Category Archives: Sponsor

Evaluation of Social Media practices in NASCAR reveals surprising results

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NASCAR’s Social Media leaders among drivers, teams and sponsors have been studied during the Christmas vacation with surprising results.

I had always thought Brad Keselowski was the ‘King of Twitter’ – after all, it was his tweeted photo of the drivers on track during the infamous red flag for the fire-rain delayed 2011 Daytona 500 that brought many more followers (even resulted in a new rule of no cell phones, recording devices allowed in the cars)…. remember?

But, apparently not.

This study shows how important the Social Media has become to drivers, teams and sponsors. I found it to be interesting as I hope you will also.

The Social Media study was conducted by Tuckahoe Strategies, a strategic communications firm by scoring drivers, teams and select NASCAR sponsors and partners on a 20-point scale.

To start, Joe Gibbs Racing topped the charts with a Social Media Score of 15 points, while Hendrick Motorsports trailed by only one point – at 14 points.

Graphic by Tuckahoe Strategies

Joe Gibbs Racing‘s online accounts comprise one of the broadest social media strategies for reaching fans of the sport. The team site, www.joegibbsracing.com, is up to date with timely features, and the homepage points to six social media platforms, including a mobile app for iPhone, Blackberry or Droid. The team maintains active social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and FourSquare. Gibbs’ social media score bested Hendrick’s by a single point because of its slightly more effective home page promotion of its social media platforms.

Graphic by Tuckahoe Strategies

Jimmie Johnson is the most comprehensive user of social media among drivers. He reaches his audience on a broad array of platforms including: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. Johnson’s social media reach (the sum of all social media followers across platforms) is 1,066,347. This veritable “media machine” has a following larger than the circulation of the Los Angeles Times, which is the fourth largest newspaper in the country.

Graphic by Tuckahoe Strategies

The sport’s largest audience holder and content curator across the board is NASCAR. This actually should come as no surprise as NASCAR had partnered with Twitter to organize the (hashtag) #NASCAR. Every tweet with the #NASCAR appears on their Twitter page, drawing users to go to one place – this has allowed beating out the circulation of the largest U.S.paper, The Wall Street Journal.

Jimmie Johnson, Marcos Ambrose (12 points), Kyle Busch (12), Jeff Gordon (11) and Danica Patrick (11) scored highest among 45 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers, while Joe Gibbs Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, Penske Racing (12), Robby Gordon Motorsports (12) and Roush Fenway Racing (12) collected the top scores among 30 team owners. Among industry sponsors and partners, high scores were awarded to Ford Racing (12), NASCAR (11), SpeedTV (10), Toyota (8) and Sunoco (7). (NASCAR was grouped with sponsors and partners.)

Graphic by Tuckahoe Strategies

The team with the broadest social media reach is Roush Fenway Racing, with an audience of 976,755. The vast majority of this audience engages with the team’s Google+ account, which includes 912,961 “circles.”

Graphic by Tuckahoe Strategies

Dale Earnhardt Jr. scored nine 9 points in the study placing him in the middle of the pack. However, NASCAR’s most popular driver holds the single largest audience for a driver at 1,637,697. About 90% of Earnhardt’s audience is concentrated on one platform, his Facebook page, which accounts for 1,470,212 likes. Earnhardt also has a robust YouTube channel with 1,630 subscribers and 610,714 views. Earnhardt maintains a Pinterest account that includes 231 followers and 124 pins, but it is difficult to find without any promotion from the homepage. Earnhardt does have a Twitter account with 165,855 “followers” with zero tweets.

Many in the sport can easily improve their social media scores by making simple updates to their websites and expanding their use of social media platforms. Another common misstep is a lack of shareable content. NASCAR is a photo- and video-rich sport with an avid fan base. Teams, drivers and sponsors would do well to utilize photo-sharing platforms, such as Instagram and Pinterest, and video sharing services such as YouTube or Vimeo. A number of industry websites feature terrific photo and video galleries but they are isolated on the site and not easily shareable.

Goodyear stood out for its lack of any social media presence at all. In fact, one can find virtually no mention of NASCAR at all on its online properties. There is no mention of NASCAR on Goodyear.com and no dedicated Facebook page or Twitter account. Seems kind of odd since they are well known as “the tire of NASCAR.”

NASCAR’s fuel supplier, Sunoco, has an active, racing-related Facebook page with nearly 1.2 million likes and an active Twitter account with over 8,000 followers.

NASCAR title sponsor, Sprint, also is expanding the reach of its corporate brand through its NASCAR-related social media presence. Sprint is active on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube via its brand ambassador campaign, Miss Sprint Cup,with a social media reach of more than 1.3 million.

Content supplied by press release from Tuckahoe Strategies

Social Media Scores in the NASCAR Industry Survey data by Tuckahoe Strategies. All rights reserved.

Social Media Score – Based on online presence, number of social platforms activated and timeliness of updates. Highest score possible is 20. Survey data by Tuckahoe Strategies. All rights reserved.

