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Tag: Gary Camp

  • Monster Mile Makes Monster Smiles with Autism Speaks Day at the Races

    [media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”216″][/media-credit]The Monster Mile, otherwise known as Dover International Speedway, has partnered for the past several years with Autism Speaks, a nonprofit organization with the mission of raising funds for and calling attention to this spectrum disorder.

    But this weekend, Dover took that partnership to a completely new level, creating an innovative, first of its kind ever autism-friendly NASCAR race track experience.

    Families with children along the autism spectrum were provided special race seating in the Monster Mile’s air-conditioned grandstands, with dedicated quiet spaces for children to get away from the frenzy if they became over-stimulated.

    “We created an autism-friendly NASCAR experience at the track and that’s never been done before,” Gary Camp, Sr. Director of Communications, Dover International Speedway, said. “For a first-time event, there’s been a lot of planning.”

    “There’s a quiet zone where, if the kids get overwhelmed, they can go,” Camp continued. “Ollie’s Bargain Outlet has donated some bean bags and we’ve got toys that Toys R Us donated.”

    “It’s just a real fun atmosphere.”

    The children and their families were also treated to special appearances by NASCAR drivers Jimmie Johnson, sporting the No. 48 Lowe’s Madagascar car this weekend, and Jamie McMurray, driver of the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Allstate Chevrolet, whose family has a close connection to the issue of autism.

    “It is always a nice feeling to make an appearance like that,” McMurray said. “It is something that is so simple for me to do.”

    “To see the excitement on the faces in that room really makes you feel special,” McMurray continued. “I know that I really appreciate what Dover International Speedway and the Autism Speaks group does to host all the families for this event and I am just glad that I can do something to put a smile on someone’s face.”

    McMurray has been so committed to this cause because of his family’s involvement that he also has recorded a public service announcement for the cause.

    “I have received so much positive feedback from friends and fans on the public service announcement that we did for Autism Speaks, with my niece who has autism,” McMurray said. “It is just a small part to try and promote awareness about autism and to encourage the public to learn the early warning signs.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsqXDSJZVMY

    “Autism Speaks is the largest and leading science and advocacy organization in the world, founded seven years ago,” Mark Roithmayr, President of Autism Speaks, said. “We are a $60 million organization, funding research, awareness, advocacy and family services, all to combat the fact that one in 88 children in the United States are being diagnosed with autism.”

    “First and foremost, Autism Speaks and our autism community are blessed by Dover,” Roithmayr said. “We’re blessed with NASCAR. We’re blessed with FedEx, who for the second year in a row are sponsoring this.”

    “It’s been six years ago when NASCAR and Dover first came to us and said they wanted to make us the beneficiaries of that sponsorship and call this the Autism Speaks 400.”

    “Denis McGlynn (President and CEO, Dover Motorsports), Mark Rossi (Vice President Sales and Marketing, Dover Motorsports), and Artie Kempner (Executive Producer, NASCAR on FOX) who is involved with Autism Delaware saw that autism was becoming a big issue for their families.
    Roithmayr continued. “So, they came to us and said they would like to offer the opportunity for lots of awareness and promotion and that it was important to their fans.”

    “NASCAR, of all the sports, has a tremendous heart and soul and came to us.”

    “Dover has been incredible,” Roithmayr said. “Since that first year, we always tried to do something to encourage families with autism to come out to the track.”

    “So many of the families tell us their children love NASCAR and they wanted to be part of the experience. We tried a couple of different locations but with autism, the noise, the smells and the sensory experiences were overwhelming, Roithmayr continued. “So, to have a grandstand that was air conditioned, price the tickets at $88 for the adults to symbolize one in 88 who have autism and $20 for the children, and an area buffeted from the over-sensory part of NASCAR but still a part of it, has been amazing.”

    [media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”186″][/media-credit]“There is a quiet room, where the lights are muted, with toys that are specially designed from our good friends at Toys R Us for kids from autism,” Roithmayr said. “The last piece is that we are going to have a series of special presentations for the families, presenting on science, services, and family support. We even have a young man with autism who graduated from college who will talk about what his life has been like.”

