Tips on covering NASCAR

If you're writing a game, get a scanner - you can rent them at the track - to listen to the driver-crew chatter during the race. Especially useful if you're focusing on one driver.

Also: NASCAR in-race stats are only updated on paper every quarter of the race or so, and they're barebones. Take plenty of notes on running order, especially changes during pit stops (TV is helpful for that because it's hooked into the NASCAR computer). You can figure out why someone's moving up and who's moving back between the radio talk and the numbers far better than someone saying "We had a top 10 car" after the race.

 

One thing to keep in mind when covering a race. There is one winner and 41 drivers who have a reason why they didn't win. You'll have a chance to talk to the winner and the second and third place drivers after the race. That should be plenty for a 10-15 inch gamer.
Two things I like to keep track of when I cover a race.
1. Find out how the pole winner did. How long did he keep the lead, when did he fall back and why.
2. Find out how the points leader did. Kevin Harvick leads the Cup standings, but Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin are killing him in the win column. That's a good story line to follow and reminding Harvick he's going to lose his lead in the standings when the Chase starts should be him in a peachy mood.
PM too if you have any other questions.

 

like newspapers?

 

The Nationals.

 

Tried using it one place as an euphemism for summer collegiate ball, only to be asked to cease and desist (nicely) by the team's manager, for fear of incurring the NCAA's wrath. But its fairly close. The big summer tourney in Wichita got its start as a semipro tourney, but morphed into summer ball in the 60s.

 

Start and park.

 

Fine, 42 drivers who have an excuse for why they didn't win. There's a reason I am an auto racing writer and not an auto racing engineer.

 

Lots of good suggestions. First thing: meet the track's media relations director, introduce yourself and ask for their help. They know their track. They know their race. They may have suggestions on what to see and where to go.

Be very careful about getting into the lemming mentality that's overly prevalent in a NASCAR media center. As soon as one rumor starts, it seems like everybody chases after it, whether there's any validity -- or even newsworthiness -- to it. That's rarely the best story of the weekend, trust me.

Every team has at least a dozen crew members, so there are over 500 possible stories there. Some of the guys are former athletes, some are the brightest engineers on the planet, some may be from your hometown. If you're writing features, don't concentrate just on the stars.

And don't ever be afraid to go outside the chain link fence that separates the media from the great unwashed. It's rare to see anybody venture away from the media center/garage area/press box, but some of my best stuff has come from wandering around and keeping an eye open for the unusual.

NASCAR's fan base is more than just the stereotypical redneck racefan. If you go and talk with people, you'll find doctors and lawyers and corporate executives mixed in. You may find someone attending their first race. You may find someone who was there when Lee Petty beat Johnny Beauchamp.

There are $500,000 motorhomes and beat-up purple schoolbuses. And you might be surprised to learn a great story or two from talking to the owners of either one. (And at least, a free beer and food.)

There's a lot of stuff happening that doesn't have to be filtered through public relations people. Thank goodness.

 

Find out who the celebrity for the weekend is, like the grand marshal or whatever....try and score an interview with them....some of my best interviews have been with people like Jay Leno, Kevin Costner, Nicolas Cage and Hulk Hogan...the interviews made for some great stories that appealed to non-NASCAR fans....

 

Especially if it's Tony Stewart ...

 

Thanks for all the tips, everyone. I appreciate it.