Challenge

Richmond Raceway, also knowns as “America’s premier short track,” has been hosting NASCAR events since 1946, bringing thousands of fans to Richmond each year. Richmond Raceway began looking for a potential sponsor for the military appreciation program they looked to offer for both of their annual NASCAR races.

Dominion Energy continually looks for ways to increase their sports sponsorship portfolio and more importantly, for ways to help our nation’s active duty military, veterans and their families. With their Military appreciation sponsorship proposal, NASCAR presented a unique opportunity for the Richmond-based utility company to provide a service for a new group of local military-affiliated families.  

In order to best display their dedication to the military, Dominion Energy sought the guidance of Wilkinson Sports Advisory to best structure the sponsorship agreement and activate that sponsorship during each NASCAR event.

Solution

Dominion Energy worked with WSA to navigate the options included in the sponsorship proposal provided by Richmond Raceway. WSA advised Dominion Energy on the terms to include and omit from the agreement in order to create the most effective program for veterans. The finalized agreement included elements such as signage, staffing, catering, hospitality and ticket offers for any NASCAR races held in Richmond.

For both the spring and fall races, WSA is responsible for the race day planning process to ensure the most engaging and worth-while event for the military guests in attendance. WSA creates and maintains a work plan, attends meetings with the Richmond Raceway staff, consults on catering and floor plans and hires and manages the third-party vendor, Magic Special Events, to bring in additional entertainment elements. WSA evaluates each event and works to make changes to upcoming races based on observations in an attempt to enhance the hospitality

Result

Dominion Energy strives to support military members and their families and partnered with Richmond Raceway and WSA to provide worthwhile experiences for those looking to enjoy NASCAR in Richmond, VA. With the help of Wilkinson Sports Advisory, Dominion Energy has successfully activated their sponsorship at two NASCAR races in Richmond Virginia, with additional races planned in the coming year.

Thanks to this sponsorship, than 2,000 military members and their families are able to enjoy the Toyota Owners 400 and the Federated Auto Parts 250 with additional hospitality provided by Dominion Energy. Guests were welcomed to an air-conditioned experience that included free food from Mission Barbecue, elements such as an arcade, bowling and corn hole and guest appearances by drivers and team owners. In addition, Dominion Energy employees are now able to enjoy NASCAR due to discounted rates negotiated by WSA.  

Following the resounding success of the Dominion Energy Charity Military Appreciation sponsorship at Richmond Raceway, Dominion Energy sought to expand its support for military families in the sports arena. In 2019, Dominion Energy extended its partnership with Wilkinson Sports Advisory to implement a similar Military Appreciation Porgram at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina. As the home of the Bojangles’ Southern 500, Darlington Raceway presented an ideal opportunity to continue honoring and supporting military members and their families within Dominion Energy’s newly-expanded service territory. WSA once again played a pivotal role in designing and executing the veterans’ hospitality venue, distributing tickets to local military bases, creating custom merchandise and participating in a local parade during race week.