NASCAR continued its national media blitz on Wednesday, visiting eight markets for interviews and special fan events.
For this year’s Chase, the first with Chicagoland Speedway as the opener, Chase Media Week features an unprecedented 12-driver, 10-track media crunch. Each of the 10 Chase tracks will welcome one of the 12 drivers who will compete for the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.
Highlights from Wednesday’s program follow, along with a few other notes of interest as the Chase-opening GEICO 400 at Chicagoland Speedway approaches.
Night At The Kansas Improv With Ryan Newman: Ryan Newman took fan questions to promote Kansas Speedway’s Oct. 9 Chase race on Wednesday, turning an often ordinary Q&A session into his own one-man comedy show. Some of the one-liners… A fan asked: “What’s your strategy to win the Chase.” Newman: “Follow Jimmie Johnson.” Or this one… Q: “Where’s your favorite place to fish?” Newman: “I’m a math guy. Cubic inches of water in the ocean don’t dictate well to catching many fish. So I’m a freshwater pond guy.” And this… Q: “Do you have pull with Kansas track president Pat Warren? Can you ask if I’m able to bring my dog?” Newman: “Better to ask for forgiveness than permission.” Newman, a Kansas winner in 2003, finished 15th during the series’ first June visit to the track.
Killer Rally: Jimmie Regaled In Texas-Sized Fashion: Among the many spoils granted the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion is a lavish banquet thrown in his honor. Jimmie Johnson has experienced that particular pomp five consecutive Decembers. As far as sensory overload is concerned, what happened to him Wednesday could possibly prepare him for the sixth. Byron Nelson High School threw Johnson a Texas football-style pep rally in front of its 1,920 students that included the school’s band, cheerleaders and a performance by its dance team. Not only did Johnson get a reception befitting a champion – he also got a date. During the Q&A, a student asked him to be her homecoming date. His response: “Sure, I have to check my schedule.” The fan and media event was held to promote Texas Motor Speedway’s Chase race on Nov. 6. Johnson and TMS gave each student a free ticket to the race.
“Hometown” Hero Gordon Hits Big Apple: Jeff Gordon lists his official hometown as Vallejo, Calif. He spent much of his formative years in Pittsboro, Ind. And now, he regularly bounces from the Charlotte area to the Upper West Side of Manhattan. So, he felt comfortable in his Wednesday surroundings. Gordon enjoyed a full-day NYC media tour that took him from CNN to ABC to FOX News and FOX Business News to the New York Times – among other media outlets.
Junior Realizes Fantasy On ESPN Campus: Dale Earnhardt Jr. visited ESPN’s Bristol, Conn. campus for a gauntlet of media hits encompassing all of the Worldwide Leader’s outlets. Earnhardt appeared on SportsCenter, First Take, the Scott Van Pelt Show and NASCAR Now. But, according to Junior’s crack PR guy Mike Davis on Twitter, the highlight was meeting fantasy sports guru Matthew Berry. Tweeted Davis (@MikeDavis88), “Dale Jr. just texted me. He has met his hero, ESPN Fantasy Football Expert Matthew Berry. Once he wins the Chase, his life will be complete.” Earnhardt enters the Chase as the 10th seed, and won at Chicagoland Speedway in 2005.
Drivers Flock To Chicago For Chase Start: A number of this year’s Chase participants have already landed in Chicago for media appearances that continued today, and will culminate tomorrow. Two drivers in particular took part in Windy City events. Kurt Busch, who visited Chicago’s Children’s Memorial Hospital on Tuesday, appeared on a number of Chicago television and radio outlets today. Additionally, Denny Hamlin played in the Gardner Heidrick Pro-Am at Cog Hill Golf & Country Club in Lemont, Ill. The lefty-swinging driver of the No. 11 Toyota paired up with Sweden’s Fredrik Jacobson. Hamlin has scored top-10 finishes in each of the last two Chicagoland Speedway races.
Edwards Clawing For First Series Title: There are unique NASCAR trophies, and there’s what New Hampshire Motor Speedway awards its winners – a live lobster. On Wednesday, Carl Edwards nabbed the coveted prize – literally. In promotion of its Sept. 25 Chase event, NHMS and Edwards went fishing for Loudon The Lobster. Not surprisingly, the prolific Edwards trapped the eventual keepsake in Portsmouth, N.H. “I am a little nervous about the lobster,” Edwards said. “I am from Missouri we don’t have anything like that in the Missouri River. I do hope I have to deal with it in Victory Lane though.” In addition, Edwards took part in a fan Q&A and a number of one-on-one media interviews.
Smooth Keselowski Perfect For New Phoenix: Brad Keselowski is the only fresh face in this year’s Chase. Likewise, Phoenix’s new asphalt will make its Chase – and NASCAR Sprint Cup – debut on Nov. 13. On Tuesday night, Keselowski hopped in a Dodge Caravan to take a pace lap around the resurfaced one-mile track. His review: “It’s smooth as glass.” Again, the same could be said about Keselowski’s demeanor during the latter part of 2011, where he stormed from 23rd to 11th in the points standings to nab the first Wild Card spot. During his Phoenix media tour, Keselowski appeared on a number of local affiliates and participated in a Q&A session with fans.
Kenseth And The Home Of The Braves: Superstar athletes are often crossover sports fans. A die-hard Green Bay Packers fan, Matt Kenseth certainly falls into that category. So does Atlanta Braves All-Star third baseman Chipper Jones. Jones, a NASCAR fan, chatted with Kenseth during Talladega Superspeedway’s portion of Chase Media Week festivities. Kenseth visited Turner Field, handing out tickets for Talladega’s Oct. 23 Chase race to Braves players in the home team’s clubhouse. He also spoke with 4,000 Atlanta-area children for Weather Day – giving them an inside look at how weather conditions affect his No. 17 Ford.
Final Day On Deck: On Thursday, all 12 drivers will converge on Chicago for the annual day-long Chase Media Day, held at the LaSalle Power Company. Fans can watch live on NASCAR.COM and listen to live interviews on Sirius XM Satellite Radio Channel 90.
NASCAR PR