Meet Curtiss Shaver, winner of “Your Hero’s Name Here” Program by Crown Royal

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Curtiss Shaver earned the naming rights for the Crown Royal “Your Hero’s Name Here” race at Indianpolis Motor Speedway.

2012 Super Weekend’s Brickyard 400 will welcome a new winner to the track…without him ever taking a lap – hero Curtiss Shaver. When local firefighters saved Troy native Curtiss Shaver’s life during a tragic farming accident, Shaver knew he’d found his calling.  Though the accident claimed the lower part of his left leg, Shaver persevered and began a lifelong career as a firefighter and certified EMT with the goal of giving back to his community.

The official race title to be used throughout the national television broadcast and incorporated into race memorabilia as well as the race winner’s trophy will be the Crown Royal Presents the Curtiss Shaver 400 at the Brickyard powered by Big MachineRecords.com.

Watch the emotional announcement:

Shaver, a local firefighter and certified EMT,  is a husband and father of three.  His career in the field began as a volunteer, less than two years after his farming accident.  This sense of hard work and dedication were major components of his contest nomination, submitted by fellow Fire Lieutenant Brandy Cox. Curtiss will go down in sports history on July 29th when the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) is renamed in his honor, courtesy of Crown Royal.

The whisky brand brought a piece of the renowned Brickyard to the fire lieutenant’s hometown on Wednesday, laying a ceremonial Yard of Bricks at the Troy Fire Department during a surprise ceremony announcing Shaver as the winner of the annual “Your Hero’s Name Here” 400 program.

This race will mark the sixth time Crown Royal has awarded race naming rights to an adult fan. This year, the program focused on all of the unsung heroes who make a difference in their communities, from firefighters and police officers, to first responders and local volunteers.  Five heroes were chosen as finalists and adult fans visited the Crown Royal Facebook page to cast their votes for the person they felt was most deserving of the honor.

As part of the grand-prize package, Shaver will ride in the pre-race pace car, deliver the trophy bearing his name to the race winner in Victory Lane, and kiss the bricks following the race. Through a partnership with IMS, country music artists from Big Machine Label Group including The Band Perry, The Mavericks, Justin Moore and Greg Bates will play special concerts at the track to honor Shaver throughout the race weekend.

(Army) National Guard has no plans to retreat as sponsor for Dale Earnhardt Jr.

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WASHINGTON, July 12, 2012

 Press Release

WASHINGTON, July 12, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The National Guard Association of the United States today released the following statement by retired Maj. Gen. Gus L. Hargett Jr., the association president:

There is an effort underway in Congress to prohibit the U.S. military from sponsoring professional motorsports as part of military recruiting.

On the surface, this may seem like a good idea in the face of current fiscal challenges. But a closer look reveals that such a ban would provide no real savings and only serve to hinder Defense Department efforts to reach the most qualified potential recruits.

Recruiting for our all-volunteer force isn’t what it used to be. Only one in every four young people is even eligible to join. And television advertising no longer carries the payoff it once did.

Today, you have to know how smart, fit young people think, where they live and play, and go to them.

The Army National Guard learned these lessons a few years ago. Traditional recruiting approaches no longer worked and our troop strength was shrinking. So we abandoned convention and focused our limited resources on an innovative marketing mix that linked recruiting messages to popular musicians and motorsports.

It was a bold move, but it paid off. Recruiting steadily improved, both in terms of the quantity and quality of the applicants. Today, the Army National Guard has the fittest, most intelligent force in its history. Other military services noticed and have taken similar approaches.

The link between military recruiting and motorsports is temporary. The results prove it’s a match that works today. It may not in the future when other approaches may provide a better payoff. And that’s the point.

We applaud lawmakers like Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., and Rep. Barbara McCollum, D-Minn., for asking tough questions about how and where scarce defense dollars are spent. But we believe military marketing experts should evaluate return on investment and determine without restriction where best to put increasingly scarce recruiting dollars.”

UPDATED 7/17: U.S. Rep McCollum’s statement regarding Army discontinuing sponsorship with SHR

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U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn. had the following statement upon hearing that the Army had announced Tuesday, July 10th, it will be discontinuing its sponsorship with Stewart-Haas Racing starting with the 2013 season:

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Washington, DC – Today, the Army announced that it would no longer sponsor the Stewart-Haas Racing, which includes racecar driver Ryan Newman.  A longtime NASCAR sponsor, the Army had been with Newman at Stewart-Haas Racing when the team began three years ago.  In her position on the House Appropriations Committee, Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04) has been urging the Department of Defense to stop spending millions of taxpayer dollars on professional sponsorships.  Although the military is using this money for recruitment purposes, facts indicate that professional sports sponsorships weren’t effective.

“By ending its sponsorship of NASCAR, the Army made the right move to eliminate a wasteful program and protect taxpayer dollars – which has been my goal all along,” said Congresswoman McCollum. “Congress is facing a very difficult budget environment, and I want taxpayer dollars protected – even at the Pentagon. I applaud the Army’s decision to terminate its funding of NASCAR. The Army now joins the Navy and Marine Corps in terminating its NASCAR partnership.”

