Irwindale's local heroes

Irwindale, Calif. - - A new program which offers all Irwindale NASCAR Dodge Weekly Racing Series participants a opportunity to give out up to 300 free kids' tickets is turning the Speedway's drivers, car owners, crews, and officials into "local heroes".

"We've been very family and kid-conscious since day one," said Track GM, Bob DeFazio. "Over our first five years of operation we distributed thousands of complimentary kid's (6 -- 12 years of age) tickets. That's paid off by building our fan base, these youngsters turn into great NASCAR fans. We think this new program will extend this outreach even further."

Every Irwindale participant (driver, crew member, car owner, even track officials and vendors) has been formally invited to become a spokesperson for the track. "Anyone who wants to go out and visit with a group of youngsters can take along up to 300 free admission tickets to the Saturday night race of their choice," explained DeFazio. "We are challenging our participants to get out and promote themselves and do good for the community at the same time -- It's Win-Win."

The track office suggests that the drivers and crew members ask for tickets that are dated for their next Irwindale visit. The expectation is that the participant would say: "Here's a free ticket to our next race -- Come and see me!" The feeling is that this method makes a much more personal connection than one of the track's marketing people just dropping a hundred tickets on an administrator's desk and saying "-- Er, uhm -- Could you please give these out to the kids."

"This program gives our participants a real opportunity to support their own local community kids' programs with up to $1,500 dollars worth of hard tickets," DeFazio went on. "We know that local newspapers and radio stations are always interested in this sort of public outreach by people in their communities and we know that sponsors really appreciate it when racers can be seen in public supporting youth projects."

The message to each group may vary: stay in school, stay away from drugs, literacy, anti-grafitti, safe bike riding, or any number of important ideas, but the delivery method (the action and excitement of NASCAR racing) is the same -- Kids love cars, kids look up to racing drivers, and kids will listen to them. This program will last through out the 2004 season and its application is by no means limited to school groups.

NOTE: As new as the (above) NASCAR program is, it has already been "cloned" for Irwindale's NHRA Street-Legal Drag Strip. The same program has been "tuned" and made available to all Dragstrip participants. Line up a speaking engagement with a bunch of youngsters, request couple hundred kids' tickets, and get the word out on all the fun at the Drags. Hometown Heroes going straight and 'round and 'round in circles and a lot of happy new young fans!

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