Johnny Buck, with the Martinsville Bulletin, writes an interesting article today on how Twitter is now allowing NASCAR fans to reconnect with today’s drivers on a personal level.
He writes…
“As NASCAR exploded in popularity over the last two decades, however, drivers became less accessible, their schedules filled with countless corporate events and their public appearances too brief to satisfy an ever-growing throng of fans seeking pictures and autographs.”
“So it’s been a logical transition to see NASCAR’s drivers and marketing experts embrace the Internet’s social networking sites, such as Twitter and Facebook, as a way for the modern fan to connect with today’s drivers on a personal level. It is an opportunity NASCAR has greeted with open arms in the last two years.”
Also from Buck’s article…
“Andrew Giangola, director of business communications for NASCAR, said a recent study found that 60 percent of the sport’s fans use social networking.”… “Years ago, it was meeting the driver on pit road, and today it’s that and following him on Twitter,” said Giangola. “So technology allows us to maintain those connections, which is pretty cool.”