By SEMA News Editors
SEMA and PRI Coordinating Editor Jack Haworth recently attended the NASCAR Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum, and he's giving SEMA News readers an exclusive behind-the-scenes peek into what it was like to cover the non-points exhibition race at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum won by Denny Hamlin earlier this month.
Haworth was on assignment for SEMA Magazine, covering a feature story on Gen Z's interest in motorsports. At the event, Haworth connected with Pete Jung, NASCAR chief marketing officer, to discuss different strategies NASCAR is using to appeal to younger generations and how that's been having some success.
"This story will cover Gen Z's interest in motorsports--exploring what motorsports disciplines Gen Z are interested in, why 'authenticity' is so important to the younger generations, how to capture their attention and what this suggests about Gen Z's willingness to spend money in the aftermarket automotive industry," said Haworth to SEMA News.
See Haworth's first-hand insights below, and be sure to catch the full story in SEMA magazine's May issue.
Seeing the NASCAR Cup Series race within the tight confines of the LA Coliseum was a unique experience. It reminded me of the tight quarter-mile bullrings that many of those drivers grew up racing on, but instead taking place inside a world-famous venue.
However, the racing was competitive and the crowd was into the action. I can think of two memorable scenes from the actual race: the first was the crowd all standing, cheering and filming the start of the race on their phones. It seemed like there were certainly lots of first-time fans there, and it was cool to see everyone's excitement once the race got underway. Another memorable sight was the white-hot glowing rotors from the Cup cars; the tight track required heavy braking, and those brakes were pushed to the limits.
Also, the NASCAR Mexico Series raced after the Cup race and put on a great show. The Mexico Series competes in a completely different race car, more similar to a late-model stock car, but those cars slid around more and were better suited for the tight track. Finally, the race was moved from Sunday to Saturday due to a large incoming storm, so watching the teams scramble and prepare to go racing was equal parts interesting and impressive.
While I've gone to several NASCAR races as a fan, this was my first race covering a Cup Series race as a reporter. With 38 races a year, I've heard industry folks describe NASCAR as a "traveling circus." But to see the garage area up close was a fascinating experience and helped me understand the circus analogy.
With nearly 40 cars in the field, it was exciting to watch the teams work on their cars, get them through tech inspection and prepare their equipment for that night's race. It's a giant undertaking, but the teams are all true professionals and handled their business with relative ease. Also, being the first race of the year, albeit an exhibition race, seeing the "NASCAR family" reunite in the garage and swap stories about the off-season was great.