“I will continue to work to save taxpayer dollars by ending all of the Pentagon’s multi-million dollar professional sports sponsorships of motor racing, bass fishing and ultimate fighting,” concluded Congresswoman McCollum.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

NASCAR driver Ryan Newman losing his Army sponsorship due to military’s lack of ability to show recruiting numbers received due to these sponsorships. Photo by Sandi Goodall for Racingal.com

According to USA Today, the Army spent $16 million on professional sports sponsorships.  Total spending by the Pentagon on all sports sponsorships – including motor racing, bass fishing and ultimate fighting – is over $80 million.

The U.S. Army has served as a primary sponsor in NASCAR since 2003, starting with MB2 Motorsports and Jerry Nadeau. The Army has been with Newman at Stewart-Haas Racing since 2009 and will spend $8.4 million on its NASCAR program this season, a total that includes a 12-race sponsorship for Ryan Newman’s No. 39 Chevrolet.

Even if the amendment is killed, the Army National Guard will likely have less money to work with next year, which means Earnhardt’s No. 88 team with Hendrick Motorsports could be impacted. The Guard budgeted $26.5 million on NASCAR alone in fiscal year 2012, down from $32.7 million in fiscal year 2011.

At issue for Rep. Jack Kingston, R – GA, who spearheaded the amendment this year, and McCollum has been the fact that the military has an inability to show that such sponsorships are effective in bringing in recruits.

In the meantime, according to John Myers, director of marketing support for the Army Marketing and Research Group, Army officials are in the process of signing a contract extension with Don Schumacher Racing through 2013 to continue the long-running sponsorship of the Top Fuel dragster for seven-time NHRA champion Tony Schumacher.

Source: Pioneer Press

UPDATE: According to NASCAR.com, NASCAR has joined with other major sports leagues in sending an open letter to the Speaker of the House in an attempt to table an amendment that would restrict branches of the military from using sports sponsorships as a recruitment tool. In a letter sent Monday to Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio), NASCAR, the NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball and the IndyCar Series urged the Speaker show “continued opposition” to the Kingston-McCollum amendment to the $608 billion 2013 Dept. of Defense appropriations bill currently before Congress. Introduced by Reps. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) and Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), the amendment would bar the military from using funds for sponsorships in professional or semi-pro sports. A vote on the appropriations bill is scheduled for Wednesday, according to the weekly legislative calendar of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.)

U.S. Army pulling sponsorship off Ryan Newman’s No. 39 for 2013

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SHR’s Ryan Newman practices his No. 39 Go Army Chevy Impala at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2011. Newman will no longer be sponsored by the Army in 2013. Photo by Sandi Goodall/Racingal.com

We all knew it was going to happen sooner than later…

Unfortunately, Stewart-Haas Racing announced today that the U.S. Army has decided not to renew its sponsorship with Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) in 2013 as a primary sponsor of the #39 Chevy driven by Ryan Newman due to a reallocation of its marketing budget that will not include a presence in NASCAR. The U.S. Army paid $7.5 million to sponsor SHR Ryan Newman’s team in 2011 alone.

Two state representatives – Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn and Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga. pushed for an amendment to prevent the military from sponsoring pro sports, which the House Appropriations Committee approved back in May 2012. The representatives tacked it onto the military’s $608 billion defense bill. The next step is a full vote in the House of Representatives, where Republicans hold a majority of seats. The Democrat-controlled Senate would vote on passing its own version of the bill, which may or may not have the NASCAR funding ban.

Government sponsorships in motor sports is very close to disappearing altogether – that is, if Rep. McCollum, D-Minn and Rep. Kingston, R-Ga. get their way. This go around, the bill being sponsored by Kingston, as McCollum is co-sponsor. McCollum tried to prevent military spending on sporting events last year, however, her measure failed.

Don’t be surprised if (or really, when) the U.S. Air Force (Richard Petty Motorsports) and National Guard (Hendrick Motorsports) pull sponsorships from their respective teams for the 2013 season.

What’s next? No flyovers?

Daytona International Speedway implements smoking ban in grandstands

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NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Jeffrey Earnhardt and Daytona International Speedway Vice President Andrew Gurtis participated in a ceremony with Students Working Against Tobacco teens. Earnhardt is sponsored by Tobacco Free Florida. Credit: ISC Images and Archives

My, how the times have changed. And for the better.

Remember the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company when they held the sponsorship to the NASCAR Cup series – known then as the Winston Cup Series – running from 1971–2003? Stock car racing has a major history with tobacco and the highly visible use of tobacco by drivers, their racing teams, owners and fans. I even remember the days when fans were able to sign up to receive information and coupons from Winston with the pretty Winston Girls at the hospitality tents (as long as you were the legal age of 18) in exchange for a free pack of Winston cigarettes race day.

If Winston wasn’t your brand that you smoked, it was that day.

Daytona International Speedway is wiping their hands of all smoking and have placed a smoking band in their grandstands to make them smoke free while making it more enjoyable for fans to watch a race. So what started this? According to Daytona International Speedway Vice President Andrew Gurtis, “it was actually fan feedback after last year’s events which led to the speedway to have the grandstands become smoke free.”

Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) is a statewide youth organization that works to mobilize today’s youth to de-glamorize and de-normalize tobacco use. SWAT is a united movement of youth which works towards a tobacco free future. SWAT recently applauded Daytona International Speedway for its bold move in protecting patrons from second-hand smoke starting with the Subway Jalapeno 250 and Coke Zero 400 weekend. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, even second-hand smoke contains over 7,000 chemicals with hundreds that are toxic, and 69 that can cause cancer.

NASCAR driver and Tobacco Free Florida spokesperson Jeffrey Earnhardt stated, “I’m proud that leading race organizations like Daytona are protecting our fans from tobacco smoke and are showing young fans that smoking is no longer acceptable.” Earnhardt, who will also be sponsored by Tobacco Free Florida during the Subway Jalapeno 250 Nationwide race Friday night, July 6th, added “I had family members that smoked – and I’ll tell you a funny story,” Earnhardt said, “I use to stay at my grandma’s house, but I would leave my clothes out in the car so they wouldn’t smell like smoke.”

Daytona International Speedway feels they are setting a prime example for other tracks, that smoke free is the way to go. In the meantime, the COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) Foundation’s “DRIVE4COPD” just recently renewed it’s sponsorship entitlement with Daytona International Speedway through 2014.

NASCAR teams fighting their own war – keeping government sponsorships

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Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 43 U.S. Air Force Ford, poses after qualifying for the pole position in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Thursday in Concord, N.C.                          Credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Is government money wasteful spending on teams in NASCAR?

Government sponsorships in motor sports is very close to disappearing altogether – that is, if Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn and Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga. get their way. This is a second go around, the bill being sponsored this time by Kingston, as McCollum is acting co-sponsor. McCollum tried to prevent military spending on sporting events last year, however, her measure failed.

The latest amendment thwarted forward by Kingston, is attached to the $608 billion defense bill that included an amendment to prevent the military from sponsoring pro sports, which the House Appropriations Committee approved last Thursday.

McCollum, whose website said National Guard spent $20 million in professional fishing and $90 million in motor sports in 2011 and 2012 cited the Air National Guard’s sponsorship of the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Richmond International Raceway in September 2010 as an example of waste. She said that the Air National Guard paid $650,000 to sponsor that event.

NASCAR officials disagree with Kingston and McCollum and cite a fall 2011 study by Experian Consumer Research that states NASCAR fans are twice as likely as non fans to serve in the military. The research also found that 37% of active service members and veterans are NASCAR fans.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. reached out to Rep. Kingston and stated that because Kingston’s a Republican from Georgia, he ought to have been to a NASCAR race by now – therefore suggesting Kingston should attend one – during a media conference at Charlotte Motor Speedway last Friday.

According to USA TODAY Sports, McCollum stated that out of a one night, one race … only 439 recruitment leads had resulted. However, out of those 439 leads, “six of those — only six — qualified as potential recruits and then they got zero out of it.”

In fiscal year 2011, the National Guard reported that it spent $32,775,000 in its total NASCAR sponsorship fees. That represented 8.6% of its total recruiting budget.

In 2008 the National Guard reported that approximately 16,800 individuals cited NASCAR as the source of their interest in joining. In 2009, 53,740 qualified leads were generated because of the NASCAR program, which was built around Dale Earnhardt Jr. The Guard stated that 43,934 fans signed up to the online program with 38,846 considered qualified leads – out of those, only a mare 343 joined the National Guard.

Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 GO ARMY SHR Chevy, sits in the media center at CMS and discusses the (possibility) of losing gov't sponsorship. Photo by Karen Pistone

The U.S. Army paid $7.5 million to sponsor SHR Ryan Newman‘s team in 2011. Current figures for the U.S. Air Force also were unavailable, but it paid $1.6 million in sponsorship last season. The Air Force acts as a limited Sponsor/Associate Sponsor on the Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 Ford, which by the way has the pole for this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600.

During a press conference at the Time Warner Cable Arena last Thursday, NASCAR driver Jeff Burton gave his view on the subject: “I don’t think they’re throwing money at it just for the hell of it,” There’s a reason they are doing it, and it must be working,” Burton stated.

NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski raced a Navy sponsored car in the Nationwide series when he first started racing. The Army was the first branch to officially sponsor a car, in 2003. Driver Jerry Nadeau’s No. 25 car became the No. 01 car to represent the old “Army of One” campaign. The Navy no longer sponsors a team in NASCAR. Neither do the Marines.

“The Marines stopped doing it because they thought it was ineffective,” McCollum said.

The next step is a full vote in the House of Representatives, where Republicans hold a majority of seats. The Democrat-controlled Senate would vote on passing its own version of the bill, which may or may not have the NASCAR funding ban.

I see it that as with any other advertiser or sponsor, if it doesn’t seem to work, you pull the funding and apply it elsewhere, but I do NOT see it as wasteful spending. Maybe instead of “investing” the money into one team, the government (each military branch) spreads the money and acts as an Associate Sponsor on more than one car. Race fans may be upset looking at it that Dale Earnhardt Jr., the highest rated fan in NASCAR, is about to lose a major sponsorship.

