FORT WORTH, Texas (October 5, 2017) – NASCAR star Chase Elliott is in the midst of a run at the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship as the series stops at Charlotte Motor Speedway this Sunday. However, Elliott was able to step away from his race preparation and provide a lesson to Texas Christian University sports marketing students helping him promote NASCAR and Chase U, his student-only tailgate party held during the upcoming AAA Texas 500.
Elliott joined the students via Skype on Wednesday afternoon to provide an athlete’s perspective on sports marketing and NASCAR. He fielded questions from the students and provided his insight into the appeal of the sport during a 15-minute session. The goal for the students was to gain a better understanding of NASCAR as they gather information in an effort to build a comprehensive marketing strategy for Chase U.
“It was definitely cool to be able to speak with a guy that is my age that is in a sport that misses my demographic,” Kirk Leftwich said. “That offered a different way of looking at the athletes that are involved in NASCAR.”
After completing the marketing plan, students will share their ideas with Texas Motor Speedway representatives who will then take their plan and implement the strategies to promote the event to other Dallas/Fort Worth area universities.
TCU, along with the University of North Texas, are contributing to develop plans in broadening the appeal of NASCAR and Texas Motor Speedway to a younger audience.
“We obviously need a little bit of an understanding to convince people to go and have them understand what they are signing up for,” Kaellin Sheahan said. “We’ve thought of it as a really fun event and ways for people to get involved in the whole experience. Now we have more insight into what the event will entail and how NASCAR works as a whole.”
Chase U is the official collegiate tailgate party of the AAA Texas 500 with tickets at a college-friendly price. Elliott and Hooters Restaurant will play host to the student-only tailgate that includes free Hooters food, visit and Q&A with Elliott, and a ticket to the AAA Texas 500 for just $24. A university e-mail address and student ID are required to purchase a ticket to Chase U.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SpeedwayMedia.com
Chase Elliott returned to victory lane and the playoffs this year, delighting his fan base that once again rewarded him with the National Motorsports Press Association’s Most Popular Driver award.
Former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle was already in his personal helicopter, delivering aid to the flooded, remote region that was cut off from the rest of humanity.
Beginning in 2025, Chris Gabehart will serve as Joe Gibbs Racing's Competition Director while Chris Gayle shifts from JGR's No. 54 team to assume Gabehart's position as crew chief for Denny Hamlin and the No. 11 Toyota team.
