[Quality88]

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Tissot, the official watch and timekeeper of NASCAR, will sponsor a Cup Series in-race contingency award this season.
The Tissot "Pit Road Precision Award" highlights the team aspect of NASCAR, as the over-the-wall crew members will play a vital role in winning the award.
The award will be given to the eligible driver who has spent the least amount of time on pit road and has finished on the lead lap. The winning driver will earn $5,000 and a Tissot watch. There will also be a year-end award of $100,000 given to the driver who has won the most "Pit Road Precision Awards" during the season.
"Tissot's rich history in motorsports and its world-renowned reputation for precise time keeping fits the goal of the Pit Road Precision Award -- getting your driver on and off pit road as fast as possible," said Jim O'Connell, vice president of corporate marketing for NASCAR. "Tissot has been involved in many aspects of NASCAR, and the company's support of this new contingency award again demonstrates a strong passion for and support of our sport."
"The world of motorsports and the world of watchmaking champion the same values, which include cutting edge design, precision and innovation," said Sharon Buntain, president, Tissot U.S. "Tissot has been recognized as an innovator in the watch world since 1853. We are in admiration of the teamwork that goes into a NASCAR performance and this award is a symbolic way for Tissot to reward NASCAR teams for their precision and timely performances. We are thrilled to begin working with the teams after being an official partner of NASCAR for three years and look forward to strengthening our relationships within the garage."

NASCAR.COM - Tissot sponsors Cup Series pit road contingency award - Feb 6, 2009


Next thing you know we'll have port-a-jon sponsorin the Big One...
"Port-a-jon, the official sh!tter of NA$CAR!"

[trollmc08]

Someone should bring some attention for the pit crews.

[jks812]

Instead of giving it to the driver for pit road performance, why don't they give it to the pit crew?

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by jks812

Instead of giving it to the driver for pit road performance, why don't they give it to the pit crew?

I agree. The crews deserve a reward like this. The watches aren't all that expensive, not like they were giving them Cartier's or something of the quality.

[trollmc08]

Originally Posted by jks812

Instead of giving it to the driver for pit road performance, why don't they give it to the pit crew?

I must have misread Q's post I thought it was going to the crews. I agree it should go to the crew.

[NASCAR Gnome]

I think it would behoove Tissot to gain more exposure because I'm guessing that if you asked NASCAR fans "Who is the official timekeeper for NASCAR?" most of them would tell you "Timex" or "Rolex" or some other brand... (or just shrug and say "no clue")

I have a couple of Tissot wristwatches... Notice I said "wristwatch" and NOT "timepiece" - in order to be considered a "timepiece", you have to have "status" and cost quite a bit and sadly, as good as Tissot is in comparison to other Swiss watch manufacturers, their rap has more to do with the lower-end market although they are probably just as keen as IWC, Oris, Tag or even Omega, in my most humble opinion! I have most those other watches... err... timepieces... and my Tissot keeps as good a time (and looks as good) as those others do! Plus the T-Touch is fun to use and a great conversation piece and the T-Sport is retro Sixties "Monza" style watch that is probably more like what the old-school F1 drivers in Europe wore with the leather band. I must say that I really like the Tag Carrera that Jeff Gordon advertises though...

[trollmc08]

Originally Posted by NASCAR Gnome

I think it would behoove Tissot to gain more exposure because I'm guessing that if you asked NASCAR fans "Who is the official timekeeper for NASCAR?" most of them would tell you "Timex" or "Rolex" or some other brand... (or just shrug and say "no clue")

I have a couple of Tissot wristwatches... Notice I said "wristwatch" and NOT "timepiece" - in order to be considered a "timepiece", you have to have "status" and cost quite a bit and sadly, as good as Tissot is in comparison to other Swiss watch manufacturers, their rap has more to do with the lower-end market although they are probably just as keen as IWC, Oris, Tag or even Omega, in my most humble opinion! I have most those other watches... err... timepieces... and my Tissot keeps as good a time (and looks as good) as those others do! Plus the T-Touch is fun to use and a great conversation piece and the T-Sport is retro Sixties "Monza" style watch that is probably more like what the old-school F1 drivers in Europe wore with the leather band. I must say that I really like the Tag Carrera that Jeff Gordon advertises though...

I am glad you like your watch. Never heard of any of the "timepieces" you mentioned except for Timex. Mine is a 10$ Wal-mart special.

[Measure]

I think part of the issue is that there is already an official award for the crew under the same terms... I don't know if the crew gets anything for it, but each week the crew who's driver finishes on the lead lap with the least time spent on pit row gets the award.

I tried googling to find the award, but it appears there are a number of similar awards, some given to the crew chief, some to the pit crew, some weekly, some quarterly.

