ESPN Wide World of Sports Articles

12/11/2015
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Buildingacomplexsportinglegacy
ByChrisSylt
Reporter
1March2012 Business
ThistimenextyeartheLondonOlympicGameswillbeadistantmemoryandtheprocess
ofcountingthecostwillbewellunderway.
Likethosebeforethem,organisershavefacedthequestionofwhattodowiththefacilitiesbuilt
tohousetheGames,which,inLondon'scaseincludesabasketballarena,avelodromeand
main80,000seatstadium.
TheOlympicParkLegacyCompanyhasappointedoperatorsfortheAquaticsCentre,MultiUse
ArenaandArcelorMittalOrbit,meaningsixoutofeightpermanentOlympicvenuesnowhavea
future.
Theypromisetoofferemployment,training,affordabilityandsportingopportunities,andwiththe
promiseofswimming,forexample,atthesamepriceastheaveragelocalpool.
InthatrespecttheywillbelikeformerOlympicarenasinMunich(1972)andMontreal(1976),
citieswhichhaveseenGamesbuildingsbecomewellusedpublicbuildings.
http://www.bbc.com/news/business17113186
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ButwilltheseLondonvenuesmakeanykindofprofitpost2012?
Particularlyasthepromisedgrassrootssportinguptakethatwasinitiallypromisedisunlikely
nowtomaterialise.
AndisthefactthattheLondonvenueswillberunbydifferentoperatorspostGames(suchas
GreenwichLeisureLimitedoperatingtheAquaticsCentreandtheMultiUseArena,andBalfour
BeattyWorkPlacerunningtheArcelorMittalOrbitandmaintenanceoftheQueenElizabeth
OlympicPark)thebestwayforward?
Thesearequestionsthatarelikelytofacetheorganisersofmajorsportingeventsforquitesome
yearstocome.
Governingbodies
OntheothersideoftheAtlanticthereisoneexampleofhowtousefacilitiestobuildgrassroots
interestinsportandalsomakeaprofit.
Moreover,itisasportingcomplexbuiltincollaborationwithmanysportsgoverningbodies,and
withallvenuesplacedcloselytogetherunderoneoverallmanagement.
JustafewmilesawayfromthethemeparksofDisneyWorldinOrlando,Florida,liestheWide
WorldofSports(WWS).
Its250acrescomprisefacilitiesforhostingmorethan70typesofsports.
There'san11,500seatbaseballpark,fourmultisportsfields,atrackandfieldcomplex,asix
fieldsoftballcomplex,10tenniscourtsandtwoindoorarenaswiththeflagshipableto
accommodate12volleyballcourts.
ThevenueisrunbyDisney'ssportsbrandESPNbuttherearenocuteandcuddlycharactersin
sight.
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Tourism
Whatmakesthecomplexdifferentisthatthevastmajorityoftheeventsstagedthereareyouth
andamateuroriented.
AndKenPotrock,WWSseniorvicepresidentsaysthereisnoreasonwhytheorganisersofthe
LondonOlympicscan'temulatethis.
HesaysitwouldbeeasyforanoperatortorepurposemanyoftheOlympicfacilitiesforuseby
amateurathletes,andtherewouldbetheaddedattractionofpreviouslybeingusedby
Olympians.
LondonitselfwouldalsobeadrawforyouthathletesjustasDisneyWorldisinOrlando.
"PeoplealloverEuropemightbeinterestedincompetingatbrandnewfacilitiesandLondonisa
substantialtouristdestinationinitsownright,"saysMrPotrock.
"Thatpotentiallybecomeswhatyouwouldcallacompetitiveadvantage."
Headdsthat"Londoncouldpositionitselfbysayingtoathletesyouwanttocomeherebecause
wehavegotallofthesegreatamenitiesandopportunities".
Nationalevents
Whenitwasfirstmootedasanideainthe1990stheFloridavenuewasmodelledona"fromthe
groundup"planwithyouthsportsinmind.
CrucialtothisstrategyhasbeentheAmateurAthleticUnion(AAU),thelargestamateursports
organisationintheUS.
TheAAUannounceditssupportoftheWideWorldofSportsseveralyearsbeforethecomplex
openedinMarch1997andevenrelocateditsheadquarterstoDisneyWorld.
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Itcommittedtostagingmorethan30nationaleventsannuallyatthevenueandithosts12
nationalbasketballeventsalonethereeachyearaswellasothersinbaseball,gymnastics,inline
hockey,track&fieldandwrestling.
ThetopmanagersandscoutsfromAmerica'sNationalBasketballAssociation(NBA)cometo
theAAUnationalchampionshipstodraftthebestcollegetalentbeforeeachseasonbegins.
Likewise,thewinnersoftheSoccerShowcase,thebiggestyouthfootballtournamentintheUS,
gettotrainwithChelseaFootballClubforaweek.
'Challenge'
And,whiletheyouthfocuscouldprovidethebiggestopportunity,itmightalsobethebiggest
hurdleforOlympichostvenuespostGames.
MrPotrocksaysisabigdifferencebetween"tryingtodothisafterthefact,asopposedto
planningwhentheyarecontemplatingtheirfacilitiesabouthowtobestusethemafterthe
OlympicGames."
Headds:"Iamnotsurewhatcountryhasquitecrackedit.Itisachallenge."
Inthisrespect,hefeels,WinterGames,whichareusuallymorecompactandwithlessstadiums
thantheirsummercounterparts,maybeatanadvantage.
Londonalsofacesachallengeinhavingitslocationsspreadsowidelyacrossthecity.
"Thatmakesitverydifficulttomanage,"hesays.
"Incontrastwehaveonevenuethathasdozensoffacilitieswithinit.
"Thereisonemanagementteamandonelabourforce.Thereisanefficiencytothat."
FranceandChina
OthervenuesmirrorsomeoftheWideWorldofSports'sellingpoints.
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Forexample,France'sInstitutNationalduFootballdeClairefontaineisoneoftheworld'stop
footballacademiesandalsohousesthecountry'snationalfootballteam.
However,itisn'topentothepublicsoitslegacyisrestrictedtotopflightfootballteams.
OthervenuessuchasMissionHillsShenzheninChinasharethescaleoftheWWS,andwith
itstwelvecoursesof18holesitisaccreditedastheworld'slargestgolffacility.
ItalsoincorporatesthelargesttenniscentreinAsiawith51courts,includinga3,000seat
stadiumcourt,andotherlavishfacilities.
However,itlacksthefocusongrassrootssports.
Followthestars
Manyyoungathleteswhocompetedatthecomplexwentontoreachthetopoftheirgames,
includingformerWimbledonchampionLleytonHewitt,China'sNBAstarYaoMing,andUS
soccerstarFreddieAdu.
ThelocationisalsooneofonlyahandfulofvenuesintheUStohavehostedpracticeeventsfor
teamsinthethreeprimaryAmericanprofessionalsportsleaguesandinFebruaryeveryyearthe
AtlantaBravesbaseballteamholdsitsspringtrainingthere.
PeteSamprasandSerenaWilliamshaveplayedonitstenniscourts,MarionJoneshastrained
onitstrackandtheBritishOlympicAssociationhasmadethetransatlanticjourneyforwarm
weathertrainingthere.
"Theideaofbeingabletoplayinthespikeorsneakermarksofprofessionalathletesisabig
dealforkids,"saysMrPotrock.
MrPotrocksaysthatthevenue'sOrlandolocationisitsbiggestcompetitiveadvantage.
"Itseemstoworkbecausewhatwehaveseenisthatinourrougheconomy,whereyouth
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athleteshavemanytournamentstogotobuttheirfamiliescan'taffordtotraveltothemall,we
typicallywin,"hesays.
"ThisisbecausetheycandoubledipandmakeavacationoutofittoobygoingtoDisney
World."
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Stadia & facilities
NO MICKEY MOUSE OPERATION

