Monday, September 8, 2008

All Y'all See Those Skids?


I struggle to watch 5 minutes of Jack Daniels, DuPont, and Target going around in circles on TV. However, if you are sitting in 90-degree heat having a bruski, and it's so loud you can't hear the person next to you say, "I'm going to puke all over," it's an amazing experience. I think Enrico did a superb job of highlighting our day in this clip. Nascar is a culture in itself. I'm sure some people would tell you they spend 30 minutes watching the race and 180 minutes people watching. The only way to stand out at a Nascar race is to dress for a wedding. The rumors may be exaggerated but there is a truth to the culture that surrounds Nascar. The mullets, confederate flags, beer belly's, and farmer's tans highlighting the bald eagle tattoo is of a higher frequency at this venue than any other athletic event I've been to. 

This culture has made Nascar into one of the most popular and growing sports in America as it continues to gain momentum. In 2005, Nascar was the #2 brand (behind Blackberry and ahead of Google and iPod) from market research firm PSB. Corporate sponsorship revenue was $1.5 billion. That's well ahead of $445 million for the NFL and $340 million for MLB. I would assume numbers would be significantly higher now. You have to feel the ground shake and hear the engines roar to understand what the TV can't capture about this sport.