NASCAR.com Gets Social in 3-D Makeover

Turner Sports New Media plans to add a new subscription-based service and a user-generated content component to NASCAR.com as part of a major site makeover that goes live on February 1.

The interactive arm of Turner Sports, which owns the interactive rights to NASCAR, will roll out a new paid access 3-D application that gives users a video game-like experience while following drivers during live races. It will also feature a new Infield Community section that comes with all the usual user-generated content and social media trimmings.

The idea behind the Infield Community is to let NASCAR.com users create a “track away from the track” experience by uploading photos, videos and photographs from the race on free personalized pages. Fans can create their own ‘crews’ based on their interests or affiliations with drivers, teams, tracks, series, geography and programs. Using a personal dashboard, members can organize networks based on similar interests.

When the race season starts later this year, the company said NASCAR.com will engage members and crews in weekly community challenges that will allow fans and crews to compete against each other.

The new 3-D feature, called TrackPass RaceView, will cost $12.95 per month or $79.95 a year and give Turner Sports New Media a new revenue-generating component on the popular NASCAR.com destination.

According to Dick Glover, vice president of broadcasting and new media at NASCAR Digital Entertainment, TrackPass RaceView provides hardcore fans with an “unparalleled interactive racing experience” to follow their favorite driver alongside the race telecast.

Technology from Sportvision will power multiple data-rendered views are available for every driver throughout every race and generate instant race data that displays onto the computer screen, showing drivers’ positions and movements to within a few inches at all times.

The company explained that fans can select one driver or switch among the full field of drivers to follow them around the track, during pit stops, cautions and lead changes while viewing driver data such as live position, speed and time behind leader; they can also listen to all available in-car audio feeds.

Three different race views are available for each driver, including Lead View, which shows the front of the driver’s car, as well as, the cars in pursuit; Flyover View, an aerial view from above; and Draft View, which shows the car from behind and the field in front of the driver. Other enhancements include pit road statistics, lap-by-lap editorial commentary and a fantasy game integration.

The new feature will join several premium content offerings from NASCAR.com, including TrackPass PitCommand and TrackPass Scanner, services that allow interactivity during live races.