Could the ESPN Wide World
of Sports in Orlando teach
stakeholders in the 2012 London
Olympics how to fully maximise
the venues built for last summers
Games? Christian Sylt reports.
26 SportBusiness International No.188 04.13
LONDONS OLYMPIC PARK is a bit of a ghost

town than a theme park at the moment.
Some of the venues, such as the basketball
and water polo arenas, are in the process of
being dismantled and many of those that
remain, including the aquatics centre, are
under renovation.
The biggest hurdle with the 2012 legacy
process has been in the way the 430 million,
60,000-capacity centre-piece stadium, where
athletes like Mo Farah and Usain Bolt captivated
the world with their performances last summer,
will be operated long-term. Its future was
finally agreed last month when English Premier
League football club West Ham United agreed
a 99-year tenancy deal with the London Legacy
Development Corporation having been chosen
as the preferred bidder in 2011. The original deal
collapsed due to a legal dispute.
The stadium, however, is still not expected
to re-open before 2016 at the earliest - and
even then, the most the public will be doing is
watching football matches. Allowing the athletes

of tomorrow to train on the same hallowed
turf that their heroes competed could have
been a big legacy draw for London. However
as good as that sounds, it is somewhat of a
pipe dream because instead of opening up the
venues for public use, most have been sold off
to commercial operators to recoup some of the
8.9 billion cost of hosting the Olympics.
All of which has raised the question of
whether there could be a better way to keep up
momentum following the success of the Games.
A novel solution may come from the most
unlikely of locations: Disney World in Florida.
The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex,
located at Disney World, the most-attended
theme park complex worldwide with 47.4
million visitors in 2011, is no ordinary sports
venue. Its tall yellow towers and spotlessly-clean
sweeping archways resemble those found in
Mediterranean towns and give visitors a regal
feeling of arrival.
Stadia & facilities
FESTIVAL OF SPORT
UEFA, European footballs governing body, is
one sporting behemoth that will be utilising the
Olympic Park post-London 2012 Games with its
annual Champions Festival.
The free four-day football event will this
year take place in the International Quarter, an
entirely new commercial district in the shadow
of the Olympic Park and less than 10 minutes
away, from May 23-26, encompassing the
Champions League Final on May 25.
The International Quarter will become a
vibrant new commercial hub for London. We
are looking to attract early investment in the
form of exhibitions and events this year and
are delighted to work with organisations such
as UEFA to ensure benefits from these events

spread beyond their boundaries to communities
in the surrounding areas, says Mark Dickinson,
managing director of development at Lend Lease,
a development partner of the commercial district.
We are delighted that the UEFA Champions
Festival is returning to London and especially
that it will take place on the International
Quarter close to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park,
the scene of our biggest sporting moment,
says Boris Johnson, mayor of London.
It will provide a fantastic week-long family
event and will revive the spirit of community
and celebration that made last years Olympic
Games so special.
An aerial view of the facilities - ESPN World Wide of Sports
The same attention to detail is found

throughout the complex, which covers more than
270 acres. It has facilities for hosting 70 different
sports, including an 11,500-seater baseball park;
four multi-sports fields; a track-and-field complex;
a six-field softball complex; 10 tennis courts; and
two indoor arenas with the flagship big enough to
accommodate 12 volleyball courts.
The complex swung open its doors in 1997
and was the brainchild of ESPNs majority owner,
the Walt Disney Company, to drive guests to the
destination. If ever there was an example of the
power of sports to drive tourism then the Wide
World of Sports is it, and Ken Potrock, senior
vice-president of Disney Sports Enterprises
and Downtown Disney at Walt Disney Parks &
Resorts, told SportBusiness International that there
is no reason why Londons Olympic Park cant
emulate the Wide World of Sports.
Although the remaining venues have different
operators, crucially, they are all on one site and
could easily be re-purposed for use by amateur
athletes. The unique selling point would be that it

was previously home to Olympians.
There are several key determinants of what
makes us successful, says Potrock. Those
determinants would be similar strategically,
not in terms of execution, to what potentially
London could do with the facilities they built for
the Olympics.
The first is point of differentiation. What
makes the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex
different from facilities anywhere else in the
world is the diversity of facilities that we have
- from baseball, softball and soccer to race car
driving, golf, tennis, rugby and lacrosse. That is
really important because it allows our facility to
be busy nearly all-year-round.
To create a level of continuity for any facility,
which is important to making it operationally
efficient and viable, you need to have a diverse
number of sports.
The second determinant is that you look
very hard to have a competitive advantage. Why
is your destination and facility different to any

other facility? This is where I think there might
be some parallels to the London Games in that
our competitive advantage is we are located
at the number-one vacation destination in the
world, the Walt Disney World resort.
People want to come here anyway. We talk
about what we call the double dip, which is
that our athletes compete at a great facility for
their sport but they also get to experience Walt
Disney World.
Disney isnt renowned for its investments in
athletics, but the Wide World of Sports is at the
heart of the business model behind its colossal
vacation complex in Orlando. With more than
300,000 athletes competing there annually, it is
no Mickey Mouse operation.
Being able to play in the spike marks of
professional athletes is a big deal for kids,
says Potrock.
The custodians of Londons Olympic legacy
should take note.
SportBusiness International No.188 04.13 27
HOSPITALITY
www.instituteofhospitality.org
THE MAGAZINE FOR HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONALS
ISSUE 25 | SPRING 2012
How sport tourism works in the US

and what London can learn
The Institutes new

president
Read Sir David Michels insights
into management and leaderhip
BRICs and windows

Is the UK ready for a radical
change in global tourism?
Hospital catering:
the way forward
How to push food and nutrition
up the NHS agenda
FEATURE
Sporting
chance
By targeting families and using cross-marketing
and media technology to drive tourism, a sports
complex in Florida is turning a healthy profit.
Could this be the blueprint for Londons Olympic
venues? By Christian Sylt and Caroline Reid.
n striding through the giant gates at the entrance

of the Wide World of Sports in Orlando it soon
becomes apparent that this is no ordinary sports
complex. Its tall yellow towers and spotlessly-clean
sweeping archways resemble those found in
Mediterranean towns and give visitors a regal feeling of arrival.
Up close it can be seen that its wrought-iron railings form the
shapes of baseball bats and inside the ballpark clubhouse
even the light fixtures resemble ballplayers.
The same attention to detail is found throughout the
complex, no mean feat given its sprawling size. Its 250 acres
comprise facilities for hosting over 70 types of sports. Theres
an 11,500-seat baseball park, four multi-sports fields, a track
and field complex, a six-field softball complex, 10 tennis
courts and two indoor arenas with the flagship big enough to
accommodate 12 volleyball courts. The intricate touches give
the game away about its heritage.
It is run by ESPN, a sports broadcaster recently ranked by
Forbes magazine as the second most valuable brand in sport with
an estimated worth of US$11bn. The complex was the brainchild
of ESPNs majority owner, the Walt Disney Company and it was
designed by the same people who build Disneys cutting-edge
theme park rides. Perhaps surprisingly, its purpose was to drive
guests to nearby Disney World the worlds most-visited theme
park complex. If ever there was an example of the power of
sports to drive tourism then the Wide World of Sports is it.
Amateur
Disney isnt renowned for its investments in athletics but the
Wide World of Sports is at the heart of the business model
behind its colossal vacation complex in Orlando. With more
than 300,000 athletes competing there annually, this is no
Mickey Mouse investment.
There are no cute and cuddly characters in sight at the
venue and an even bigger surprise comes when the games
begin. What makes the Wide World of Sports truly unique is
that the vast majority of the events staged there are youth
18
HOSPITALITY ISSUE 25 | Spring 2012
Wide World of Sports in Orlando is run by sports broadcaster ESPN.
and amateur oriented. Crucial to this strategy has been the

Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), the largest amateur sports
organisation in the US.
The AAU announced its support of the Wide World of
Sports several years before the complex opened in March
1997 and even relocated its headquarters to Disney World.
It committed to staging more than 30 national events
annually at the venue and it hosts 12 national basketball
events alone there each year as well as others in baseball,
gymnastics, inline hockey, track & field and wrestling.
Talent scouts
The top managers and scouts from Americas National
Basketball Association (NBA) come to the AAU national
championships to recruit the best college talent before each
season begins and the same is true with other sports.
We have a number of football tournaments that bring
dozens of teams representing their countries here across a
variety of different age groups, says Ken Potrock, senior
vice-president of Disney Sports Enterprises. He adds that they
FEATURE
Marathon runners pass through

Disney Worlds theme parks.
London itself would

be a draw for youth athletes
just as Disney World is in
Orlando.
range from three on three football matches, with competitors

aged as young as five or six, to collegiate level football where
European players come here to compete in All Star competitions
to get recognised by US college coaches so they can get
scholarships to American universities.
Getting these extra guests to Disney World was one of
the key reasons for the creation of the Wide World of Sports.
Our research has indicated that 85% of the athletes that
come to compete would not have come here otherwise. It is
such a lovely complement to the Walt Disney World resort
because it brings an incremental visitor that wasnt necessarily
coming previously, says Potrock.
In between matches in a tournament, or after the games
have finished, the competitors tend to visit the nearby theme
parks so it is good synergy for Disneys business. Since the
athletes tend to be young, they inevitably come with their
families, which brings even more business Disneys way.
It creates bespoke packages for competitors so, for example,
they can get park tickets valid after 2pm which is useful if they
have been training in the morning.
Nearly 27,000 took part in the Disney

