Whatever happened to AGT ?
06-26-2009, 05:38 PM
#2
Drifting
My perspective:
The founder and chief financial supporter of the series (Woodson Duncan) pulled the plug after a couple of seasons.
It looked promising at first, but it appeared to me that he tried to handle too much on his own and a lot of needed promotion/PR work was left undone. Some tried to help but were apparently rebuffed.
Racing in Canada and the islands made it tough for many teams to participate in more than just select races. Money spent in the wrong areas.
Without a title sponsor, small purses, no TV package and little to no PR effort doomed the series.
Todd Benne could answer what went wrong better than anyone.
The founder and chief financial supporter of the series (Woodson Duncan) pulled the plug after a couple of seasons.
It looked promising at first, but it appeared to me that he tried to handle too much on his own and a lot of needed promotion/PR work was left undone. Some tried to help but were apparently rebuffed.
Racing in Canada and the islands made it tough for many teams to participate in more than just select races. Money spent in the wrong areas.
Without a title sponsor, small purses, no TV package and little to no PR effort doomed the series.
Todd Benne could answer what went wrong better than anyone.
06-26-2009, 07:13 PM
#3
Race Director
Now that Trans Am is "back", I guess there is no place for it????
Seriously, while I prefer either production or prototype racing, the sound of a Trans-Am/GT1/AGT car at the track can't be beat!
Seriously, while I prefer either production or prototype racing, the sound of a Trans-Am/GT1/AGT car at the track can't be beat!
06-26-2009, 09:32 PM
#4
Instructor
Member Since: Jan 2007
Location: St. Louis Missouri
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Well, as Director of Operations for AGT in its initial year of 2004, I had a front row seat for the good, bad and a lot of ugly. I think the primary reason for that series' downfall was a true lack of understanding of the motorsports industry and how to conduct races by Woodson Duncan.
Duncan had gotten wind of my name from my success in the Trans-Am series and what I was able to accomplish there over the years. Initially I was hired to simply run timing and scoring, something I zero experience in. However, upon our trip to Kershaw in early March of 2004 to sign the contract and such to conduct a race there, I began to ask operational questions of Duncan and his series. Eventually Duncan turned to me and said I know what I am talking about and I soon found myself as Dir. of Ops.
With the exception of writing event contracts and checks, I ran the series daily. I created all pr, the event supps, tech bulletins, maintained the series website, took the event photos in most cases, was liaison between the series and tracks, dealt with track pa announcer giving them bio sheets and series fact to speak with, wrote the press releases, upload time sheets from each session....you name it I did it. The only thing I did not do was run tech inspection at the races.
Speaking of public relations, I like to think I did a good job. I wrote every pre and post event releases, every post qualifying releases...distributed them out to over 300 bonafide outlets. I reached out to Nancy at motorsport.com and she agreed to create a AGT specific category on the web site's front page. Not even SCCA has that privilege as World Challenge and Trans-Am are listed under 'other news'. I got us coverage in NSSN and other outlets.
Eventually he came to terms with SCCA begrudgingly who agreed to sanction the series under its Pro banner and we got Ken Grammer as our series chief steward. Ken and I worked well together. Duncan, not so much as he thought SCCA was a a bunch of rules and structure.
The series started a downward spiral after I left in 2004. For 2005 Duncan tried it himself, 2006 and 2007 he loaned out the series or some such to Tony Febles who basically followed Duncan's failed business model and AGT went away after 2007.
Some will agree Duncan's people skills were sorely lacking. He didn't like rules and structure. I recall at the drivers' meeting at VIR in 2004 after we explained pit road speed he questioned why we had a pit road speed as race cars were supposed to go fast all the time. He fudged the rules whenever he could to get the desired results he wanted. I could go on.
In a nutshell, it was operated by a guy(Duncan) who really had no experience and it showed. He screamed at me one time I was too Trans-Am oriented and to take my ideas and structure and shove it. I took that as a compliment.
