December 12, 2016 News, Photos

Ready. Set. NASCAR. Champion’s Week. (50 Photos)

Ready. Set. Vegas. Yes, Las Vegas! It’s often said, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but that’s not always the case. At least not when we (Tam and Rene) are in town for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion’s Week.

NASCAR’s year-end party went down in Las Vegas and just as Tam promised when Tony Stewart made The Chase, we were in the house or should we say, on the strip to celebrate. We wanted to be a part of the celebration and participate in some of the exciting activities and events NASCAR had lined up, so we descended on Las Vegas as diehard NASCAR fans.

Tam arrived in Las Vegas a day early to attend the annual Sports Business Journal Motorsports Marketing Forum. As in previous years, the 2016 Motorsports Marketing Forum provided perspectives from thought leaders both within and outside of motorsports. This year, the Forum addressed a range of hot topics including sponsors, agencies, and venues. Topics discussed included “Smart Business: The Intersection of Collaboration and Cooperation,” “The Success of the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 and the Plan to Build on the Momentum Moving Forward,” “Examining Motorsports on a Global Scale,” “Brands Discuss Using Motorsports to Move the Needle: Fan Engagement and ROI,” and “A Discussion on Motorsports, Partnerships and Consumer Engagement” to name a few. Executives from across the motorsports industry were on hand and participated in panel discussions. NASCAR’s Executive Vice President & Chief Global Sales & Marketing Officer, Steve Phelps, Colin Smith, Vice President, Digital Media, NASCAR, Steve Newmark, President, Roush Fenway Racing, Dave Alpern, President, Joe Gibbs Racing, Mitch Covington, Vice President, Sports Marketing, Monster Beverage Company, and Chip Ganassi, Owner, Chip Ganassi Racing Teams were just a few of the bigwigs who participated.

There were several heavy hitters on hand, but the highlight for Tam was the featured interviews. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson took to the stage on day one of the conference with guest moderator Holly Cain, a reporter with NASCAR.com. On the second day, 2016 NASCAR XFINITY Series Champion Daniel Suarez sat down with Fox NASCAR Pit Reporter Jamie Little for a very entertaining talk. IndyCar stars Scott Dixon (Four-time Verizon IndyCar Series Champion and 2008 Indianapolis 500 Winner), Tony Kanaan (2013 Indianapolis 500 Winner and 2004 Verizon IndyCar Series Champion), and Alexander Rossi (2016 Indianapolis 500 Winner) also graced the stage for “A Conversation with the Stars of IndyCar.”

Immediately after the Indy Champs hit the stage, we raced down Las Vegas Blvd to pick up our Champion’s Week credentials. NASCAR hosted the Myers Brothers Luncheon at the Wynn Encore and it was imperative that we were on hand to see all 16 Chase drivers in the media room following the luncheon. Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards, Mr. 7x Jimmie Johnson, Austin Dillon, Chase Elliott, Chris Buescher, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski, Joe Logano, Kyle Larson, Matt Kenseth, Martin Truex Jr., Jamie McMurray, Denny Hamlin, and Kevin Harvick were present and available to answer our questions. We didn’t ask them everything, but Tam and Rene did sneak in a few questions with some of the young drivers.

After talking to three of our Fantastic 4 drivers, we rushed down to the middle of the strip for Victory Lap. Victory Lap is when all 16 drivers get in their cars and do burnouts down Las Vegas Blvd. And yes, Las Vegas shuts down for NASCAR!

Last, but not least, and certainly the best part is when we hightailed it off the strip over to the Palms Casino for NASCAR’s After The Lap event where all 16 drivers sat on stage and had a ball. Rutledge Wood and the chef, the author, the man with the blonde spiked hair, Guy Fieri, hosted it. We knew it was going to be a good time, but we could not imagine it was going to go down as a legendary night. Can you say, “Pass the Patrón!”

It was the Tony Stewart Show. He completely took over and made it so much fun. All the drivers seemed to follow his lead. Even the designated hosts would have happily traded their jobs with Smoke for the evening. He hosted and roasted the entire show. The crowd LOVED it! We had so much fun and easily could have sat there and listened to Smoke all night. We really could have.

When the bottle of Patrón came out, it took things up several notches. Jimmie Johnson took the first drink, which completely took us off guard. Once Mr. 7x indulged, Tony, Martin Truex Jr., Kurt, and Kyle Busch followed. Surprisingly, Jamie McMurray took a shot as well. Of course, the young guys all passed on the opportunity to have a shot of Patrón. We were sure that Chase Elliott who just turned 21 would join in. After all, Chase can now legally drink. And we were in Las Vegas.

The festivities concluded with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards, a black-tie event featuring all 16 Chase drivers, special guests, and celebrities at the Wynn Las Vegas. The event was broadcasted on NBCSN, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. We weren’t there and unfortunately missed covering the red carpet, but we had other pressing matters to attend to like flying to Daytona, Florida for the Ferrari Finali Mondiali. We LOVE NASCAR, but who could pass up an opportunity to take a hot lap with Formula 1 Champion Sebastian Vettel? Yes, Tam did this!

Business Journal Motorsports Marketing Forum