In 2009, while preparing to make the trip to Speedway, Ind., for the 2009 Brickyard 400, I wrote about one of my favorite race weekend traditions: free giveaways from sponsors outside (and even inside) the track.
In 2008, while walking toward the grandstands before Saturday afternoon practice at Indianapolis, I received a phone call from one of my former teachers, a fellow NASCAR fan. Phil told me, “Hey, you guys gotta get up here on the main drag and get some of the free [stuff].”
Free stuff, it’s awesome. Ask any NASCAR fan.
Sure it’s sweet to watch those 43 blazes of color whip by at nearly 200 mph, hear that “you have to be there to truly understand it” sound and smell the fumes of burning rubber and exhaust, but beyond the on-track action there’s plenty of down time for NASCAR fans on race weekends.
Enter brilliant marketing campaigns.
In each recent trip to Indy my dad, brother and I all grabbed whatever we could get from companies lining up to give away their products. In 2008 the Coke Zero tent was a hop, skip and a jump away from our camping area. We probably snagged a dozen Coke Zero cans that weekend.
Can’t beat a free beverage.
Companies from DeWalt (who gave me the best sunglasses I’ve ever worn) to DLP give freebies away. In fact, I use my DLP lens cleaner to clean my DeWalt sunglasses when I need to. Toyota used to have a fun display featuring simulators.
But maybe my favorite stop we ever made was the 2009 stop at the corner of Georgetown and West 16th street in Indy where the Big Ten network had decided to show up. Purdue cheerleaders were there promoting the then-fledgling network. I had my 2008 Big East championship ring on. The rest—as they say—is history.
In 2008, while walking toward the grandstands before Saturday afternoon practice at Indianapolis, I received a phone call from one of my former teachers, a fellow NASCAR fan. Phil told me, “Hey, you guys gotta get up here on the main drag and get some of the free [stuff].”
Free stuff, it’s awesome. Ask any NASCAR fan.
Sure it’s sweet to watch those 43 blazes of color whip by at nearly 200 mph, hear that “you have to be there to truly understand it” sound and smell the fumes of burning rubber and exhaust, but beyond the on-track action there’s plenty of down time for NASCAR fans on race weekends.
Enter brilliant marketing campaigns.
In each recent trip to Indy my dad, brother and I all grabbed whatever we could get from companies lining up to give away their products. In 2008 the Coke Zero tent was a hop, skip and a jump away from our camping area. We probably snagged a dozen Coke Zero cans that weekend.
Can’t beat a free beverage.
Companies from DeWalt (who gave me the best sunglasses I’ve ever worn) to DLP give freebies away. In fact, I use my DLP lens cleaner to clean my DeWalt sunglasses when I need to. Toyota used to have a fun display featuring simulators.
But maybe my favorite stop we ever made was the 2009 stop at the corner of Georgetown and West 16th street in Indy where the Big Ten network had decided to show up. Purdue cheerleaders were there promoting the then-fledgling network. I had my 2008 Big East championship ring on. The rest—as they say—is history.
It was an opportunity too good to pass up
Last year my dad and I walked up and down Georgetown Road and found very few giveaways. Was the economy that bad? David Caraviello of NASCAR.com mentioned that this year a lot of “swag” was given away during the media tour from sponsors and teams. In the past few years “swag” had dwindled to nothing.
“In the last few media tours, about the only things reporters were given on their way out of team shops were a handshake and a thank you,” Caraviello wrote. “In an atmosphere where some organizations were barely hanging on and where many sponsors were cutting back, handing out free junk to journalists went out of fashion.
“Now? As evidenced by the gala of giveaways on display this past week in metro Charlotte, it’s making a comeback—which can be viewed as a good thing not just for freeloading reporters, but the industry as well.”
So, for as disappointed as my father and I were last year that there was no “free stuff,” it looks like we’ll be in good shape this year. Or, at least better shape than last year. Swag up.
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Got any good “swag” stories? Where are your favorite places to stop on raceday? Drop me a line in the comment section. Thanks for reading, enjoy your Thursday.
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