World Marathon in January 2012.
ISSUE 25 | Spring 2012 HOSPITALITY
19
FEATURE
Timing
Many of the big sports events
are cleverly timed to coincide
with the slowest times of the
year for Disneys parks. In
January, a marathon passes
through the theme parks and
in December Disneys Soccer
Showcase, the biggest youth football tournament in the US,
takes place. It features more than 500 teams from over 20
countries and in 2009 the under-16 boys division was won
by a team from Manchester.
The Wide World of Sports certainly has a prestigious
patronage and the list of young athletes who competed there
and went on to reach the top of their games reads like a rollcall of sports stars. They include former Wimbledon
champion Lleyton Hewitt and Chinas NBA star Yao Ming.
American soccer star Freddie Adu played in the Soccer
Showcase when he was just 12-years-old. However, aspiring
to these lofty heights is only one of the hooks which lure kids
to the complex.
The Wide World of Sports has hosted practice events for
teams in the three primary American professional sports
leagues and in February every year the Atlanta Braves Major
League Baseball team holds its spring training there. Pete
Sampras and Serena Williams have played on its tennis
courts, Marion Jones has trained on its track and the British
Olympic Association (BOA) has even made the transatlantic
journey for warm-weather training there. The idea of being
able to play in the spike or sneaker marks of professional
athletes is a big deal for kids, says Potrock.
Competitive advantage
Potrock says that the Orlando location is its biggest
competitive advantage. We think about what we call the
double dip which is that I am competing at a great facility for
my sport and I also get to experience Walt Disney World.
The competition is on the fields and the celebration is at
Disney World. It seems to work because what we have seen
is that in our rough economy, where youth athletes have
many tournaments to go to but their families cant afford to
travel to them all, we typically win. This is because they can
double dip and make a vacation out of it too by going to
Disney World. We never fall off that list. Potrock believes
that there is no reason why the organisers of the London
Olympics cant emulate this.
The complex uses 42

robotic HD-quality cameras
which are remotely controlled
from the broadcast centre.
20
HOSPITALITY ISSUE 25 | Spring 2012
Competitors can be as
young as five or six.
Although previous host cities have struggled to find a

commercial use for some of their venues, The Olympic Park
Legacy Company says that it intends all of its venues to
continue to be used for sport after the games have finished.
Operators have already been appointed for the acquatic
centre and the handball arena and the tenant of the main
stadium is due to be announced before the Games start. The
Olympic venues would be easy to repurpose for use by youth
teams, comments Potrock, and London itself would also be a
draw for youth athletes just as Disney World is in Orlando.
People all over Europe might be interested in competing
at brand new facilities and London is a substantial tourist
destination in its own right. That potentially becomes what
you would call a competitive advantage, says Potrock. He
adds that there might be football competitions happening
throughout the country or even throughout Europe but London
could position itself by saying to athletes: you want to come
here because we have got all of these great amenities and
opportunities.
The majority of events are youth
and amateur-oriented.
The softball pitches

are just a fraction of
the total facilties.
FEATURE
The entrance
to the Wide
World of Sports
complex.
Wide World of Sports:

Quick Facts
Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida, opened
in 1997. It is run by the sports broadcaster ESPN

and was designed and built by ESPNs majority
owner, Disney.
More than 300,000 athletes compete each

year, mostly in amateur and youth-oriented events.
Media exposure
The facilities in Orlando are only half of the story. ESPN got
involved to give kids even more reason to come. In February
2010 ESPN invested in 40 digital boards and Jumbotron
screens around the facility which show clips of action, narrated
by personalities from ESPNs programmes. Potrock explains
that his team, created this ESPN experience to make people
feel like when they compete here, they have made it to the
big time. Often, literally, they have made it on to ESPN and
what makes that so special to us is that no other sports
facility anywhere in the world can say that. In addition to
the authentic on-site experience, participants can end up on
television as action from the complex is streamed to a
dedicated channel in Disney's 27,000 hotel rooms nearby.
This alone is believed to reach up to 10m people annually.
The feed is put together by a team of around 40 staff in
the 2,500 square-feet broadcast centre onsite but they are
aided by a wealth of high-tech touches. Dotted around the
complex are 42 robotic HD-quality cameras which can be
remotely controlled from the broadcast centre. It eliminates
the need for multiple camera operators at each event, which
makes it very cost-efficient to produce shows there.
Potrock says he cant imagine a similar venue being built at
one of Disneys international parks in the near future but events
like the marathon, which dont require bespoke facilities, are
more likely. We would love to be able to explore an endurance
race at Disneyland Paris. We would love to explore one in
Japan and Hong Kong. I think those all make sense, he says.
The Soccer Showcase attracts 500 boy and girl teams.

In 2009 it was won by a team from Manchester.
Getting extra guests to visit Disney World was

