“Smokey Yunick’s idea is good, and this was one of the better ones, talking about the problems that are going on,” said Tom Donahore, Donahoe’s Race Engines, Melbourne, Florida, about the Industry Roundtable. “One of the biggest problems we have is how much your money buys. In this Roundtable they’re trying to address this problem.”
Many years ago, Yunick created a forum to discuss the critical issues in racing today. With TV race commentator and former crew chief great Jeff Hammond as the moderator, this year’s panel consisted of the following:
•Robin Miller, race journalist
•Dennis Huth, president of ASA
•Gill Campbell, CEO & general manager of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
•Carl Wegner, founder of Wegner Motorsports (oval track engine builder)
•Gray Garrison, promoter for Bowman Gray Stadium
•Hugh Scully, MD, chairman of the International Council of Motorsports Sciences
•Scooter Brothers, director of R&D and part-owner of Competition Cams and organizer of the AETC, chairman of SEMA
•Ray Wilkings, general manager of NHRA’s Atlanta Dragway
•Brian Carter, CEO of World Racing Group
Issues that were addressed included the cost of racing, entry-level safety and advances in safety over the years, getting more young people involved in racing, and professional drivers representing the sport to gain more fan presence in the stands. It was noted that more drivers should make themselves accessible to fans, essentially bringing a bigger audience to the track and encouraging more youngsters to partake in the sport of racing.
“I thought it was excellent,” stated Mike Onderko, Onderko Motosports, Nazareth, Pennsylvania. “It’s something that we deal with on a daily basis, something that my team, my driver and I talk about constantly. Safety is number one. Then how to get sponsors, keep sponsors, how to deal with the fans, how to deal with the media, how to deal with running a team with the economy like it is today.
“It was a fantastic panel; very well spoken. They certainly know what they’re talking about,” Onderko noted.
“It was good, it was interesting,” added Kevin Pemberton, Mettec, Carson City, Nevada. “They talked about some good points, especially about getting more people involved in racing, which is hard to do. And the safety issues, that’s a big thing, and how to get people to use the safety equipment that’s out there. I see it every week out at the race track—it’s there, people just don’t use it. There was a lot of good insight.”
The panel also had some fun along the way, telling racing stories from the past. Some good Yunick stories were told as well as other racing memories, which brought laughter from the crowd of hundreds who came to experience this roundtable of insights.
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