Bryan Herta Autosport and Barracuda Racing may not be IndyCar’s biggest team, but their fan outreach and engaging is hard to beat within the IndyCar paddock.
Team PR ace Monica Hilton (who speaks twice in the above video, in front of the team garage) joined the team just prior to the 2012 season, after developing a cult following for Simona de Silvestro’s older, heavier backup car called “Pork Chop” in 2011 when she and de Silvestro worked at HVM Racing.
Since her arrival at BHA, the team that won the 2011 Indianapolis 500 with the late Dan Wheldon has seen a surge in its social media presence and fan involvement at tracks.
BHA works in a “tweet-up” at every round of the IndyCar schedule, usually featuring someone from the BHA squad and others from the racing community. Driver Alex Tagliani is a regular.
This week, BHA hit 10,000 followers on Twitter. It may not sound like a lot, and it’s not the biggest number in the IndyCar paddock, although it is a respectable fourth.
But in thanks to all its fans, the team created a video with all its crewmembers – allowing everyday observers the insight of who the faces are behind the wrenches on the No. 98 Barracuda Honda. It also includes thanks from team co-owners Bryan Herta and Steve Newey.
And for that, we say thanks.
A rounding of IndyCar team Twitter handles and follower counts as of May 16 are below:
- Team Penske (@PenskeRacing): 47.7K
- Andretti Autosport (@FollowAndretti): 27.3K
- KV Racing Technology (@KVRacing): 17.2K
- Barracuda Racing (@BHA): 10K
- Panther Racing: (@PantherRacing) 8.9K
- A.J. Foyt Entrprises (@AJFoytRacing): 8K
- Panther DRR (@PantherDRR): 7.6K
- Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (@RLLRacing): 7.2K
- Chip Ganassi Racing (@CGRTeams): 7.1K
- Target Chip Ganassi Racing (@TCGRTeams): 7K
- Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing (@SFHRIndy): 6.9K
- Ed Carpenter Racing (@ECRIndy): 5.7K
- Schmidt Peterson/Schmidt Hamilton: (@SPMIndyCar): 3.8K
- Dragon Racing (@DragonRacing): 3.5K
- Dale Coyne Racing (@DaleCoyneRacing): 2.9K
