How this came about
You know when you say: “If I was blah blah blah, I would… “
In the past there have been weekly summations on the website. They were well written, and people generally looked for them.
Truth is, they were a LOT of work to put together.
Well, if I was remaking the website, I would post videos instead. (See how this ties to the first sentence!)
Doug wants to have more interaction and was talking about a weekly podcast/blog.
He thought that he would be able to express thoughts, talk about the race and the winner. Give a preview of the next week and relay any pressing news that people may have missed.
I happen to know a guy (my twin) who has an incredibly successful podcast and let me tell from an insider – it is a ton of work.
Shameless Plug: Beekeepers Corner Podcast
You have to have software, record it, edit it, post it, get the meta data and respond to people and such.
Nope, not the type of thing that is going to work. Nothing against Doug, but his lack of computer savvy is legendary.
Settling on YouTube
Fast forward to the title idea. I discussed the idea of doing it simply with a cell phone and posting the video to YouTube.
We talked about it some and then shot that 2-minute video to see what it would take to set this in motion. I have been working on updates tonight and to my surprise, the thing had 100 views in 2 hours of release. I’d say that was a win.
What is it going to look like?
The goal of all of this is information and some entertainment. To that end, we are going to break this out into two sections. How to’s and Weekly Recaps.
Some of the how to’s on the agenda:
- How to register your Xcel and where to find all the ID Numbers
- How to square and measure out the car. Basic ride heights
- This one is going to coincide with a page on the topic that will remain for new teams to get a base setup and answers to basic questions like: what do I do if the car is loose?
- Tips for trailering
- Say it with me: Main-ten-ance
- Oil Changes
- Cleaning the air filters
- Washing the car and how to protect the electronics
- Checking suspension areas, especially the birdcages for loose components
- Winter storage tips
- How to register when you get to the various track – Tour vs. weekly
- Tips on beating out a body panel
- Safety around your pit and in your race car garage
- How to feel the car driving and what to do about it
- Sponsors and how to approach them
- More and more ideas including the ones that you tell us
Some of the weekly recaps on the agenda:
- Who won and how they accomplished it
- The good, the bad and the ugly of this week
- Points standings
- Xcel Drivers News
- Introduce new teams
- Who had a wedding, birth or celebration
- Who did we say goodbye to
- Highlights of our drivers’ accomplishments
- In other classes and personal life like graduations and such
- Poker series and Redraw Challenge news
- Sponsor recognition
- Rules infractions and penalties
- What we ate at the track and on the way home
- When did we get home this week
- What can we shameless plug you to purchase this week
- Who is expected to be where for you to buy parts if needed
- Where are we next week and any meetings or such to relay
- Any special payouts for the coming race and the sponsors who are paying for them
If you want to get a feel for the style of this, our inspiration is Neil from Messick’s Equipment.
He has over 100k followers and does a great job from a to z explaining all facets of buying, owning and using a tractor. One guy walking around giving information and building his brand.