The government has MUCH MORE wasteful spending going on in which they need to focus to cease. Here are some examples of true government wasteful spending. CAUTION: You may laugh, cry or go into shock!

The Essential Air Service Program
The Essential Air Service helps subsidize small airports. It was created in 1978 out of fear that the larger airlines would abandon smaller airports during deregulation. The program was only supposed to last a few years, but 34 years later, it’s still being paid for by taxpayers. The San Diego News found a flight between Baltimore and Hagerstown (75 miles) empty, they allowed the producer of the (undercover) story sit in the co-pilot’s seat. Taxpayers money helps pay for those empty seats.

There are more than 100 subsidized flight routes across the country. In 2010, Congress allocated $200 million for the Essential Air Service program.

The Pentagon
• Holds an “operational support airlift” consisting of some 500 airplanes and 100 helicopters for flying military brass and civilian personnel on 1,800 trips a month—costing taxpayers $380 million a year. Many of the destinations are served by commercial airlines.

• Announced last year it would spend $5.1 million to build a new 18-hole golf course at Andrews Air Force Base in suburban Maryland, which already has two. Golf Digest reported there are 19 military golf courses around Washington, D.C. Why a new golf course? One Pentagon official was quoted as saying “a lot of golf gets played out there. On Saturday mornings, people are standing on top of each other.”

Obesity Studies
The Government spends billions on these studies. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) spent $830 million funding obesity studies in fiscal year 2011. Between 2008 and 2011, NIH spent over $3.3 billion on obesity research.

The Department of Agriculture
Awarded the University of New Hampshire $700,000 this year investigating methane gas emissions from dairy cows. The conclusion? Cows emit most of their methane through belching, only a small fraction from flatulence.

I KID YOU NOT.  KEEP GOING…

Government Printing

The federal government spends an estimated $930 million on unnecessary printing, even thousands of unread copies of the budget of the United States. Included is $28 million a year just to print “The Congressional Record,” a daily chronicle of every word uttered in Congress and countless more words submitted “for the record.” The printed version of the “Congressional Record” is mostly seen filling up giant recycling bins on Capitol Hill.

National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH)

This agency spent $70,029 to see if the degu, a diurnal South American rodent, can help us better understand jet lag . . . they spent $77,826 to study “Coping with Change in Czechoslovakia” . . . $100,271 to see if volunteering is good for older people . . . $124,910 to reduce “School Phobia” in children . . . $161,913 to study “Israeli reactions to SCUD Attacks during the Gulf War” . . . and $187,042 to study the quality of life in Hawaii.

Those are just a few examples of wasteful spending our government is currently doing. I think these two representatives should take a step back and rethink what, and who, they are going after. If anything, NASCAR is one of the top supporting military sports around. The way I see it, our government’s sponsorships are the most useful, well spent funding it has ever offered in means of creating jobs and helping the American sport of auto racing continue to run – also, helping the local economies in which it travels to for a race weekend.

As a taxpayer, I ask you what your thoughts are on this subject. Is this wasteful spending of taxpayers money? Could the money be spent down other avenues, in different ways?

Sources: Freemanonline.org; The Daily Caller; cagw.org; NASCARMedia

 

The Band Perry visits IMS, announces partnership, five finalists for Crown Royal’s “Your Hero’s Name Here” 400 program

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Posing with bricks: Members of The Band Perry pose with commemorative bricks honoring each of the five finalists for the Crown Royal “Your Hero’s Name Here” 400 program at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 19, 2012. Photo supplied by Taylor Strategy

Country music stars, The Band Perry visited one of the most nostalgic venues in motorsports – Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) – on Saturday to make a special announcement about this summer’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at the Brickyard sponsored by Crown Royal. Crown Royal will name the race, to be held at IMS on July 29th, after an everyday American hero through a program called “Your Hero’s Name Here.”

Big Machine Label Group artists will be on hand at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 29 to ensure the winner of Crown Royal’s annual “Your Hero’s Name Here” contest is provided an experience to remember.  The winner will meet various stars and attend a concert as part of a collaborative effort by Crown Royal and the BigMachineRecords.com to showcase those individuals who make a difference in their communities without asking for anything in return.  Crown Royal and the Big Machine Label Group artists will be at the track all weekend honoring heroes from Indianapolis and around the country and additionally, urging adult fans to drink responsibly and designate drivers, helping to make sure everyone has a fantastic race-day experience and gets home safely.

The five finalists who were announced by The Band Perry and could have the famous race named after them, are: Dale Beatty, veteran and cofounder of the nonprofit organization Purple Heart Homes from Statesville, N.C.; Lindsey Marquez, ICU nurse from Sun Prairie, Wis.; Curtiss Shaver, Fire Lieutenant and EMT from Troy, Ala.; John Thomas, Deputy Sheriff from Sarasota, Fla.; and Brandon Veatch, veteran and Purple Heart recipient from Bloomfield, Ind. In addition to having their name on all race signage, TV broadcasts and apparel, the winner will experience a true VIP experience – from waving the green flag to start the race to delivering the trophy in Victory Lane.

