Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. goes to....

....HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS!

"One stood out above the rest"...Dale, Jr.

You think????

Hendrick now has....
- Casey Mears...up and comer with his first win under his belt.
- Jimmie Johnson....defending Nextel Cup Champion.
- Jeff Gordon...shortly to be the 5-time Cup Champion.
- Dale Earnhardt, Jr....the fans most popular driver.


I think this is pretty much a dream team!

Jeff Gordon, Jimmie J and Junior. Woa....it doesn't get better than that for this race fan!

Monday, June 04, 2007

R.I.P. Mr. France

It's a sad day in NASCAR...

"Bill France, Jr. Dies at 74"

"He had a remarkable career and an even-more remarkable life. Words cannot express how much he'll be missed by myself and the rest of our family and by the NASCAR industry overall."
- Brian France, son and NASCAR chairman

Friday, May 25, 2007

Changing Tunes

"I feel really bad about this case. Basso is the worst that could happen to me - it has ruined my image. I need to fix that and right now it's a tough job."
Bjarne Riis, August, 2006

"I have taken doping. I have taken EPO. I have made errors and I would like to apologize....My jersey is at home in a cardboard box. They are welcome to come and get it. I have my memories for myself."
Bjarne Riis, May, 2007

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. leaves DEI

This has been rumored for quite some time, but here is Dale, Junior, in his own words, announcing that he will be leaving the company his father built at the end of this race season.

What will happen next? We can only wait and see. There are a lot of theories and I'm sure there is more planned than he's letting on. From the marketing/PR side of things, he's smart to do this announcement today, which, to some people, will be a negative announcement. Then, a week or month down the line announce his future plans when it can be a pure celebratory announcement.

What do you think? Will he race for himself through JR Motorsports? Will he go with Richard Childress, like his dad did (3 car or not)? Where else might he end up?

And...will DEI relinquish the 8 number and give it to Dale to race with wherever he goes next? Race teams 'own' the numbers, but that was his grandfather's number....and so much associated with Dale. I can't picture that it would be a popular decision to put someone else in the 8 car for DEI. Then again, they may just hold it like RCR is holding the 3 number for the future.

Wherever he goes and whatever he chooses to do next, I hope it is a great adventure for him. We know the fans will follow no matter where he goes.

So, what do you think?

Just a speedy tidbit for today. Thanks for stopping by.

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Tyler Hamilton in IMAX

Some of you may remember back in 2003 that there was an IMAX movie, "Brain Power" being filmed during the Tour DAY France. It was to feature Tyler Hamilton and focus on the pain a body goes through during an event like that. The film makers couldn't have known that they picked the perfect rider to focus on. This was the year that Tyler broke his collarbone early on in Le Tour and continued on every single day of Le Tour - even winning a stage. I have a poster on my wall of him winning the stage, by the way.

After the drug accusations, the film folks decided to re-film and cut out Tyler. From a PR perspective, I get it. From a film perspective, I don't. He was still the perfect, perfect specimen for pain in an event - broken collarbone on a bike...in the mountains...being more than competetive. I'll bet they have great footage. Up until now, we didn't get to see too much of it.

But, that has all changed now that my friend and fellow Spokesmen, Carlton Reid, has posted a clip on YouTube and will be posting even more on Quickrelease.tv.

Check it out. It's spectacular footage. Forget about all the drug hoopla going on and just enjoy the views in this piece.

Just a little tidbit for today. Thanks for stopping by.

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Ivan Basso

When I turned on my computer and saw the news about Ivan Basso I admit I was so sad. I look forward to hearing what he has to say today.

It's a sad day in cycling. Not because Basso wanted to be honest, but because he felt he had to do it in the first place.

More and more, I'm thinking it is time for all of us who love cycling to concentrate on every day riding. Personally, the pros are just disappointing and frustrating to me.

Just a tiny tidbit this morning. Thanks for stopping by.

Sunday, April 22, 2007

Jeff Gordon gets #76

(Photo:AP/Paul Connors)


Congratulations to Jeff Gordon and his Hendrick Motorsports team for last night's win at Phoenix. This ties him with the late Dale Earnhardt for 76 all time NASCAR wins. He mentioned last night that he didn't want his excitement to come off the wrong way (as arrogant, I assume). I think he did a nice job of showing, during his victory lap/celebration, that he knows he shares the spot on the list with one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history. Nicely done, Jeff. Nicely done.

Just a speedy tidbit for today. Thanks for stopping by.

