When Rain Caused the Postponement Last February of the Daytona 500 from 1 P.M

Home , 2007 Pocono 500, Daytona 500, Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR Hall of Fame, Speed on Fox

Steering a High- Speed

MarvelBy Christopher R. O’Dea When rain caused the postponement last February of the Daytona 500 from 1 p.m. on Sunday until 7 p.m. on Monday, it seemed like a very bad break. But “The Great American Race,” the opening event in the NASCAR season, gained viewers as it went on. With dramatic action, which included a crash that caused a truck filled with jet fuel to explode in a fiery ball, Fox television won the ratings battle against original prime time programming on its rival networks. According to Fox, the 2012 event was the most-watched Daytona 500 in the network’s history,

with more than 36.5 million unique viewers. Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images for NASCAR

46 Q4.2012 The Korn/Ferry Institute NASCAR Cup winner and racing superstar, Jimmie Johnson 48 American industry. thefourmanufacturersthatcom- Eachof Q4.2012 United States, NASCARgenerates$150millionineconomic mate TVjuggernaut. fan base of nearly one-third of the adult population of the theadultpopulationof nearlyone-thirdof fan baseof impact on average for each of the36races,impact onaverageforeachof topping$7billion whether racing belongs in prime time, like the N.F.L., theulti- whether racingbelongsinprimetime,liketheN.F.L., annually, withlicensedmerchandisesalesaddinganother viewership hours. NASCARtodaycutsawideswathacross precedented degree of brandactivation precedented degreeof pete isdevelopingNASCARvehicles thatwilllooklikethe the American sports and business landscape in terms of rev the Americansportsandbusinesslandscapeintermsof that watchedthisyear’sDaytona500sparkedchatterabout vastaudience that convertsracingfanstoconsumers. The day, carsarearesponseto sellonMonday”competition.The $1 billionto$3billion.Attendanceatthetracksdrivesanun- cars we drive, bringing back the heady days of “winonSun- cars wedrive,bringingbackthe headydaysof enue, attendance,TVratingsandchampionathletes.Witha sponsorship marketersstrivingforanemotionalconnection Auto racingisclearlynotjustanicheactivityforlow- NASCAR naturallyinfluences car manufacturing,acore — theHolyGrailfor fan base. power of theNASCAR eager totapthebuying by corporate sponsors tal, which isprovided quires significantcapi- each car, thesportre- $20 millionor more for With annualcostsof 2011, witha17percentincreaseinthecoveted18-34-year-old NASCAR’s overallviewershiprose10 percentonaveragein NASCAR’s history, withthechampionshipincontentionuntil model givesitanedgeintheincreasinglyintensecompetition major sponsorshipdeals fan demand,andwillopennewopportunitiesforcarmakers for eyeball time from mobile fans with a dizzying array of for eyeballtimefrommobilefans withadizzyingarrayof and technologiestoturnfansinto loyal,oftenmultigenera- a four-year viewership decline of 25percentthrough2010,a four-yearviewershipdeclineof and paintschemesrolloutnewmarketingcampaigns. and corporatesponsorsasracingteamsreconfigurelayouts and itoperatesaresearchdevelopmentcenterdedicated the last lap of the last race of agruelingschedule.Reversing thelastraceof the lastlapof to design,testing,safetyandgreentechsolutions. customers, andNASCAR’s longhistorywiththesponsorship collective experience of itsteamsand driversatstructuring collective experienceof egy inthepastdecade,ascompaniesseekbetterwaystoreach egy sports options. The business side of thepit roadrestsonthe businesssideof sports options. The The 2011 seasonwasarguablythemostcompetitivein The Sponsorship hasgrownenormouslyasamarketingstrat- NASCAR is unique in sports. The rules of the rulesof NASCAR isuniqueinsports. The male segmentpacingtherebound. as the nerve center of its broadcasting network, itsbroadcastingnetwork, as thenervecenterof namic shift, nonprofitsaslargeAARPhave namic shift, pendent contractors. Withannualcostsof profit organizationsascarsponsors. Inady- jacent state-of-the-artstudiothatcouldserve the sanctioningbodyastheydointraditional through a green strategy andattractingnon- through agreenstrategy key issues. leagues. Teams anddriversoperateasinde- $20 millionormoreforeachcar, thesportre- company; teamownersdonothaveastakein economic muscletoadvancesocialcauses engaged with NASCAR to raise awareness of engaged withNASCARtoraiseawarenessof sport arecontrolledbyaprivatefamily-owned of the Sun Belt, thesportisnowflexingits the Sun Belt, of Family Owned Just asNASCAR’s risehasreflectedthe many of theworld’stopbrands.many of for most NASCAR teams. The cityrecently for mostNASCARteams. The function ascorporaterepresentativesfor ing worldinAmericaandheadquarters and commercialdemandsondrivers, who vided bycorporatesponsorseagertotap the buying power of theNASCARfanbase. the buyingpowerof quires significantcapital,whichispro- Sponsorship placesstringentbehavioral cludes NASCAR’s Fameand anad- Hallof completed abuildingcomplexthatin- Charlotte, N.C., is the hub of therac- isthehubof Charlotte, N.C., — and thenusingthelatesttools The Korn/Ferry Ins titute

Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images for NASCAR Briefings onTalen t &Leadership Top to bottom: ISC Archives via Getty Images, Courtesy of NASCAR (2) “stock” carstogainanedgeinspeedandhandlingonsteep, year-round. Driversarethestars, butbehindevery driverisa NASCAR’s currenthead,BrianFrance,BigBill’s grandson,re- William “BigBill”France NASCAR hascomealongwaysince regular scheduleandacentralizedorganizationtooverseethe heopenedagas reported $100 stakeandtalentasamechanic, Brandon Igdalsky, notesthatinNASCAR“there isnohome ready league,tailor-madeforthewaytoday’swiredfansfol- managing thecoursein1938. Stockcarracingcaughtonacross more law-abiding outlet for competitive zeal. Some of those more law-abidingoutletforcompetitivezeal.Someof D.C., in1935toescapetheGreatDepression.DaytonaBeach D.C., ference betweenwinningandlosingcomesdowntothequal- franchises boundbygeography, thePoconoRacewayCEO, ity of leadershipandtalentmanagement acrossthesport. ity of ing adjourned, no one knew if theorganizationwouldbe ing adjourned,nooneknewif where success is reckoned in thousandths of asecond,thedif- where successisreckonedinthousandthsof with prizemoney, leavingracewinnersholdingnothingmore was the site of land-speedrecordattemptsatthetime.Witha was thesiteof problems remained.Racepromoterswereknowntoskiptown promptu races caught the eye of alocalgasstationowner.promptu racescaughttheeyeof to eachcar, engine,chas- supportedbycentralizedgroups of tional AssociationforStockCarAutoRacingwasformed.Ac- driv- problems weresolved,BigBillconvenedagroupof these than acheckeredflag.Andrulesvariedfromtracktotrack. the Southeastin1940s, drawingever-largercrowds, but the raceatDaytonaBeachin1936, tookfifthplaceandbegan the hillsaroundBristol,Tenn., whereenterprisingbootleg- turf turf tional customers. mostleaguesgrantmonopolistic While team tion’s No. attendance andfanloyalty. 1sportinterms of To- line Hotelandmadethecaseforcommonrulesraces, a drivers madetheirwaytoFlorida’s sandflats, wheretheirim- mostlyunpaved roads. Shortdirttracksprovideda dark, low sports day’s racingteamsarecomplexorganizationsthatrunalmost Sr. foundedtheorganization.Stockcarracingoriginatedin gers neededtooutrunfederalagents;theybeganmodifying cording totheStreamlineHotel’s Website,“whenthemeet- cently tookhisleadershipteam onadeepdiveintoeveryas- effort. The plan won support, andbyFebruary1948the The planwonsupport, Na- effort. ers, promotersandbusinessmeninlate1947attheStream- Setting theCourse sis, suspensionandaerodynamictechnicians. Inabusiness station andcarrepairshop. Bysomeaccounts, Franceentered successful; someskepticsbelieveditwouldneverwork.” Running from theLaw Big BillFrancemovedtoDaytona,Fla.,fromWashington, How wrongtheywere.NASCARracingtodayisthena- Convinced that racing could reach its potential only if Convinced thatracingcouldreachitspotentialonlyif — — only racingfans.” makesNASCARthefirstdigital- That sometimesnumbering50to60people — andthewaybusinessesmarkettheirbrands. — dedicated Night Racingmaybeafewmorelapsdowntheroad,NAS- raise the level of collaborationtocreatethebestopportuni- raise thelevelof moving forward. The 2012 seasonhasseen moving forward.The was an action plan that consists of seven planksthatpromise was anactionplanthatconsists of and mostcomprehensiveindependentresearchprojectany nographic studiesthatyielded freshinsightintowhatat- CAR’s currenttaglineis“Everything ElseisJustaGame.” with newandcompellingfanexperiences. Monday While pect of NASCAR, producingafive-yearstrat- NASCAR, pect of tracts fans to its brand of racing. One output of thatresearch racing.One output of tracts fanstoitsbrandof ther created more than 60 years ago. Through thelargest ther createdmorethan60yearsago. Through ties forsponsors, whetheratthetrackorincybersphere, anindustryactionplanintendedto the unleashingof gone beyondtypicalfanmarketing researchtodevelopeth- goal istobuildonthesuccessfulplatformthathisgrandfa- egy toanticipatechangeandkeepNASCAR egy sports leagueisbelievedtohave undertaken,NASCARhas late ’70s.Right:BrianFrance today. 1940s. Middle:BillJr., BigBill,BrianFrance, Top: Roscoe “Pappy” Hough’s race car, late “NASCAR is leading from the front,” saidFrance,whose “NASCAR isleadingfromthefront,”

