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WATKINS GLEN, NEW YORK – AUGUST 03: Chris Buescher, driver of the #37 Cottonelle Chevrolet, gets into his car during qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Go Bowling at The Glen at Watkins Glen International on August 03, 2019 in Watkins Glen, New York. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)
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WATKINS GLEN, NEW YORK – AUGUST 03: Chris Buescher, driver of the #37 Cottonelle Chevrolet, gets into his car during qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Go Bowling at The Glen at Watkins Glen International on August 03, 2019 in Watkins Glen, New York. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)
The COVID-19 pandemic has had far-reaching effects both in the health sector and the economic sector. Owing to the reduced fan attendance and cuts to team revenue, several sports teams have taken drastic steps. Among them is the use of digital ‘fan tokens’ to help generate income. This also helps in enhancing fan engagement, and the Roush Fenway Racing team is the latest party to employ it.
The team turned to Chiliz blockchain to mint the $ROUSH Fan Token. These tokens grant owners access to voting rights in polls, VIP rewards, exclusive promotions, and many other features.
“We are excited to provide fans with the opportunity to play a real role in selecting what our cars and other assets will look like, and believe it will resonate very well throughout the industry,” said Roush Fenway president Steve Newmark. “We’re appreciative of everyone at Socios.com for their interest and trust in Roush Fenway and can’t wait to kick off a fun partnership that brings our goals and objectives to life.”
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How will this help the Roush Fenway Racing team?
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With these tokens, the fans could have a greater influence on many decisions. This includes selecting paint schemes, team uniforms, pit signage, and other assets for Ryan Newman and Chris Buescher. This is only applicable for the Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International.
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RICHMOND, VIRGINIA – SEPTEMBER 20: Ryan Newman, driver of the #6 Roush Performance Ford, looks on during qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond Raceway on September 20, 2019 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images) buescher
On an interesting note, Chiliz was initially targeting Formula One and hoped for a deal with one team. However, it seems that NASCAR has decided to take the gamble first. According to CEO Alexandre Dreyfus, the goal is to help passive fans become a lot more active. Dreyfus is thrilled that Roush Fenway Racing is taking the first steps in fan engagement.
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For now, the Roush Fenway Racing team is going to participate in this weekend’s Cup race at Dover. Both Buescher and Newman have already qualified in the Top 15, with the former in 10th place. The two will be hoping for a great race and a rich points haul.
READ MORE: Chris Buescher Highlights What Makes NASCAR Teams Successful and Outlines Goals with RFR for 2021
