Bob Vandergriff, Jr. is
scratching his head trying to figure out the answer to a question that has been
bugging him for the last few races. The UPS-sponsored driver from Alpharetta, Ga., said he wants to know what it takes to
get on the event broadcasts.
Vandergriff said he
felt that he’s got all the ingredients that should garner sufficient airtime,
such as winning rounds and making the Countdown to the Championship. He said
that despite the logical qualifying factors, he feels he is being treated as an
outcast when it comes to the televison coverage.
“You have one of the
largest companies in the world on the side of our car as a sponsor and they
should want to feature that any way because it sends out a good message about
our sport,” Vandergriff said. “It’s a valuable asset within NHRA Championship
Drag Racing. The big picture is that it might inspire others to look and see UPS
involved and look into our sport. Evidently that doesn’t fit the
criteria.”
Vandergriff said the
situation came to a boil between he and the television team last weekend in
Memphis. He said
he voiced his displeasure to the television crew and then moved on. When they
came to interview him later, he said, “No way.”
Why would a driver turn
down television coverage?