NASCAR is going all-in on ephemeral social media site Snapchat for its biggest weekend of the year, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship.
The league announced this week that it is boosting its digital and social offerings for the race weekend, with a particular focus on Snapchat, a platform that tends to attract younger demographics.
People tuning in to NASCAR’s coverage on Snapchat will find full race highlights, marking the first time the league has offered highlights via the app. NASCAR will produce a new show called “NASCAR Highlights” for Snapchat’s Discover page that will cover the day’s most exciting moments from pre-race to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship trophy presentation in Victory Lane.
Each race car competing at the Homestead-Miami Speedway during the Ford EcoBoost 400 on Sunday will display Snapcodes on their front hood or sides that will direct fans to the particular NASCAR teams and drivers to follow on Snapchat.
NASCAR will also have a dedicated “Our Story” channel, which will enable fans and drivers at the track to share their personal experiences for a chance to appear on a curated feed of publicly-submitted video and photo Snaps. They’ll also have access to NASCAR-branded filters to decorate their content. For fans watching at home, that will translate to a unique behind-the-scenes look at a race weekend.
“From the earliest tailgates to the wave of the checkered flag and everything in between, Snapchat is telling the story of NASCAR’s championship event like never before,” said NASCAR Chief Marketing Officer Jill Gregory, in a statement. “We want Snapchat users to feel like they’re at Homestead-Miami Speedway.”
All of this will occur as NASCAR activates simultaneously on other platforms. An in-car stream from one still-to-be-announced driver will be available all race long and featured on Twitter Live. A full 360-degree video camera from inside one of the race cars will be available on NASCAR Mobile and NASCAR.com. Special access to exclusive augmented reality content live-curated at the track will be available for all NASCAR Mobile users.
Fans will also be able to follow every driver’s laps via the NASCAR Drive feature on the league’s app and website, which features live stats, scanner audio, advanced positional information, and additional camera angles.
SportTechie Takeaway
As NASCAR works to compete with other leagues that have fully embraced the digital and social worlds, such as Formula E, the electric city-based racing league, it is turning toward mediums that will enable it to connect with younger fans. Formula E has amassed a large audience of younger fans while NASCAR’s dominance in the motorsports industry has started to wane. With a focus on Snapchat and other unique digital storytelling formats, such as augmented reality and in-car cameras, NASCAR is attempting to rejuvenate the league in hopes of attracting new fans.