RaceTrackApp offers you a new, inventive way of interacting with your customers, developing fan affinity and creating stronger ROI—in addition to providing potential cost savings—such as reduced Fan Guide or Program production.

RaceTrackApp is about instant gratification. It will help you provide up-to-date news, track schedule, facility maps, social media connectivity and more, all with the touch of a button to provide the ultimate in user experience—taking YOUR customer service to a whole new level. And best of all, it’s available on a completely flexible, easy to use CMS system that you can operate yourself—putting you in complete control of your messaging and your brand.

KEY FEATURES INCLUDE:

» Complete track schedule, facility maps—find concession and merchandise stands and more, plus connection with track’s Facebook and Twitter feeds.
» RaceTrackAppTM represents new revenue opportunities through sponsorship and in-app add sales. The app is tied into Ticketmaster, so ticket sale opportunities are always at hand.

Our friends at Texas Motor Speedway have been utilizing RaceTrackApp for over a year now – pushing promotions via notifications, keeping fans updated, and providing useful content to their users. Look for RaceTrackApp coming soon to Charlotte, Atlanta, Infineon, and more.

Contact us for pricing by calling 317.731.6394 or click here to send us an email. Download our flyer by clicking here.

I’ll try to hit the high points, without this blog entry ending up as a lengthy how to guide or an advertisement for LinkedIn.

On LinkedIn, you are able to establish yourself and your business as professionals, by creating professional profiles of yourself and your company. Other LinkedIn users can view your profiles and learn more about you and your company. You are then able to connect with other professionals that you know. These connections are the most likely to become new business or recommend you to others. Most notably, you can reach out to others that aren’t in your immediate network – either through introductions (my recommendation), or through an email within LinkedIn (requires a paid upgrade).

Some other quick tips:

You can perform People Searches – This useful tool helps you find the right person at a company that you desire to contact as a business lead. You can see how you are connected to that person and then reach out to them as mentioned above.

Use Company Insider to see how your own professional network can get you connected to that company. Obviously, a great way to start up a relationship.

Have a look at the professional networks of others in your own network. This is a great way to see if there are useful connections in your expanded network.

Regardless of your industry, LinkedIn is an excellent business tool and available free. It’s easy to get started and easy to use. We’ve gotten business through LinkedIn. So can you.

We brought experience and confidence to this business. But we also brought hope and fear, which are infinitely more valuable.

We wanted to change the way people view sports management and consulting.

We wanted to restore integrity. Breed trust. Foster creativity. Deliver value. Time and time again – for every client.

We think we delivered on this promise of change. We’re proud of our first year.

Nothing ever was routine in the last 12 months, a perfect metaphor for this exciting business we love. Delight and despair dovetailed with happiness and heartbreak – sometimes in the same week.

We won the biggest race in the world with a friend, only to lose him less than five months later to a cruel reality that looms around the corner for so many other friends of ours. We helped a quiet team become mighty, only to see their dreams crushed by rules outside of their control and a season shattered by one point.

But we also helped our very first client realize her dreams. And we swelled with pride over the part we played in a young man landing his big chance to show his potential in 2012.

We understand that our best role is to be there for our clients. All the time. Big or small.

We listen. We learn. Clients’ goals become our shared passion. And then we help all of our clients turn those dreams into reality by taking a different, more creative view of the horizon.

Sometimes traditional practices need a jolt. Need some spice. Need to be turned inside-out. Other times they need just a tweak or some polish. We know the difference, and we make it work.

We are proud that we have grown enough to make a new home on Main Street in Speedway, Indiana. Proud that we have added both bright young talent and experience to our staff.

But we are most proud that we are making a difference. We’re bringing integrity, trust and value to deserving clients in numerous places. Places that other companies have neglected, forgotten or failed.

That will remain our passion.

Sam Schmidt Motorsports (SSM), one of the most-respected and well-known organizations in INDYCAR, announced today that it has retained Front Row Marketing Services (FRMS) to market and sell the team’s commercial rights.

FRMS, a subsidiary of the sports and entertainment firm Comcast-Spectacor,evaluates and develops incremental revenue streams for sport and entertainment properties internationally. The partnership with SSM marks the first racing team client for FRMS and extends its reach into motorsports.

