Motorsport is a tough business. It's expensive, has high risk and low monetary rewards, and is increasingly ignored by more and more of the populace. The waning popularity of even the 'mainstream' series like Indycar and NASCAR are proof enough. Small series have their die-hard fans, but the reach is not what it once was.
Even if you have the desire, maybe 50% of the cash and some connections to get a team started or perhaps even drive in a series, chances are you aren't going anywhere, or at least not very far without a huge influx of cash. In today's world there are so many possible outlets for marketing dollars and advertising budgets that convincing a company to spend a significant portion of that on motor racing is increasingly difficult.
Return on investment, public perception of the brand and what it stands for are all weighed very carefully and if the numbers don't add up, they don't get involved. Let's face it, with global climate change on everyone's lips, regardless of what you believe, it may not be best to be perceived as being in support of burning through our finite oil supplies like $1 per gallon gas is just around the corner again. (it won't be)
Before the start of the 2010 American Le Mans season for example, there were a number of rumors about which cars and teams would be making their return to the series and which would not. The worldwide recession hit motor racing as hard, if not more so, than many industries and even the entry of teams as great and constant as Dyson Racing were in doubt. Surely Dyson Racing, a team synonymous with North American sports car racing, would not let a thing like a few dollars of sponsor money keep them from returning to the ALMS? It's like the old saying goes, death, taxes and Dyson Racing, or something like that...
At any rate, Dyson's two main sponsors of Mazda and BP did sign back on, if not with enough to field a 2-car team, enough to do a full season with one. BP, with their biobutanol 'green' fuel was particularly important. Not only were they a crucial supplier of funds for Dyson (*one would assume) they also went hand-in-hand with the 'green' image that the ALMS has been promoting. After all, renewable biobutanol, which can run in a regular gasoline engine without any modifications, is made from fermented biomass and is pretty handy when it comes down to it.
So, how about this Deepwater Horizon oil spill problem then? Yeah...kind of a big issue for BP, and more importantly the world in general. The effects of this whole thing, which if you read up on could be far beyond the scope of any current guesstimates currently bouncing around the talking heads of the networks, are going to be huge and far-reaching. Lives have been lost, livelihoods will continue to be lost, and we could end up with entire species gone for good, mainly thanks to the simple fact that 'to er is human.'
So Dyson, whom up to now have probably been counting their lucky stars that they picked up enough sponsorship to run the season without dipping into too much of Team Principle Rob Dyson's pocket, are likely in a bit of a conundrum. What do you do when the name stuck on the side of your car is now in headlines across the globe (although not enough of them to be honest) in the worst possible way?
If you're the man with the money, like a Tiger Woods type situation, you can drop the bad news and pick up a little positive PR on the flipside. When you're Dyson Racing, simply thankful for some dollars towards the budget and trying to win races, what do you do? It's not so simple to say 'thanks a lot, but we're going to dissolve our relationship because well, we don't need any bad PR.'
I'm sure it has been discussed by the guys at Dyson, and thus far I have seen no word from them on any official stance on the matter. Probably a smart move since after all they're no dummies, but eventually something will need to be said. If and when members of the BP executive staff are taken down in various scandals and resignations, and the world has been forever altered thanks to the massive amount of oil and carcinogenic treatment being used by BP, a decision will have to be made: End the relationship or go down with the ship. It's not an easy decision to make but it's one which will have to be made at some point. Like going to the dentist when you know you have a cavity. There will be some pain and hardship, but in the end you'll be better off.
_WRS
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