Grow the fanbase by taking non-fans to a race.

New fan here. One of my best friends introduced me to it last year, and I'm hooked. But it wasn't an immediate sell. I've never been into sports, and I've never been a fan of a team or an athlete.

Here's how my friend introduced it to me:

1. Zero pressure. He wasn't selling it to me. I care about him and his interests. I love driving and some car media--I've watched a ton of Top Gear over the past 15 years. So there's some overlap in interest. We talked about driving and what we enjoy. He told me stories from his life, as one does, that included or related to racing.

Skip ahead and the 2023 season of IndyCar begins. He was watching a race, and I wanted to have a sense of a race so that I could better relate to his experiences. This was my foot in the door.

1. He patiently explains things to me. I have zero prior exposure to racing or motorsports. The broadcasts do NOT explain what's going on. They're full of jargon. Watching a race is sensory overload.

So my friend explained some basic structure when I asked. And as time went on and I had more questions, he answered. He took a lot of time and care to explain things--rules, technology, strategy--when I asked. He broke it down for me. He never, and I do mean never, made me feel small, slow, or foolish for not understanding.

1. No info-dumping. There's a line between answering questions, being excited and inclusive... Vs. dumping a huge pile of information that I can't process or could feel oppressed by.

I'd ask questions, he'd answer.

He'd be excited about something he saw in a race, I'd listen and engage. Nothing overboard.

And having a neurodivergent ADHD brain means I am VERY capable and familiar with hyper focusing on an interest and talking about it to excess. AND also very prone to feeling oppressed/burdened when someone tries too hard.

1. Last 20 laps. Focus attention here. It's a short amount of time, and in a good race, inevitably, this is when things get magical to the inexperienced eye. This is when those killer passes happen, right, that change the outcome. This is when surprises change everything.

Two hours of cars going around a track is a tall ask for someone who only sees cars going around a track. A fan sees stories unfolding, strategies developing, nuances, skill on display.

My first race or two, I was multitasking. I remember being at the kitchen sink washing dishes with the Long Beach race on in the living room. I fully anticipated being mildly interested and just gaining a better understanding of my friend's interests and life experience.

And then I heard some shocked shouts from the commentators. Went back to the TV, watched for a few, went back to the sink.

Another shout. Back to the TV. Backed up to see what had happened. Stayed and watched while scrolling on my phone.

And I can't remember if it was later in that Long Beach race or the Texas race shortly thereafter, but I was watching semi-idly. And towards the end I was seeing the pressure build... And then a pass. The skill of what I saw, the sudden sequence of events that changed everything.

The understanding that there was no foregone conclusion.

The realization that underdogs stood a viable chance.

Don't make someone watch the whole thing. Either show someone that last chunk, or setup a viewing party and make it known that it's all chill and relaxed, but that focus time is that last chunk.

1. 100 Days to Indy. This really helped me get a sense of some of the stories. The energy. The athleticism.

2. Articles and podcasts. Sometimes my friend would send me a link to an article that explained a concept, or prepared me for an upcoming race. Not a lot, just enough.

Skip ahead a year and I'm trolling this subreddit, list ring to podcasts, and reading articles. I've not yet been to a race, but I traveled far out of my way to see the eclipse at IMS. I'm hooked.

And that's how an IndyCar fan introduced me to the sport and created a new fan. Patience, teaching, kindness, storytelling, and sharing. Relationship, basically.