If theres anything Graham Rahal has learned as an adjunct member of the fearless Force family over the past near-year, its marketing. Rahal, son of three-time CART champion and 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal, has been working with his fathers Rahal Letterman Lanigan Verizon IndyCar Series team over the past couple of years. He struck up a friendship with Courtney Force of the NHRA dynasty; theyve been an item since last fall.
That must have the folks at National Guard sitting up and wondering what the heck they did when choosing this team to carry their colors? Results arent any better than what theyd had with now-defunct Panther Racing, which closed after being unable to retain the sponsorship - and generally ticking off everyone in the INDYCAR community.
Graham Rahal and beau Courtney Force have been attending one anothers races whenever possible. And it has been plausible for Rahal to be at several NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events this year, with INDYCARs truncated schedule occurring primarily between late March and late August/early September.
What Rahal is learning is how NHRA and the Force family do business. His appearances at NHRA drag races are good publicity for INDYCAR, which continues to consider marketing something the teams and sponsors should do for them. In NHRA drag racing, John Force (and his family) understand the value of marketing, and often-times that means simple interaction with the paying fans. NHRA is great for this kind of thing - every ticket allows a fan access to the pit areas where teams work on their cars and drivers are the front-men/women that are there to explain whats going on beyond the ropes that separate fans from workers.
Its a very different community and Rahal appears to be soaking it all in. Hes experienced the Force marketing machine at work and is, no doubt, talking to his father and other Rahal Letterman Lanigan team members about implementing some of the fan-friendly approaches in the drag racing community.
It isnt rocket science, even if the cars that the Force family, the Schumacher clan and others drive down the drag strip sure look, feel, sound and smell like something out of this world. Marketing can come down to the most basic things altogether - a simple smile, a handshake and an opportunity to meet and greet. They do these simple things so very well in drag racing; can Graham Rahals newly learnt ideas work for marketing INDYCAR?
The reason I posted this is--- what or how drag racing relates to the fans --- being able to mingle and see up close what goes on before,during,and after each run or race. Also it was posted in this writing is that "Nascar"understands the paying customer is vital--- I tend to disagree with that statement at the moment. Mike Helton is mouthing great changes for 2015 but I have to see this to believe it..
Anyway you read the article here http://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/what-graham-rahal-is-learning-by-dating-courtney-force/
there is much more written that you can relate to racing as we know it.....
updated by @johnny-mallonee: 12/05/16 04:02:07PM
