There was a crash on the NASCAR track.
Back at the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing’s home office in Charlotte, North Carolina, its Fan and Media Engagement Center (FMEC) is monitoring the reaction of some 25,000 brand loyalists even as it keeps an analytical eye on more than 1,500 social-media accounts and 3,500-plus keywords.
For decades, the post-crash protocol was for the competitors to continuing driving – at a controlled pace – in single file. When the clean-up was complete, and the flag switched from yellow to green, the pack would break out and the race...