At ENC Sports Review, we are big NASCAR fans. While we eagerly await for the season to resume, we are excited to kick off our NASCAR coverage with today’s post. We had the privilege of interviewing Richmond Raceway Track President Dennis Bickmeier. We thank Dennis for his time and hope our readers enjoy this Q&A.
How long have you been involved in NASCAR?
My first introduction to working a NASCAR race was in June of 1997, when I worked as a volunteer in the media center at what is now known as Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. It was the first race ever at that track. I was working with the Anaheim Angels at the time and continued to volunteer at the Speedway for their races in 1997, 1998 and ’99. Toward the end of 1999, I was hired as the Public Relations Director there and basically have been involved in motorsports on a full-time basis or as an independent contractor ever since.
What jobs have you held in auto racing?
My first full time position was Public Relations Director at California Speedway (Auto Club Speedway now) in 1999. I also held the position of Senior Director, Communications and Guest Services there. I became the Vice President of Consumer Sales and Marketing at Michigan International Speedway in 2007; and in 2011, I was named president of Richmond Raceway.
What are your favorite NASCAR and Richmond Raceway memories?
When you have been in it as long as I have, it is difficult to pick a favorite but watching our race fans make their memories is really special to me. You can just see the joy on their faces when they are interacting with each other while tailgating or camping or seeing their favorite driver up close. You can certainly see it when those engines fire up. A couple of highlights that quickly come to mind, and I can tell you, I’ve had a career full of memories, include: the new infield FanGrounds at Richmond Raceway; every pre-race flyover; the transformation of Daytona International Speedway into a modern sports stadium.
What has been the biggest change for you and Richmond Raceway due to the Coronavirus pandemic?
The biggest thing has been not racing this weekend (April 17-19). We were in ‘race mode’ as we call it, inside of 30 days, when everything paused. I miss the intensity of race week, but our team has been very busy with planning for when it is time to get back to racing. That planning is being done remotely, so we are learning to work differently, and we still have some of our team keeping up with maintaining the facility. One of the biggest things is missing the work-place environment and camaraderie among Team Richmond Raceway.
How has E-racing changed the landscape of the sport for you and NASCAR fans?
We’ve been involved in eSports initiatives and iRacing for a couple of years now as a key element to our marketing strategies. We even have our own drivers that we support in the Coca-Cola eNASCAR league. Sim racing, or iRacing, has been around for a long time, but now, it has become a fantastic way to deliver content to our fans and provide opportunities for NASCAR drivers to stay sharp with their driving skills and entertain our fans. I also believe that the broadcast of the Pro Invitational Series by NASCAR on Fox and the other iRacing events that have been happening on other broadcast or social media platforms has brought some new viewership to the sport, in particular a younger demographic.
What message do you want to give to race fans during this time?
Stay safe. Stay healthy. Take care of your loved ones. We look forward to welcoming fans back and making new racing memories together when we are able to do so.
What are you most looking forward to after the Coronavirus shutdown ends?
Getting back together with friends and family in the same place. As a family, we have tried to stay connected virtually, but I miss hanging out with people. I certainly miss our race events and race family, as well as live sporting events. Although it has been fun to watch some of the old races from Richmond Raceway, I’m ready to go racing.
I personally can’t wait to return to Richmond Raceway once racing has resumed. Can you share a little about the fan experience and why fans should consider attending a racing event at Richmond Raceway?
There are a lot of unique and special attributes about Richmond Raceway. We’ve updated and modernized the facility with some big improvements over the last 10 years or so, but we still have some of that old-school, fair grounds charm. The actual on-track race is the culmination of a great day at the race track, which includes music, food, entertainment, driver interactions and just a festival-type atmosphere. Being a three-quarter mile track, it seems like there is always some kind of racing action happening right in front of your seat. The new infield certainly immerses fans who choose to go in there right into the heart of the sport – walking into the fan side of the garages and being an arm’s length away from the crews and the cars.
Is there anything else that you would like to add or share with our readers?
Stay connected with us on our social media channels or our website at www.richmondraceway.com. Come out and enjoy a race or a concert at our Amphitheater, Virginia Credit Union Live! If you are a race fan, thank you. If you haven’t been to a race in a while, come out and see what you have been missing, and if you never have been, come try us out.
Thank you again to Richmond Raceway Track President Dennis Bickmeier for taking time to answer some questions for our readers.
ENC Sports Review 