When Patrick Dees said, “This will be the first of many live race experiences where fans get to call the shots…” before debuting the first ‘Fan Controlled’ car at Phoenix last year, many heads turned.

To ramp up excitement yet again, heading to Talladega this weekend, Fan Controlled Sports+Entertainment’s (FCSE) revolutionary initiative will return one more time. And so will professional sports’ new-age ‘Ted Lasso’. But more importantly, fans will now help mark the second of many such live race experiences where they get to change the outcomes of a decades-old script. In an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports, the man of the hour, Patrick Dees, revealed what went into creating this exciting opportunity!  

Creating new NASCAR traditions with Fan-Controlled Racing

Dees is what some may call a serial entrepreneur. The Co-Founder and Chief Gaming Officer of Fan Controlled Football League helped FCSE dip its toes in a truly immersive NASCAR experience at the Phoenix Xfinity Series championship race with SS-Green Light Racing and the #8 car, last year. Now, fans can watch their chosen driver at Talladega again, and the self-proclaimed ‘NASCAR neophyte’ has some enriching statements on exactly why he chose the wide-open excitement of stock car racing over the more popular grandstands of the NBA or the NFL.

Dees explained in an exclusive interview with Essentially Sports, “We were thinking about traditional big-audience, team sports, and when he had the opportunity to take a look at NASCAR and really understand: A) The passion that fans have for the sport. B) The opportunity, that there are strategic real-time decisions made, over the course of the race…”

And when the interviewer heartily compared the dynamic nature of Dees’ NASCAR venture with the fictional story of Ted Lasso, another relative outsider who proceeded to make a lasting mark in an unknown sport, the CEO seemed to agree. The vibrant startup magician justified these lighthearted claims when he said, “You know, naively. I knew that there was a crew chief, and the driver was making decisions….”

Furthermore, he also revealed how these minor strategy calls could generate even more immersive opportunities for diehard fans on race day. Dees told Essentially Sports, “This idea, that when to pit, that to go high line or line after a caution, or what type of spring tension. All of these highly technical votes that a crew chief is making in real-time. When we learned that stuff is happening in real-time, it became the perfect opportunity to bring this incredibly passionate fanbase even closer to the sport.” 

However, Patrick Dees’ newest NASCAR venture isn’t just rooted in innovation but also dedication. His dedication to NASCAR fans, who are much more than just mere spectators.

Leveraging fan experience to the fullest

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It’s no secret that the NASCAR fanbase is known for their loyalty and dedication, with some even following the sport for decades. With knowledge about the sport even rivaling industry insiders, it’s only fair the main stakeholders of the sport, the audiences, should get a piece of the pie too! 

Steadily, but barely slowly, the team behind FCSE is valiantly injecting a fresh dose of collaborative excitement into the 76-year-rich history of NASCAR’s festivities. As the co-founder explained: “That’s what we are setting out to do with Fan Controlled Racing. How do we have fans become the virtual crew chief? How do they strategically collaborate in real-time and make decisions and be part of a race both before it happens… But also, during the course of the race, they have the opportunity to watch the race unfold, and also this hyperfocus experience on one car, that they get to help shape its outcome.” 

In a sport where every stakeholder matters, FCSE’s initiative helps the most overlooked to get a new type of power. Fan Controlled Racing aims to uphold the fans in an evolving high-speed battleground for many years. “And once we realized we had the opportunity to have a real-time impact in that, it was a no-brainer to start looking at Fan Controlled Racing and NASCAR and find ways to bring these very, very passionate, incredibly knowledgeable fans of the sport and bring them closer and leverage that collective experience in NASCAR,” concluded Patrick Dees, exclusively to EssentiallySports.

Tune in on April 20 to witness “the future of Sports + Entertainment where fans call the shots!” Keep an eye out for the #14 car this time, because each of its laps will only signify the evolution of NASCAR’s newest innovation, with the fans, for the fans, and by the fans!