NASCAR.COM broadens reach to Spanish audience

NASCAR.COM announced today the launch of NASCAR.COM en Español, a tailored Spanish-language Web site featuring all the latest news, highlights and action that fans have come to expect from the sport’s leading Web site. NASCAR.COM en Español (www.nascar.com/espanol) will use the same format as NASCAR.COM with a home page, news page, video page and archive section to deliver up-to-the-minute news as well as articles and features about the all the action and excitement of NASCAR.

Also available on NASCAR.COM en Español will be the popular NASCAR 24/7, a daily broadband video update of news, highlights and storylines from the day in NASCAR. The video will be hosted in Spanish by Carolina Escobar, current anchor for CNN en Español and a correspondent on NASCAR.COM. In addition to duties on NASCAR.COM en Español, Escobar will continue to host En Familia, a half-hour program on CNN en Español that serves as a guide to parents, and Adelantos, the network’s show dedicated to covering of the latest developments in the world of science and technology.

“The launch of NASCAR.COM en Español signifies the importance and relevance of diversity not only in racing, but in all online sports media," said Lenny Daniels, Turner Sports senior vice president of production and new media. “We are excited to launch the new site to provide pertinent and entertaining NASCAR coverage and an interactive platform to Spanish-speaking race fans throughout the world. As partners of NASCAR, we will continue to support their mission to reach the ever-expanding NASCAR audience and engaging the international community by developing platforms such as NASCAR.COM en Español."

Since 1999, interest in NASCAR among Spanish-speaking audiences has increased more than any other major sport. Approximately 8.9% of NASCAR fans are Hispanic, a 10% increase over 2001, when Hispanics comprised 8.1% of the NASCAR fan base, according to Scarborough USA+ (2001, 2005). NASCAR also ranks #1 in Hispanic fans’ loyalty toward sponsors. No other sport enjoys such a high level of support for sponsors among Hispanic fans.

“There are already millions of passionate NASCAR fans who are Hispanic, and NASCAR.COM en Español is another important step in our efforts to be more welcoming and relevant to these fans," said Dick Glover, NASCAR vice president of broadcasting and new media. “By providing Spanish-language content and coverage, and with the emergence of talented drivers of Latino descent, we believe NASCAR will continue to attract even more of these loyal fans."

NASCAR has developed initiatives to increase exposure, interest, cultural relevance and media coverage among Spanish-speaking audiences in the US and abroad. Launched in 2004, NASCAR Mexico’s primary initiatives include the NASCAR Busch Series event in Mexico City and the NASCAR Mexico Series – Mexico’s only national stock car racing series – which develops teams, drivers, fans and sponsors. Spanish-language audiences can watch NASCAR races on ESPN Deportes in the US and on Fox Sports and SPEED in Latin America. To complement NASCAR’s media coverage, NASCAR also creates targeted Spanish-language promotions and grass roots marketing events in more than 100 markets throughout the US Additionally, the NASCAR industry’s Drive for Diversity program supports the development of drivers from varied backgrounds. Since the creation of Drive for Diversity in 2004, 17 drivers who are minorities or women have driven in NASCAR’s developmental series, winning 11 races.

Also available on NASCAR.COM en Español will be Spanish editorial content including:

Ø Race Rewind – a condensed video version of the week’s Cup race
Ø Where’s Juan? – a weekly update on rookie No. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya
Ø Cross’ Words – a weekly opinion column by NASCAR.COM editor Duane Cross
Ø 10 Questions – one-on-one interviews with racing insiders
Ø Track Smack – NASCAR.COM writers discuss the hot topics in the sport
Ø Power Rankings – a weekly ranking of the top 25 NASCAR drivers
Ø Travel Log – what to do outside the track each week

Turner Sports New Media (TSNM), the interactive division of Turner Sports, Inc., acquired all of NASCAR’s interactive rights in October 2000 and became the exclusive producer of NASCAR.COM in January 2001. One of the fastest growing sports Web sites, NASCAR.COM is home to broadband news coverage, fantasy games and the NASCAR.COM SuperStore. The site consistently ranks among the top sports league sites and was named one of the best sports Web sites on the Internet by BusinessWeek (October 2005).

Through September 2006, the site averaged 3.9 million unique users per month during the 2006 NASCAR season. Additionally, multimedia usage on NASCAR.com is up 40% over 2005. In 2003, NASCAR.COM was awarded an Emmy® by the National Television Academy for its TrackPass – PitCommand application.