one of the main reasons for creating Wide World
of Sports.
Many big sport events are held during Disney Worlds
low season (December-January).
The venue is expanding, with the addition of
six new sports fields and one of the largest
bowling alleys in the world.
Profitable
The Wide World of Sports complex is thought to have annual
revenues in the region of a couple of hundred million dollars
and its initial construction costs were around $120m making
it Disneys single biggest sports investment after its ownership
of ESPN itself. The facilitys revenue streams come from
event registration, gate sales, merchandise, food & beverage
and event and facility sponsorship. It makes a nice profit,
says Potrock.
Expansion onsite is either funded by Disney and cashflow,
sponsorship or third parties who then own the relevant facility
and pay rent. We are building six new fields for soccer, lacrosse,
field hockey, football and we are very comfortable that we
will fill that addition for much of the year, says Potrock.
He is also planning a 100-lane bowling alley which will
be one of the largest worldwide. The reason for its size is that
the United States Bowling Congress controls the two biggest
bowling tournaments in the world and the Wide World of
Sports is aiming to land them on a rotational basis for the
next 20 years. Potrock says that this will
attract around 85,000 spectators and
take five months to execute so, since
each participant attends with several
family members it will bring to central
Florida probably a quarter of a million
people that would most likely not have
come otherwise. Our challenge right now
is that we are successful. In many peak
times of the year we have more demand
than we have capacity.
Christian Sylt and Caroline Reid
are freelance journalists.
ISSUE 25 | Spring 2012 HOSPITALITY
21
12/11/2015
pitpassFindingtherightformula
Findingtherightformula
11/11/2011
NEWSSTORY
Scarcelyamonthgoesbywithouttalkofanewracebeingadded
toFormulaOne'scalendar.Inthepastyearalonewehaveheard
reportsofGrandsPrixbeingplannedinArgentina,France,Hong
Kong,Mexico,Poland,SouthAfrica,Thailandandevenmorein
Americawhichalreadyhastworacesduetojointhecalendar
overthenexttwoyears.In2014therewillbeaRussianGrand
PrixandbythenF1willhavetworacesmorethanthe
maximumnumberagreedbytheteamsintheConcorde
Agreement,thecontractgoverningthedistributionofthesport's
profits.Allittakesisforacoupleoftheplannedracestobe
signedandF1willhavetodropatotaloffourofthecurrent
GrandsPrix.Itcouldleavealotoftopcircuitsinneedofa
replacementforF1toengagefansandkeepthemonthe
motorsportradar.
ThecurrentConcordeexpiresattheendofnextyearandtheteamsarecurrently
renegotiatingtermswithF1'sbossBernieEcclestone.AsPitpasshasreported,thereare
clausesintheagreementfortheteamstoincreasethelimitbeyond20raceswhich
wouldsuitEcclestonedowntothegroundbecausemoreracesmeansmoreprofit.
AccordingtoF1'sindustrymonitorFormulaFormulaMoney,theaveragefeeforhostinga
GrandPrixcomesto18.7m($29.7m)sothereisalotatstake.Pitpass'businesseditor
ChristianSyltunderstandsthattheteamsmayconsiderincreasingthenumberofraces
beyondthislimitinreturnforthemgettingmorethantheircurrent50%shareofF1's
profits.Ecclestonesaysthatthisisnotanoptionsoitwouldseemthatthe20racelimit
willstickwhichbringsusbacktothequestionofwhatisthebestrouteforacircuitto
takeifitlosesahighprofileeventsuchasF1.Theymayneedtothinklaterally
AgoodexampletheycouldfollowcomesfromAmericawheretheRichardPettyDriving
Experience(RPDE)offersfanstheoptionofridingina600bhpNASCARstylestockcar
whichiseitherdrivenbythemoratrainerdriverwhilsttheysitinthepassengerseat.It
isnamedafterNASCARlegendRichardPettywhowonitschampionshipseventimesand
scoredarecord200racevictories.TheRPDEoperatesat22circuitsintheUSbutone
venueshowsthepotentialforbenefitbetterthananyoftheothers.
ThisvenueisintheunlikelylocationofWaltDisneyWorldinFloridawhereitsSpeedway
hostedthefirstroundoftheIndyRacingLeague(IRL)in1996.TheSpeedwayisowned
byDisneybutitsestimated3.8m($6m)constructioncostwasfundedbyIRL.Capacity
is50,000plushospitalitysuitesintheinfieldandforseveralyearsspectatorswatched
NASCAR'sCraftsmanTruckseriesracethereaswellasIRL.Thelastraceithostedwasin
2000whichiswhentheRPDEknockedontheirdoor.
"Disneywaslookingfortenantswhowouldbeattheracetrackalotmore,sowecame
in,"saysDaveWilliams,operationsmanagerfortheRPDEatDisneyWorld.Whilstarace
givesatemporaryboosttoacircuit'sexposure,aneventsuchastheRPDEbringsfansto
ityearround.
"TheRichardPettyDrivingExperiencestartedinCharlotteandtheyopenedapermanent
facilityinLasVegasattheendof1996sothedrivingexperiencewaslookingtoexpand,"
saysWilliams."WhatbetterplacetoexpandtothanWaltDisneyWorldwhereyouhave
peoplefromallovertheworldcomingeveryday."
http://www.pitpass.com/public/print_article.php?fes_art_id=45181
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12/11/2015
Headds,"I'vedrivenonabout20ofthetracksaroundthecountryinastockcarand[the
Speedway]isoneofthetopfivetracksforme.Itisatechnicaltrack,itisadrivers'track."
ThisisreflectedinthesuccessoftheRPDEatthecircuit.Acustomersurveygavethe
experiencehighmarks,andonethirdofthecustomerssaidthey'dcomebackforanother
driveinthenext12months."Wedoabout1012,000ridealongsatthistrackeach
year,"saysWilliamsandatanaveragecostofaround250($400)itgivestheRPDE
revenuesfromthatsinglecircuitofaround3.1m($5m).
Thecircuit'sbiggestcostisalowdoubledigitrevenuesharedealwithDisneyandWilliams
saysthat"afterthat[ourbiggestcostsare]labourandprobablyracingfuel.Wetake
about8,000gallonsatatimesothat'sabigcheque."Heexplainsthataround20people
workatthecircuiteverydayand12carsarekepttherewitharound100intotalrunby
theRPDE.
Overall,theRPDEhasover100,000customersannuallywhoeitherchoosethe'ride
along'experiencethreelapswithanexperienceddriverfor69($109)oroneofthe
drivingprograms,themostpopularofwhichisthe'rookieexperience,'witheightlaps
behindthewheelfor251($399).
WhenthecompanyfirststarteditboughtoldcarsfromNASCARbutasitgrewbiggerit
foundthatitwasmorebeneficialtobuilditsownvehicles."Firstofallwecanbuildthem
thewaywewantthem,"saysWilliamsexplainingthat"forexample,thewindowsyou
havetoclimbthroughareslightlybiggerbecausealldifferentbodysizesneedtogetin
andout.Wealsohavefibreglassbodiessotheylastlongerandlookbetterforlonger.If
youbuycarsfromdifferentraceteamstheywouldallhavedifferentpartsbutwhenwe
buildthemeverycarisexactlythesamewhichisalotmorecosteffectiveforus."RPDE
evenbuildsitsownengines."Wehaveafullblownshop,"addsWilliams.
Inadditiontoattractingthousandsoffans,theRPDEatDisneyWorldhasalsobeen
visitedbyalonglistofcelebritywannaberacingdriversincludingJohnTravolta,Leonardo
diCaprio,MichaelJFoxandSamanthaMumba.Youwillalsofindplentyofrealracers
there.ThecircuitwashometooneofUSdriverDanicaPatrick'sfirstNASCARtestsand,
closertohome,Williams'driverRubensBarrichelloisaDisneyWorldregular.However,
whenheracesthereitisn'tonfourwheels.
TheSpeedwayispartofagiantsportsfacility,knownastheWideWorldofSports,which
isamodelforfacilitiesofthefuture.
RunbysportsbroadcasterESPN,theWideWorldofSportsspans220acreswithstateof
theartfacilitiesforhostingaround40typesofsportsandaround180eventsannually.
Itscentrepiecevenuesareabaseballparkandanindoorfieldhousewhichhasfourfull
sizebasketballcourtsonitsgroundlevelandanothertwoonanupperlevel.
Complementingthesearefourbaseballdiamonds,fourmultisportsfields,atrackand
fieldcomplex,asixfieldsoftballcomplex,a10courttennisfacilityandfivefurthersports
fields.Anditdoesn'tstopthereastheworld'stwomostvisitedwaterparksarelocatedon
itsvastsite.
But,beyonditssheersize,perhapsthemostsurprisingaspectofthevenueisitsfocus.
ThevastmajorityoftheeventsstagedattheWideWorldofSportsareyouthand
amateurorientedwhichessentiallymakesitasportsthemedpark.InDecemberevery
yearthevenuehoststheSoccerShowcase,thebiggestyouthfootballtournamentinthe
US,whichissponsoredbyChelseaFootballClub.ThestarplayersgotoStamfordBridge,
allexpensespaid,andpracticeforaweekwithChelsea'sfirstteam.
Cleverly,theWideWorldofSportshasalsohostedpracticeeventsforteamsintheNFL,
NBAandMLBwiththeAtlantaBravesbaseballteamholdingitsspringtrainingtherein
Februaryeveryyear.Itiscleverbecauseitgivesyoungfanstheopportunitytoplayon
thesamegroundsastheirheroes.ThisevenappliestoF1fans.
"MyfirstvisittoDisneyWorldwasin1983withfriends,"saysBarrichello.Hewas11at
thetimebutaloveofDisney'sparksinOrlandohasstuckwithhimjustasmuchashis
2/3
12/11/2015
passionformotorracing."Ivisittwiceayearmoreorless,"addsthebeamingBrazilian
andheisproudofit.FromhisTwitterpageBarrichellolinkstophotosofhimandhis
familystandinginfrontofDisneyWorld'sfamousCinderellacastleandwithF1'slow
profileintheUSitisn'tlikelyhewillbepursuedbyfansthere.
"It'sverypeacefulandmykidsenjoyitsomuch,"hesaysandwhilstthethemeparksare
thebigdrawsforhistwosonsEduardoandFernando,DisneyWorldalsohastheadded
attractionforBarrichelloofhavingfivelushgolfcourses."Thegolfisalsogreat,"admits
BarrichellowhoisfriendswithlocalOrlandoresidentTigerWoods.Barrichello'sboast
aboutthequalityofDisney'sgolfcoursesisnoexaggerationsincearoundofthePGA
Tourhasbeenheldthereforthepast40years.
SportisneverfarfromBarrichello'smindonvacationandinJanuarylastyearhemixed
businesswithpleasurewhenheranahalfmarathonfromEpcot,Disney'sscience
themedpark,tothefairytaleinspiredMagicKingdom.ItwasalsoarrangedbytheWide
WorldofSportsandattracted17,143runners.Barrichellowasnotamongstthetop
finishersandthereisgoodreasonforthis.
"Ididitforpleasureandfitness,"saysBarrichelloadding"itwasmyfirstone."Despite
this,hestillfinishedin1671stplacebutwaspippedtothepostbyformerJaguardriver
LucianoBurtiwhowasranked1383rd.Theyhadanunexpectedfactorhampering