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49 50 Q4.2012 What’s more,thedrivers, thestarsthemselves, this arepartof (younger, bet- moremobileandwired,increasingly Hispanic, results forsponsors, whilebreakingnewgroundintheuse more aboutdriversearlierintheircareers, whilebetterpre- ment experiencesforthefans, therebyimprovingbusiness media opportunitiesandcapitalize onthemthroughat-track a core team of topexecutives,a coreteamof butsaidit’s not uncommonfor and NASCAR’s marketingteamhascreatedprogramstohelp nated across the sport, withteams,nated acrossthesport, drivers, trackownersand a self-criticalculture,lookingatthingsintrospectivelytofind paring driversastheyrisethroughtheranks. the industry. Intheprocess, NASCARishelpingfanslearn to deliverincreasinglycompellingcompetitiveandentertain- team” tocollaborate withteamsandtrackownerstodevelop ter informedaboutsports, andattention-challenged); helping to tapkeygrowthlevers:definingthenext-generationfan things wethinkcanbuildon.” Franceworksmostlywith know howtoapproachthings, andthatsetstheagenda.” him toreachoutpeopledownstream.“It’s theonly wayI drivers becomebetterspokesmen(andspokeswomen)for drivers withtheirownbrandmapping;launchinga“SWAT events andpromotions;building adigitalpresencesec- of sponsorships tosupportenvironmentalandsocialcauses.of ond to none. And it’s working. The France messagehasreso- ond tonone.Andit’s working.The He isseenhere with Kyle Busch. Toyota cars intheNASCAR SprintCupseries. of themajor teamsinthesport,fieldingthree “NASCAR getsit,” said Joe Gibbs, who headsone “We tend to work on our weaknesses,” France said. “We’re tendtoworkonourweaknesses,” Francesaid.“We’re “We His agenda for NASCAR is ambitious. The new strategy is newstrategy His agendaforNASCARisambitious. The

