2024 Year In Review

It’s the morning after the NASCAR Cup Series Championship race, and we are cruising at an altitude of 30,000 feet. I am continuing my yearly tradition of spending my fly time reflecting on the incredible work that the team did this year and all of the amazing memories they created for our guests.

Once the confetti had fallen and the Champagne had been sprayed, I did my best to walk around to the different groups and thank them for a terrific year. However, as usual, it’s impossible to hug each one of them and properly thank them for helping us achieve so much this season. The team is two full seasons into a reimagination, and the work that has been done is monumental. But the most special part for me is how everyone has come together as a team. Whether we were working on the Daytona 500, a new event in Iowa, or crowning a Champion in Phoenix, the team has gone above and beyond to deliver incredible value for guests.

It is nearly impossible to thank each and every one of my teammates, and since my plan to get hugs from them last night didn’t work, I thought that I might be able to put my feelings into words. And that might do a better job of highlighting the work being done by this team.

The trackside Event Experience teams are often thought about as the pre-race producers, and even though they did have the privilege of getting to collaborate with Nelly, the Rock, and some of the greatest race car drivers on the planet this year, they also work their asses off to program camper activities, nighttime concerts, FanZone roaming entertainment, and act as head coaches to ensure that every guest leaves events with memories that will last them a lifetime. These unsung heroes take great pride in their work, and it pays off in smiles from our guests. I have thrown a lot at them over the years, and will continue to do so in the future, but I am incredibly proud of these women and men as they mature and evolve as producers who are seen as the elite professionals that I know them to be.

The NASCAR Entertainment Team consists of DJs, on camera personalities, pep squads, PA announcers, and a Chief Hype Officer that has the privilege of being the fan-facing extension of NASCAR’s commitment to our guests. These teammates arrive early and stay late rehearsing before the gates open so we can showcase our athletes and our sport in a light that is consistent with the entertainment value our teams display on the track. I am proud of the diversity we have and the team’s commitment to making each week better than the last. We will continue to invest in this area as we go to new markets and find different ways to provide value for the hundreds of thousands of fans we are lucky enough to call our guests.

Each week there is a room full of teammates in Concord, North Carolina, that do not get to see the smiles or hear the cheers in person. Yet, they spend each weekend looking at a wall of camera feeds from a far off racetrack that they use to create world-class content that is featured on screens around our racetracks. The NASCAR TV team takes great pride in highlighting our tracks, our athletes, and our races in a way that entertains our avid fans while educating our new guests—and that’s a true talent. This team works tirelessly to provide hundreds of hours of screen content throughout the season and is constantly seeking to enhance the entertainment value of every show. I am excited about where this team is going in the future and look forward to working alongside them as we find new ways to provide even more value to the in-venue experience.

For the second consecutive year, the NASCAR Experience has been a vessel to showcase the NASCAR brand and our key initiatives each week. The team that builds, programs, and produces this display are subject matter experts in attracting and retaining crowds. They play games like Strong Man and Family Feud in-between appearances from NASCAR royalty, like the Petty family. This display has continued to grow over the years into something that I am extremely proud of and honored to be trusted with the keys to.

Our production partners at CJRM, Outerkind, and EEG are instrumental in bringing a NASCAR Kids Zone to life. And the smiles on the kiddos’ faces prove that what we are doing there each week works. This program continues to evolve as partners like Wal-Mart, LEGO, and Roblox find value in showcasing their product to this audience. This tour started off as a “nice to have” that was undoubtedly the right thing to do, but has evolved into a smart business decision that creates lifelong memories for our young guests… who are sure to return for many years to come.

I have spent 13 years working alongside the team at Jay Howard Events—and even though their name has changed, the quality of the people, the work, and the love of the sport has only grown over time. This group might not directly be employed by NASCAR, but you would never know it as they are woven into every aspect of the NASCAR Event Experience. We couldn’t do it without them. I appreciate the Leadership team that works tirelessly to help raise the bar each year while also being challenged to do more with less and execute flawlessly in the most challenging environment in sports.

I have the privilege of traveling a lot and interacting with our partners, fans, and leadership.  I hear the accolades and receive pats on the back. However, there is no doubt in my mind that the women and men I have mentioned in this blog as well as countless others who hopefully know how much I love them are really the ones deserving of this feedback.

I do my best to relay as much of this as possible to the teammates who are responsible. I wouldn’t want to be on this tour with any other people and for one last time this season… on behalf of our entire sport, THANK YOU!

Now it’s time to get some rest—the Daytona 500 is only 97 days away.

Cheers,

Michael