Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/116528
CHANGING LANES crazy Woman Driver liberal social media policy in all of and entertained during that dead sports, and the access we provide is time. Keselowski's playful personality the best in all of sports," said Tharp. came through so loud and clear that "But we also have rules that pertain to he picked up more than 100,000 competition that need to be enforced new followers during the delay alone. and abided by [and] while social media That was a perfect example of how was encouraged and we promoted it, NASCAR could leverage both its the language in the rule book was clear personalities and modern technology and that drivers couldn't carry onboard to grow its popularity and enhance the their cars electronic devices, like a connection between its drivers and phone." their fans. Is NASCAR worried that a driver will So what did NASCAR do? Well, decided to pull out the phone while nothing at the time. Then last circling a track at near 200 mph? Does November, it fined Keselowski and it think an electronic device might placed him on probation until Dec. 31 give team communications an unfair for having a cell phone aboard his car competitive advantage? Again I must during the season's next-to-last race in ask, really? Phoenix. And why was Keselowski disciplined Really, NASCAR? Your soon-tonine months later, especially when, be-crowned-champ was connecting following the good PR that the driver's directly with droves of fans in the Daytona tweeting produced, NASCAR newest and easiest way to build an said then that there was no such audience, and you're undermining him. prohibition? Why? I suspect that NASCAR, or at least NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp some segment of its ruling body, explained the situation this way: After actually fears the youthful audience the Daytona 500, the drivers had been that it says it wants and needs. told that electronic devices, including cellphones, couldn't be carried inside race cars going forward. "Brad's tweeting at the Daytona 500 was really our first introduction to the magnitude of the social media phenomenon at the race track, especially how we saw it unfold that evening," Tharp told ESPN following the announcement last fall. "We encourage our drivers A billboard in Virginia displayed tweets from NASCAR to participate in social media. fans leading up to last September's race at Richmond We feel we have the most 24 crazy woman driver 0413 cl.indd 2 april 2013 // WWW.CHANGINGLANESDIGITAL.COM 3/5/13 2:32 PM