progressastheweatherinOrlandowasfarfromwhatwouldusuallybeexpectedofthe
'sunshinestate.'
Temperatureshoveredaroundzeroduringtheraceastherunnerswerepeltedwithsnow
andrain."ItwasreallycoldandIstartedtoofarbacksohadtoovertakealotofpeople,"
saysBarrichelloaddingthatdespitethis"therestwasgreatandIhadlotsoffun."It
didn'tputhimoffandheranagainthisyearfinishinginanimproved1,208thplace.
ThemarathoncomplementedBarrichello'susualtrainingregimenandheexplainsthat
"becauseofF1IhavetobewellpreparedbutIhadneverrunsuchalongdistance.Ihad
toaltermytrainingalittlebutattheenditwasgoodfunanditwasgoodforme."
WhilstF1driversaresupremelyfit,theirtrainingpreparesthemforadifferentkindof
exertiontomarathonrunners.AsidefromBarrichello,onlyahandfulofF1driversare
knownforincorporatingthiskindofendurancetrainingintotheirfitnessschedules.Two
famousexceptionsareJensonButton,whoisrenownedfortakingpartintriathlons
involvinga1.9kmswimfollowedbya90kmcycleride,andMarkWebberwhobrokehis
legin2008duringamountainbikecompetitioninAustralia.
ThisyeartheSpeedwayisallowingfanstodrivesupercars,includingtheFerrariF430and
theLamborghiniGallardo,aroundthetrack.Itcouldprovetobealltootemptingfor
Barrichellowhohassaidinthepast,tongueincheek,thatafterleavingF1youwillfind
himridinghisbelovedrollercoasters.F1circuitscoulddoalotworsethantakinghislead
byvisitingDisneyWorldandseeingthebenefittheRPDEhasbroughttothecircuitafter
IRL'sexit.AttherateF1wantstoexpand,thecircuitsarealotmorelikelythan
Barrichellotobeoutofajobsoon.
ArticlefromPitpass(http://www.pitpass.com):
Published:11/11/2011
CopyrightPitpass20022015.Allrightsreserved.
3/3
12/11/2015
RubensBarrichello'sbusman'sholiday|Formula1|F1features|ESPN.co.uk
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Comments:1
Barrichello'sbusman'sholiday
LATEST
ChristianSyltandCarolineReid
NEWS
August16,2011
MOSTVIEWED
FEATURES
RUGBY
ManyF1drivershavewellknowntrainingregimes.
JakeWhitecautiousovervacantEnglandcoachingjob
JakeWhitehasadmittedhewouldbeinterestedinthe
Englandcoachingrolebutinsistedhewouldnotbepartofa
scrambleforthejob.
JensonButtonfamouslyfrequentlytakespartin
triathlonswhichinvolve1.9kmswimfollowedbya
90kmcycleride.MarkWebberisrenownedforbeing
RUGBY
acyclingfanaticwhobrokehislegin2008duringa
ErnstJoubertcallstimeonSaracenscareer
SaracensbackrowforwardErnstJouberthasconfirmedthat
hewillretirefromrugbyattheendofthismonth.
mountainbikecompetitioninAustralia.Havingraced
inmoreGrandsPrixthananyotherdriverit'sno
surprisethatRubensBarrichello'strainingscheduleis
RUGBY
alittledifferenttothatofhiscolleagues.Hecanbe
foundinFlorida'sthemeparkspreparingforracingbut
theexerciseisfarfromMickeyMouse.
RubensBarrichellocombineshistrainingwithfamilyholidays
RubensBarrichello
Enlarge
Barrichelloisathemeparkfanaticandhasbeena
regularvisitortotheDisneyWorldcomplexinOrlando
forover25years.Hehasalreadybeenthereseveral
RELATEDLINKS
timesthisyearandflewfromOrlandotolastmonth's
Drivers:RubensBarrichello
BritishGrandPrix.
Teams:Williams
FromhisTwitterpageBarrichellohaslinkedtophotosofhimandhisfamilystandinginfrontoftheworld
famousCinderellacastleandthere'sgoodreasonthatheenjoysit.DespitethecastlesittinginsidetheMagic
RFU'sIanRitchie:Banonoverseasplayerstostay
Englandcouldseeafirstforeignheadcoachinstalledas
StuartLancaster'ssuccessorbutthecontentiousoverseas
playerselectionpolicyissettostay.
RUGBY
StormerscoachEddieJoneshasnointerestintaking
Englandjob
EddieJonessayshehasnotbeencontactedaboutthe
vacantEnglandcoachingjobandwouldnotwelcomean
approachbytheRugbyFootballUnion.
RUGBY
GloucestertargethistoryasEuropeanChallengeCup
kicksoff
TheEuropeanChallengeCupkicksoffonThursdaynightwith
lastyear'swinnersGloucesterlookingtobecomethefirst
sidetosuccessfullydefendtheircrown.
Kingdom,theworld'sbusiestthemeparkwithanestimated17mvisitorslastyear,Barrichellodoesn'tget
mobbedbyfansthereduetoF1'slowprofileintheUnitedStates."It'sverypeacefulandmykidsenjoyitso
much,"hesays.
SportisneverfarfromBarrichello'smind,evenwhenheisonholiday,butinJanuarylastyearhebegantomix
businesswithpleasurewhenheranahalfmarathonfromEpcot,Disney'ssciencethemedpark,totheMagic
Kingdom."Ididitforpleasureandfitness,"saysBarrichelloadding"itwasmyfirstone."Despitethis,hestill
finishedin1,671stplaceoutof17,143runnersbutwaspippedtothepostbyanotherfamousfacefromF1.
FormerJaguardriverLucianoBurtiranwithBarrichellobutwasranked1,383rd.Theyhadanunexpected
factorhamperingprogressastheweatherinOrlandowasfarfromwhatwouldusuallybeexpectedofthe
'sunshinestate.'Instead,temperatureshoveredaroundzeroduringtheraceastherunnerswerepeltedwith
snowandrain.Itdidn'tputBarrichellooffandheranagainthisyearfinishinginanimproved1,208thplace.
Itmightseemalongwayawayfromthecornersof
SpaorSilverstone,butthereismoreoverlapthanis
immediatelyapparent.Oneofthebestwaysfora
drivertoprepareforthedemandsofaGrandPrixis
throughintensivecardiovasculartrainingsuchas
distancerunningandswimmingandamarathon
runnerandF1driverrequiremanyofthesameskills.
ForcesgeneratedbycorneringinanF1carregularly
reach4Gfourtimestheforceofgravitywithsome
ofthemostextremecornersreaching5.5G.Inan
accidenttheforcescanbemanytimeshigher:Robert
Kubicafacedpeakforcesof75Gduringhiscrashat
the2008CanadianGrandPrix.Thisisoneofthe
mainreasonsthatdriversneedtobesupremelyfit
andstrong.
Whileanormalpersonhasarestingheartrateof
around60beatsperminute,risingtoaround150
duringarunonthetreadmill,topracingdrivers
typicallyhavearestingrateof40beatsperminute,
JensonButtonusestriathlonstomaintainfitnessGetty
risingtomorethan200duringaGrandPrix.Thisis
Images
approximatelythesamerateexperiencedbya
Enlarge
marathonrunnercrossingthefinishline.Inadditionto
this,throughtheirstricttrainingregimesdriversendupwithasimilarphysiquetolongdistancerunnersand
bothsetsofathletesmaintainabodyfatratioofaroundjust7%,comparedtoabout21%fortheaverage
http://en.espn.co.uk/f1/motorsport/story/56644.html
1/2
12/11/2015
RubensBarrichello'sbusman'sholiday|Formula1|F1features|ESPN.co.uk
man.
Thenthere'salsotheheattoconsider.Atthehottestraces,suchasMalaysia,temperaturesinthecockpitcan
reachalmost60degreesCelsiuswithhumidityofasmuchas80%.Thisputsavaststrainonthedriversand
theycansweatoffasmuchas3.5kgoftheirbodyweightduringarace.It'sforthisreasonthatdriversalso
drinklargeamountsofliquidonthegrid,eveniftheydon'tfeelthirsty.Evenaslightlossofbodyfluidcan
causelapsesinconcentration,whicharepotentiallyfatalat200mph,soit'svitalthatdriversgetusedtothese
extremeconditionsduringtraining.ThelevelofenduranceneededtocompleteaGrandPrixhasbeen
comparedtothatrequiredtorunamarathon,soit'snosurprisethatdriverssuchasBarrichelloturntorunning
forpractice.
Fitnessisthereforevitalformentalaswellasphysicalreasons.AccordingtoNickHarris,whoworkedwith
BarrichelloattheStewartteamandnowrunsHumanPerformanceEngineeringwhichisapartnerofTeam
Lotus,"themoreconditionedadriveris,thelongerhecanmaintainhisability.They'reamazinglygifted,but
thereismoretoit.Youcanbethebestfootballerintheworld,butifyouaren'tfitenough,inthelast20
minutesofthematchyouwillstarttomakelotsofmistakes.Youcanbeanamazingdriver,butover60lapsif
youcan'tmaintainthatabilityyouwon'tdoyourselfortheteamjustice.Whenadriverisconditionedhecan
maintainhisabilityforlonger.Ifadriverfeelstiredinthecarhewillbegintothinkofnegativethingsanda
lapseofconcentrationcanoccur."
ThemarathoncomplementedBarrichello'susual
trainingregimenandthedriverexplainsthat"because
ofF1IhavetobewellpreparedbutIhadneverrun
suchalongdistance.Ihadtoaltermytrainingalittle
butattheenditwasgoodfunanditwasgoodfor
me."
Thatwasn'ttheonlythingthatBarrichelloenjoyed
whilehewasinOrlando.Beinginthevacationcapital
oftheworldmeantthattherewereendless
opportunitiestorecuperateandBarrichello'sfavourite
Disneyattraction,Soarin',isaspeacefulasthey
come.Therideisasimulatedhanggliderrideover
RunningmarathonswillaidRubensBarrichello'sfitnessand
concentrationduringgrandsprixSuttonImages
Enlarge
someofAmerica'smostwellknownlandscapesand
landmarkswithasweepingorchestralscoreandsmellsofpineandorangepipedinasthegliderswoopsover
forestsandgroves.
DisneyhasbeenpioneeringattractionsinOrlandosincetheMagicKingdomopenedin1971ataceremony
attendedbycelebritiesincludingBobHope,JulieAndrewsandcoincidentallyBarrichello'sformerteamboss
SirJackieStewart.Howeveritcanbejustasmuchofafantasylandforadultsasitisforchildren.
"Thegolfisalsogreat,"saysBarrichelloandtestimonytothis,aroundofthePGATourhasbeenheldonone
ofDisney'sfivecoursesineachofthepast40years.There'salsoamotorracingconnection.Touristswho
wanttogetatasteofwhatitisliketodoBarrichello'sjobheadtotheRichardPettydrivingexperience.It
takesplaceonathesameonemiletriovalSpeedwaywhichheldthefirstraceofF1'sAmericanrivalIndyCar
in1996anditwasalsohometooneofUSdriverDanicaPatrick'sfirstNascarstockcartests.
TherearenoillusionshereandtheonlyreminderthatitisinDisneyWorldarethespiresofCinderella'scastle
whichriseinthedistance.ButforBarrichellothereisaserioussidetoeverything.Driversneedtokeeptraining
evenwhenawaysothattheydon'tlosetheircompetitiveedge.Abusyschedulemakesthisallthetrickierand
accordingtoNickHarris,drivers"runtheriskofhavingnotenoughtimeforafullsession,andifyoutraintoo
hardyouwillbetoosoreandtiredwhenyougettothetrack.Soifyoucansomehowachievethemaximum
goalsintheshortesttimeframe,thatisthebestsituationforthedriver.Sousingascientificframework,we
makesurewedon'tleavethattochance.Weneedtomaximiseadriver'stime."
Soalthoughit'snotquiteallworkandnoplay,anF1driver'slifeawayfromthetrackiscertainlynotjustone
bigholiday.
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3/3
interview
The Richard Petty Driving Experience is just

