NASCAR Discovers Bloggers

TDP established a working relationship with the NASCAR Media Relations staff when this project was started back in 2007. Since then, some things have changed.

Many traditional newspapers and news organizations were forced to leave NASCAR behind as they consolidated due to tough economic times. Veteran reporters were let go and the NASCAR media scene changed for both the fans and the teams.

Now, the remaining members of the traditional traveling media are working in a very different way. They provide original content that is then moved around the Internet with lightning speed. Many reporters actually use Twitter to update fans during the live race and then write a full story after the checkered flag.

This changing media dynamic is not limited to NASCAR. Websites like Deadspin, The Big Lead and the AOL Fanhouse have changed the way many fans enjoy their favorite pastime. They represent the blogging side of sports on the Internet.

NASCAR has now made the first move to deal directly with bloggers in a new program that gives more access to information for some select websites. Click here for the story posted at NASCAR.com about the "citizen journalist" announcement.

As you may have noticed, TDP is on the list. What this program essentially does is reach out and grant more access to information for the bloggers. It grants access to the NASCAR media website that requires a password to get official photos, news and updates. In addition, it removes the roadblock of not allowing bloggers to get credentials to press conferences and the infield media centers.

This does not mean for one minute that a bunch of fans are going to show up and eat free pizza in the media center while pretending to type on their laptops. NASCAR went through a lot of websites and tried to pick an interesting cross-section. At most, this is the first movement of a very large and tightly controlled glacier with NASCAR stamped on it. The media ice may be thawing just a bit.

To most fans, the website list features a lot of familiar names. Some of these great sites have been plugging away at this sometimes touchy sport for years without any access to official information or press conferences. NASCAR gets a lot of credit for opening up and trying to address the shifting media dynamic.

My friends over at The NASCAR Insiders asked why no stories had appeared on the web about this new media wrinkle. My feeling is that it will take some time for this to shake-out in terms of building new relationships between bloggers, NASCAR officials and the mainstream working media.

We will certainly keep our readers posted on what is going on and how things change as this new initiative moves forward. I am a regular reader of almost all the sites on the list and think that NASCAR did a good job in this selection process.

As usual, we welcome your comments and questions on this topic. Responses to questions will just be posted right in the comments section. This is a family-friendly website, please keep that in mind when posting. Thanks for stopping by.

Mayfield Drowns Face Down (New Lab Test Info Friday 10PM)

New info: Head over to our friends at 4wide.com for a copy of what is said to be a negative lab report on Mayfield. Offered by his attorney, it looks like the other side of this issue is slowly creeping toward the surface. It's now or never. Click here for the direct link.

The hero, the underdog and the persecuted. Jeremy Mayfield worked the legal and public relations angles continually since his initial positive urine test for meth.

Right up to the end, he maintained his innocence and pointed to his victory in a recent court ruling that returned him, in theory, to the track.

The end came Wednesday afternoon when NASCAR confirmed through documents submitted to the court that Mayfield has indeed tested positive once again for meth. Now, the logical conclusions begin to fall on the other side.

Mayfield's attorney suggested the first test from Aegis had reported meth levels so high a normal person would have been a zombie. The only exception would have been someone who was a longtime addict. That seems to be someone named Jeremy Mayfield.

The long and confusing story about Mayfield getting lost on the way to a Monday test now makes sense. Mayfield was attempting to dilute his sample and delay the test. This time, it did not work.

NASCAR has basically asked the District Court to end the temporary injunction it granted Mayfield. The judge told NASCAR it could test Mayfield whenever it pleased. They did and confirmed the first result. This time, NASCAR and Aegis took the time to close all the loopholes.

In a way, all of this comes to a close at the only quiet time before the seventeen race run to the 2009 Sprint Cup Series Championship. ESPN2's NASCAR Now, SPEED's Wind Tunnel and The SPEED Report will be the only shows on the air. There is no RaceDay, no SPEED Stage and no This Week in NASCAR.

By the time things crank-up for The Brickyard, Mayfield will have joined the number of other NASCAR license-holders this season who have been asked to leave and get their lives in order because of substance abuse.

This time, let's hope for the sake of the sport that Brian France and Dr. Black do not appear on camera for interviews. In addition, it should be interesting to see which local media types try to get Mayfield on-camera to see what direction his life is taking.

NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series drivers and teams are enjoying about ten days of vacation before the long run to late November. Upon their return, they may all be relieved to know that one troublesome topic is off the table and NASCAR can concentrate on racing once again.

Click here to be reminded of why we used "drowning face down" on the title of this post. The band is Saving Abel.