[Racer Duck]

Originally Posted by NASCAR Gnome

I think it would behoove Tissot to gain more exposure because I'm guessing that if you asked NASCAR fans "Who is the official timekeeper for NASCAR?" most of them would tell you "Timex" or "Rolex" or some other brand... (or just shrug and say "no clue")

I have a couple of Tissot wristwatches... Notice I said "wristwatch" and NOT "timepiece" - in order to be considered a "timepiece", you have to have "status" and cost quite a bit and sadly, as good as Tissot is in comparison to other Swiss watch manufacturers, their rap has more to do with the lower-end market although they are probably just as keen as IWC, Oris, Tag or even Omega, in my most humble opinion! I have most those other watches... err... timepieces... and my Tissot keeps as good a time (and looks as good) as those others do! Plus the T-Touch is fun to use and a great conversation piece and the T-Sport is retro Sixties "Monza" style watch that is probably more like what the old-school F1 drivers in Europe wore with the leather band. I must say that I really like the Tag Carrera that Jeff Gordon advertises though...

Glad you like your watch.

I, too, have a swiss-made watch, er, "timepiece" .. but unlike most, I didn't buy mine, it was a gift .. from my former employer .. for 25 years of service (no, it's not gold, it's stainless steel.) Funny thing is, I didn't want the watch, I wanted the silver service, but my wife didn't, so I got the watch (yeah, I call it a watch and treat it like one). And except for a couple "checkups" I've worn it almost every day since I received it back in August of 1992. It doesn't use batteries, never needs winding and always keeps near perfect time (though it's starting to slow down just a tad .. probably needs another "checkup".) What is it? A Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust, inscribed with my name and the date of my 25th anniversary at IBM.

Over the years I've grown to love the watch. And it has taken every lickin' I've ever given it and kept on tickin'! John Cameron Swayze would have been proud!!! What else can you ask in a watch?

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by Racer Duck

.

Over the years I've grown to love the watch. And it has taken every lickin' I've ever given it and kept on tickin'! John Cameron Swayze would have been proud!!! What else can you ask in a watch?

Duck, do have any idea how many here have no idea about what you just wrote?

[Quality88]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

Duck, do have any idea how many here have no idea about what you just wrote?

Would it be the man that coined the phrase?

[WestCoast]

I may be mistaken, but I somehow remember the past winners of a pit-stop competition always splitting the winnings with the crew, and making sure everyone knew about it.

P.S. I love my Timex Explorer

[Racer Duck]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

Duck, do have any idea how many here have no idea about what you just wrote?

and it's my mission in life to make sure certain things get mentioned every once in a while .. this was JCS's time.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by Racer Duck

and it's my mission in life to make sure certain things get mentioned every once in a while .. this was JCS's time.

I'm trying to place when those commercials were on TV. I'm going to guess from around 1955 thru 1970? Gosh, has it been almost 40 years since they've been aired?

[Racer Duck]

Mid 50's for sure .. but don't remember when they stopped. I think they are the reason my dad bought a Timex dress watch. He never said much about it, but I know he was very proud to wear it.

Remember back then, everyone had 2, 3 or more watches? And none of them kept very good time! People were always comparing their watch's time with the clock on the wall or in front of the jewelry store.

And then IBM came out with the school clock that automatically corrected itself every hour. I think that was in the early 60's .. after I graduated from high school.

Anyway, back to JCS. Here's some info I found on him. Brings back lots of memories.

Biography

John Cameron Swayze was not a movie star, but a pioneering news commentator and a spokesperson for Timex watches whose "It takes a licking and keeps on ticking" became a popular catch phrase during the '60s and '70s. Swayze first entered the public eye in 1949 as a the host of the Camel News Caravan on NBC. Beginning with the line "hopscotching the world for headlines" Swayze would perform on-air interviews with newsmakers, witness breaking stories and comment upon the days' events. Camel News Caravan replaced the newsreel and became a forerunner of the modern television newscast. The show became quite popular, and Swayze was one of television's first stars. In addition to hosting this show, Swayze appeared on other programs during the early '50s including the NBC quiz show Who Said That? and the kiddie show Watch the World. The news show ended in 1956. Swayze then began doing the Timex commercials. Though over the next 20 years their basic format never changed and Timex watches remained popular, a poker-faced Swayze would stand by, commenting upon some foolish situation or outrageous stunt, which while potentially fatal for the participants, and certainly bad for any average timepiece, would prove the durability of Timex watches. Born in Witchita, Swayze got his start reporting for the Kansas City Journal Post before switching to radio and television. Again, though Swazye was not an actor, he did occasionally make cameo appearances in films, beginning with A Face in the Crowd (1957). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide