Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Lap 77 For Dan Update

The incredible power of social media is really all I can say about what has happened since I posted the idea of the broadcasts of the Cup race on Sunday at Las Vegas going quiet on Lap 77 in honor of Dan Wheldon.

Like the old commercial about me telling six people, and then they tell six people and so on, when I posted the idea on Twitter Monday afternoon I received quite a bit of support from people I didn't even know. And my blog received 2 1/2 times the number of page views than it has ever received in a day before. So thank you to my new blog readers and Twitter followers!

While the fan support was solid, the idea didn't go over well with the media. Of the people I tweeted or personally e-mailed, I received just one response, from a certain IndyCar writer who thought it wasn't the best idea to introduce a Wheldon memorial on Cup weekend.

It was a bit discouraging until Fox play-by-play man Mike Joy sent me the following tweet:

@mikejoy500: Good idea, I'll ask. @15daysinmay Can the FOX broadcast can go silent on Lap 77 Sunday? Would be a great tribute to Dan Wheldon at LVMS.

He later came back with another:

@mikejoy500: @15daysinmay FOX, NASCAR and the track would all have to agree, keep your fingers crossed.

First of all, much respect to Mike, and while this may or may not happen, his effort is much appreciated. I'm confident, thanks to retweets and other postings, that the powers-that-be are aware of the fan support behind this. What also might help is that Earnhardt Ganassi Racing announced today that the Lionheart sticker all of the cars bore at Talladega last fall will be on the cars driven by Jamie McMurray and Juan Pablo Montoya. Dan will be on people's minds this weekend.

But until a decision is made, please continue to tweet Mike Joy, NASCAR (@NASCAR), Fox Sports (@foxsports) and LVMS (@lvmotorspeedway). Also send one to @indycar and @rbindycar to let them know as well. I have begun using the hashtag #Lap77forDan

I have also created a Facebook page that is open to everyone: http://www.facebook.com/groups/298270910240838/

It's just cool how social media gives people the chance to come together and interact with people in a way that was never possible before. A few tweets and this idea is in front of people that will make decisions for a national television broadcast.

It's crazy.

So the quest continues, and will do so until a decision is made for Lap 98 of the Indy 500 as well. This has been way more fun than I ever thought it would be!


1 comment:

  1. I understand what you're trying to do, but frankly, I just don't think it is appropriate.

    First of all, you're asking NASCAR to honor Dan. Indycar, fine, but NASCAR?

    Also, it just seems to me that it's time to move on. At the time of the accident, the tributes were appropriate, certainly. This week, the folks in St Pete re-named one of the streets on the course in Dan's honor....again, appropriate, since he was a St Pete resident and past winner of the race.

    Beyond all the tributes, though, is my thought that Dan would want the racing to continue. This is not to suggest that we forget Dan, but simply to say it's time to move on. Dan will always be remembered by all Indycar fans, as he should be.

    I guess I'm rambling now, and can't seem to get this across clearly, but I just feel that enough is enough.

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