With the 2009 NASCAR season winding down, it's time to look back and see what worked and where the sport can improve as a whole.
There's one area in particular that I think we can all do a better job with in 2010 and beyond: Working with our fans.
I really would like to see NASCAR work with our drivers to help reconnect with our fans. There are a few drivers, like Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch, that go out regularly and spend time with the fans but on a whole, I don't think enough drivers make that type of effort.
When I sit and look at the money these drivers are able to pull down driving race cars, the numbers are pretty staggering. I think our drivers, along with our sponsors, need to understand as a sport that we need to get back in touch with the common man. We need to get back to making NASCAR the fans' favorite.
We need to reestablish that our fans, which are the greatest in any professional sport, are the most important thing to us. I really believe it would go a long way to bring people back to our sport. It would put more people in the grandstands and also help the TV ratings. I think our fans are crying out to be recognized and appreciated more. Trust me, I hear it all the time from fans.
Now I realize that these drivers can't take care of everyone. That's simply impossible. But wouldn't it be neat, for example, if the fans knew that Dale Earnhardt Jr. was going to give an hour of his time each week for 36 weeks to sign autographs at the track? It would be a great way to make the fans feel special.
Tony Stewart and Juan Pablo Montoya are awesome guys. The problem has become when they are working, they are working. They have struggled to find a way to detach from race-mode to autograph mode. I think it has hurt them to a certain extent with the fans. They need to try and find a balance where they can give back to the fans and it doesn't interfere with their jobs.
Some drivers have jumped on the Facebook and Twitter bandwagon. While that's great, it is still not the same. It's not personal enough. I am talking about doing things with the fans where it is face to face. Maybe it's a handshake, take a picture and sign an autograph. That's the kind of time I want these drivers to give to the fans. There is a lot to be said for taking the time to look a fan in the eye, shake his or her hand and tell them thank you for their support.