Beginning today, adult consumers can log on to the Crown Royal Facebook page (Facebook.com/CrownRoyal) and click the “Crown Your Hero” tab to vote for the hero they think is most deserving of naming rights to the race. Voting runs through June 28th and the grand prize winner will be announced in early July.

The Crown Royal Presents the “Your Hero’s Name Here” 400 at the Brickyard Powered by BigMachineRecords.com, will be the marquee event of the inaugural Super Weekend at the Brickyard, which also will feature a NASCAR Nationwide Series event Saturday, July 28, two GRAND-AM road races Friday, July 27 and Nationwide practice Thursday, July 26.

Race Day ticket prices start at just $30. Fans can buy tickets online at www.imstix.com, by calling the IMS ticket office at (317) 492-6700, or (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area, or by visiting the ticket office at the IMS Administration Building at the corner of Georgetown Road and 16th Street between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) Monday-Friday. Children 12 and under will receive free general admission to any IMS event in 2011 when accompanied by an adult general admission ticket holder.

Rookie Scott Stenzel brings ‘Yellow Stripes – Making the Driver’ to Kansas Speedway in NCWTS

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Graphic courtesy of Scott Stenzel

Scott Stenzel was born on July 28, 1980 in the southern part of Minnesota. Scott’s interest in racing began about the age of eight. Scott and his father built his first go-kart, but the only place to race was on his neighbor’s track in the backyard. At age 16 he finally was old enough to enter into the FASCAR racing league. Scott worked many jobs in order to make his dream of racing, happen. Scott was a part-time shelf stocker at a grocery store, a part-time laborer for his father’s marine removal and installation service, and worked night shifts at a food and dairy plant, all of which allowed him to save up enough money to race.

During his high school years Scott assembled three race cars, one for dirt and two for concrete. He did it with his own money, donated parts, the help of his friends and family, and various sponsors. Back during Scott’s first NASCAR K&N Series debut he had worked with Carl Edward’s spotter, Jason Hadlesky, where he kept him out of trouble and helped coach him about the lines and traffic at race speeds.

In 1999, before leaving for college to North Dakota State University in Fargo, ND, Stenzel sold everything from his racing cars to his racing gear – only keeping his driving suit. He eventually moved to Central Florida where he then attended Valencia Community College and Full Sail Real World Education in Orlando, FL.

After graduation from Full Sail, Scott started his own advertising and marketing company in the Orlando area called Digi Craft. This company services Universal Orlando Resort, Disney Adventures Magazine and specializes in print, web and video multimedia services.

Scott Stenzel (right) poses with other stilt performers in 2006. Photo courtesy of Scott Stenzel.

Scott also has another “hobby”- stilt walking. He stilt walks at special events wherever, and whenever, he can. Back in 2004, Scott had met Cart Edwards at the Daytona 500 while “stilt walking” for the event. Carl was intrigued and had invited Scott and his crew back to hang out at the motor home where they shared in conversation.

Had they left unknowingly that they’d be crossing paths once again…

SCOTT STENZEL’S RACING HISTORY
In December 2007, Stenzel attended Finish Line Racing School headed up by Mike Loescher. He graduated and Loesher approved him ready for ARCA RE/MAX series. Stenzel made his first ARCA RE/MAX series race during the Daytona International Speedway test that same month. He posted a speed of 50.599 seconds at 179.105 MPH which placed him 13 of 64 drivers.*

Scott drove a Bob Schacht prepared car in the December 2009 Daytona test for ARCA drivers and teams. Scott earned his license with full series approval to race the entire season. Stenzel tested in the ARCA RE/MAX Series and obtained his 2010 license during the Daytona test.*

In April 2010 Jeff Spraker (owner and operator of Spraker Racing Enterprises) fielded the #42 Ford Fusion for Scott Stenzel where he qualified 28th at Talladega Superspeedway for the ARCA RE/MAX presented by Menards 250. Stenzel finished in the 7th place position. He received the CGS Hard Charger award for passing the most cars during the race.*

Then the day came when Scott Stenzel would meet Charlie Patterson…

Charlie Patterson (l), Scott Stenzel (r). Photo courtesy of Scott Stenzel

The day Scott met Charlie Patterson, they happen to be at…yes, Daytona International Speedway. Scott wasn’t there to race, but rather to perform as a stilt walker for the Daytona 500 event. A friend introduced Charlie to Scott, who in the meantime, knelt down on his stilts to become eye to eye with Charlie – while impressing him with just that stunt alone – and added “and, by the way – Scott is a race car driver, too.”

Shocked as he sat upon hearing the news, Charlie was impressed and interested to hear more from Scott. As the day progresses, Charlie and Scott exchanged numbers and told Scott, “give me a call.”

A couple of weeks went by and Scott called Charlie at his home in Avon, Indiana. From their conversation, came the invite Scott will never forget.