Duncan had gotten wind of my name from my success in the Trans-Am series and what I was able to accomplish there over the years. Initially I was hired to simply run timing and scoring, something I zero experience in. However, upon our trip to Kershaw in early March of 2004 to sign the contract and such to conduct a race there, I began to ask operational questions of Duncan and his series. Eventually Duncan turned to me and said I know what I am talking about and I soon found myself as Dir. of Ops.
With the exception of writing event contracts and checks, I ran the series daily. I created all pr, the event supps, tech bulletins, maintained the series website, took the event photos in most cases, was liaison between the series and tracks, dealt with track pa announcer giving them bio sheets and series fact to speak with, wrote the press releases, upload time sheets from each session....you name it I did it. The only thing I did not do was run tech inspection at the races.
Speaking of public relations, I like to think I did a good job. I wrote every pre and post event releases, every post qualifying releases...distributed them out to over 300 bonafide outlets. I reached out to Nancy at motorsport.com and she agreed to create a AGT specific category on the web site's front page. Not even SCCA has that privilege as World Challenge and Trans-Am are listed under 'other news'. I got us coverage in NSSN and other outlets.
Eventually he came to terms with SCCA begrudgingly who agreed to sanction the series under its Pro banner and we got Ken Grammer as our series chief steward. Ken and I worked well together. Duncan, not so much as he thought SCCA was a a bunch of rules and structure.
The series started a downward spiral after I left in 2004. For 2005 Duncan tried it himself, 2006 and 2007 he loaned out the series or some such to Tony Febles who basically followed Duncan's failed business model and AGT went away after 2007.
Some will agree Duncan's people skills were sorely lacking. He didn't like rules and structure. I recall at the drivers' meeting at VIR in 2004 after we explained pit road speed he questioned why we had a pit road speed as race cars were supposed to go fast all the time. He fudged the rules whenever he could to get the desired results he wanted. I could go on.
In a nutshell, it was operated by a guy(Duncan) who really had no experience and it showed. He screamed at me one time I was too Trans-Am oriented and to take my ideas and structure and shove it. I took that as a compliment.
06-26-2009, 10:02 PM
#5
Safety Car
There was a lot to like in the direction the rules were headed, especially engine wise (Thank you and RIP Geno) which acknowleged the generational differences of the racing small block. It didn't give enough to yestertech IMO, but it was a start and I wish such an idea would be imbraced by other sanctioning bodies. Unlike Andy Evans (IMSA prez, WSC era) who would re-write the rulebook from behind the wheel, Woodson often got penalized and fined, BY HIS OWN SERIES. I don't think you could ask for anything more fair (whether or not the fines were ever paid is another story, but the penalties stuck). I thought that was pretty cool.
Woodson always treated me with respect (even though I never ran in the series) but the list of people he pissed off is quite long so they can't all be wrong, can they? It's too bad the series is dormant because I believe for Trans Am to be successful long term, it needs to be production based (it's what the FANS want and even though I'm a ground pounder guy, without fans the series will flounder). AGT could have been the home of big bore thundercars while T/A could remake itself into 1970 again (all the cars are on the showroom floor already).
Todd, will you be at the Glen on the 12th? I was planning on doing a shopping trip...er...spectating. /:\
Woodson always treated me with respect (even though I never ran in the series) but the list of people he pissed off is quite long so they can't all be wrong, can they? It's too bad the series is dormant because I believe for Trans Am to be successful long term, it needs to be production based (it's what the FANS want and even though I'm a ground pounder guy, without fans the series will flounder). AGT could have been the home of big bore thundercars while T/A could remake itself into 1970 again (all the cars are on the showroom floor already).
Todd, will you be at the Glen on the 12th? I was planning on doing a shopping trip...er...spectating. /:\
Last edited by parkerracing; 06-26-2009 at 10:30 PM.
