The SCR Interview: UDTRA President Mike Swims

Hav-A-Tampa has ended its 11-year relationship with the United Dirt Track Association’s dirt Late Model series, yet Mike Swims still has to convince people that “America’s Favorite Show On Dirt” is still smokin’. In this interview with Stock Car Racing, Swims talks about life without the cigar maker, the search for a new sponsor, and why he still lights up when he thinks about the future.

SCR: Hav-A-Tampa’s decision to leave the series followed a merger of the cigar maker’s parent company. Did you see the writing on the wall that Hav-A-Tampa was going to pull out?

Swims: We were expecting it, but the salesman in me said, “OK. How can I save this deal?” They weren’t with us for 11 years because they didn’t like the program or because it wasn’t effective. New management came in. Still, at one time we began talks with them and actually thought there might be a way of having an even better program than we had with the old company because they’re so much larger and they have a lot more sales and brands that we could help market. But I think there was some philosophy with the new company that everything the old company did was worth changing. So, when it became apparent to us that this wouldn’t work out, and in spite of our best efforts to offer new programs and new opportunities, we let everyone know what was going on.

SCR: This news had to be unsettling to competitors. How did you convince them that things would be OK and that they should return another year?

Swims: We’ve had conversations with the competitors for the past two or three years that we wanted to grow, that our program was actually growing faster than the sponsorship. We were hoping that with the new company that, if we did get a renewal, it would be a larger and enhanced program so that the series could grow. I guess you could say that we were at a leveling off point with them. If they didn’t choose to grow their investment or their involvement any more than they were, then we were going to plateau off. We knew almost, in a way, that we needed to get a new sponsor anyway, but it’s hard to break away from somebody. We were pretty much relieved almost that they made the decision not to come back and took that burden off us. It would have been hard to completely severe ties just because they’re not spending enough money. Now we’re coming out swinging. We have a new program, our purses are going up, and the sponsorship search is obviously ongoing. We’re going to keep our eye on the track throughout all of this. We still have to put on “America’s Favorite Show on Dirt.” If we don’t do that, then sponsorship’s a moot point anyway.

SCR: What is the outlook for finding a sponsor? Do you expect to have to go it alone for a year before you land someone?

Swims: Obviously the more time that goes on this season, then the less likely it’s going to be to find a sponsor this year. Even if it doesn’t happen this year, I think we can use the time as an advantage to put together the best partnership that we can for the racers, the promoters, the fans, and everyone concerned. The whole key to this whole program is getting the right sponsor. We want to get a sponsor that believes in our product as much as we do, and one that is willing to invest in the potential of its value and be willing to go out there and promote us.

SCR: What are some of the main challenges the series faces by not having a sponsor? Certainly name recognition becomes a problem.

Swims: We’re still selling “America’s Favorite Show on Dirt.” That’s always been our slogan. It’s the best drivers, the best show, and that’s what the fans come to see. As soon as the season starts, our press releases go out and we re-brand this series as the UDTRA Pro DirtCar Series, then the fans will know what it is because they’re loyal to the sport and they’re loyal to their favorite drivers. Our key is to just keep the best drivers following our series. We do that with having the biggest points fund, having the best paying races with the strongest schedule. We have all of those things in place. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t have all of the drivers we had last year back again this year, and that’s going to continue to bring the fans to these promoters’ events.

SCR: Indeed the series does have a good, regular following of fans. But what would you tell someone who has never before attended a Pro DirtCar event?

Swims: It’s a different brand of motorsports. It’s not NASCAR. It’s not World of Outlaws. It’s got the side-by-side excitement of NASCAR, with the speed and extreme attraction of sprint cars, so I think we take the best of both worlds and lump them together. All the things that people like about NASCAR—side-by-side racing—and the other things that people like about sprint cars—wide open, sideways, radical passing and lead changes—it’s all lumped into this one show.

SCR: What would you tell them about how the races are run, such as how qualifying is held and the length of the events?

Swims: Our races are all about getting it done and getting it done in a hurry. We give them a wide-open show for about four to 4.5 hours. We start off with time trials, whiz right into heat races, then to last-chance races, and then usually a 50 to 75-lap feature event that can last anywhere from 35 to 55 minutes. We’re all about going fast, getting it done, putting on a good, solid show, and giving everybody their money’s worth. You’ll never hear any of our racers say in victory lane that they were just biding their time and waiting for the right opportunity. These guys have to go. They don’t have time to waste. This is all about going fast all night long from the time you get off the truck to the time you hit victory lane. The crewmembers are just flying. They have one setup for qualifying, and then they come back in and set up for the heat races. And the track is changing all the time. They’re chasing the other competitors and chasing the track. The racers are challenged from start to finish, all night long.

SCR: One guy who always seems to get a handle on the track is Scott Bloomquist. He will be gunning for a fifth championship this season.

Swims: Nobody has ever won it three times or four times, but he’s trying to establish a Dale Earnhardt record or a Richard Petty record that nobody is ever going to be able to overcome.

SCR: Tracks like Lowe’s, Texas, and Bristol have either built dirt tracks or altered their race surface for dirt-track events. Is that a sign to you that the state of dirt-track racing is good?

Swims: I think it’s a sign that fans are looking for alternatives to the way they spend their money. I think there are a couple of different markets coming to these dirt tracks. The fans who supported dirt track racing all of these years certainly are glad to have nice new facilities to come to, but I think there are fans supporting other forms of motorsports who are looking for better value for their entertainment dollars. Maybe they go and spend “x” dollars for a race and they don’t see a good show. If they don’t see a good show long enough, then maybe they look for a new show. They’re still motorsports fans. They still love racing, and they still love competition. I think it’s a breath of fresh air to come to one of our events where the drivers are accessible, you can walk through the pits and talk to the guys you see on the racetrack.