Off To The Races

All is fair in love and war? What about business? Unfortunately the economy has affected everyone nationwide and doesn’t appear to be lifting any time soon. At LifeLock, we had our hands in a variety of events this year; ranging from sponsoring a night with professional baseball teams to titling NASCAR races, to local organizations. With companies watching their spending and the momentum LifeLock has gained, everyone wants a piece of us! It a large job to evaluate the many opportunities available to us to build exposure and partnerships.

NASCAR was a major focus of ours this year and is expected to be hit harder than any other sport due to how dependent race teams are on corporate financial involvement. Everywhere you turn belts are being tightened, why should racing be any different? Especially considering the three big automakers have requested a bailout from the government. But they are not alone. All corporate monies are expected to be drastically reduced in an effort to balance the scales. This single act makes it more difficult for NASCAR teams to function properly. However, this single factor doesn’t account for the worries of team owners. Fuel costs, increase in unemployment rates and the feeling of an insecure future are all examples of what a NASCAR fan must endure.

Is there such a thing as a fair-weather fan in NASCAR? Maybe those who are tired of Jimmie Johnson dominating the sport (completely incomprehensible to me) might be fair-weather. Fans will drive an average of 6 hours to attend a race, stand in long lines to purchase their favorite merchandise and do crazy things to have a chance to meet their favorite drivers. The economy may be on a down swing but nothing can sway the NASCAR fan. Tracks will find new ways to market and a way to keep their ever so faithful fans.

In just over a month the next season kicks off with our title races being in June (Michigan International Speedway) and July (Chicagoland Speedway). It will be interesting to see what 2009 holds in store for LifeLock and the NASCAR fan. Oh yeah, just one last thing; Jimmie……go for a fourth Championship. I told you, loyal to the end.