NASCAR’s new leadership is making what seems a genuine effort to win back and rebuild trust with fans, and it’s doing so in a pretty unorthodox way.
Chief Operating Officer Ben Kennedy has revealed that NASCAR officials recently went undercover at Darlington Raceway for a ‘secret shopper’ exercise, blending in with everyday fans to get a first-hand feel for the issues that are frustrating them and identify ways to make the whole experience better on race days.
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So far, the move has won a lot of people over but of course, there are still plenty of diehard fans out there who are still feeling pretty sceptical, given all the complaints about the costs, facilities and treatment of fans we’ve heard over the years.
Kennedy gave an interview on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, where he revealed that NASCAR has set up teams within the company specifically to focus on sorting out the fan experience problems that seem to be popping up at tracks all over the country. Some of the key areas that have been highlighted are:
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Traffic flow and exiting the venue after races
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Food and beverage quality
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Escalators and elevators are referred to internally as “vertical transportation.”
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Better infield programming
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Improved coordination with teams and drivers during race weekends
Those concerns may sound small compared to what happens on track, but longtime fans often say those details shape whether attending a race feels worth the money and effort.
The timing is significant because NASCAR is in a transition period. Steve O’Donnell recently stepped into the CEO role, while Kennedy (a member of the Frane family lineage through Bill France Jr.) was elevated to Chief Operating Officer. Many inside the sport see Kennedy as the one who’s really going to shape the direction of NASCAR’s future.
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The challenge is balancing two goals: attracting younger and newer fans while simultaneously keeping traditional fans who feel the sport has drifted away from them.
That makes race-day experience a critical battleground.
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Fan reaction: hope mixed with distrust
Online fan reaction has been all over the place.
On the one hand, many people are thrilled that the executives are finally taking the time to show up to the races in the same way everyone else does, rather than just relying on reading about it in a report or in a corporate boardroom. Some say it shows that NASCAR is finally willing to listen to the practical problems that people have been banging on about for years.
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On the other hand, there are a lot of people thinking, ‘ yeah, yeah, we’ve heard this all before’, as fans have been raising the same old issues over and over again. Mainly overpriced food, terrible facilities, crummy traffic management and a scheduling system that makes no sense, but nothing ever seems to change.
Across forums and social media, one thing that keeps coming up is simply that fans want action, not just another load of empty promises and a listening exercise.
One of the biggest complaints remains affordability.
For many families, attending a NASCAR weekend can involve tickets, parking, food, merchandise, hotels and fuel costs that quickly add up. In a competitive sports and entertainment market, fans compare that value not only to other motorsports, but to the NFL, MLB, streaming entertainment and staying home.
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That means even if the racing product is strong, poor logistics or overpriced experiences can drive fans away.
Why was Darlington chosen
Darlington Raceway is one of NASCAR’s most historic venues and also one of its most logistical nightmare tests.
Older tracks like Darlington come with a lot of character and tradition but they also have some serious drawbacks compared to modern venues: cramped concourses, outdated facilities, traffic chaos and access issues are just a few to name.
Using Darlington as a live test case for this ‘secret shopper’ idea shows that NASCAR wants to figure out how to bring legacy venues into the 21st century without losing their identity.
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Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the Kennedy Factor
Former NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been weighing in on Kennedy and his team, suggesting that they’re preparing Kennedy to be a long-term champ for the sport. This is a big deal because fans are desperate to know: Will the next era of NASCAR be all about pushing the boundaries and getting bold with new ideas or protecting the old ways of doing business?
So far, though, Kennedy has been making all the right noises with his emphasis on listening to the fans.
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