Charlie invited him to his home in Avon, IN so they can discuss Scott’s career more. Upon Scott’s excitement as well as heightened anxiety, Charlie threw out the “test” objective without warning.

“I want to see how well you can race,” Charlie stated.

A stunned Scott, feeling the pressure of being put on the spot to perform, replied, “well, I don’t have my driver’s suit, helmet or gloves with me…”

“No excuses,” Charlie said firmly, shaking his head.

Charlie ended up taking Scott to an indoor Karting complex where Scott will have to prove himself to Charlie. After several laps, Scott’s speed increased and kept increasing. Charlie was very impressed with what he was witnessing while Scott had proven himself… to a point.

CHARLIE PATTERSON
So what does Charlie Patterson bring to the table? Charlie has a history with racing… a GREAT, LONG history.

Charlie Patterson, circa: 1995. Photo by Jack Gladback/Stock Car Racing Magazine

Charlie Patterson started his motorsports career in 1958, at the age of 20. Patterson use to work and started out as a crewman for a Indy Racing team. He had then spent the next 30 years mastering the different skill levels from lead fuel man to crew chief. During 1969-1989, Charlie owned his own USAC Silver Crown & Midget racing teams. At times, Charlie would pilot his own midget car. He was also hired as a motorsports consultant and provided race cars for use in Paul Newman’s motion picture, “WINNING.”

Here are some highlights of Charlie’s career:

Developed “Gasoline Alley” – a commercial strip that houses over 80 Motorsports related businesses, national team headquartered and specialty shops.

Owned & operated “Patterson Driveshafts” supplying competition driveshafts to NASCAR Winston Cup (Sprint Cup) Craftsman Truck (Camping World) Series & NHRA Drag Racing Teams. Drivers and teams such as Penske, Junior Johnson, Richard Childress, Bud Moore and Dave Marcis used Patterson Drivershafts.

Established a special “Toastmaster’s” Chapter dedicated to the unique needs of Motorsports Industry, with emphasis on preparing young drivers for their rolls as spokespersons.

Co-hosted Indy 500 pre-race sports shows.

As I walked around the Daytona International Speedway garage area with Charlie, he introduced me to Ryan Newman, Jeff Gordon, Brad Daughtery, just to name a few. I asked Charlie, “is there anyone you DON’T know here?” I, myself, was quite impressed.

THE SCOUT
Charlie Patterson has proven his ability to single out young men & women who posses the natural talent, star image and personality – both on and off the track. But what exactly does he look for in a driver? One must show the listed qualities below:

  • Competition record which ranks in the top 2% of the driver’s respective series.
  • Must be a proven team player with strong work ethics:
  • Demonstrate willingness to learn and to take instruction.
  • Posses unrelenting desire to win with a total commitment.
  • Displays a wholesome athletic image to fill the roll of sponsor/team spokesperson.
  • NO usage of drugs or alcohol
  • Clean, well groomed appearance
  • Articulate
  • Personal lifestyle is suitable for public recognition
  • Parental consent (if under age 18)
  • NO “excess baggage” – NO “backstage parents”, educational, occupational or age restrictions

Over time, Charlie and his company NexGen Motorsports, where he holds the rank of agent, scouts out new racing talent and Scott’s advertising and marketing firm, Digi Craft, joined forces to start a production of “Yellow Stripes – Making the Driver” which they are currently in search of a cable network to pickup. “Yellow Stripes – Making the Driver” is a documentary that has molded an aspiring driver into an official NASCAR racecar driver. NexGen Motorsports has been working with rookie Scott Stenzel for the last four years and has experienced successful runs in that time. One of Patterson’s recent achievements was bringing Stenzel to Mike Mittler, owner of MB Motorsports to race in this week’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Kansas Speedway.

MB Motorsports has a rich racing heritage and a deeply rooted tradition of finding and developing young athletes into Championship caliber racecar drivers. They entered the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in its inaugural season in 1995 and have competed in the series every year since, making them the oldest and longest running team in the series. MB Motorsports has helped shape the careers of drivers including Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski, Jamie McMurray, Regan Smith, Justin Allgaier and Kenny Wallace among others. Mike Mittler, President and GM of Mittler Brothers Machine & Tool, has dedicated his life to achieving greatness on and off track.

“Bringing new talent into the sport is what I do,” Mittler states, “with Scott, there is no question about his talent. It’s the addition of having a background in advertising and marketing that makes our relationship even stronger.

In order to prepare for his big NASCAR debut Scott has put in countless hours behind the wheel of his sim racing cockpit at the comfort of his home. There he’s been training with the pros at Sim Factory on their new beta version of trucks at Kansas Speedway as well as some iRacing with his racing buddies.

Scott Stenzel. Photo courtesy of Scott Stenzel Racing

Now, Scott will make his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut in the #65 Making the Driver Chevy Silverado truck owned by Mike Mittler at Kansas Speedway, the very same man who gave Carl Edwards his first series start.

Qualifying for the SFP 250 at Kansas Speedway begins April 21st at 9:30 AM Eastern and coverage begins at 1:30 PM Eastern live on SPEED.

