Paul Heyman teams up with Richmond International Raceway for Monster Cup race
Eat. Sleep. NASCAR. Repeat.
Those might well be the words that kick off race week at the Richmond International Raceway in September after "America's premier short track" hired Paul Heyman and his Looking 4 Larry agency to handle the marketing and promotion for the track kicking off with the races held there that month.
The "advocate" for WWE's Brock Lesnar was hired by the racetrack to help revamp and widen the appeal of the upcoming event after NASCAR has reportedly suffered some losses in attendance.
Richmond International Raceway, a track wholly owned by the publicly traded company International Speedway Corporation (ISCA), started this reformation project last year by hiring new vice president Mike Waddell, who in turn looked to Heyman for some new innovative ideas to bring fans back to the race track.
“Over the last year we’ve crafted strong, external partnerships that are making our brand more emboldened,” Waddell exclusively told FOX Sports. “With Paul Heyman and [his Looking 4 Larry Agency partner] Mitchell Stuart, we’ve partnered with the best major event adrenaline agency in the business.
"We’re looking to break the mold and establish a new way of marketing our sport across all platforms. This is the first step in the process.”
Heyman, who has worked with dozens of notable brands and companies through his agency, plans on bringing a whole new level of excitement and anticipation to the race scheduled for Sept. 9 in Richmond.
"The availability online and on mobile for instant gratification has created an environment in which marketing and promoting singular events in 2017 has proven to be a real uphill battle," Heyman said in an exclusive interview with FOX Sports. "Today's customer base wants a multi-day interactive experience that can provide not just one, but a great number of experiences.
"The Richmond International Raceway is routed in tradition, and at the same time they are looking to break ground and push forward with a brand new way to market and promote this profoundly fan-friendly sport. All puns intended, I think they are already way ahead of the curve. Our job is get them across the finish line!"
Heyman's focus at the start of his partnership with the Richmond International Raceway will begin with the race, which will crown the first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series regular season champion.
Race week will look much different under Heyman's watchful eye as he plans to unfold several new interactive events with the goal to entice both race fans and non-race fans alike to attend the upcoming event.
"Richmond will become the cultural hub not just for RVA, but will be the go-to event for the East Coast over that weekend," Waddell stated. "If you're a racing fan, it'll be the hottest weekend of the year.
"If you're not a racing fan, there will be events that will keep you engaged, as the action on the track will be the centerpiece, but not the only thing that weekend!"
The upcoming Federated Auto Parts 400 in September will be the final regular-season race of the NASCAR season before the chase for the championship series begins.
