 Photo courtesy of NY Daily News |
Many lamented the decision this year to replace the thunderous lap through Times Square with a Block Party to celebrate Sprint Cup Champion’s Week in New York City. And while ten cars gunning their engines through the canyon of Manhattan streets certainly did bring the sport the hoopla and attention so desperately sought, I agreed with organizers who felt the event brought more headache than it warranted. |
For the past 3 years, I’d braved the cold (and pushy bridge-and-tunnel crowd) to see the drivers and the parade. After hours of waiting (and befriending members of said pushy crowd), this usually amounted to a few seconds of actual fun. In all honesty, the experience never held a candle to a real race.
So I welcomed the opportunity for something new: something that would reward fans with more than 45 seconds of rumbling followed by a quick glance of the drivers as they dashed from their cars into the press-only event at the ESPN Zone.
In general, NASCAR’s presence in New York goes unnoticed by anyone outside the industry because so few others get to witness any of it. Photo shoots, Stock Exchange bell ringing, luncheons, dinners – none of these events are open to the public. They bring the sport the glitz of the city without giving anything in return. If you expect New Yorkers to notice, try inviting them.
I’m certainly not suggesting that the Banquet sell tickets. The last thing Jimmie needed on Friday was a table full of rowdy fans cat-calling his wife. (That’s a story for another time). But the block party was just the event that would have allowed New Yorkers to participate in some NASCAR-themed activities and get to know the sport better.
I’m not going to use this space to criticize the organizers this year for what ended up as a half-hearted endeavor. It was the first year they tried this and it was a noble effort… Well, it was an effort of some kind. Instead, I will offer some suggestions for next year.
Let’s see a pit zone where some crew members demonstrate how they change tires or raise a swaybar. Or how about commandeering one of the Times Square screens and simply showing race highlights from the year?
The trick is to capture the attention of both diehard fans and casual passersby, all the while earning a little media love. The Victory Lap accomplished these feats, but at an exorbitant cost – estimated at $1 million – and a bit more bad press than good (snarling traffic is not the way to New Yorkers’ hearts).
With sponsors tightening their belts and cutting their involvement with the sport, NASCAR needs mainstream attention now more than ever. Despite Bruton Smith’s best efforts to convince us otherwise, that DOES mean keeping the Banquet in New York City where sponsors live. It might not be easy… but it is worth it.
