Home exchange program aims to find inexpensive lodging for NASCAR fans

by Heather B. Hayes
for Virginia Business
December 2006

NASCAR ticket-holders who don't book motel rooms months or even years in advance often have two choices: A stay in an affordable motel far from the racetrack or pay as much as $1,500 to rent a house. Julie Buchanan would like to offer another possibility, home-swapping.

The Bristol, Va., resident and her husband, Steve, recently launched Home For The Races, a home exchange program. For an annual subscription fee of $59.95, members can list their homes on the site and have access to a network of other homes near racetracks.

The idea is modeled after home exchange programs that allow participants to cut down on their vacation costs. Buchanan expects the immense popularity of NASCAR and the cross-country nature of its schedule to motivate fans to join her program.

One home exchange scenario would be for a NASCAR fan living in a desirable vacation spot to swap homes with someone living near a racetrack. Another possibility is for two families in different NASCAR towns to share their homes with each other and attend both races. "This is a neat way for people to get to know each other, develop a friendship, stay somewhere nice without having to pay outrageous lodging costs and have someone take care of their home while they're on vacation," says Buchanan.

Buchanan, who started the business last spring, says it's been slow going so far. Her biggest challenge has been building an eye-catching, secure and interactive Web site. She expects to do plenty of marketing during the next year in conjunction with the NASCAR circuit. To give fans a little push, Buchanan currently is offering home-swappers two incentives: a free one-year subscription and free tickets to the Food City 500 race in Bristol in March.