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Tour de Georgia

Although I am not able to get to the Tour de Georgia this year (bummer), I feel as though I'm part of the fun thanks to Reva (also known as Reval Keneval to you folks). Along with her friend and wonderful husband she is making sure that BK, Tim Jackson and I are all represented on the roads.

She's also there cheering on our friend Tyler. It's been such a long time since we could be there, in person, rooting for him. We first chalked the road for Tyler back at the Longsjo Classic in Fitchburg many, many moons ago. It was a blast! I so wish I could be there, but I know Reval is doing a great job.

Thanks, Reval!!!!

Allez Tyler!

Just a cycling tidbit for today. Thanks for stopping by.

Monday, April 16, 2007

Marathon Monday

It's Marathon Monday here in New England. It's a wild, wild day here, too. Temps are in the mid-to upper 40s, which would normally be perfect for the runners. However, there is driving rain and wind gusts up to 50+mph.

The race is still set to go at an earlier time than normal (for years it's gone off at noon). This year it's 9:25am for the wheelchair race start. 9:35am for women. 10am for men. That's a little over 2 hours to go from now, but they aren't predicting that the winds will die down at all by that time.

I have a special place in my heart for the marathon and I know the race director is the best in the business, but I just hope everyone is safe today. Watch those flying branches everyone and be safe.

Just a windy tidbit today. Thanks for stopping by.

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Kryptonite Has a Blog!

It's official and you heard it here first*- Kryptonite now has an official blog. Check it out.

*Ok, you heard it here first because I author both blogs....but you knew that already. :)

Just a speedy announcement. Thanks for stopping by.

Sunday, April 08, 2007

Easter Sunday

Happy Easter to all who celebrate this holiday. To those that don't, I wish you an enjoyable day with your family and friends!

I know this blog has been neglected lately, but with all the travel I've been doing for work combined with the 11-12 hour days at the office when I'm in town, there hasn't been a lot of motivation to get on the computer when I get home. It happens.

But, a lot of the work I've been doing the public will start to see in the next couple of weeks. This week there will be a new blog in the blogosphere....and the week after that there will be a brand new website...and then a complete brand relaunch. It's a lot of work, but I think the results will be something people like. At least I hope so!

More on all that later, right now it's time to go spend some time with family. And then, tonight...watch the new Sopranos episode!!!

Hoppy, Hoppy Easter to all of you.

Thanks for stopping by.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

NASCAR & My Favorite Rock Band - Together

I don't know how I've missed this up to this point. For race fans from Boston, it doesn't get any better than this. NASCAR and the Bad Boys of Boston teaming up together for a slightly altered rendition of "Back in the Saddle" for ESPN's 2007 coverage. The concert footage was from Las Vegas and Mohegan Sun and the stages were set up like the band was at a track with race tires and equipment.

I might just need to go watch it again. NASCAR. Aerosmith. Good deal.

Just a zippy tidbit for today. Thanks for stopping by.

Sunday, March 11, 2007

It's Spring in New England

It was such a great weekend, temperature-wise, in New England that I actually saw my first recreational cyclist yesterday. Now, I've seen folks riding to work and guys that look like they are seriously training or something, all winter. I've even seen a few kids riding to school. But, you usually don't see plain ole recreational cyclists in the middle of winter here (I'd know this because I am one).

Yesterday, I saw the first! I was so excited, it made me think that maybe I should get out my bike and see what needs to be done to it before Spring really gets here. I'm so glad that guy was out there as I drove by - gives me hope that Spring is right around the corner.

Today, I saw at least 10 motorcycles go by my house, too. All kinds and colors. Another sign of spring.

Ok, I know, just like anyone else who lives in or has lived in New England, that we can still get a blizzard. Oh yes, not just snow, but an honest to goodness blizzard. But, for now, I'm enjoying my little slice of spring in New England. And...better yet, I'm thinking about my bicycle....

Just a little spring tidbit from New England. Thanks for stopping by.

Monday, March 05, 2007

Why I Blog - The Kick I Needed

So, the last month has been hectic, to say the least. Two trade shows in two different countries, an entire website needed to be written in a week - yes, a week - and the flu made an appearance during the middle of it all. Craziness, I tell you. No energy to blog after all that, especially during the flu gremlin. But, there is always someone who will kick you in the pants and make you get moving again, right? That would be New York Times Jackson (aka The Masi Guy). Truth be told, it usually is and I appreciate him for that.

I see that he's tagged me with the newest meme, "5 Reasons Why I Blog". I feel so 'in', which is too funny. But, before I start, I suggest that you read Tim's reasons. He's always a pleasurable read.

