NASCAR fans can earn points toward the purchase of official licensed merchandise with the new NASCAR RacePoints consumer rewards program, launched yesterday by Stoneacre Partners LLC, Charlotte, NC.
MBNA America Bank N.A. is the program's first partner, letting consumers earn one RacePoint for each dollar spent using the new MBNA NASCAR RacePoints Visa card. Stoneacre expects some of the other 200-plus official NASCAR sponsors, licensees and partners to begin offering consumers various point-earning opportunities soon.
Fans can sign up for the program at NASCAR.com and begin redeeming their points online May 31. This is also when an online catalog of RacePoints merchandise will launch, featuring about 60 rewards, all from official NASCAR licensees.
“It's common knowledge that NASCAR fans are some of the most loyal in all of sports, and this program is such a natural fit and hits the sweet spot with fans,” NASCAR.com vice president/general manager Scott Bailey said in a statement.
Rewards will be divided into four categories: collectibles and memorabilia, apparel, merchandise and access and experiences. In the last category, rewards will include the chance to ride in a pace car with a NASCAR legend or to become a crew chief for a day with a NASCAR team.
At its launch, the catalog will contain items that fans currently can buy elsewhere. As the program grows, Stoneacre aims to offer exclusive merchandise through the RacePoints program. Rewards will be redeemable for between 500 points and 100,000 points or more.
Anyone who signs up for the program will receive a welcome e-mail and a monthly update featuring new points-earning opportunities and new rewards in the catalog. Also, RacePoints partners can sponsor bimonthly e-mails.
Turner Sports Inc., which owns NASCAR.com, began its own NASCAR rewards program last year called Fan Miles. Turner will convert all existing participants from its program into the RacePoints program at the end of May.
Chantal Todé covers catalog and retail news and BTB marketing for DM News and DM News.com. To keep up with the latest developments in these areas, subscribe to our daily and weekly e-mail newsletters by visiting www.dmnews.com/newsletters