Aaron’s soldfor $99, andthecompanylatermoved the desig- Michael Waltrip at a Shania Twain concert. The partnership The Waltrip ataShaniaTwainconcert. Michael Inc., whosestoressellfurniture,appliancesandelectronics Inc., National FootballLeague,aswellthreeNASCARSprintCup rights foraraceatAtlantaMotorSpeedway, whereAaron’s is CAR’s fanbasein2000.of Aaron’s operatingofficer Aschief national adcampaigns actually “lessover-indexed”intheSoutheastthanmostpeo- driverswhobecamehouseholdnames,a generationof said nationwide marketingchannelsbeyondthecoremotorsports vigorous, creativeleadership. was originally named for the array of “dreamwas originallynamedforthearray of products” that a strong marketing platform. The No.a strongmarketingplatform.The 99“DreamMachine” based. But Butler asked if theracecouldbelengthenedafew based. ButButleraskedif ple expect, Phelps notes, Phelps ple expect, whilestrongerthanexpectedin to consumerswithcreditissues, hesponsoredthe naming the MidwestandNortheast.OnlyinWestisNASCAR team ownerhasuniqueperspective,withthreeSuperBowl fieldingthree teams inthesport, ToyotacarsNASCAR has enabledWaltriptogrowinto athree-carteamwith laps soitcouldbenamedthe“Aaron’s 312,”topromotethe Steve Phelps, NASCAR’s marketingofficer. chief NASCARis Sprint Cupseries. Gibbswouldknow. 20-year NASCAR The crew chiefsgivinghimhighmarksforvision,innovation,and championships as coach of the Washington Redskinsinthe the championships ascoachof company’s lease-to-ownprogram. championship contenderin2012, whileAaron’s developed slightly belowthenationalaverageinbrandpower. outlets. Showingdriversonpoint-of-saledisplaysandin “NASCAR gets it,” said Joe Gibbs, saidJoe themajor “NASCAR getsit,” whoheadsoneof Ken Butler recognized the marketing potential of NAS- Ken Butlerrecognizedthemarketingpotentialof Butler begansponsoringacarafterhemetCupdriver In the1970s, consumerbrandseagertotapthesales appearances withsponsorsandtheirclients, which and numeroussmallersponsors. Heorshepartici- Gibbs said,isthat“youdon’t needtohaveasponsor nization wentinternationalin2007, becomingone and B-2-Bmarketersassponsors, andhisracingorga- Activated Branding pates inadvertisingcampaignsaswelloff-track potential of loyalNASCARfanstookthesportinto potential of to playfootball.” Inthesponsorshipfinancingmodel, highly visible representative of severalmajorbrands highly visiblerepresentativeof companies. can includerace-dayhospitalitytents, on-track championships at Joe GibbsRacing.counts championships atJoe each NASCARdriverisnotjustanathlete,buta special eventsandvideoappearancesatsponsor some of theworld’smostsophisticatedconsumer some of of the first teamstouse of Toyota carsintheCupseries. The difference between football and NASCAR, differencebetween footballandNASCAR, The — “with their helmets off” “withtheirhelmetsoff” The Korn/Ferry Ins titute — created

Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images for NASCAR Briefings onTalen t &Leadership Courtesy Hendrick Motorsports Lucky Dog,toitson-airmarketingwhenitaddedaluckydog your brandrightintotheplayingfield,”Francesaid.Anddigi- NASCAR intellectualproperty. movecreatedanewdigital The iting, packaging and rights management for the full range of iting, packagingandrightsmanagement forthefullrangeof nation totheNo. 55carontheWaltripteamtocommemorate nearly 1,960 while working with Waltrip.nearly 1,960whileworkingwith bring itsdigitalrightsbackin-house. NASCARdecidedithad be Butler the founding of thechainin1955.the foundingof Aaron’s addeditsmascot, to be master of itsowndestiny,to bemasterof abletocontrolproduction,ed- France’s Amajorpartof forthe sportwasto strategy the track. brandingon tal toolsallowNASCARtomultiplytheimpactof driver whoisnotontheleadlapwhenayellowcautionflag graphic toitsbroadcastpackage ers calledhimorhera“luckydog.” Buttheluckiestdogmight slows racing; that driver gets one lap back, andraceannounc- slows racing;thatdrivergetsonelapback, The power of NASCARsponsorshipisthat“youcanbring powerof The — That’s a78percentincreaseinthelastdecade.Thedeal Jeff GordonandtheentireHendrickteam.” AARP andFoundationfocusedontheissueof first timeamajornonprofitorganizationhastakenpri- Web sites,interactionsthroughsocialmedialikeFace- the DrivetoEndHungermobiletraileratSprintCup tions andbroadcasts,aswellvisitsdonationsat tered 982milliontouchpointswithfansin2011.These to EndHunger,apolicyandgrassrootsinitiativeby Driving for aCause Gordon hasathree-yearcontractwithAARP;itisthe with theNo.24car“ismorethanasponsorship,”Jen- NASCAR’s appealasasponsorshipvenuecontinuesto ground. Leadingthewayisfour-timechampionJeffGor- include pageviewsattheAARPandDrivetoEndHunger said JoAnnJenkins,presidentofAARPFoundation. don, whobecamethesport’sfirstcrossoverstarafter hunger, “weuseNASCARasthemainmessagingplat- hunger amongolderpeopleinAmerica.Foodinsecurity kins said.“It’sapartnershipwithlike-mindedpeople he startedwinningracesandtitlesalmostfromthemo- races. WhileAARPhasmultipleprogramsfocusedon book andTwitter,mediacoverageintraditionalpublica- mobile anddigitalreach,theDrivetoEndHungerregis- reflect UnitedStatessocialtrendswhilebreakingnew more than9millionpeopleovertheageof50everyday, never representedacause.”Gordon’ssponsorisDrive mary sponsorshipofaNASCARSprintCupcar. ment heenteredtheCupseriesinearly1990s.Now thechoicebetweenamealandmedicine “I lovedoingcharitablework,”Gordonsaid,“butI’d Reflecting NASCAR’sstrongcoreanditsincreasing — Aaron’s hasgrownfromfewerthan300stores to — thetermreferstofirst — confronts —