So...why do I blog (when I can find the time, that is...).....

1. Learning. I started to blog so that I could learn all about this phenomenon called 'blogging'. I wanted to learn the ins and outs and try to be a 'cool kid'. Ok, so I'm not so much of a cool kid even over a year later, but I am still learning. Even when I'm not writing, I'm reading and learning. This has been a great educational experience for me both professionally and personally.

2. Collaboration. I've met some super intelligent folks through this blog and had the good fortune of collaborating with some of them. Lee took a huge leap of faith last year and, shortly after 'meeting' me, asked me to edit a piece of his work. Going back to reason one...I learned so much from reading his work and collaborating with him - it was a complete pleasure. I've also collaborated with Tim Grahl and a host of others that I met through blogging. It's very rewarding and highly flattering. Selfishly, I hope this trend continues.

3. Conversations. I love to get to know people, hear their ideas and discuss them - even if they differ with mine - heck, especially if they differ from mine. This blog gives me another way to converse with people. The conversations that have been started here with some topics have been great fun and stimulating. Some have moved to other blogs and continued along their merry way there with additional input. I love that.

4. 'Meeting' You! So many people have come by in the last year plus and left a comment - people I have similar interests with, yet never would have met without this blog. That would be you - yes, you! I get a big 'ole grin on my face when someone new leaves a comment on a post about NASCAR (hey, how about Juan Pablo Montoya this weekend?!) or about the Tour DAY France. Someone I don't know - someone who was reading all along - someone who has similar interests and then just pops off a little comment. I really enjoy that. Keep 'em coming.

5. Having a voice. Anyone who has met me in person knows I, absolutely, have a voice! But, I mean here, in the blogosphere and in this ever changing marketing world we live in. I have a place to voice my opinions about a variety of topics and, hopefully, spark a conversation that I can learn from. I hope that I don't use this space to pontificate - I'd hate that and I try to stay away from that, but I do enjoy having a space for my voice. Thank you for indulging me.

So, there you have it. 5 reasons why I blog - maybe not as often as I'd like, but I do when I can.

And now I tag..... Tim Grahl - because, if you don't know Tim through blogging, you will in the not-so-distant-future. He's got so much going on over in his 'neighborhood'.
Rich Kelly - I know he's getting ready to go to the Bike Summit, but I like to encourage his blogging because he has good things to say....
Mike Wagner - one of those intelligent folks I've had the pleasure to 'meet' through blogging and he always, always, always teaches me something.
Jake McKee - Big in Japan honcho and one smart cookie!

Just some tidbits for tonight. Thanks for continuing to stop by after so long!

Thursday, February 08, 2007

No Floyd Landis in Le Tour This Year

Breaking Cycling News.....

Reuters is reporting that "Landis will not take part in the Tour de France". There is quite an article with full quotes from Floyd. Check it out.

Speedy tidbit for this morning. Thanks for stopping by.

Racing Tidbit

No, not cycling this time....

The countdown has begun....

Only 10 days until the Daytona 500 and the start of the NASCAR season!

NASCAR has even debuted a new website with an even more robust news section. Check it out.

Just a speedy tidbit this morning. Thanks for stopping by.

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

New Music Video

So, what do you do, in the dead of winter, if you are a famous custom motorcycle builder? Do you stay in and create more beautiful machines? Sure, but you also take time out to shoot music videos. Well, you do if you are Dave Perewitz.

Last month Dave went down to be part of the new Hank Williams, Jr. video. It's all edited now and playing on CMT. If you aren't a CMT watcher, you can catch it on everyone's favorite video site, YouTube, of course. It's "A Country Boy Can Survive" and it's a good one. Check it out.

Just a little music tidbit for you. Thanks for stopping by.

Hamilton on Landis

Yes, Tyler believes Floyd, too.
"I never rode with Floyd on the same team, but
I know him a little bit from our time together
in Spain," he said. "I don't believe he would do something
like that and I believe him when he says he's innocent."

It's great to see shots like this - it's been a long time coming. Thanks to cyclingnews.com for the great photos of Tyler's return for those of us who wish we could be there in person. This is the next best thing. More racing tomorrow!


Just another cycling tidbit. Thanks for stopping by.

On to Etoile de Besseges

It's so good to see photos like this again. Tyler Hamilton, in full racing gear, getting ready to race in Europe again.

Velonews reports that Tyler finished in the pack during his first race in two years yesterday. I'm sure he's glad that is over and done with and now he can get back to a stage race. Coincidentally, Etoile de Besseges is a five day race that starts today.

