Hermie: Racing/Wrestling Connection May Be More Than One- (Chair) Shot Deal

(Originally published on Feb. 21, 2008)

On a scale from 1-10, Hermie Sadler gave Juan Pablo Montoya a 7 when asked to rank the driver's chair shot on Total Nonstop Action grappler Lance Hoyt, which aired on Spike TV the Thursday before the Daytona 500.

If things align the right way between the TNA Wrestling promotion and those connected with NASCAR, Montoya might get a chance to better that score.

According to SPEED analyst Sadler-a longtime squared-circle fan who primarily uses TNA talent in running his independent United Wrestling Federation promotional wrestling could be making more of an impact in NASCAR programming and at the track in 2008.

Although Sadler isn't personally involved with any negotiations, he said that TNA has been in meetings with Fox and SPEED as far as cross-promotional opportunities, and has also met with officials from individual tracks concerning the possibility of running live events in connection with race weekends.

"Whether they actually want to sponsor a car, I don't know, but I do know they've been working at maybe trying to find more ways to get involved," said Sadler, whose affiliation with TNA goes all the way back to the company's inception in 2002, when he feuded with former TNA star Ron "The Truth" Killings.



Since NASCAR seems to be conceding that it has inadvertently sacrificed some of its blue-collar base in an attempt to broaden its audience, the timing may not be better.

"We certainly think that some of the same fan base that are NASCAR fans are wrestling fans," Sadler said. "I think having some of the NASCAR stuff appear on wrestling events kind of gives them more of a grassroots appeal to more of the normal, everyday 9-to-5 people that have helped make NASCAR and professional wrestling what they've become. So I definitely think it's a good thing to make that connection with the fans. Let the wrestling fans know that NASCAR guys like wrestling and let the NASCAR fans know vice versa."

Montoya's appearance at Universal Studios in Orlando, where TNA iMPACT! is taped, also included teammate Reed Sorenson in an opposing corner and NASCAR Raceday's Jimmy Spencer providing commentary from ringside. The footage found its way to SPEED the weekend of the 500, and there may be more of that ring/racing synergy to come.