Story links, click on the title to read the story:
Mayfield again tests postive for meth. (Jenna Fryer from the AP)
NASCAR says Mayfield tests positive. (AJ Perez from USA Today)

Update: Mayfield made a poor decision to go on the Sirius NASCAR channel Wednesday. Among other memorable quotes: "Brian France talking about effective drug policy is like Al Capone talking about effective law enforcement."

Click here for WSOC-TV's Alan Cavanna who got Mayfield on-camera talking about the issues.

Friday update: WBTV learned from a source on Thursday that Mayfield has sold his race shop and equipment located on Highway 49 in Harrisburg, NC.

TDP has followed this story from the start. Readers have been very vocal in their opinions of the NASCAR media and how this story was covered. We would ask for your final opinion on this topic in terms of how you got information about Mayfield and what you think was good and bad in the coverage of this episode?

To add your opinion, just click on the comments button below. This is a family-friendly website, please keep that in mind when posting. Thanks for stopping by, even on this sad day. Good luck to Mayfield in his recovery, it has to start somewhere. Today might be a good choice.

NASCAR TV Networks Drooling Over Danica

There are a lot of professional athletes who know how to use the media, but none may be doing a better job right now than IRL driver and cover girl Danica Patrick.

Her Monday visit to the shops of Stewart-Haas Racing set the reporters typing, the radio hosts talking and the NASCAR TV networks drooling. In an era where the tail often wags the dog, Patrick is proving to be media savvy beyond her years.

Click here for the story from Jay Busbee at Yahoo! that has details and links to the Danica visit. NASCAR has famously been a sport where women had a very hard time getting a toe-hold. Often, that was a two-sided issue that pitted sponsorship against performance. That may not be the case any more.

Although the smart money is still on Danica using her NASCAR flirtation as IRL contract leverage, the question remains. What if she jumped in a Cup ride?

Scan the NASCAR grandstands on any race day and the one group with the most in common are the female fans. Driven more by the personalities on the track than by what brand is stamped on the engine, this group may come into play if and when Patrick puts a serious eye on the sport.

Jimmy Spencer on SPEED's RaceDay was very clear in his opinion that Patrick could not handle a Sprint Cup Series car. He referenced the long line of open-wheel racers that had come and gone, including the high-profile Dario Franchitti. While Spencer's view is based on performance, there is another school of thought that exists.

The entire 2009 IRL schedule consists of only 18 races. The season did not start until April and ends in October. There is no support series where drivers can double-up on a race weekend. The most recent IRL race in Toronto had a grand total of 23 cars. There are only 5 races on ABC. The remaining 13, including the final 7 events, are carried on the Comcast-owned Versus cable TV network.

While Patrick may be trying to play the field, there are several things that make the lure of NASCAR attractive. As we said at the outset, Patrick is a media personality who works her off-track activities perhaps even harder than her racing. It may be fair to say that her exposure in Sport Illustrated's swimsuit issue might have gotten her a little more attention than finishing fifth out of 21 IRL cars at the Milwaukee Mile this May.

Waiting for Patrick in NASCAR land would be the Fox Broadcast Network, Turner Network Television, ESPN and her old friend ABC. The 24 hours of NASCAR radio on SiriusXM would make her a topic of discussion daily. It seems ironic that a move to the Sprint Cup Series would actually get Patrick more race exposure on ABC than the entire IRL season. It's a little thing called the Chase for the Championship.

Whatever amount of merchandise Patrick is moving at the Danica Racing Store, she can count on that number soaring if she adds her NASCAR sponsor, her team name and the little NASCAR logo to the t-shirts and caps.

In our society at present, we follow and admire people as much for their exposure in the media as the things they might have done to get it. Sometimes. they may have done relatively little and still become media darlings. Patrick has been a consistent IRL performer, but few wins have come her way. That has not stopped the public from making her a household name.

While there is little doubt Patrick's first season in NASCAR would be a learning curve, there is one thing to keep in mind. In terms of sponsorship, revenue and exposure she may only have to make the field each race to keep her incredible media presence alive and growing. With the right team, that might not be too tall a task.

NASCAR Now, RaceDay, and the Hollywood Hotel would be filled with Danica-mania if she were to show-up in February at Daytona. SportsCenter, Wind Tunnel and other shows not totally NASCAR-oriented would bend to her purpose. These days, the motorsports media follows instead of leads.

How would you feel if Patrick made the move directly to the Sprint Cup Series with an established team? If she was just as serious about getting away from open-wheel racing as another former IRL champion you may have heard of...his name is Tony Stewart.

TDP welcomes your comments on this topic. To add your opinion, just click on the comments button below. This is a family-friendly website, please keep that in mind when posting. Thanks for taking the time to stop by The Daly Planet.