Allez, Allez, Tyler! It's good to have you back in the thick of things. Wish I could be there.

Just a little tidbit for this morning. Thanks for stopping by.

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Welcome Back, Tyler!

Today marks the return to the peloton of Tyler Hamilton! He'll be racing in the Grand Prix d'Ouverture-La Marseillaise today, which is seen as the opening of the racing season. The Daily Peloton has a good preview and a list of the Tinkoff Team, which is listed as:

Tinkoff Credit System (RUS) : 111. Daniele Contrini (ITA), 112. Tyler Hamilton (USA), 113. Evgeny Petrov (RUS), 114. Mikhail Ignatiev (RUS), 115. Nikolai Trussov (RUS), 116. Ricardo Serrano (ESP), 117. Vasil Kyryenka (BLR), 118. Alexander Serov (RUS)

For me, it's great to see Tyler's name back on a racing entry list. It's exactly where he belongs.

Welcome back, my friend, and good luck today! Allez, Allez, Allez!

Just a tiny racing tidbit for today. Thanks for stopping by.

Monday, February 05, 2007

Which Ad Was Your Favorite?

If you are in the US, you probably watch the Superbowl, or at least parts of it last night. For someone who wasn't that interested in the game (me), I watched for the ads...as I do most every year. It's always fun to see where major advertisers think trends are going. I even do my own rankings and then look at USA Today's ad meter the next day to see if the rest of the country thinks like me.

This year we think similarly, but not exactly. This year there was one ad that stood out, by far, over and above the others for me. It was Blockbuster's rabbit that uses a real mouse to try to order his movies online. It was priceless! We were mimicking it throughout the evening even, which is part of what the advertisers want. Of course they, ultimately, want you to use their product but it's always good when people remember the commercial the next day, too.

We also had Budweiser's 'crab' ad in our top three. Turns out the rest of America liked it, too, as the ad meter has that at number 1. It was cute and I think people liked cute fun this year as opposed to slapstick. It was also the year of Time Magazine's person of the year - 'You' in the commercials. There were some regular 'ole folks that created ads this year in contests and whatnot. The Doritos ad in the first quarter was a contest winner that cost $12 to make (the cost of the bags of Doritos). Although it was somewhat risky, it turns out the brand made a very good choice - it ranked 4th overall.

You can view all the ads here, if you'd like to see them for yourself. I also liked the Taco Bell lions, the Budweiser stray dog, the auction wedding and the Coca-Cola black history month ad.

See what you think and let us know.

Just a quick tidbit on this chilly New England morning. Thanks for stopping by.

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Any publicity is good publicity? I'm not sure about that in Boston today.

No matter who we are, we've all made a mistake in our lives. Some are bigger than others. If you are in PR/Marketing/Communications I'm sure you've said or done something during a launch or campaign or interview that you wished you hadn't done. You know you have. Seemed like a good idea at the time, but when it came down to it, it just didn't fly right.

Most times you can let the dud ideas just float away, never to be heard from again. It's a little harder now with the blogosphere, but even still, sometimes not great ideas just fizzle and go away.

I will bet that the people at Turner Broadcasting are wishing that their latest outdoor marketing campaign would just fizzle to the ground. But, when you, inadvertantly, succeed in closing the major highway and a river running through a city (Boston) because the local and state police have reports of bombs on bridges, well, it isn't going to fizzle away any time soon. (Note: bloggers had the story first, and photos....)

It's too bad that we need to live in a time where a silly Mooninite thinggie is seen as a threat, but when you are a marketing company putting 'angry looking' things on and under bridges these days, with electronic boards and LED lights no less, you run a big risk.

After the bomb squad went around today in a city that was in a little panic, Turner Network came out with this statement (copied from Boston.com):

The ''packages'' in question are magnetic lights that pose no danger.
They are part of an outdoor marketing campaign in 10 cities
in support of Adult Swim’s animated television show Aqua Teen
Hunger Force. They have been in place for two to three weeks
in Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle,
Portland, Austin, San Francisco, and Philadelphia. Parent
company Turner Broadcasting is in contact with local and
federal law enforcement on the exact locations of the billboards.
We regret that they were mistakenly thought to pose any danger.
Shirley Powell SVP, Corporate Communications


Our new governor and the mayor of the city are not amused. Somehow I don't think that the police or the Coast Guard are amused either. And the folks who were stuck in traffic for 4 hours due to the highway being closed and those during the evening commute who couldn't get to points of the city do to road closures - well, they aren't amused either. I have to think that the officials in the 9 other cities aren't too amused right about now either.


