CORR: Douglas Motorsports - committed on and off the track

Avon, Ind. - Scott Douglas and Douglas Motorsports, Inc. know how to win on and off the racetrack. The long time off-road competitor spent his "off-season" traveling across the country appearing at several shows for his sponsors.

"This is a pretty normal year for me as far as traveling in the off-season," said Douglas, who was on the road to Wisconsin to get ready for the 2001 CORR EXXON Superflo Series.

In November, Douglas was preparing to compete in the Baja 2000. Between the pre-running trips for the Baja 2000, Douglas made appearances for several of his sponsors in Las Vegas at the 2000 SEMA Show.

This routine has been normal for Douglas Motorsports, Inc. the past three years. The journey continued in early December. Appearing for Tenneco Automotive and RANCHO, Douglas traveled from his shop in Wisconsin to Orlando, Fla. to appear at the Wide World of Sports at Walt Disney World. Wisconsin to Orlando-approximately 1,500 miles.

The next leg of the journey was Orlando to Memphis, Tenn. for the Grand Opening at the new 4-wheel Parts Center. Orlando to Memphis-853 miles. Douglas Motorsports, Inc. went back to Wisconsin for a brief Christmas break before heading to California. The trip from Memphis back to Wisconsin-a mere 750 miles.

Douglas Motorsports, Inc. then ventured to California for the Los Angeles Auto Show. Wisconsin to Los Angeles-approximately 2,340 miles. The last stop on the "Douglas Motorsports, Inc. Tour" was to Oklahoma City. LA to Oklahoma City-1,383 miles.

Douglas had 1000 miles left on his extensive travel schedule-Okalahoma City back to Wisconsin. In all, they traveled nearly 8,000 miles from the end of October to the first week of March. To put that in perspective, the distance from Miami, Fla. to Seattle, Wash. is 3,334 miles. 8,000 miles would allow a round trip from Miami to Seattle with 1,332 miles to spare.

"They are [attending shows for sponsors] beneficial to me because they keep me in the loop with my sponsors, but it's very beneficial for the sponsors because they are able to showcase their truck all over the country and leverage their sponsorship," Douglas said.

As a veteran in the Motorsports Industry, Douglas' experience and dedication to racing has been rewarding for he and his major sponsors, who include RANCHO, Dynamax, Ford, BF Goodrich, Reider Racing, Precision Gear, Ingersoll Rand, Club Car, K & N Filters, Justice Brothers, How Performance, ATD Transmissions, Auto Meter, KC Highlites, MSD and Borg Warner.

How does a team obtain such quality sponsors? The key, according to Douglas, is winning on and off the track. Sure, winning races is important, but committing time and energy off the racetrack is just as essential.

Douglas stated that it is a good idea to ask what you can do to help. What shows or appearances can you make? Can you attend a sales conference or be a guest speaker at any meetings? These are just a few of the things that he suggested could be done to assist sponsors.

In essence, make the sponsor feel they are not simply putting their name on the side of a vehicle and providing financial supportmake each sponsor feel they are getting more out of their sponsorship-both on and off the track.

Off the track, it is also important to spend time answering questions for fans and interested observers. During a race weekend, the mindset is racing, so it is difficult spending the time Douglas would like to answer questions. However, during the off-season, he has the chance to relax and focus on the questions.

"It actually has been pleasant because of the fact that we have a little more time to take in what they (the fans) are saying about the sport and our team," said Douglas. Douglas was pleasantly surprised during his trip to Orlando, Fla., where there seems to be a strong CORR fan base.

"Of all the people I had contact with in Florida, about two-thirds had seen the racing (on ESPN 2), and probably half could tell you details about certain races that they've watched," he said.

"The neatest thing about it was not only have they seen it (the CORR EXXON Superflo Series) on TV, but they were able to pick out different portions of different races and focus on the details of the races," Douglas said.

Although they remained extremely busy the past few months, Douglas Motorsports, Inc. have had time to prepare for the 2001 season. Between each show, they were working on the truck. Following a disappointing season in 2000, Douglas and his team want to get back to their winning ways.

They had their first test session March 1, and will have a second test session in a few weeks.

"The last month or so has been pretty intense getting the truck ready," said Douglas.

Douglas Motorsports, Inc. and their sponsors are hungry for victory in 2001, and with their desire and commitment to racing, they will be ready.

www.douglasmotorsports.com.

-Todd Kaho