one of the successful business enterprises of
NASCAR legend Richard Petty
50
November/December 2009
Decembers Motor Sport Business Forum in Orlando may seem to be

taking place in an unusual location but in fact right on its doorstep is
one of the most unique circuits and sports venues in the world. It is little
surprise given that its stakeholders are the two of motorsports most
famous personalities and the biggest name in entertainment
Sporting drive
By Christian Sylt and Caroline Reid
www.thepaddockmagazine.com
51
interview
t is a glorious September morning in

Orlando and there is a commotion at
the Disney World Speedway, a one
mile tri-oval which usually hosts NASCAR track days. The King is coming and
it shows. Striding into the Speedway entrance, bearing his trademark Stetson and
grin revealing teeth which shine brighter
than the Florida sun, is Richard Petty, NASCARs most successful driver.
Petty is here to preside over the inaugural
Kings Cup a track day Experience with
a difference. His Richard Petty Driving
Experience (RPDE) which operates at 22
circuits around the US offers fans the option of riding with a trainer driver or taking to the wheel themselves and the Kings
Cup is one step between this and a race.
Around 40 motorsport fans paid between
$600 and $900 to race in a 600bhp NASCAR-style stock car in two timed events
with the driver scoring the highest cumulative score being handed the Kings Cup
by Petty himself. Fans came from as far
afield as Ireland and Australia for the event
and they got their moneys worth.
Indeed, so iconic is Petty that in May 2010

he will be inducted into NASCARs inaugural hall of fame alongside two of the sport's
late pioneers: Bill France, who founded
NASCAR and ruled from 1948-71; and Bill
France Jr, who took over from his father as
president from 1972-2003. The two other
inductees are the equally historic names of
seven-time champ Dale Earnhardt and Junior Johnson, who won 50 races as a driver
and six titles as a car owner.
When you get down to it Im 72 years old,
Im still going to all the races. How many
people are that lucky? says Petty adding
the good lord looked down and put me in
the right place, in the right circumstances
with the right people and Ive not done
anything its all the people around me that
made it work.
Off-track, Petty made motorsport business history in 1972, 14 years into his career, by securing NASCARs first national
sponsor the oil company STP which paid a
whopping $200,000 to sponsor his car an
incredible sum given than racing partner-
sponsors so now youve got to get five

guys before you can get your operation
going, says Petty. It used to be that
when the season started the car was purple and it would be purple all year long.
Now youve got 36 races and 36 different
colours. Thats what it takes for teams to
operate. I dont know if I ever see it going
back the other way, he adds.
Returns for sponsors are still on pole position. Pepsis Amp brand is a Hendrick
Motorsport sponsor and it says that as a
result of the deal five million consumers
have tried the drink who had never tried it
before with its exposure increasing from
50 percent to 70 percent. Significantly, it
adds that $750m of Amp branded merchandise was sold last year at NASCAR
tracks almost as much as F1s entire
revenue from race sanction fees and media rights. In total, NASCAR fans reportedly spend $2bn on NASCAR-branded
merchandise annually and are three times
more likely to buy products and services
connected to teams than non-fans. In contrast, F1 itself makes around 250 times
It used to be that when the season started

the car was purple and it would be purple all year long. Now youve
got 36 races and 36 different colours.
Participants got an engraved souvenir
and timesheet certificate with the winner, a devoted Petty fan called Paul Seaman who had raced at the RPDE around
50 times, getting a die-cast car signed by
Petty along with the eponymous Cup itself. Petty is as affable as they come and
in addition to his trophy presentation
duties he would stop and pose with fans
and sign incredibly ornate autographs for
them. There is an aura about him and its
not hard to see why.
During his 26-year racing career, Petty
won the NASCAR championship seven
times and scored a record 200 race victories. He has won the Daytona 500 a
record seven times and in the 1967 season alone won 27 races. You wont find
many other drivers who can hold a candle
to that. Likewise, his record of more than
125 pole positions and over 700 top-ten
finishes is unlikely to be matched by any
driver in NASCAR or similar top level
motorsport for a long time to come.
52
ships were still in their early days. STPs

red and blue colours still adorn the RPDE
cars but NASCARs finances have moved
a long way since Pettys early days.
Top sponsors such as Budweiser are paying around $20m per year moving down
to around $3m annually paid by insurance
firm Aflac which has its mascot goose emblazoned on the car of the Roush team. The
deals tend to be much more flexible than
those in F1 with two sponsors sometimes
sharing space on cars and jointly paying for
it. For example, Office Depot and Old Spice
sponsor the Stewart Haas team with Office
Depot appearing on the car at 60 percent
of races. Like Budweiser they pay a total
of $20m but they dwarf in comparison to
the Cup series title deal with telecoms firm
Sprint, a 10-year deal which began in 2004
and is believed to be worth $750m. However, this is not the norm any more.
We are getting more sponsors now but
they are $1m sponsors not $10m or $15m
less from merchandise annually.

NASCAR Inc is the sports sanctioning
body but Petty says that it will help the
teams secure deals if possible. NASCAR
has never been in a situation where it has
gone out and got a potential sponsor and
brought it to a team but if you call them up
they will try to give you an introduction,
he adds. It also helps in other ways but a
budget cap, as suggested in F1 by its governing body the FIA, is not one of them.
If we were spending all $10m and NASCAR came back and said we are going to
save you $1m, we would still spend $10m.
They try to keep a deal where we dont
have to wipe the cars out and start all over
again. With most of the rule changes they
gave us two years and said if youre going
to build cars build these new ones.
NASCAR Incs sister company is International Speedway Corporation (ISC) which
is floated on New Yorks NASDAQ and
controls 13 circuits. However, it is far from

the only entity to share in the series spoils.
Ticket money goes to the circuits and 65
percent of money from media rights is taken by the promoter with 10 percent going
to NASCAR and 25 percent being a prize
money fund.
Every cent counts since some tracks have
reportedly seen an attendance decline of
25 percent in 2009 and ISC is predicting
an eight percent dip in revenue in 2009
to $700m. It typically costs $0.5m to get
each team car to each of the 36 Cup races
and the annual budget for a top team is
around $30m. The high costs have forced
some teams to merge and Pettys own
outfit, Richard Petty Motorsports, has
done so twice, first with Gillett Evernham Motorsports and then, in November
this year, just 12 months after the previous tie-up, the team announced it would
merge again, this time with Yates Racing.
It is a formidable partnership since Yates
has 57 wins under its belt and nearly 50
poles as well as a Sprint Cup Championship in more than 20 years of racing.
He explains this point further by saying

that in previous years we had things so
easy but now we sit down and say this is
not in the bank so we are going to tighten
up our business and as things open up its
going to be a long time before we ever get
as loose playing as we did maybe two or
three years ago. He expects that his partners at Dodge will weather the storm.
Dodge can survive with one team. The
reason a lot of the companies are in it is not
that they are going to get more advertising out of it they just dont want somebody
else to get all of it.
Racing League (IRL) in 1996. It is owned

by Disney but its estimated $6m construction cost was funded by the IRL. Capacity is 50,000 plus hospitality sky suites in
the infield and for several years spectators
watched NASCARs Craftsman Truck
series race there as well as IRL. The last
race it hosted was in 2000 but the RPDE
makes an ideal-year round alternative tenant. Disney was looking for tenants who
would be at the race track a lot more, so
we came in, says Williams. The circuit is
extremely slick and probably the finest in
the US not to host a race.
But racing is just one element of the Petty

