I recently found Formula E racing and am excited for the series. This electric car racing series has the potential to bring in a whole new group of fans that haven't found their niche in racing. I think the FanBoost is a big part of that.
I grew up in Indiana. In Indiana there isn't a town you can go in during the month of May where you don't see something about the Indy 500 race. It is the oldest spectacle in motorsports. It captures the attention and imagination of the entire state. I remember that the big field trip during the 5th grade year in all the schools in our district was a trip to time trials at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. When I went I got autographs from some of my favorite drivers, like Rick Meyers.
Somehow as I got older and left the state, racing faded into the background. I can appreciate what goes into a race. I haven't latched onto anything specific in the world of racing. As I've learned more about alternative fuel vehicles, sustainable engineering, and electric cars, racing got further away from me with its high octane power and seemingly ravenous appetite for fossil fuels.
What I'm saying is there is a whole group of technology savvy individuals who are turning away from traditional motorsports and spending time to learn about Tesla, the Nissan Leaf, and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs). Major sports networks have neglected these individuals and they have turned to the Internet to stay informed on the things they are excited about. They are using Social Media and wanting to become part of the activity.
Here is where FanBoost comes in for Formula E racing. FanBoost is where fans of Formula E racing can vote for their favorite driver. Prior to the start of the race, the three drivers with the most votes earn a FanBoost during the race. The cars are configured with a top end energy output during the race. The drivers who earned the FanBoost can use a paddle on their steering wheel to activate a short burst of additional energy. This has the potential for giving a drive the ability to pass another driver on a short straightaway. This will earn them extra points in the final race standings.
I like the FanBoost. I like the concept of it. I think Formula E racing is the perfect place to bring it in. The host of the Short Circuit podcast doesn't like it. He said that real racing fans see it as a gimmick and just want the drivers to be able to go out and race without this extra wrinkle getting in the way. I understand that position. I simply disagree. The nice thing about having a blog or a podcast is that you get to share your opinion and difference of opinion to your audience and they get to decide what they think.
There is room for fans who want to see pure driver skill with no gimmicks. It is in other racing series. It isn't in Formula E. Formula E should continue to use FanBoost and allow the other fans the opportunity to vote for their favorite drivers. I believe that all racing has its gimmicks through the rule making, the course design, and sponsorship. I think all racing has things that are out of the driver's control that provides an edge or an advantage during a race, not the least of which is car setup by the crew or car capability by the designers.
I like the FanBoost because it brings the fans in as part of the race outcome. Racing today is like going to a zoo. The audience is held behind glass or fences. They passively watch as the animals do whatever the animals will do. There is a real division or isolation between the fans and the race teams. Fans can buy merchandise and that may or may not bring in sponsorships. At the end of the day there is nothing that fans can do to participate in the outcome of the race.
FanBoost changes that because fans get to vote for their favorite drivers. Like any voting system, sometimes you vote for the loser. You still got to vote. The three drivers with the most votes get the boost, which means that the three most popular drivers have a slight edge and could change the outcome of a race or the points standings. However slight an advantage this is, the fans got to participate.
I believe this will discourage drivers from being jerks. I've been around racing enough to see some real egotistical jerks behind the wheel of racing cars. They are in it for themselves and they could care less what the fans think. (Okay, as I write this I realize that most of the characters I would put in this category are from the movies. Still I think there is some reality to self-centered, egotistical attitudes of real racing drivers.) FanBoost encourages sportsmanship and fair play by rewarding those drivers who perform respectful on the course and off the course. In some of the video clips I've watched over the past couple weeks from Formula E, the drivers are even talking about how they are considering their standing with the fans more than they did in other racing series.
There is still room for egotistical jerks in racing. It is in other racing series where the fans have less say in the race. Drivers like that can race in those other series and stay out of Formula E.
I like the FanBoost because it is a very real way of engaging new and younger race fans through Social Media. All of the racing series that I'm familiar with have long heritages. They have their traditions and histories which give them identity. The Indianapolis 500 started over 100 years ago. NASCAR draws its roots from the 1930s and prohibition. Formula 1 racing has about as long a history as Indianapolis. (Sorry, I really don't follow Formula 1. I know it is the cat's meow in Europe. As you know I'm not in Europe.) Even the National Championship Air Races have been going on for over 50 years.
All of these racing series have long standing rules and traditions. They've tried in some way to adapt to the new world order which involves the Internet, instant communication around the world, On-Demand entertainment, and participation in the communities that grow up around social media. At this point the Social Media and Internet connectivity has been about adding it to the existing community. Nothing in the world of racing has changed because of Social Media. There are new sponsors because the Internet has created new corporations. Still the racing and the outcomes of the racing and the rules related to the racing haven't changed while the world around them has significantly changed with the Internet.
Formula E is a brand new series. It has new technology. It has new rules. It is looking for a whole new set of race fans. Formula E gets to integrate the Internet and Social Media into the core structure of the racing. When the President of the United States and CNN have a presence on Social Media, it is a sign that Social Media has influence on world events. Any enterprise really wanting to become part of this new world community needs to bring together Social Media as part of the execution of their operation.
The $64,000 question (adjusted to inflation as being work billions today) is how to go about this integration. There have been so few organizations really succeed with this new technology that there are few examples or recipes for success. I applaud Formula E for setting up FanBoost in a way that engages fans, is influential to the outcome of the race, and tries something new. While other racing series and sports organizations are ignoring the power of the Internet, Formula E is embracing it and trying something to see how it goes.
I believe we'll se FanBoost evolve over the season and over the years of Formula E racing. We'll see rule changes, car changes, points changes, course changes, sponsorship changes, team changes, and more in the coming years of Formula E. I look forward to all of them. I think FanBoost is a great leap forward into the future of all racing and sporting events.
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