.com (m.nascar.com)experiencedtremendousgrowthin2011, .com averagedapproximately6millionuniquevisitorsper Americans sinceitscreation. form togetpeopleengaged,”Jenkinssaid.Theimpact first forGordon.“Ilearnedwhatittakestoputfoodon for GordonafterDuPontreduceditscommitmentduring month, withpageviewstotaling802million,accordingto fans insidethegarage.NASCAR requiresthatcommunication the volunteering,”hesaid.Sofarsogood the tableforallthesepeople the hoodofNo.24.Thatsetstageforanother tough economictimesin2010,aftertwodecadeson to sponsorDaleEarnhardtJr.andhisteam,JRMotor an applicationavailableonAndroid devicesexclusivelyfrom with pageviewsup138percentover2010,to159million. Omniture, anonlinemarketingandWebanalyticsbusiness between driversandtheirpitcrews duringracestakeplace through atleast2016, Sprintbringsitsbrandtolifebytaking Clean CoalElectricity,anadvocacygrouprepresenting wasn’t lostonNASCAR,whichaskedAARPforpermis- division that will eventually require new hiring, Phelps said. division thatwilleventuallyrequirenewhiring,Phelps Sprint, essentiallyturnsamobiledevice intoaracescanner Sprint, sion tousethepartnershipasacasestudyatits2011 sports, inseveralNationwideSeriesraces,andethanol over publicanalogchannelsand NASCARSprintCupMobile, coal producers,electricutilitiesandrailroads,signedon owned byAdobeSystems.Racingfans ones has helpeddelivermorethan8millionmealstoolder nonprofits gotinvolved.TheAmericanCoalitionfor post-season sponsorshipsummit.In2012,twoother producers alsosponsoracar. As the title sponsor of NASCAR’sAs thetitlesponsorof premierracingseries The digitaldialogueisgrowingrapidly.In2011,NASCAR Drive toEndHungertookoverprimarysponsorship — areonthemove,andmobileversionofNASCAR — thefoodbanksandall — especiallyyounger — thedrive Q4.2012

