in the
Midwest next year and that we have sponsors that care about seeing
that racing continue when there may have been none at all, well, that
makes all the rest gravy, at least for 2007!
Will there be a WSORR contingency program?
Yes. Contingency is critical to both racers and sponsors. A
contingency program fully supported and administered by WSORR will be
announced.
Will there be name changes to the Sportsman classes?
WSORR is not expecting any name changes in the inaugural transition
year. That being said, we are working on a list of alternative names
such as "Sprint" and "Super Sprint" or "Formula Dirt Car" and the
like. As many veterans racers recall, the current class names arose
from the SODA-CORR transition in 1997. That first year did NOT include
the Sportsman. CORR was "Pro Only". At that time, we found ourselves
in a similar situation as today. Eliminating the non-truck classes was
never an option. We had about the same time frame to do something
quickly. Thus, Crandon, with the help of Jim Conner, mounted a "CORR
Sportsman" effort. Some of you probably remember the famous Sportsman
"Crown Rounds"! WSORR is looking at various names. We are also
interested in input on whether the "Sportsman" terminology is a
hindrance or benefit when seeking sponsorship. We are also reaching
out to other national sanctioning bodies and doing research about
unification of names.
Who is running the WSORR?
The WSORR has made several appointments and these have been announced.
The WSORR staff will have experience. The WSORR will have
accountability. If it is as simple as returning a phone call or
issuing a "Q&A", the WSORR will respond. Presently on-board are Doug
Davis as General Manager working with sponsors and overall management;
Jake Flannery as Chief Race Steward and head of Finance; Cliff
Flannery heading up Track Operations. We recently announced Steve
Weiss to head up communications and the PR end of WSORR. Right there
you have 100 of years of combined experience in racing, primarily the
management of off-road racing. We have more significant staff
announcements to make that will add even more expertise, experience,
off-road racing knowledge and accountability to WSORR. We are very
excited about our upcoming announcements regarding contingency
director and for our business affairs manager. Jake Flannery and Cliff
Flannery are examining credentials of individuals for both competition
and tech. Our founding sponsors -- Lucas Oil, Forest County Potawatomi
and BorgWarner -- are providing a guiding hand. The WSORR is already
representing these powerhouse sponsors. We anticipate announcing
additional sponsors soon. As far as we are concerned, the WSORR
represents the interests of its sponsors in the sport of off-road
racing. They have put their faith and trust and financial support
behind us. They expect accountability. They expect a high level of
performance. They expect us to keep our word. They expect the WSORR to
be a first class act. So, sponsors are part of the WSORR "staff" as
well. Any one with a sponsorship should keep this in mind. The minute
you put on a sponsor polo shirt or jacket, you are representing that
company, you are a partner with that sponsor and that sponsor has
expectations. You can do whatever you want in your own bathing suit.
When is a complete schedule going to be announced?
It is our intention to have a complete schedule in place by the
November 11 "Night of Champions" banquet. We have waited to announce a
full race schedule until all Series-Track negotiations are completed
and binding. WSORR will be issuing media releases about these tracks
in the future. Jake Flannery and Cliff Flannery have headed up the
track evaluation process, speaking with a number of drivers and
promoters. They will also be seeking input during the pre-banquet
driver meetings about possible venues for 2008 and 2009. For
television and sponsor purposes, the WSORR must tour the Midwest and
beyond. We are very enthusiastic about holding a potential event at
the Lucas Oil Speedway facility in Wheatland, MO. This track is
nick-named "the Diamond in the Dirt". You can check it out for
yourself at
www.lucasoil.com.
Thanks for sending out the mailing. In that package was a sample
schedule with dates. An "alternate date" of September 15th was shown.
Was that for the banquet?
No. That was an alternate racing weekend "rain date". Currently we
don't anticipate a need to use that date in 2007.
Will the race vehicle numbering system change?
No changes are anticipated for class numbering systems.
I heard there may be changes to the points system. Is that true?
WSORR is examining the points system. We believe it is in need of
modernization and can be improved and made more fair. Electronic
timing has been a boon for off-road and all racing. Any modification
of the points system will be announced at the "Night of Champions"
banquet.
Will there be any new classes introduced?
Part of the WSORR business model for the next three years is
developing a truck class or classes with cost containment. That is,
affordable, yet exciting racing of current model year off-road race
trucks. We have been speaking with the light-duty truck manufacturers
and others about such a class to gauge their interest. To be
successful, and to gain valuable television time, a well thought out
plan needs to be developed and marketed first to the truck makers and
then, further, to the tire OEs. We think an affordable "spec" class --
first in 2-wheel drive and then extended to 4x4 -- will have broad
appeal nationally and draw in a new cadre of racers. We intend to
continue to support the current proven short-course classes because
there is obviously a desire on the part of competitors to make these
classes grow as well.
What's this about the "Mystique of Midwest Racing"?
The Lucas Oil World Series of Off-Road Racing is based in the Midwest
-- off-road's "Mecca" -- where this form of racing has a birth right
of nearly four decades. During this span, racers, fans, and sponsors
have passionately supported off-road racing and that tradition
continues and grows with the WSORR. This "Midwest Mystique" has always
attracted the top talent, the top competitors and the WSORR will
continue to attract the best of the best. We have had racers tell us
they drive down into the valley at Crandon and see the big round track
sign and they can feel the hairs tingling on the back of their neck.
They know they are in for a fun and rewarding weekend. That's the
"Midwest Mystique". And the "Midwest Mystique" needs to be extended to
other regions of the country. The Bark River and Crandon race
facilities have a combined 71 years of off-road racing experience,
dedication and investment in the sport. No other organization can make
that statement. The WSORR has the most prestigious Cup in off-road
racing -- the BorgWarner Cup, sibling to the Indy 500 Trophy! No other
organization can make that statement. The WSORR has the FCP Chairman's
Cup -- the longest running "heavy metal" challenge cup of its type in
the nation! No other organization can make that statement. Series
sponsors are lining up to be part of the WSORR. Lucas Oil, Forest
County Potawatomi and BorgWarner have major three-year deals with the
World Series. This whole "Midwest Mystique" discussion deserves an
announcement of its own. We will go to work on it.