“We are very pleased to begin working immediately with Front Row Marketing Services, a company that shares our vision to not only be the best brand in racing but also the best brand in the business of sports,” said SSM owner Sam Schmidt. “INDYCAR has made solid strides in the last few years, and we know that our brand is positioned to grow well beyond our past success. The assistance and expertise FRMS can provide us will be essential to make that next step.”

With five championships, SSM is the most successful team in INDYCAR Firestone Indy Lights history. SSM won the 2004 championship with Thiago Medeiros, the 2006 title with Jay Howard, the 2007 title with Alex Lloyd, the 2010 title with J.K. Vernay and the 2011 title with Josef Newgarden.

In 2011, SSM also returned to the IZOD IndyCar Series full time. It saw immediate success by winning the pole position for the 100^th Anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. Popular Frenchman Simon Pagenaud will drive the SSM car in the IZOD IndyCar Series in 2012.

“The success of SSM on the track is crystal-clear, with multiple Indy Lights championships, 46 victories and starting pole at the biggest global event in motorsports – the Indy 500,” said Chris Lencheski, president of Front Row Marketing Services. “Sam and his team are growing and have delivered to their corporate sponsors and partners by every measure. We are delighted to welcome them to Front Row Marketing and Front Row Analytics and are looking forward to helping expose them to an even wider circle of brand partners.”

With headquarters in Philadelphia, FRMS specializes in commercial rights sales with a focus on sponsorships, advertising and hospitality. Front Row Analytics, a division of FRMS, specializes in asset analysis and consulting. The company’s footprint in the racing industry includes completing consulting and sales of the title sponsorship of NASCAR’s 5-hour ENERGY® 500 at Pocono Raceway; sponsorship analysis of Pocono Raceway, Dover International Speedway, Nashville Superspeedway, Memphis International Raceway and Talladega Superspeedway; and sales at the New Jersey Motorsports Park.

FRMS also has experienced recent success after being involved in the sale of several naming rights partnerships, including XFINITY Live! Philadelphia and Investors Group Field in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

About Sam Schmidt Motorsports:

Sam Schmidt Motorsports (SSM) was established in 2001 and is owned by former driver Sam Schmidt, who was paralyzed (quad) in 2000 after an accident during testing at Walt Disney World Speedway in Orlando, Fla. As a car owner, Schmidt fields cars in the IZOD IndyCar Series, including the Indianapolis 500, and the Firestone Indy Lights championship. SSM is the most successful team in Firestone Indy Lights history with 46 race wins and five championships. In addition, SSM has qualified 12 cars in the Indianapolis 500 since 2001 and, in 2011, won the coveted Indy 500 pole.

About Front Row Marketing Services:

Front Row Marketing Services, a subsidiary of the sport and entertainment firm Comcast-Spectacor, is based in Philadelphia with 35 offices spread throughout North America and internationally.  FRMS generates incremental revenue for public assembly venues, sports team, colleges, media companies, branded entertainment, universities and municipalities through the research, marketing and sales of naming rights, advertising/sponsorships, product placement, exclusive product and vendor rights agreements, premium seating and hospitality features.

Comcast-Spectacor (comcast-spectacor.com) is the Philadelphia-based sports and entertainment company which owns the Philadelphia Flyers (NHL), the home arena for the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers, the Wells Fargo Center, and four Flyers Skate Zone community ice skating and hockey rinks. In addition, Comcast-Spectacor is also the principal owner of Global Spectrum, the fastest growing firm in the public assembly management field with more than 100 facilities throughout the United States and Canada; Ovations Food Services, a food and beverage service provider; New Era Tickets, a ticketing and marketing company for public assembly facilities; Front Row Marketing Services, a commercial rights sales company; FanOne, a digital fan marketing company; and Paciolan, the leading provider of venue enablement, ticketing, fundraising and marketing technology solutions.

INDIANAPOLIS, Monday, Jan. 16, 2012 – Talented international driver Katherine Legge, the first woman to win a major open-wheel race in North America, will compete in the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series for Dragon Racing.

