| Anatomy of a Championship Photo | | Date Created: Oct 18, 2006, 03:31 PM |
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(Photo courtesy Getty Images/NASCAR)
When you woke up last Saturday morning, hopefully this photo - or a similar one - appeared in your local paper or on your favorite website. But, photos like this don't just happen. Believe me.
Heading into Friday night's Busch Series race, there was a mathematical possibility that Kevin Harvick could clinch his second Busch title by gaining more than 31 points on second-place man Carl Edwards following the Charlotte race. With the championship on the line, several sports marketing executives from Anheuser-Busch travelled to Charlotte to be in place to present the trophy to Harvick should he wrap-up the title.
During the week of the race, there were teleconferences with seemingly hundreds of people from NASCAR, Anheuser-Busch, the track and the RCR team planning each scenario. The goal; if Harvick clinches the title, he would be interviewed after the race by TNT and would be photographed by the key media outlets - all with the Busch logo and branding highly visible.
Most seasons, this list is relatively easy with a chart of each possible scenario and what will happen under each situation. The categories describe who is responsible for things like the champion's trophy, championship hats for the team members and all the other essential accessories. These scenarios typically include: a.) driver clinches title but doesn't win race, b.) driver wins race and clinches title or c.)driver crashes out of the race but still clinches title.
Simple, right?
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 But, Friday night's race had a few twists: a.) Harvick was driving his own KHI-owned #33 Dollar General-sponsored car (Dollar General also sponsored the race), but Richard Childress Racing and NASCAR wanted to recognize the #21 RCR Coast Guard team and car in which Harvick has driven a majority of the races. b.) The #21 car in Friday night's race was driven instead by Jeff Burton, who opted to use much of his Nextel Cup team as his pit crew.
So, there needed to be a much longer list of scenarios to include the #21 car and crew in the post-race media coverage. Plus, a mathematical chart for Harvick to clinch based upon finishing position versus Edwards, including bonus points scenarios for each driver.
This created a vastly more complex list of scenarios that had to try and take each situation into account: a.) Where does Harvick go after the race if Burton and the #21 team wins the race? b.) Where does Burton and #21 car go if Harvick wins the race? c.) what of the #21 car crashes?
In addition to possibly crowning a champ, we also had to provide the usual victory lane products: the over-sized Busch Beer boxes on the roof of the winning car as well as the winner's trophy.
As the race started, each scenario was mapped out, and the Coast Guard team had a back-up car in their trailer just in case. Early in the race, Harvick dropped two laps behind with a flat tire, while Edwards lead the race (and eventually earmed the bonus points for leading the most laps). This sent the Anheuser-Busch execs back to our marketing trailer to watch the Cardinals vs. Mets playoff game.
As the race neared its end and Edwards dominating, it looked likely the championship would remain up for grabs (mathematically at least) until the next race at Memphis. Then, things got weird. Burton demolished the #21 car in a multi-car crash. The race was stopped twice for crashes and/or scoring snafus. The media deadlines approached and then passed as the race droned on. Edwards continued to lead the race while Harvick languished mid-pack.
Finally, the confusing marathon headed toward its conclusion. Having the Talladega Cup race VERY fresh in our minds, staff were positioned all across the garage and pit area, ready for any possible finish. No sooner had someone warned "anything can happen all the way until the last corner!," Casey Mears spun and took out Edwards.
Could things get more interesting? Still mid-pack at that point, would Harvick finish high enough after the green-white-checkered finish - and how far down the finishing order would Edwards fall to guarantee the title?! Who was doing the math?
The race ended with Matt Kenseth spinning across the line fourth and Harvick somehow recovering to finish ninth. It looked like we had a champion!
Harvick pulled into his assigned locale on pit lane. I was happy to lean into the car and tell him "congratulations, you're the champion!" while handing him a champion's hat. We were waiting for the Coast Guard crew to push the back-up car to pit lane for the photos, but they were nowhere to be seen. Harvick climbed from the car, smiling broadly and wondering where everyone was at...
"Here we are!" he said with a laugh.
Suddenly Allen Bestwick and the TNT crew were there for the champion's interview, and A-B executive Pat Burns stepped in to present Harvick with the large and heavy Busch Championship trophy. With the live TV complete, the photographers began snapping shots of Harvick lifting the trophy in front of his white #33 car. |
 But where was the RCR Coast Guard team and car? They were being held in the Busch Series garage until NASCAR confirmed the math. Had we just prematurely and incorrectly crowned a champ?!?
Finally, what seemed like an eternity later, we saw the blue car being pushed down pit lane to be situated for the series of photos. We had eight dozen champions hats - but when there are so many different crews and cars and teams involved - those went in record time. Luckily we had just enough for all of the key players- and the night ended happily with Harvick and Childress drenched in Busch beer.
And this is what they call a "soft" championship crowning- the much bigger staged celebration will take place in Homestead. But, at least we'll know for sure Harvick will be the champ.
And in case you forgot - Dave Blaney won the race.
So, congratulations to Kevin Harvick. And RCR. And KHI. And the Coast Guard. And Delana Harvick. And Richard Childress. And crew chief Shane Wilson. And all of the rest. Job well done.
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