Will this make people go search for this show and see what it is about on the internet? And will the added exposure be exactly what the marketing folks wanted? I just don't know...the 'jury' might be out on that one until they see if they are going to have any bills or fines to pay.


This will certainly go down as one of those marketing ideas that just didn't go the way the marketing team wanted, I'm sure. Woops!


Just a little tidbit for today. Thanks for stopping by.

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

And....She's Back

There's been a lot going on in the last couple of weeks.

What have I been doing with some of my time besides being glued to the Barrett-Jackson auction on Speed for a weekend? Getting ready for trade shows, trade shows, trade shows. Yes, three in a row - all in February. This weekend is the Boston Motorcycle Show - consumer show at the Bay Side Expo. If you are into motorcycles and live in the area, c'mon by and visit the Perewitz booth. They'll have a full display of their wonderful motorcycles.

Next up....Dealer Expo in Indianapolis over the long weekend. This is a dealer/distributor show. Three days of connecting with our distributor reps and dealers. It's always a lot of fun; great crowd. We have a good gathering on that Sunday, too, as we have a flat screen in the booth and people can come watch the Great American Race with us and Dave Perewitz. You know the race I'm talkin' about....

Then it's off to England for a week for a bicycle dealer show put on by our great distributor in the UK. February will be a whirlwind for sure.

Now for some other tidbits....

The Spokesmen put up another podcast last week. Although we missed our buddy Tim (because he was in Asia on a business trip), the show sparked a good conversation about how to help make bike commuting more of a reality. Listen to the show and then share your ideas with us. We'd love to hear them all.

Although many of you are way, way ahead of me, I've recently discovered LinkedIn. So far, it seems to be a great networking tool and it's free. Yes, free. I've already re-connected with some folks that I hadn't heard from in awhile so it seems to work fairly well. Most of the 'smart cookies' listed to the right are on it so you know it is good. Check it out.

My friend Lee Hopkins, he of the fabulous communications blog, has written such a great recommendation for me on LinkedIn (that's part of it, too) that I was blushing. Thanks, Lee. You really shouldn't have....but I feel lucky that you did. It means a lot.

Tyler Hamilton is baaaaack and set to race next week, I believe. He's racing for the newly formed Tinkoff team. It will be great to see Tyler back in the peloton. Got to get my Tinkoff gear....

Speaking of cycling....during last year's Tour Day France, we had fun daily reports from Cubbie Reporter. Well, Cubbie had a big birthday this past weekend where she 'reset at zero'. Happy Birthday, my friend!

Lastly, but certainly not least....I got some great news today. A friend of mine has landed a new gig and it is a perfect fit for him and for the company. Don't you just love when that happens? I met Chris Fallon through my current job - he not only the most truly passionate bike person, but also one of the most knowledge about bikes and the sport AND, best yet, he can teach that knowledge to others and loves to do it. I learned more in 10 minutes from Chris than anyone else when I first started in the industry - ok, that 10 minutes turned into an hour and a half (right, Chris?!), but it was well worth every second!. He is a purist and just loves the sport and enjoys being out on his bike and getting others out on their bike.

Anyway, I got an email today that a lucky company has snatched him up to be a "Sales Shepherd". What a great title! He's working for Earth, Wind and Rider. What's that? I asked the same question so I went to their site. Turns out they make wool cycling jerseys and apparel. If you haven't heard of them yet, you will now! This appears to be a perfect fit (no pun intended, but if it works..hey..so be it...). Congratulations EWNR and Chris!

And, no, I wouldn't conclude without saying that the Great American Race is only 18 days away (counter here). We're talking Daytona here, people! NASCAR, back live again...I can't wait! Betcha all know who I'm picking to win, again, this year. Here's a hint...this is the car he drove to victory in Daytona during one of his three February wins....



Just random thoughts and tidbits for my return. Thanks for being patient and for stopping by.

Friday, January 12, 2007

Thank you!

Birthdays are no longer that fun, but this one wasn't as painful as it could have been thanks to my family, a lot of good friends (old and new) and all of you. Thanks to all of your for your good wishes - even those commanded to do so by New York Times Jackson.

Thank you all. May you all have as wonderful wishes on your birthdays as I did on mine.

Thanks for stopping by.

Monday, January 01, 2007

Happy New Year!

To each of you who stop by and read my opinions and views and to those of you who I call friends, even though we've never met....my wish for each of you is that 2007 is kinder to you than the last year and that it is filled with good health and fun adventures along the way. Happy New Year!