Yep, last night’s Discover BCS National Championship Game ended up being a route. But the buildup to the game (for weeks and up until kickoff) certainly was intense and enjoyable – especially in the world of social media.

The one common thread that echoed from fans across Twitter, Facebook and YouTube throughout the period clearly was “passion.”

As fans bellowed with their “Roll Tide” vs. “Go Irish” banter, I found myself genuinely appreciating the spirit of the respective fan bases.

Most impactful for me was the YouTube video posted by Daniel Buckhannan, of Birmingham, Alabama, which featured a surprise Christmas gift of BCS Championship Game tickets for his father, Don Buckhannan.

Apparently it was equally impactful for others.

The YouTube video has garnered more than nine million views to date, and generated feature stories for the father-son duo all across the nation, and internationally – including spots on NBC’s Today Show, and even during the event’s pre-game show on ESPN.

And you know what? We have that very same spirit and passion among our fan base here at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Case in point, during last night’s pre-game when the Buckhannans were featured on College GameDay, I received this tweet from @Volfan199, officially known as Harrison Orr from Franklin, North Carolina, and is a loyal @BMSupdates follower:

“That clip of the old man going crazy over Nat'l Championship tickets is like when @BMSupdates mails me my tickets each year #NASCAR #iBelong”

That put an instant smile on my face and made me, once again, appreciate the passion of our Bristol NASCAR fans.

We cannot wait to see you on St. Patrick’s Day weekend for the Food City 500 and in August at the IRWIN Tools Night Race. If you need tickets or have any questions, don’t hesitate to give us a toll-free call at 1.866.415.4158.

Ben Trout
ben@bristolmotorspeedway.com
@BenLTrout