Legge will drive the No. 6 entry for Dragon, with primary sponsorship from TrueCar.  Her teammate will be four-time Champ Car World Series champion Sebastien Bourdais.

Both Legge and Bourdais will compete with Lotus power, as Dragon Racing was named as a factory team for the iconic sports car manufacturer that is one of three engine suppliers this season in INDYCAR.

The 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series season starts Sunday, March 25 at St. Petersburg, Fla, with the 101^st Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 27 as the marquee event of the schedule.

“I am very proud to be driving in the 2012 IndyCar Series for Lotus Dragon Racing , with the gracious support of my sponsor TrueCar,” Legge said. “Lotus, Dragon and TrueCar have put together an amazing programme that I have every faith will succeed and win races.

“Lotus has such a great heritage and racing background and will be an enormous strength to our program.  I am very much looking forward to working with all of those involved, and I am excited to get out on track now alongside a fantastic teammate in Sebastien Bourdais.”

Legge is resuming her elite-level open-wheel racing career after three seasons as an Audi factory driver in the European-based DTM, the world’s top touring car series. She drove for Futurecom TME, Abt Lady Power and Team Rosberg during her three-year DTM career from 2008-10.

Legge, 31, achieved the greatest success of her career to date in North American open-wheel racing.

She won three races in the Toyota Atlantic Championship in 2005, becoming the first woman to win a major open-wheel race in North America.  Legge then became the first woman to compete full time in the Champ Car World Series, in 2006, and was the first woman to lead a lap in that series.

Before coming to America for the first time in 2004, Legge built an impressive portfolio of success in many ultra-competitive European open-wheel series.

She became the first woman to win a pole in a British Formula Ford Zetec event, in 2000.  She also earned pole position at Oulton Park in England during the 2002 Formula Renault season with a time quicker than the lap record set by eventual Formula One World Champion Kimi Raikkonen.

Those results helped her become the first woman to receive the prestigious British Racing Drivers’ Club “Rising Stars” honor in 2002.

Her successful 2005 season in Toyota Atlantic also led to a test late that year with the Minardi team in Formula One, the world’s most prestigious series.

Dragon Racing, owned by Jay Penske, is based in Los Angeles.  The team made its IZOD IndyCar Series debut in 2007 as Luczo Dragon Racing and guided Raphael Matos to Rookie of the Year honors in 2009.

“I am extremely excited and proud to partner with Lotus Cars and TrueCar,” Penske said. “The combination of having the technical support of Lotus as a factory team, the financial backing of a game-changing company TrueCar as a primary sponsor and the unquestionable driving skills of Sebastien and Katherine makes us a force to be reckoned with in 2012.”

GRand Solutions LLC, based in Indianapolis, is representing Legge during her debut IZOD IndyCar Series season.

About TrueCar

TrueCar, Inc. is an automotive solutions provider focused on changing how cars are sold by providing a significantly better customer experience while helping qualified dealer partners to gain incremental market share and reduce costs.  TrueCar is a visual publisher of new car transaction data.  TrueCar price reports help both dealers and consumers to agree on the parameters of a fair deal by providing an accurate, comprehensive and simple understanding of what others actually paid recently for a similar car both locally and nationally.  TrueCar works with a national network of dealers that provide up-front, no-haggle, competitive pricing to assist some of the nation’s largest and most well respected membership and service organizations to meet the auto buying needs of their members and customers.  Collectively these audiences represent over 1M in-market customers each month.  TrueCar is headquartered in Santa Monica, CA and has offices in San Francisco, CA and Austin, TX.  With 131 percent annual growth since 2006, TrueCar has helped dealers sell over 400,000 vehicles and is developing a suite of products and services centered on radical clarity as a result of comprehensively analyzing market data and information.

You can follow TrueCar on Twitter and become a fan of TrueCar on Facebook.

