Very disapointing Media coverege

[Joey Jo Jo]

I live about 55 minutes from The Milwaukee Mile in the north suburbs of Chicago. Most People here don't even think of going north to Milwaukee for entertainment. The media here is focused on Chicago. I saw in the Sun Times a listing of ten things to do this weekend and was very disappointed in what I saw. Aside from Blues fest and a NHARA race in Joliet(promoted with a Picture) and some others, number ten was QUOTE

"The nation's oldest major speedway - The Milwaukee Mile -
Celebrates its 100th anniversary this year and will host
The second annual Milwaukee Rally, a free admission
National bike rally that welcome all motorcycle makes
and models. Starting Thursday, there will be live
music, contests, vendors, a fish fry, demonstrations
and more."

And More!!!!!! no mention at all that there is even a race????
Does anyone else see any thing wrong?

[BootsOntheSide]

I guess the CART media people have a lot more work to do. It's pretty disgraceful that something like that can be printed, without mention of the main race. The publicity for international races has been superb, with coups like having Manning's car in the centre of London, but faux pas like this will see more ground lost to IRL and NASCAR.

[KC]

I don't think there is a lot that CART media people can do. You have to understand that in major cities, all the coverage is city-centric. Chicago is so big that they are not going to ever give more than minor token reference to anything outside the city. Thats how it is. That is the arrogant attitude of a lot of large city dwellers who think the rest of the world is either the wild west or dense forest populated by shoeless, toothless rednecks. It does not occur to many that live all their lives in the big city that their is more to the world than their little microcosm.

Its that way in every major city around the world. Unless it happens to be an event deemed worthy by the ones controlling the media. CART is nowhere near the view of that controlling body. For that matter, after Indy, see how much coverage the IRL gets. Very little beyond what ABC tosses out because they televise it. Huge sporting events get coverage, like most stick & ball sports or NASCAR, because that is what they believe sells.

Unfortunately, its a self-fulfulling prophecy. CART or the IRL does not sell because they cannot get any attention, and they don't get attention because it won't sell and the networks ignore it. Thats is how it works. That is how the media makes their money. They create the demand for a product, then charge an arm and a leg for it, then destroy it when it fails to suit their purpose.

[Jay]

KC's right actually... even hear where the Canadian GP is a short drive away there's no mention of it at all in the local media...well...unless an F1 driver is signing autographs somewhere. Mika hakkinen was doing that a few years back.

[Neil C]

KC touched upon it. The Sun Times is not about to promote events that happen outside of where most Sun Times papers are sold. It's like the Chamber of Commerce promoting an event in a competing community.

[Jay]

I have to say though, glancing over Milwaukee's other media, you'd be hard pressed to find even a mention of the even this weekend... that's a far cry from and of Cart's Canadian venues where the race is usually the top local story and is the cover page of the newspaper for the three or four days of the event...

[Liz]

Part of that is that the Toronto Sun is the Newspaper of Record for the race and has a really big presence there. And hurrah for them too!

If you live in an area where they're having a race, why not pester your media or get together and take out an ad yourselves? Hey, it's a thought!

[Joey Jo Jo]

okay, so the Sun Times is going to promote the motorcycle rally though?? I bet the reporter had no idea what the Milwaukee Mile even is. I have heard a few ads for the race on the radio though.

[Joey Jo Jo]

Great idea Liz, I have done my best to tell anyone that will listen that there is a big event this weekend only a hour away. Part of the sales pitch is we can sit outside drink lots of beer at a major sporting event and not freeze our butts of like at a Bears game.

Perhaps next year I will contact my local newspapers. Many people in my area don't realize that there are two races within a few hours away. And now without any Chicago race I fear all of the press (what little there is) will focus on the IRL and NASCAR in Joliet.

[rush1]

If you are a sports editor for the Chicago Sun Times or Chicago Tribune you might know 2 drivers racing in Milwaukee this weekend, Jimmy Vassar and Paul Tracey. No Indy 500 winners, no Foyt, Andretti or Unser and 1 former CART champion (Vassar 7 or 8 years ago).

The IRL race in Joliet will spoltlight multiple 500 winners and CART champions like de Ferran and Unser. You tell me wich race will get more exposure?

[Omega99]

The Calgary Herald's not too bad about reporting on CART events, but not until after they've happened. Actually, usually there's only an article when a Canadian wins, but it's really improved recently to have small articles on every race, usually mentioning only where people finished and a couple of events during the race. At any rate it's burried somewhere in the middle or towards to back of the sports section. But what else could really be expected? Racing is not the top sport on anyone's minds in North America. Hockey, Baseball, Basketball, and Football will always be more recognized. CART has to make an effort to work around that though. Buy up some add space in newspapers, have commercials at times and on channels othre than those which CART is being shown. Marketing. 95% of sales is all in marketing and how something is packaged. If only they had the money to do anything

[Tailwind]

Out here in Kansas, I can't find Champ Car news in the Wichita Eagle. They do say what TV channel they will broadcast on and at what time. There was more coverage about the Coca-Cola 600 than the Indy 500. On the other hand, most weekends I find a large article on something to do with NASCAR. Now I understand that the nearest Champ Car race is in Denver which is 500 some miles away. Kansas City is about 3 hours dive and they have NASCAR there. Still, if it weren't for the internet, I wouldn't know what is going on.