My Marketing White Paper

[MDS]

I’ll let someone else write the white paper to cover the technical aspects, from a marketing perspective. Here is a schedule and seven things the series could do if it wants to improve its stature

Jan 24: All Star Race @ Walt Disney World Speedway

March 22: Phoenix International Raceway
March 22: Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez
April 5: Streets of St. Petersburg
April 12: Streets of Houston
April 19: Streets of Long Beach
April 26: Kansas Motor Speedway
May 24: Indianapolis 500
May 31: The Milwaukee Mile
June 6: Texas Motor Speedway
June 21: Iowa Speedway
June 28: Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
July 5: Burke Lakefront Airport
July 12: Streets of Toronto
July 26: Edmonton City Centre Airport
Aug. 1 New Hampshire International Raceway
Aug. 9: Michigan International Speedway
Aug 29: Chicagoland Speedway
Sept. 12: Twin Ring Motegi
Sept. 26: Streets of San Jose
Oct: 4: Las Vegas Motor Speedway

This 20-race schedule and one non-points event would double the IRL exposure to the top 25 U.S. media markets as well as Canada and Mexico’s largest cities, and it begins and ends on ovals.

Marketing Events: Basically the IRL doesn’t do enough to attract media attention to the other races on the schedule. Here are a couple of ideas, most of which were pitched to the IRL at one point. Basically the goal here is to give a sponsor to come on board at a fairly low cost, generate media interest/positive story lines, and put some more money out there for the teams and drivers.

All Star Race: Start the season with race for all the race winners, pole winners and past champions at Walt Disney World Speedway. This way you can have an early event in a good market before the rest of racing really gets going on a Saturday night. Put a $1 million prize out there for the winner and give everyone else $40,000. Allowing past champions from both CC and the IRL would allow drivers like Sebastien Bourdais, Tony Stewart, Scott Sharp and Sam Hornish to hook up with teams for a one-night shootout.

Season Preview: The week Prior to the All Star Race Partner with Disney to unveil the teams in creative ways that showcase their performers and make good video for TV outlets. For example, have your drivers come on stage riding elephants, or in big dance numbers. Have the cars on display in the parks, put the drivers in the parade, really buy into a partnership with Disney.

Media Week: Every team should open their shops to the media two weeks before the season opener. Have all the drivers on hand, explain technical features, pump your sponsorship, basic stuff.

Power Podium: Similar to NASCAR’s No Bull Five; pick three events during the year where the top three drivers are eligible for an extra $500,000 or $1 million of prize money in the following Power Podium race. I would suggest Long Beach, Indy, and the Michigan 500.

Hat Trick: Another pool of money and sponsorship opening. If a driver can pull of three consecutive wins or three consecutive poles they can collect $1 million for three wins or $500,000 for three poles.

Canadian Bounty: Find a Canadian sponsor willing to put up $1 million should both Canadian races, or two of three if Montreal gets added to the schedule. Sweeten the pot by adding $500,000 should a Canadian driver do it.

Push back the 500 start time an hour: This would allow NASCAR drivers like Robby Gordon to “Do the Double.” This increases the caliber of the field and generates media coverage.

[Rex Monaco]

Jan 24: All Star Race @ Walt Disney World Speedway.

This date clashes with the 24 Hours of Daytona. Move it back one week and you'd have a slot in between that race and the start of the NASCAR season.

And then open it up to NASCAR and GrandAm drivers and it should eventually become a must attend event.

I'd also drop San Jose in favor of Laguna Seca. And if your are going end the season in Las Vegas, I'd schedule it to be on the Sunday before SEMA.

The other races on your schedule are mostly good, although some rearrangements could be made to the scheduling.

[Rex Monaco]

And then open it up to NASCAR and GrandAm drivers and it should eventually become a must attend event.


On second thought, isn't this what the Indy 500 used to be all about?

[MDS]

The whole San Jose/Laguna Seca arguement is a good one to have. If I had my choice I would rather see the street race because its got a bigger media buy in and has put on some good racing. In 2007 there was more on-track lead changes at San Jose than there was at Iowa for example.

I think you have a good point with the 24 hours though, moving it to the 17th would be good racingwise, but then you're competing against conference championship weekend in the NFL, maybe Jan 31 would be better because its the night before the Superbowl? Any father back and you're competing against Speedweeks.

The dates for SEMA in 3009 is Nov. 3 to Nov. 6, and while it it would be great to co-ordinate the finale and SEMA, pushing out the end of the schedule another month would probably lead to a fairly sizable gap in the schedule as there just aren't that many warm weather tracks available during that time.

Also, a correction to add, I put the season opener on March 9, instead of the 22nd.

[Chamoo]

I feel your schedule is too cramped. You open the season with 6 races in 5 weeks. Then you've got 7 races in 7 weeks, with one of them being the 500, so the teams would be at the track 11 straight weeks. Then you spread it out at the end of the season which doesn't make sense.

Also, why not run the 3 Canadian races in a row? Saves the teams going through customs 4 times instead of 2.