About Dragon Racing

Dragon Racing is an IndyCar Series team owned by Jay Penske, the Chairman and CEO of Penske Media Corporation (PMC). Dragon Racing began under the original banner of Luczo Dragon Racing founded by both Penske and Steve Luczo, the Chairman and CEO of Seagate Technologies. The team debuted in 2007 at the Indianapolis 500 with driver Ryan Briscoe and finished fifth. In 2009, during the team’s first complete season, it won Rookie of the Year honors with driver Raphael Matos. In 2012, Dragon Racing has forged an alliance with Lotus to become the Lotus Factory Team, along with lead strategic sponsors Microsoft, TrueCar, and McAfee.  Dragon Racing has two entries in the IZOD IndyCar Series for 2012: Katherine Legge, the first woman to win a major open-wheel race in North America, and four-time Champ Car Series champion Sebastien Bourdais.  Dragon Racing has operations in Indianapolis, Indiana and Los Angeles, California.  For more information on Dragon Racing or its drivers please contact press@dragonracing.com.

About Lotus

Group Lotus PLC, is based in Norfolk, UK, and has three operating divisions:

Lotus Cars, Lotus Engineering and Lotus Racing. Lotus Cars builds world class, high performance sports cars including the award-winning Evora, the iconic Elise and the stunning Exige and the road / track orientated 2-Eleven. Lotus New Era, the future product line-up, was unveiled in Paris on 30th September 2010 featuring the new Esprit, Elan, Elite, Elise and Eterne. Lotus Engineering provides comprehensive and versatile consultancy services to many of the world’s OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers and is an internationally recognised automotive engineering consultancy. Global facilities include those in the US, Malaysia, China and offices in Germany and Japan. Lotus is a global high-tech company, committed to driving forward technology for both Lotus Cars and its Engineering clients, spearheading research into such areas as hybrids, electric vehicles and renewable fuels. Lotus Racing (formerly Lotus Motorsport) operates the motorsports activities of Lotus and includes the strategy to return the Lotus name to a great number of series including endurance racing with GT2, GT4 and LMP2, single-seater racing with GP2, GP3 and IndyCar. Lotus also returned to F1 with Lotus Renault GP from the start of the 2011 F1 racing season onwards.

For more information about Group Lotus please contact:

PR Department, Group Lotus PLC, Potash Lane, Hethel, Norfolk, UK, NR14 8EZ

Tel: +44 (0)1953 608264 Email: pr@lotuscars.com

Contact: Ron Green, GRand Solutions, (317) 341-1820, ron@grand-solutions.net

From all of us at GRand Solutions, good luck James. We look forward to the ensuing fun that’s about to be unleashed on INDYCAR.

For more, read the USA Today article here.

INDIANAPOLIS (Dec. 12, 2011) – Veteran public relations executive Ron Green has joined GRand Solutions, an Indianapolis-based sports management and consulting company, in the role of vice president of communications, where he will oversee the company’s growing public relations efforts, as it enters its next phase of growth and expansion.

Green comes to GRand Solutions with more than 24 years of public relations, crisis communications and media relations experience in motorsports, state government and politics. He joins GRand Solutions after most recently working for True Speed Communication, a motorsports PR and marketing company owned by three-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart.

Prior to joining True Speed, Green spent 10 years with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation (IMSC), including seven as its director of public relations where he led the iconic facility’s media relations, online and public relations initiatives from 2002 to 2009. During that time, he developed the media and PR campaign for the track’s three-year Centennial Era celebration and the successful PR launch of its inaugural MotoGP event.

“As our business grew rapidly, and our clients’ communications needs increased, we immediately looked to Ron for guidance based on his extensive industry expertise and reputation for integrity,” said Gene Cottingham, who along with Ruthie Forbes founded GRand Solutions. “We feel very fortunate to be able to add him to the GRand team, as he shares our strategic vision and the ideals on which our company was founded.”

His first four years with IMSC saw him in the role of director of media relations for the Indy Racing League where he was responsible for building the start-up sanctioning body’s PR department. Prior to joining IMSC, Green was the director of public relations at Charlotte Motor Speedway during NASCAR’s explosive period in the late 1990s.

“I have had the pleasure of working with Ron while at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and in the early days of the Indy Racing League, and I have always been impressed with the professionalism, integrity and dedication he applies to every task, every client and every situation,” said Forbes. “We think he will be a key member of our team as we continue to grow, and we are thrilled to be able to offer our clients a communications and public relations solution worthy of being called GRand.”

