Why I Love NASCAR: Twitter

Team Members of Revolution Racing Tweet Up prior to the Daytona 500.

The predominance of social media in our world was lost on me until recently. I was living in the cocoon of my home thinking I was “connected” by belonging to one social networking site for general purposes (Facebook) and one for my hobby (NASCAR). I was uninterested in Twitter, a site that connects you to millions but only if you adhere to their “140 characters or less” doctrine. As a writer I was put off by the maximum; a social networking site would not confine me when I had two others that fit the bill nicely and allowed me unlimited characters; although Facebook has stunted my status updates from time to time because I “exceeded the maximum amount of characters”. Whatever. But, in an effort to further my career, network with an ever-increasing bevy of NASCAR fans, and because I was curious, I joined Twitter a few months ago.

At first I was unimpressed with the lack of activity I experienced at Twitter. I would write my blogs at 4:30a EST, Tweet the links shortly thereafter, and stay off of Twitter for the rest of the day. Strangely, with my twenty “followers”, all of whom I knew from my other social networking sites, nothing budged in respect to my page views at my blogs. Surely Twitter was flawed! Not until I got serious about learning how to use Twitter as a tool, and started to pick the brains of hardcore Tweeters did I begin to see a true benefit in using Twitter.

Watching NASCAR races have become “being on Twitter while the race is on”. Learning NASCAR news is now “scanning Tweets for pertinent NASCAR information”. Story leads, article ideas, and contacts have all been made on Twitter. Now, my passion and pleasure for NASCAR is connected wholly with that of Twitter. From real time calls from the race, to camaraderie while watching, Twitter has enhanced my social NASCAR community. I’m still a relative novice at Twitter. My followers are a loyal, revered, and much appreciated lot, but are only the stepping stones to a vast NASCAR community that is waiting to be discovered by me.

If you care to be a part of the Social Media here and now, get yourself on Twitter. Not sure how to go about it? Simply choose a handle (akin to the days of CB operating), and start tweeting. A community will find you. Follow those you enjoy. Everyone here at Skirts and Scuffs is on Twitter including @SkirtsandScuffs. Follow the site for all late-breaking news, tidbits of information, interesting posts, and links to our articles. And, hey, follow me @Chief187s (include the final “s”) and we’ll have a blast! There is a fascinating, fast-paced, fuel injected, gripping NASCAR world out there just waiting for you to explore. Twitter is just another in a long line of reasons of why I love NASCAR.

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com