    “We are so blessed.”

    In addition to Jimmie Johnson and Jamie McMurray, team owners Coach Joe Gibbs and his son J.D. Gibbs also made appearances to interact with the children and their families for the Autism Speaks day at the Monster Mile.

  • Miles The Monster Continues to Survive Amongst Today’s Bigger Giants

    Miles The Monster Continues to Survive Amongst Today’s Bigger Giants

    During a time when the economy has taken its toll on the entertainment world, NASCAR as a sport was not immune and all the average fan had to do was look around at all the empty seats.

    [media-credit name=”doverspeedway.com” align=”alignright” width=”263″][/media-credit]No longer are the tracks selling out like they used to, and the owners were left to begin experimenting with different promotions to try and draw the fans away from their television sets, and back into the stands.

    Gary Camp, who is the director of public relations for Dover International Speedway, was able to answer a few questions about how the economy has affected “The Monster Mile.”

    “The economy has affected ticket sales, but that is the case across the entire sport to some extent,” Camp said. “We are optimistic about 2011, and we are doing our best to improve the fan experience for everyone.

    “We haven’t raised ticket prices in over five years, and we have been working hard to add value for our fans. From free, live concerts, to the Monster Monument, to our new, expanded FanZone…there is plenty to see and do, even beyond the racing, when you make the trip to the track.”

    With Dover looked at as one of only three independent tracks left in the series, Camp was asked what type of impact it had over the bigger corporations such as the International Speedway Corporation which is owned by the France family, or Bruton Smiths Speedway Motorsports Incorporated.

    “Because we aren’t part of the ISC or SMI families, we are often deemed an ‘independent’ track. We also own and operate Nashville Superspeedway, near Nashville, and Gateway International Raceway, near St. Louis, but Dover is the only track of these three that hosts a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race,” said Camp.

    Camp also talked about the other entertainment options that are part of the Dover experience.

    “The unique nature of the facility in Dover sets us apart from other venues, we share the property with Dover Downs Hotel & Casino, and all the amenities they bring to the table.

    “Fans love the opportunity to play the slots, eat at the multiple restaurants, and coming in 2010, they will play live table games. The ability to do this all on the same site as a race track is very unique.”

    The planning and preparation that goes into making sure everything is in place for a typical race weekend can be very stressful, along with the stress factor of knowing that everything needs to be close to perfect.

    A race weekend isn’t just put together in the few weeks leading up to the race, instead it takes months of careful planning.

    “It’s interesting how many people are surprised to learn that many of our jobs here at the Speedway are full-time positions,” Camp said. “Many think we just open the gates on raceday, close them when it’s over, and do it again the next year.

    “It’s a year-long, continual process getting ready for our two big NASCAR event weekends. Budgeting, advertising, creative development, promotions, and more all play in to our ultimate goal—selling tickets and getting fans to come to Dover to see a race,“ said Camp, while talking about the weeks leading up the big race.

    Camp has been part of the Dover family for seven years now, and he started out working for an advertising and public relations agency that used to service the track, and casino, as a client.

    Camp also mentioned that his most memorable moment throughout the years since he has been at the track was the Dover race following 9/11.

    It was the first major sporting event after the attacks, so everyone was in a heightened state of security, and patriotism. MBNA handed out U.S. flags to everyone in attendance, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the place as the national anthem and flyover happened that day.

    Camp still remembers how vividly the “U.S.A.” chants were that rang through the grandstands, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. after having won the event, celebrated with a huge American flag flying out of his window during his victory lap.

    There is plenty to see and do at this unique one-of-a-kind entertainment venue, and the staff at Dover are doing all they can by working with the local hotel operators to get them to help the fans with more reasonable rates, and reduced minimum night stay requirements.

    The cost of lodging is typically the largest expense when attending a destination sporting event, so anything that the staff at Dover can do to make it easier on fans will be helpful.

    If Miles, the 46-foot-tall monster, doesn’t grab your attention, then maybe 43 of NASCAR’s biggest names racing on this one-mile concrete gladiator ring will.

    Either way you don’t know what you are missing, unless you experience it first hand and in person.