empire. The RPDE is becoming an equally public face as the team, particularly in
Orlando. Richard Petty Driving Experience is trying all kinds of different things
to entice some of the people who have
been here to come back and enjoy what
I enjoyed for 50 or 60 years, says Petty
adding being in Disney World you have
people coming from all over the world. It
made us feel good that we were getting our
name out there and it made me feel good
Ive driven on about 20 of the tracks

around the country in a stock car and it
is one of the top five tracks for me. It is a
technical track, it is a drivers track, adds
Williams. This is reflected in the success
of the RPDE at the circuit. A customer
survey gave the experience high marks,
and one-third of the customers said they'd
come back for another drive in the next
12 months. We do about 10-12,000 ride
alongs at this track each year, says Williams and at an average cost of around
Spanning 220 acres, the Wide World

of Sports has state-of-the-art facilities for hosting around 40 different
types of sports on one site and attracts around 180 events annually.
For the 2010 season, the new team will
field Kasey Kahne, A.J. Allmendinger,
Paul Menard and Elliott Sadler. The merger involves the team moving from using
Chrysler vehicles to instead running with
Ford from next year and it is a reunion of
sorts. In 1969 Petty raced with Ford and
won a total of nine races for the car manufacturers team before eventually losing
out on the title to David Pearson's Holman
Moody-prepped Ford Torino.
that people still recognise that Cup Racing

is a pretty big thing.
$400 it gives the RPDE revenues at that

single circuit of around $5m.
So successful was the first Kings Cup that

a second round will take place in Las Vegas on 3 December this year. It makes a
fantastic addition to the RPDE itself which
at Orlandos Disney World Speedway alone
has been taken up by stars such as Michael
Phelps, John Travolta, Leonardo di Caprio,
Michael J Fox and Samantha Mumba.
The circuits biggest cost is a low doubledigit revenue share deal with Disney and
Williams says that after that labour and
probably racing fuel. We take about 8,000
gallons at a time so thats a big cheque. He
explains that around 20 people work at the
circuit every day and 12 cars are kept there
with around 100 in total run by the RPDE.
If you had talked to me three years ago

Id say it will never happen but this is our
second merger, says Petty. He adds that
the older the companies are, the more
stable they are as far as racing is concerned. They were able to bite the bullet
and tighten up on some stuff and they
could sit it [the economic downturn] out.
What happens in the future is anybodys
guess but it will make the teams that do
survive that much stronger and the stronger the teams are the better the show we
are going to put on.
The Richard Petty Driving Experience

started in Charlotte and they opened a permanent facility in Las Vegas at the end of
1996 so the driving experience was looking to expand, says Dave Williams, operations manager for the RPDE at Disney
World. What better place to expand to
than Walt Disney World where you have
people from all over the world coming every day, he adds.
Overall, the RPDE had more than 100,000

customers last year who either chose the
ride along experience three laps with
an experienced driver for $109 or one
of the driving programs, the most popular
of which is the rookie experience, with
eight laps behind the wheel for $399.
The Speedway is a remarkable product

which hosted the first round of the Indy
When the company first started it bought

old cars from NASCAR but as it grew
bigger it found that it was more beneficial to build its own vehicles. First of all
we can build them the way we want
53
interview
them, says Williams explaining that for
example, the windows you have to climb
through are slightly bigger because all different body sizes need to get in and out.
We also have fibreglass bodies so they last
longer and look better longer. If you buy
cars from different race teams they would
all have different parts and pieces so when
we build them every car is exactly the same
which is a lot more cost effective for us.
RPDE even builds its own engines. We
have a full blown shop, adds Williams.
of the future and it is as cutting-edge as

they come.
Spanning 220 acres, the Wide World of
Sports has state-of-the-art facilities for
hosting around 40 different types of sports
on one site and attracts around 180 events
annually. Its centrepiece venues are a
7,500-seat retro-style baseball park and
the Milk House - a 5,500-seat indoor fieldhouse which has four full-size collegiate
basketball courts on its ground level and
the complex opened in March 1997 and

even relocated its headquarters to Disney
World. It committed to staging more than
30 national events annually at the venue
and hosts 12 national basketball events
alone there each year as well as others in
baseball, gymnastics, inline hockey, track
& field and wrestling.
The AAUs support has acted as a magnet
for collegiate events and three top college
leagues have also held conference cham-
The Wide World of Sports is the only

sports facility in the US to host training events for teams in the three
primary American professional sports leagues.
The best indication of its efforts is that
it is extremely rare that RPDE cars are
crashed. Company-wide last year we put
two million miles on our cars and you can
count the damaged cars on one hand, says
Williams adding that the reason for this
is the way we operate the programme
its a lead follow so anyone who pays to
drive the race car they follow an instructor and that takes a lot of the guess work
out of it. We also have limits depending
on which programme you purchase and
we have a certain target speed and a very
strict maintenance programme. The cars
are of very high quality and we have a
tyre person every day on track checking
the tyres throughout the day to make sure
they arent getting worn out. There are a
lot of things that put us on top of the list
when it comes to safety and quality. It is
no idle boast.
The Speedway was already on the podium
when it came to the RPDE and with the
new Kings Cup it is moving into top gear.
It is no surprise that the Disney World
Speedway is getting attention from the
RPDE. The millions of tourists visiting the
nearby theme parks annually make for an
ideal audience and it is particularly popular with dads who can race whilst mum
and the kids hit the parks. It is also soon
likely to get a boost from one of the biggest
names in sport: ESPN.
The Speedway is part of a giant sports facility, known as the Wide World of Sports,
which sits inside the 39 square miles of
Disney World. It is a model for facilities
54
another two on an upper level. Complementing these are the 20-acre Hess Fields
which include four baseball diamonds
and four multi-sports fields. In addition
there is a baseball quadraplex, track and
field complex, six-field softball complex,
10-court tennis facility and five further
sports fields. And it doesnt stop there.
Disney Sports & Recreation, which is responsible for the Wide World of Sports,
also runs the Walt Disney World bass fishing facilities, the worlds top two water
parks Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon and five championship golf courses
in addition to the Speedway.
Signed sporting memorabilia and pictures
of stars such as Tiger Woods standing
side-by-side with Mickey Mouse adorn
the office walls of the sprawling yellow
complex. Designed by David Schwarz,
architect of the Texas Rangers Ballpark
at Arlington, the Wide World of Sports
architecture resembles that found in
Mediterranean towns with tall towers and
sweeping archways.
But, beyond its sheer size, perhaps the most
surprising aspect of the venue is its focus.
The vast majority of the events staged at
the Wide World of Sports are youth and
amateur oriented. This is the backbone
of its business model and it makes it truly
unique. Crucial to this strategy has been the
Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), the largest
amateur sports organisation in the US.
The AAU announced its support of the
Wide World of Sports several years before
pionships at the Wide World of Sports.

This collection is crowned by the National
Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
which hosts its Leadership Conference
there every year. But its the venues connection to professional sports which brings
its biggest allure.
The top managers and scouts from the
National Basketball Association (NBA)
come to the AAU national championships
to draft the best college talent before each
season begins. Likewise, the Disney Soccer Showcase is the premium domestic
soccer tournament for recruitable age kids
and as Alex Vergara, Disneys sports marketing and technology director says, We
have 800 coaches that come here. A lot of
these athletes get scholarships on the spot
and we provide the coaches an opportunity to them all in one place.
Getting these extra guests to Disney World
was one of the key reasons for the creation
of the Wide World of Sports. The purpose
was to reach a market that at that point
in time the Disney brand was not reaching, says Vergara adding that it was really a brand extension to get incremental
guests to come to the resort that normally
wouldnt. He says that a good two-thirds
to three quarters of our athletes when they
are here will be going to the parks, and
this in itself benefits the Wide World of
Sports offering.
Once the games are over, as we like to say;
from the ballparks to the theme parks.
You can celebrate your athletic achievement, your championship by going to the
Wide World of Sports aerial - The Wide World of Sports has facilities suitable for a wide range of sports,
including motor racing at the Walt Disney World Speedway.
parks. It is a very integrated approach to
what we are doing, says Vergara and it
goes deeper than that.
By staying at our property and leveraging all that Disney has such as the dining
programme, the transportation and the hotel rooms so that they are close, it becomes
a seamless experience for the athletes,
adds Vergara. By doing that they can focus more on the competition and having a
good time while they are here and making
sure that that becomes an experience they
will remember forever. Disney even creates bespoke packages for competitors so
for example, they can get park tickets valid
after 2pm which is useful if they have been
training in the morning. The next step is
making the experience even more authentic. Enter ESPN.
In February 2010 the facility will be renamed the ESPN Wide World of Sports
and to create a compelling experience, the
company has 40 digital boards and Jumbotron screens around the property that will
show clips of action at the complex, narrated by ESPN on-air personalities. Visitors
also will be able to view game action at the
complex on a dedicated TV channel in any
one of Disney's 27,000 hotel rooms at the
nearby resort.
We want the athletes who come here to feel