51 on race days. The app delivers the live-race radio broadcast, pertise. Under NASCAR’s rules and competitive conditions, lap-by-lap live telemetry and in-car audio for all 43 drivers teams can gain only transient advantages from equipment, and NASCAR officials. More than 3.1 million fans used the he said, “so it’s all about the people.” app in 2011. “Race fans are very good wireless customers,” The organization, founded by Rick Hendrick, numbers said Steve Gaffney, vice president of corporate marketing for over 550 individuals, with 70 to 75 percent of them employed Sprint. “They spend more and stay with us longer.” in the competition and development divisions, the rest in It is part of Sprint’s brand activation, which includes other business functions like marketing and accounting. more than 1.2 million active followers for the Miss Sprint Hendrick’s main goal would sound familiar to many Cup Facebook page, and the Sprint All-Star Announcers con- CEOs: leverage information and competitive intelligence test for this year’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. The All-Star across the four teams to win more. With one of the longest Announcers contest afforded Sprint the opportunity to inte- and best records in the sport, Hendrick has figured out grate NASCAR fans, in a highly visible fashion, into the spot- how to make that happen light event of its season. Twenty fans were chosen and their most of the time; this year, “NASCAR has the best videos were seen on SPEED’s pre-race broadcast as the official the organization won its fans in sports,” says Bran- driver introductions at the event. 200th Cup race, a singular don Igdalsky. Race fans Green for NASCAR? Critics scoff. But NASCAR Green is achievement. Hendrick’s “come early and stay late,” the kind of reform “that sustainability advocates would like leadership model tends to- often for days. to see across the economy,” Matthew T. Bodie, a St. Louis Uni- ward internal talent devel- versity School of Law professor and associate dean, noted in opment starting on the a recent paper. “NASCAR is an example of the ‘imbedded cor- shop floor. No organization is ever prepared for the kind poration’ — a firm working within a complex set of partner- of tragedy that struck Hendrick when a 2004 plane crash ships, contracts and other economic arrangements. Sustain- claimed the lives of 10 key company and sponsor personnel, ability makes sense within this framework.” including the founder’s son, Ricky, and brother John, who NASCAR Green encourages research and innovation in was president at the time. Carlson, who first worked at Hen- fuel efficiency, solar power and environmentally sound han- drick as a summer intern while in college, was named presi- dling or recycling of everything from motor oil and batteries dent in 2011. to beverage containers. Like social media, the green effort Crediting the founder, Carlson subscribes to four pillars draws in corporate sponsors. Coca-Cola sponsors recycling of leadership: talent, unity, speed and focus. “You can’t beat bins at tracks, and 3M has begun deploying a sustainable talent,” Carlson said. And Hendrick has plenty; Jeff Gordon fire suppression fluid in the No. 16 3M Ford Fusion of Greg in the No. 24 AARP Drive to End Hunger car and Johnson in Biffle, a driver for Roush Fenway. the No. 48 Lowe’s car have nine championships between One of the most successful partner projects is the solar them. Dale Earnhardt Jr., in the No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew/ energy farm at Pocono Raceway, which began supplying all National Guard car, is the most popular driver in NASCAR, electricity for the track in 2010 — and putting enough excess as well as the most valuable name in the sport. Completing energy back into the local grid to power about 800 homes in the roster is Kasey Kahne, in the No. 5 Farmers Insurance the area. Igdalsky, Pocono’s CEO, said the project saves up to car, who took his seat in 2012. $500,000 per year and draws a steady stream of visitors. “It’s Turning talent into success demands unity of purpose put us on the map in all sports.” and action. At Hendrick, when any car gets a win or a championship, every member of the competition group receives Winning Organizations the same bonus. Similar programs provide incentives to mar- Like participants in every sport, drivers and teams want to keting teams to execute programs that deliver superior re- win. “Race wins help us in a number of ways,” said Jimmie sults to sponsors. Unity enables the organization to operate Johnson, a five-time Sprint Cup champion. “The obvious one at the tempo that infuses this sport: high speed. Carlson said, of winning,” he added, in order to lock in a spot in the Chase “Focus is pretty easy to see — every week there’s a scoreboard for the Cup — the final 10 races that determine the champion- and we’re ranked in an unbelievably clear way.” ship. “Once that goal is accomplished, it’s a matter of getting The Track Experience the team rested and prepared for the finals.” To do so while delivering a return on investment to sponsors is a talent For track owners, the window of opportunity for capitalizing on management challenge that falls to Marshall Carlson, presi- Cup races is short. A case study is the independent Pocono track. dent of Hendrick Motorsports. Carlson and the crew chiefs Though its seating of just over 76,800 makes Pocono a moder- of the team’s four cars must inspire top-notch performance ate facility on the Cup circuit, where a dozen tracks seat upward from teams encompassing a surprisingly wide range of ex- of 90,000 fans, its capacity tops many ball-sports parks.