Be sure to follow Scott Stenzel on Twitter at www.twitter.com/YellowStripesTV; Facebook – www.facebook.com/scottstenzelracing and YouTube – www.youtube.com/makingthedriver as well as these other media outlets:

MB Motorsports
www.mbracing.net

Yellow Stripes Making the Driver
www.makingthedriver.com

Scott Stenzel Racing
www.scottstenzel.com

GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE!!!

Budweiser Beer School 101 at the Daytona 500 Club

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Geez, and I thought I knew everything there was to know about drinking a Budweiser. Guess not!!

I attended a Budweiser Beer school at the Daytona 500 Club Thursday night that was held for the media as well as other guests, along with the likes of Kevin Harvick and Richard Childress. I learned some interesting facts about Budweiser beer – and learned the most satisfying way to drink it – no kidding!  I’ve had it ALL wrong all these years.

HISTORY

The beer was perfected by a man named Adolphus Busch in 1876. Since that time, Budweiser has never messed with the classic recipe. Back in the early 1800′s, beer drinkers preferred the darker, heavier ales that were around during that period. Then came along the lighter lager, Budweiser, which lasted longer than the heavy ales – especially during that non-refrigerated period. The lager (German term for Lagern, meaning “to rest”) use to be brewed and then aged in cool caves or cellars. Today, the Budweiser is lagered in cold tanks for three weeks…. and no matter how you look at it, that’s 21 days or 504 hours or 30,240 minutes or 1,814,400 seconds!!

Budweiser has only five ingredients that make their beer: Barley malt, rice, hops, yeast and water. That’s it.

Different stages of the Barley, Wheat and rice - some of the ingredients in Budweiser beer. Photo by Karen Pistone

• Budweiser is brewed with only the finest two-and-six row barley malt from 2,500 American and Canadian fields.

• Verdant rice – milled, polished, graded and immediately brewed – never stored, and is an expensive process, but worth it.

• Hops -  selected from company owned fields in Bonner’s Ferry, Idaho and Busch Farm Huell in the Hallertau region of Germany. Hops are what gives the beer the distinct flavor it has.

• Yeast – 40 billion or so yeast cells are produced in every bottle of Budweiser beer – a directly descended from the original culture used by Adolphus Busch.

• Only the purest of water is used. Filtered water is flown to Budweiser’s headquarters in St. Louis, MO and taste tested by their brew masters.

Budweiser also adds Beechwood Aging. This process is during the fermentation period (a change brought about by a ferment,  as yeast enzymes, which convert grape sugar into ethyl alcohol.) Beechwood, which is grown in America, is harvested and made into chips which is then added to create a crisper and more sparkling carbonation while adding smoothness to the beer. Once the beer’s bottled, the Beechwood chips are recycled into compost.

The special "Fresh Seal Crown" used to cap of the bottled beer, specially designed to eliminate oxygen trapped during the bottling process.

Once bottled, the beer is then capped with its own Fresh Seal Crown which is designed to eliminate oxygen trapped inside – hence, that’s why the “King of Beers” is so fitting. Budweiser also introduced the “Born on Date” to tell you exactly when the beer was brewed to ensure its freshness.

As of today, Anheuser-Busch operates twelve breweries in the United States. They are located in Fairfield, CA, L.A., CA, Fort Collins, CO, Houston, TX, St. Louis, MO, Jacksonville, FL, Cartersville, GA, Williamsburg, VA, Columbus, OH, Newark, NJ, Baldwinsville, NJ, and Merrimack, NH. Every day, each one of the twelve Anheuser-Busch Breweries flies a sample of its beer to St. Louis for a 3 p.m. quality control test by our expert brew masters. Only samples deemed perfect are cleared for bottling. It’s the final step in a series of five separate quality control checks.

This is the correct way you should drink a nice, cold Budweiser. Photo by Karen Pistone.

Believe it or not, beer has enemies. The enemies are air, sun and time. Friends of beer? Dark, cool places. TIP: If you buy a six pack of bottled beer – keep the beer in the carton when placed in your refrigerator. Keeps the beer dark and preserves it better.

Question: How are you sure that the light goes off in your refrigerator?

Did you realize to get the best out of a beer, it’s better to drink from a glass, rather than straight from the bottle? Here’s another tip: DO NOT tilt your glass when pouring. Rather, pour the beer directly down the middle of the glass, straight. Some people do this to escape the “head” or the “foam” that forms when pouring into the glass. You DO want a nice head on your beer. The “perfect” pour frees the beer’s subtle flavors and aromas for a more enjoyable taste. It seals in the flavor below, while the pouring releases the natural carbonation, which, by the way, ladies – allows you to feel less “bloated” or “full” while drinking the beer. He hit that one “right on the head!!” Lol.  You can go to the Budweiser website at www.budweiser.com and take “The Perfect Pour Challenge.”

This was one class that got my full attention and I think it’s wonderful that a sponsor would take the time to share so much information on their product.

So go ahead and grab a Bud and enjoy – I know I will!!!