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Discover the New Frontier of Fan Engagement with NASCAR & Twin Spires

How to convert fan passion into long-term customer loyalty using new loyalty models that go beyond the transaction

Fan engagement is one of the hottest topics in our industry — and for good reason. Sports and entertainment brands have an asset most retailers would envy: a deeply passionate, emotionally invested customer base.

The question is how to convert that passion into lasting loyalty that goes well beyond the event itself.

In today’s webinar, we have two well-known brands – NASCAR and Twin Spires – that have been leading the way on this challenge.

NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) is the premier American motorsports sanctioning body. Founded in 1948 and based in Daytona Beach, Florida, it is an iconic spectator sport sanctioning over 1,500 races at 100+ tracks internationally. NASCAR races attract well over 2.5 million in-person spectators annually and the 2025 season averaged 2.45 million television viewers per Cup Series race. Through its Fan Rewards program, NASCAR has built a loyalty model tailored to the unique rhythms of motorsport fandom.

Twin Spires – the flagship digital brand of Churchill Downs – is a market leader in online horse racing wagering, providing access to live, local, and international Thoroughbred, Quarter Horse, and harness races. The Kentucky Derby consistently draws over 150,000 in-person spectators to Churchill Downs, while television viewership for the race on NBC and Peacock frequently exceeds 15 million viewers. Twin Spires has developed a retention and engagement approach for a high-frequency, highly competitive market.

We are fortunate to have a panel composed of Donald Baal – Managing Director, Product Marketing, NASCAR, Darin Zoccali – Director of Loyalty & Retention, Twin Spires / Churchill Downs, and Dena Escobedo, SVP Customer Success at Capillary Technologies to talk through how each brand created its approach to customer loyalty, what’s working, and what it takes to power modern fan loyalty at scale.

This webinar shares the knowledge of experienced marketers from the world of sports and entertainment that is essential to building large, loyal fan bases. It will also inspire you with strategy and tactics that marketers in any sector of the loyalty industry can apply to their own business.

Time Stamps for the Time Starved

  • 2:39 – Twin Spires / Churchill Downs / TSC Rewards
  • 6:02 – NASCAR Fan Rewards
  • 9:32 – Background on Darin Zoccali and Donald Baal
  • 10:59 – Dena Escobedo and Capillary Technologies
  • 13:28 – Defining Fan Loyalty
  • 16:42 – Capturing Fan Energy for Business Results
  • 20:22 – Communications & Event Marketing
  • 23:45 – Technology-Enabled Fan Loyalty
  • 25:22 – Maintaining Engagement in a Seasonal Business
  • 30:57 – Customer Experience & Event Marketing
  • 34:58 – Live Events as an Acquisition Medium
  • 44:32 – Measuring the Impact of Fan Loyalty
  • 46:22 – Horse Racing Insights
  • 49:17 – Data, Measurement, Technology
  • 51:32 – The Next Evolution of Fan Loyalty
  • 56:42 – Q&A
  • 1:01:02 – Thanks to All