As a 1987 graduate from Ball State University with a degree in journalism, Green began his career that same year as a staff reporter for National Speed Sport News. The Indianapolis resident was also an information specialist for the Indiana Department of Commerce (1988) and the Indiana General Assembly (1989-1992). He went on to work for USAC as a communications assistant from 1992 to 1994 before joining Indianapolis Raceway Park, home of the NHRA’s U.S. Nationals, in Clermont, Ind., as the facility’s PR director in 1995 where he coordinated USAC, NHRA and NASCAR-sanctioned events.

The native of Beech Grove, Ind. and his wife, Paige, have one daughter. He currently serves on the board of directors for the United States Auto Club Benevolent Fund, is a member of the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association and coordinates volunteer activities for the South Creek Elementary Dad’s Club in Indianapolis.

Firm to Augment Sanctioning Body’s Marketing, Public Relations Efforts

BRASELTON, Ga. (Dec. 8, 2011) – International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) executives announced today they have forged a strategic partnership with Indianapolis-based GRand Solutions, a sports management and consulting firm, in an effort to raise awareness and strengthen its three developmental series – the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda, the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama and the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin.

Founded in 1969, IMSA currently sanctions five popular road-racing series. The Cooper Tires Prototype Lites and two GT3 Cup Challenge series compete throughout North America and are designed to prepare drivers and teams for competition in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón – another IMSA-sanctioned championship.

GRand Solutions specializes in marketing, event management and communications. With its office in the shadows of Turn 1 at the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the company was co-founded by motorsports industry veterans Gene Cottingham and Ruthie Forbes.

“We are very excited about the opportunity to bring the collective resources and experience offered by GRand Solutions to the IMSA family of development series,” said Steven Sewell, IMSA Director of Development Series. “Our competitors, teams and corporate partners will not only have the benefit of enhanced visibility within the motorsport community and mainstream media, but they also will have access to a professional, full-service marketing, activation and public relations department dedicated to the specific needs of our constituents. This partnership is a significant step in recognizing the growth and expansion of all IMSA development series as well as ensuring greater public awareness and acknowledgement of the accomplishments achieved within each individual series.”

GRand Solutions will work closely with IMSA staff to create targeted marketing and activation programs, and public relations campaigns for the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda, the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama and the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin.

“We are thrilled to be able to offer comprehensive marketing and public relations solutions for IMSA and its developmental Series,” Forbes said. “We see amazing growth and potential for both series, their teams, drivers and partners. We also look forward to working not only with IMSA, but with its phenomenal partners that include Porsche, Yokohama, Cooper Tires, Michelin and Mazda – each having an outstanding motorsports reputation and résumé.”

The Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda and IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama will kick off their seasons at the 60th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring fueled by Fresh from Florida on March 14-17, 2012 at Sebring (Fla.) International Raceway.

Many of you requested a copy of our presentation. We are happy to include it in PDF form right here. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask! We are here to help you get the most out of your Social Media Marketing.

[CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PDF PRESENTATION]

QR Code for GRand Solutions

What is that funny looking bar code to the left of the screen? That is a QR (Quick Response) code. It is a type of matrix barcode that is increasing in popularity due to its easy readability by simple scanning equipment and its large storage capacity. A bit of trivia for you automotive fans – it was invented in 1994 by Toyota for use in the automobile manufacturing process.

Today, QR codes are popping up everywhere, mainly to encourage smartphone users to scan the code for more information. All manner of information can be embedded in this code – links to websites, phone numbers, email addresses, etc. Marketers are increasing their use of the QR code mainly as a way to encourage consumers to visit special websites for more information on a particular product or service. Their popularity can also be linked to the dramatic increase in smartphones in the past few years. Over 14 million smartphone users scanned QR codes in July 2011 alone.

GRand Solutions can help your business design creative and effective strategies that utilize QR codes to drive your target audience to your website, your mobile site, or anywhere else that fits with the marketing message. We can even provide you with the QR code itself. However, if you are already familiar with QR codes and you have a good idea of how you want to use them, then we suggest generating your own QR codes for free. Simply search for “QR Code Generator” on Google and you’ll find dozens of free QR code generators. Google has a particularly robust set of free QR tools to generate and appreciate that funny looking bar code.