52 Q4.2012 The Korn/Ferry Institute Briefings onTalen t &Leadership ZUMA Press, Inc./Alamy 2012 races, drawinggood responsefromdriversaftertesting. trackisthe samelengthasthespeedwaysatDaytona 2.5-mile Among newfeaturesthataredesigned toappealthemat Indianapolis MotorSpeedway, Poconowasresurfacedforthe member of thefamilythatownsfacility.member of must shiftconstantly, wearingoncaranddriveralike. Pocono thisyear:aninfieldcourse wherekidscanraceBig ilies. “NASCARhas thebestfansinsports,” Igdalskysaid. ize ontheshortwindow, saidIgdalsky, athird-generation ically inthetwoCupraceweekends, andNASCAR’s newmar- its layoutstillvexescrewchiefswhoneedtotuneenginesand and Charlotte, but each of Pocono’sand Charlotte,buteachof turnsisasharpcorner, and tracks needtoprovideactivities forbothgearheadsandfam keting SWATteam,calledIndustryServices, isabig plusfor unique configurationnicknamed “the Tricky Triangle,” the getting drivers, mediasupportandotherresources tocapital- suspensions forwidelyvaryingconditions, anddriverswho With ashortsummerseason,there’s alotatstakeeconom - This sitehashosted aCup-levelracesince1974.With This Race fans“come earlyand stay late,”oftenfordays, so withhelpfromthefamilythatowned Built in1971

Wheels and a special section of grandstandsforTwitterusers, andaspecialsectionof Wheels an ideatweetedbyactivatedfan.Igdalskyspendshoura primarily becauseitvalidatedBigBillFrance’s dream that that’s readyingthesportfornextDaleEarnhardt NASCAR, track, you see it, feel it, hear it, taste it and smell it. Ithitsev- tasteitandsmellit. hearit, feelit, youseeit, track, atthe you’re there’s noreplacingliveracing,headds. “When the sportindifferentways,” hesaid. day with fans on Twitter and Facebook. “Peopleareabsorbing day withfansonTwitterandFacebook. up, “On anygivenSunday, anybodycanwin.” Public Policy StudiesattheUniversityofChicago. Christopher R.O’Deaisabusinessconsultant andanaward-winning success for this most American sport. AsIgdalskysumsit success forthismostAmericansport. stock carracingdriversberecognizedasathletes. son toldtheFoxbroadcastteamhefelthonoredbyaward member oftheDean’sInternational Council oftheHarrisSchool on the track. Becauseintheendgreatcompetitionwillfuel on thetrack. alwaysattunedtohowtheracinglooks or JimmieJohnson, writer focusingonleadership,innovation andfinancialissues.Heisa While digitalchannelsarevitalforreachingyoungerfans,While Today, BigBill’s grandsonisdrivingtheDreamMachine There’s noracingwithoutcars,There’s andfanloyaltyto Ford shopnearDetroitthatrivalsanautofactory. Roush of RoushFenwayRacinghaslongoperateda Roush of manager forToyota MotorSalesU.S.A. full-sized pickupintheUnitedStates. “It’s notjust with NASCARin2000 inaregionalseries, and activate,” saidLesUnger, nationalmotorsports vides atremendousopportunitytoreachoutand about thecompetitionontrack;NASCARpro- approach that has never left the sport. Bigteams approach thathasneverleftthesport. automakers fuelsa“winonSunday, sellonMonday” magazine named Johnson become, inAprilForbesmagazinenamedJohnson bigger fishinthepond. Toyota beganworking the mostinfluentialathleteinAmerica tablished racingteamscanposeobstaclesfornew had asolidrelationshipwiththeleague’s technical largest Chevydealersinthecountry, RogerPenske’s Series to support the launch of theTundra,itsfirst Series tosupportthelaunchof group when it entered the Camping World Truckgroup whenitenteredtheCamping carmakers’ racingbudgetsarelimited.Gibbs ery sense,anditsucksyouin.” entrants. Even in the big-money world of NASCAR, entrants. NASCAR, Eveninthebig-moneyworldof andJack empire includesaDodgeengineplant, switched toToyota in2007 inparttobecomea the supply theirracinggear:RickHendrickisoneof second yearinarow. Askedabout thehonor,- John It’s Car Racing,It’sCar After All often havemultipletiestothemanufacturersthat Long relationshipsbetweencarmakersandes- Reflecting justhowmainstreamNASCARhas — Q4.2012 forthe