20 questions with Brian Hanaford

1. How long have you been involved in motorsports?

 20 years +/-

2. What is your earliest memory in motorsports ?

 Watching my father WIN at the old Bryar Motorsports Park in the same speedway car, with the same tires that he ran at Daytona. The engine expired at Daytona so he got a motor out of the junk yard, collected the appearance money, then beat Keith Bryar's Road course cars.

3.Do you see motorsports gaining in poplularity or will it start to decline as people get bored with it?

 It will continue to growthe more accessible the sport becomes for kids through go carts and video games. Obviously TV contracts are huge for local and regional competitors.

4. What is the best race you have ever seen live?

 Teddy Christopher winning in a super at Thompson

5. Do you think NASCAR running Winston Cup races has an effect on the attendence of local short tracks across the USA?
 Winston Cup audiences may hinder Saturday night attendance at weekly tracks if they are only running a regular show

6. If you were in charge of NASCAR but could only make one change, what change would that be?

 NASCAR should implement instant replay, before they make a call whenever possible.

7. What advice would you give to a young driver looking to get into racing?

 Learn marketing 101 and then polish on track

8. How did you get invovled in motorsports?

 Growing up in a racing family I got some great advice from Ken Squire, then started writing as an internship program that Mike Massaro started at Stafford Motor Speedway

9. In your honest opinion... whats the best race track in the world? What is the worst?

 Thunder Road & Stafford have absolutely the best management team and do the best job entertaining fans

10. Do you think the internet has helped people get information about racing or do you think it is just a vast wasteland of sites full of rumors and lies?

( Brian failed to answer this question)

11. You can have dinner with anyone in motorsports ( living or dead) , who would you chose? Why?

 A couple weeks ago I would have said Tim Richmond, but then I had breakfast with Dave Dion at the Blue Star Dinner in Winooski, VT and it was truly priceless.

12.What is your opinion on "bending" the rules and working in that grey area of a rulebook? What about out and out cheating and disreguard for the rules?

 Everyone has different back grounds & different interpretations on any topic. That's why every other professional sport has referees, umpires, etc., If NASCAR, ACT, PASS, Hooters or any other series encounters any team that deems themselves more important then the series, they should find be dealt with accordingly.

13. Its the last lap of a dream race.... who are the drivers and at what track would you like to see them battle it out?

 Scott & Bobby Dragon, or Beaver & Brent Dragon at new Catamount Stadium

14. What is the one thing you wish more fans would know about motorsports? How could they possibly learn that one thing?
 That it is a way of life for racing families, they could get involved with most race teams if they volunteered.

15. How do you think racing has managed to keep a somewhat wholesome imagine while other major sports have what seems to be endless scandals involving drugs, crime, etc?

 Race teams traditionally try to manage finances in order make chicken salad out of chicken soup.

16. What could be done in racing to get it more diverse as far as minority involvement?

 Penetrate inner city markets with Boys Club/Girls Club etc.Race teams would benefit from PSA to promote ABC company. track would benefit from tickets and food concession, ABC company would justify brand loyalty.

17. What do you think about Imported car manufactors getting into major league auto racing in the USA?

 Bring 'em on as long as their manufactured in the USA

18. Your choice.... one ticket to a big league NASCAR race or a seasons pass to your favorite local short track... which would you chose and why?
  Big league has a lot more working parts as far as marketing strategies of race teams, event sponsors, etc.,

19.Where do you see yourself in 5 years as far as motorsports goes?
 Marketing link for teams and tracks

20. When you want a break from the world of motorsports, what are some of the things you like to do?

 Visiting other sports to see what they are doing with marketing plans and trying to integrate marketing strategies to benefit both