NASCAR And Twitter Partner To Bring Fans Closer To The Sport On Race Day
Twitter To Launch Complementary Live Event Product Starting With Pocono 400 On TNT
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 18, 2012) – NASCAR and Twitter announced today a unique digital partnership that will create a new way for the sport’s millions of fans to experience what happens inside NASCAR and its teams on race day.
Built to support the live race broadcast, this new experience will give fans a complementary insider’s view of the action as it unfolds on the track and on Twitter. During a race, when fans click on #NASCAR, search for #NASCAR on Twitter.com or visit twitter.com/#NASCAR, they’ll reach a new Twitter experience where they will see the most relevant tweets from their favorite NASCAR drivers, NASCAR families, teams, commentators, celebrities and other racing fans and personalities. Read more…
This is the photo snapped by Brad Keselowski in the season opening Daytona 500 from inside his car. This photo has taken social media in NASCAR to the next level. Photo Credit: Brad Keselowski's Twitter (@Keselowski).
Despite being a five-time winner in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and being a NASCAR Nationwide Series champion in 20120, the thing that has drawn the most headlines nationally for the 28-year-old NASCAR driver is his twitter account @Keselowski. During a red-flag in this year’s Daytona 500, which was for of all things a jet dryer truck fire, Keselowski became the first driver to tweet from inside his racecar.
Instantly he gained over 200,000 followers in a matter of just moments. Little Brad Keselowski from Rochester Hills, Michigan became the headline story on Yahoo.com, MSN.com heck even every major news network. It was a big story — a NASCAR driver tweeting photos to the world, from inside his car during a race — now it may have been during a red flag — to that point nobody had even heard of drivers carrying their cell phones in the car. In that sense Keselowski is a revolutionary member of social media for his sport.
Friday I got the opportunity to ask Keselowski about the importance of social media in auto racing, you could see a smile reach his face as he fielded the question, and immediately one of the most prominent drivers on Twitter took off with the subject.
“I think social media is very important to the sport, and it is very important to future generations and to increasing the younger demographic in our sport. I think it’s well documented that that’s very much needed. And I’m glad to be at least what I feel like to be in the forefront of that,” Keselowski stated.
MARK MARTIN
No. 55 AARON’S DREAM MACHINE
AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY PREVIEW
CORNELIUS, N.C. — No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota driver Mark Martin watched last weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Bristol Motor Speedway on television. But it wasn’t a peaceful weekend.
Martin’s 60,000-follower Twitter account (@55markmartin) was hacked early Saturday morning rendering the 30-year NASCAR veteran completely powerless over his newest hobby. The unknown culprit – Epic Swag – commandeered the account and began changing every setting and altering followers.
MARK MARTIN TAKES TO TWITTER
It started rather simply.
On the morning of Jan. 23, Mark Martin, dressed in his new firesuit, waited patiently in an office at Michael Waltrip Racing reading texts on his Sprint iPhone. An Aaron’s commercial was to begin filming in the shop a few minutes later.
A messenger brought in the word.
“Hey Mark, Michael just signed up you for Twitter and your address is @55markmartin.”
Martin looked up puzzled and simply said “OK…what does that mean?”
Within minutes Martin began Twitter lessons on his phone but was obviously still a bit unsure what his new boss just got him into.
“I don’t know about this,” said Martin, who begins his 30th Sprint Cup season in 2012.
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NASCAR And Twitter Partner To Bring Fans Closer To The Sport On Race Day
MARK MARTIN TAKES TO TWITTER
