I don't want to waste this blog space by telling you what a wonderful year this has been for me because all you have to do is read my previous blogs to know! I do want to tell you about the most recent and probably the last NASCAR adventure I will have in 2012.
As my blog readers know, I have been allowed the opportunity to study NASCAR for an independent study class at Olivet. Never in a million years did I think I would have the chance to study and learn Sociology/Anthropology in the context of a sport that I adore. I never thought about competition, cooperation and conflict as anything other than just being a part of the sport. Let me tell you it is so much more! When you're a fan, you don't see the concepts of culture, socialization, conformity, ethnocentrism and the NASCAR nation, or even acculturation! But it's all there, ripe for the taking and ready to be studied and understood (or atleast try to understand it). My eyes have been opened and I'm so excited that my Professor is allowing me the opportunity to study this for the rest of my undergraduate stay at Olivet.
My studies allowed me the chance to interview the President of the Michigan International Speedway, Mr. Roger Curtis.
My thesis for this term has focused on the fans of this sport and Mr. Curtis is one of the most, if not THE MOST fan-friendly track presidents I have ever seen or heard about. Everytime I turn around I was seeing his tweets or facebook posts about his interactions with the fans here in Michigan and around the country. With MIS my home track and the track where I received my NASCAR initiation, what better way to start than to interview a man who has made it his priority to learn about and understand the fans of NASCAR. He wants MIS to be one of the premiere motor sports facility in the country and he knows that in order to do that the track needs to appeal to the fans.
I've been going to events at MIS since 1997. I personally have seen the positive changes MIS has done over the years to appeal to the fans. I've also travelled to tracks such as Daytona, Homestead, Bristol, Darlington and Charlotte. With the changes MIS has brought about, I see now where these other tracks have expended very little effort in catering to the fans. It's as if they need to be reminded that without fan participation, the sport will die.
I arrived at MIS and shortly after was greeted by Mr. Curtis. We walked to his office and I must admit that I was stunned and quite in awe with the view. You would expect the President of the speedway to have a brilliant office and he truly does but even this left me speechless. It's an unobstructed view of the entire track from the middle of turn 1 & 2. MIS has always been a truly majestic track to me, and this view solidified it.
We sat down and started to talk. I had sent him my questions a few weeks earlier so he had an idea where I wanted to go with this. I really wanted to focus on the fans and his interactions with them, however, once Mr. Curtis started talking, I was just fascinated by what he had to say. For me it was a behind the scenes look into a track and sport that I love. I didn't want to ask my questions, I really just wanted to sit and listen.
We talked for almost two hours and there were two things in particular that I heard that has stuck with me. We were talking about stereotypes of the sport and it's fans. He said that when you're young, you can play baseball, football, soccer, hockey and basketball but you can't play NASCAR. There really is no way to play it. Now when we're older I can see you playing NASCAR but it probably wouldn't be a good idea! In fact, I played NASCAR trying to get to this interview since I was running a bit behind. I was lucky that I didn't get caught!
The second thing was his analogy of NASCAR and Disney. He explained that NASCAR is like Disney; they own the rights and the name but it's up to the theme parks (aka the tracks and venues) to bring the fans in to buy into NASCAR. If the venue doesn't cater and draw in the fans, the company will go bankrupt. I thought it was such a priceless analogy that now everytime I look at a different track, I start to imagine what is there besides just the drivers and teams and cars that will pull me in. What will make my experience a fullfilling and unique one? I think the tracks had better take Mr. Curtis's advice and start figuring out how to draw the fans back to the track!
Overall, it was an experience that really only a true fan of the sport would appreciate. I loved every minute of it and can only hope that some day my path will have me at the MIS Administrative offices yet again, finding out more unique and interesting facts about this sport.
Thank you Roger Curtis!
