Growing up and living in the northeast, where franchises like the Yankees, Knicks and Rangers reign, Sean Downes, NASCAR’s newly appointed Managing Director, Business Development, candidly admits that stock car racing was not on his sports radar.
Yet, after attending his first race at Indy, he was ‘blown away’ by the sport.
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[/media-credit]“I was working for an agency and we had a client, The History Channel, who asked me to launch a new TV show using NASCAR,” Downes said. “Me, not knowing anything about the sport at the time, discouraged them.”
“So, they said ‘Sean, if you want this business, you’re going to do a NASCAR deal.’
“So, I did my due diligence and we did a three race deal with one of the race teams,” Downes continued. “And as a part of the deal, they negotiated a great rate for us and they said ‘Sean, the only thing we ask is that you come to a race.’
“In my mind there was no way I was going to one of those races because I simply, candidly had no interest,” Downes said. “So, the first race came along and we were the primary sponsor on one of the cars.”
“They called me up and said ‘Sean, are you coming to the race?’ Downes continued. “This was June 2005 and I told them that my son was about to be born and I couldn’t leave my wife in case she had the baby.”
“The second race came and it was July and they asked again if I was coming down from the race,” Downes said. “I told them again that my wife just had our second baby and I can’t leave her.”
“Then the third race came and it was August and they finally said ‘Sean, you are coming to the race,’ Downes continued. “This was at the Brickyard.”
“And from the moment I stepped onto the infield, I was simply blown away.”
“From the accessibility of the drivers, the relationships with the race team we had developed, the fans, the sensory overload, the smell of the gas, the roar of the engines and the tires screeching,” Downes said. “I was hooked.”
“And then I took a step back and looked at the business opportunities, as well as the role of corporate America in supporting this sport, and I knew I had to get involved,” Downes continued. “And within two months, I was working at NASCAR.”
Downes worked for the sanctioning body from 2005 to 2009, focusing on developing the official partners of NASCAR.
“I was there with NASCAR for three and a half years as Director of Partnership Marketing,” Downes said. “I was helping the official partners fulfill their contracts, leverage the relationship with the sanctioning body, and keeping a smile on their faces on a day to day basis.”
Although Downes left NASCAR for a stint at the Madison Square Garden, he stuck with the sport and continued his passion. And he kept up with his contacts in the sport he had come to love.
“I started talking to NASCAR this past May about a new role overseeing the sales effort here with a more integrated look at the sport and the opportunities in it,” Downes said. “So, I’m going from an account management role to out selling new business and new partnerships, bringing new official partners into the sport.”
“It’s our job and our duty to look at new categories to find companies that want to engage a very loyal fan base.”
Downes has two priorities for growth, focusing on companies involved in green industries and those involved in new technology.
“Green is going to be a huge initiative for us,” Downes said. “We’re also looking at technology and the different opportunities in working with best in breed technology companies.”
“So, we’re going to have a person stationed in California to cultivate relationships with the top companies in Silicon Valley.”
In this tough economy, Downes knows he has his work cut out for him, especially being based out of NASCAR’s New York City office. Because of that, he has a variety of strategies for making inroads with new potential partners.
“It’s a combination of cold calling and creating awareness and educating people,” Downes said. “NASCAR is not a sport in the northeast that is known.”
“So, it’s sitting with top marketers to educate them about the sport and the possibilities and opportunities there,” Downes continued. “But it’s also leveraging relationships we have in the industry.”
“Sports marketing companies are critical to our success,” Downes said. “We have an industry marketing team that helps the teams and the tracks look for partners but at the same time, when we’re talking to companies we’re also talking with them about a fully integrated activation program.”
But most important, when Downes is now asked if he is headed to the race track, he answers only in the affirmative.
“I’m headed to the Brickyard next race weekend,” Downes said.