like they have made it to the big time, says
Vergara adding there is going to be a lot
of ways that that brand is going to come to
life here with highlight packages and video
monitors. All these boards will be designed
with that ESPN look and you will be able to
see your highlights on those video boards
which give them a form of their own ESPN
experience. Other developments will include robotic cameras on 50 percent of the
fields which will film highlights packages
that are then given an ESPN look before being broadcast.
Vergtara says that there is even an ESPN
innovation lab - a group of ESPN folks
housed here trying to discover the next new
broadcast technology. They have this 220
acre stage and the athlete populations and
the event schedules to work with their engineering people and their broadcast technical people. ESPN is always thinking about
what is next so this innovation lab will be a
petri dish.
The rebranding is a multi-million dollar
project which has been underway for around
a year and a half. The construction started
this summer and we are doing it in stages
but by late January to early February everything will be complete, adds Vergara.
It should bring even more guests through

the gates at the Wide World of Sports and
even though it has only been open for 12
years, some of the young athletes who
have competed there have already gone on
to reach the top of world sport.
These include former Wimbledon tennis
champion Lleyton Hewitt and Chinas
NBA star Yao Ming who played one of
his first US events at the Wide World of
Sports with the AAU. His fellow players
Richard Jefferson, Amare Stoudamire
and Darius Miles all competed in AAU
basketball tournaments there too. Antonio Gates, now an all-pro tight end with
the San Diego Chargers, played for the
Michigan Mustangs at the Wide World
of Sports and American soccer star
Freddie Adu played in the venues annual soccer showcase when he was just
12-years-old. But aspiring to these lofty
heights is only half of the hook to lure
kids to the complex.
The Wide World of Sports is the only
sports facility in the US to host training
events for teams in the three primary
American professional sports leagues. The
Orlando Magic NBA team trains there, as
does the Atlanta Braves Major League
Baseball team.
55
interview
A list of the other professionals regularly
visiting the facility reads like a roll-call of
international sports. Team USA trained at
the Wide World of Sports when it was preparing for the Olympics basketball events.
Tiger Woods has hosted instruction sessions
there. The British Olympic Association
(BOA) has even made the trans-Atlantic
journey for warm-weather training at the
Wide World of Sports.
This professional endorsement allows
young runners to compete on the track
used for training by Marion Jones and
aspiring tennis players to use the same
courts that Pete Sampras and Serena Williams have played on. And the pros can
often be found strolling through the sparkling silver and black 3,000 square feet
weights room. They give great credibility
to the quality of the facilities.
events such as its annual marathon which

attracts around 20,000 competitors.
The event runs through all four theme parks
and is a particularly tough logistical operation since they are open 365 days a year. To
prevent the marathon disrupting the everyday park guests, over 200 extra buses are
laid on and the event starts at six oclock in
the morning so it finishes before the parks
open. Holding the event in the slower-period
of January also ensures that fewer guests are
inconvenienced whilst at the same time acts
as an attraction to bring in new visitors in
the form of participants and their families.
However, simply because the facility has the
might of Disney behind it, there are some elements which arent carried over. The Wide
World of Sports credibility depends on it
being a serious sports venue so there are no
highest row of seats is only 35 feet off the

ground allowing up close viewing of the
action. But the most pampered guests are
the participants.
Soaring stairways and ballroom-style
hallways wind through the Milk House
and surprisingly its even grander outside.
The complex is covered with 105 acres of
Tifway 419 Bermuda sports turf but this
isnt any old grass. With daily downpours
common in Orlandos clammy climate,
the turf has a one percent slope to enhance
drainage systems which can remove five to
seven inches of rainfall per hour. It even
has two data tracking weather stations
to provide up-to-the-minute information
about meteorological activity which could
affect play.
Inside is similarly state-of-the-art. The
Richard Petty Driving Experience is

trying all kinds of different things to entice some of the people who have
been here to come back and enjoy what I enjoyed for 50 or 60 years.
It also brings guests through the turnstiles
and, since opening, the Wide World of
Sports has welcomed nearly two million
participants with over 180 events in over 50
sports hosted annually.
The Wide World of Sports is thought to
have revenues in the region of a couple of
hundred million dollars and its initial construction costs were around $120m making
it Disneys single biggest sports investment
after its ownership of ESPN itself.
The facilitys revenue streams come from
event registration, gate sales, merchandise, food & beverage and event and facility sponsorship. Disneys ownership of
ESPN is a big boon for sponsors since, as
Vergara points out, we already have 15
to 20 broadcast events already on our calendar. We are actually the most televised
property at Walt Disney World between
our basketball tournaments, the Old Spice
classic and Braves spring training. Over
time that will continue to grow as we get
smarter about working together.
And Disney doesnt just create programming, facilities and rides. A significant portion of the Wide World of Sports calendar
is comprised of Disney owned and operated
56
Disney characters there and although its

staff are officially known as cast members like the rest of Disneys employees,
they are more likely to be described as
team members within the complex. Its
all part of making sure every amateur athlete feels like a pro which even extends to
every competitor at every event having
access to professional trainers.
Nevertheless, the Disney touches to the
complex are unmistakeable. On a macro
level, every event can have customised
merchandise and most have opening and
closing ceremonies co-ordinated by the
complexs entertainment team. But its
the attention to detail which impresses most. On close inspection even the
wrought-iron railings form the shapes
of baseball bats and balls and inside the
ballpark clubhouse even the light fixtures
resemble ballplayers.
The Disney brand for us stands for great
guest service, good experience, memories
and quality feel, says Vergara and the
Wide World of Sports is awash with impressive touches to comfortably accommodate spectators. Of the 7,500 seats in
the ballpark, 80 percent are between first
and third base and in the Milk House, the
Connor sports flooring in the Milk House

is made from two types of imported environmentally protected hardwood incorporating a shock absorption system and the
venue is cooled by two of the largest air
conditioning units in Disney World. There
is much more to come.
This is phase one of a longer term partnership with ESPN. The first phase is the
rebranding, says Vergara adding that
one market we are going to go into that
is going to be new for us is the convention
space with an ESPN themed party. So if
youre at a convention here or on a business meeting and you want to create some
form of function, party or dinner with an
ESPN theme we will work closely with
our partners to do that.
Kids will of course be the focus though
and future developments also include an
HD screen for spring training so that will
allow us to provide a show you might normally see at a major league baseball match,
adds Vergara. He sums up the purpose of
the Wide World of Sports neatly: we like
to say that kids walk in loving sports and we
want them to walk out knowing that sports
loves them back. In the hands of ESPN and
Disney, achieving this is childs play.

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12/11/2015

Stadia & facilities

NO MICKEY MOUSE OPERATION

26 SportBusiness International No.188 04.13

LONDONS OLYMPIC PARK is a bit of a ghost

watching football matches. Allowing the athletes

Stadia & facilities

as UEFA to ensure benefits from these events

An aerial view of the facilities - ESPN World Wide of Sports

The same attention to detail is found

athletes. The unique selling point would be that it

is your destination and facility different to any

THE MAGAZINE FOR HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONALS

ISSUE 25 | SPRING 2012

How sport tourism works in the US

The Institutes new

BRICs and windows

n striding through the giant gates at the entrance

HOSPITALITY ISSUE 25 | Spring 2012

Wide World of Sports in Orlando is run by sports broadcaster ESPN.

and amateur oriented. Crucial to this strategy has been the

Marathon runners pass through

London itself would

range from three on three football matches, with competitors

Nearly 27,000 took part in the Disney

ISSUE 25 | Spring 2012 HOSPITALITY

The complex uses 42

HOSPITALITY ISSUE 25 | Spring 2012

Although previous host cities have struggled to find a

The softball pitches

Wide World of Sports:

in 1997. It is run by the sports broadcaster ESPN

More than 300,000 athletes compete each

The Soccer Showcase attracts 500 boy and girl teams.

Getting extra guests to visit Disney World was

Many big sport events are held during Disney Worlds

low season (December-January).

The venue is expanding, with the addition of

six new sports fields and one of the largest

bowling alleys in the world.

ISSUE 25 | Spring 2012 HOSPITALITY

Stats & Records

The Richard Petty Driving Experience is just

Decembers Motor Sport Business Forum in Orlando may seem to be

t is a glorious September morning in

Indeed, so iconic is Petty that in May 2010

sponsors so now youve got to get five

It used to be that when the season started

ships were still in their early days. STPs

less from merchandise annually.

controls 13 circuits. However, it is far from

He explains this point further by saying

Racing League (IRL) in 1996. It is owned

But racing is just one element of the Petty

Ive driven on about 20 of the tracks

Spanning 220 acres, the Wide World

that people still recognise that Cup Racing

$400 it gives the RPDE revenues at that

So successful was the first Kings Cup that

If you had talked to me three years ago

The Richard Petty Driving Experience

Overall, the RPDE had more than 100,000

The Speedway is a remarkable product