What a Baseball Team in Yellow Tuxedos Can Teach Us About Creating Unforgettable Motorsports Events
This is one of those books I finished and immediately started texting to track owners. Fans First doesn’t read like a textbook — it reads like a challenge. It forces you to rethink what fans really want, why they show up, and what keeps them coming back. And while it’s about baseball on the surface, the lessons land squarely in the heart of live event promotion — especially motorsports.
Jesse Cole didn’t write this book for our industry. But I’d argue we might need it more than most.
I’m not a race promoter. But I’ve worked with enough of them — at dirt tracks, drag strips, oval tracks, touring series — to know just how heavy the load is. Between weather, car count, insurance, staffing, sponsor expectations, and everything in between, the “fan experience” often ends up last on the list. Not because promoters don’t care — but because it feels like there’s no time, no money, and no margin for error.
Fans First flips that script. It makes the case — convincingly — that investing in the fan experience isn’t a luxury. It’s the whole game. It’s the reason people show up. It’s the difference between someone becoming a lifelong supporter or never coming back.
The Savannah Bananas: A Case Study in Doing Everything Different
Let’s set the scene: Cole inherits a failing collegiate summer baseball team in Savannah, Georgia. No fans. No buzz. No real hope of survival.
But instead of trying to win with better stats or cheaper tickets, he asks a radical question: What if we built the most fun, most joyful, most fan-obsessed team in the world — even if we were terrible at baseball?
So that’s what he did.
- Players danced between innings.
- The umpires became performers.
- A senior citizen dance team (“The Banana Nanas”) became a staple.
- Every ticket included all-you-can-eat concessions.
- Every game sold out.
They didn’t get there with marketing tricks. They got there with intention, imagination, and a relentless commitment to making fans feel something.
The result? A waitlist in the thousands. A national tour. Viral TikToks. ESPN features. A brand fans tattoo on their bodies. All from a summer league baseball team that started in the red.
So, What’s Fans First Actually About?
The book lays out five core principles behind the Bananas’ success — each one packed with stories, examples, and big swings that either worked wildly… or failed hilariously. Either way, Cole shares everything.
Here’s the framework:
1. Eliminate Friction
2. Entertain Always
3. Experiment Constantly
4. Engage Deeply
5. Empower Action
He applies these principles relentlessly — and the results speak for themselves.
Where This Hits for Motorsports
I’ve worked around this sport for a long time. There’s no question that the passion runs deep — for the cars, the competition, the culture. But what often gets missed is the intentional design of the fan experience.
We’ve all been guilty of treating the racing as “enough.” But we’re competing with Netflix. With air conditioning. With Friday night football and Little League and YouTube. If a family takes a gamble on your track and ends up confused, bored, or uncomfortable — they’re gone.
The racing might be the hook, but the experience is what creates fans.
And the good news? The playbook is right here.
12 Practical Takeaways for Motorsports Promoters & Partners
1. You’re Not in the Racing Business. You’re in the Memory Business.
2. Turn Spectators into Participants
3. Eliminate Pain Points
4. Fill the Gaps with Entertainment
5. Celebrate First-Time Fans
6. Design Your Brand Like It’s a Character
7. Make Your Event Worth Posting
8. Ask Your Team to Contribute Ideas
9. Create a Culture of Care
10. Make the Offseason Just as Engaging
11. Invest in Showmanship
12. Make Fans Feel Like It’s Theirs
Favorite Quotes from the Book
“Whatever’s normal, do the exact opposite.” – That alone could fuel your whole next season.
“We don’t have fans. We have family.” – That’s the level of connection we’re after.
“Nothing matters more than how you make people feel.” – Racing gets them in the door. Feeling is what brings them back.
Why I’m Recommending Fans First
This isn’t a book you read and shelve. It’s a book you finish and immediately start sending to people. That’s what I did.
Not because it has all the answers. But because it asks better questions.
And in motorsports — where the margin between good and great is razor-thin — better questions are how we get better outcomes. If we want this sport to grow, we have to create experiences that fans talk about. Fans First is a blueprint for doing just that.
