ONMC well-served in Southern California

Dianna Martin talks a lot. She admits it, too.

"I have a big mouth," she laughed. "It's just about talking and selling. I'm getting people hooked on it."

Martin is the ONMC local chapter president in Bakersfield, Calif., an area rich in racing history with the Mears family -- Indy Car legend Rick, off-road ace Roger, Cup driver Casey and open-wheel star Clint -- and Cup star Kevin Harvick all calling the city home.

Tony Stewart is all smiles at the fall California race.

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Martin has a passion for NASCAR and for the ONMC, as she took the lead in California Speedway's New Fan Challenge last Labor Day. The New Fan Challenge set forth a $140 ticket package for last September's SONY HD 500. The package included a ticket to the event, a pit pass, guided pit tour and $10 in AmeriCrown Bucks to be used to buy food, souvenirs or a scanner rental all for just $95.

ONMC Members sold these packages to friends, family, co-workers and anyone else who might have been interested.

Martin sold nearly half the ONMC's allotment herself from her base in Bakersfield.

Martin convinced the local country music radio station, KUZZ (it was partly owned by the late Buck Owens) to cover NASCAR on a regular basis. In fact, she was invited onto the morning show every Monday to give a NASCAR update.

"Bakersfield has always been a racing town, and when I was talking to the people at the radio station, I said, 'you guys always talk about being big on NASCAR, but you never talk about it on the air.' So I ended up [doing] the morning spot with them on Monday mornings."

Martin used the exposure to help sell the tickets to California Speedway, as well as promote the Official NASCAR Members Club.

Martin is teamed with ONMC national advisor Steve Benoit and the rest of the SoCal contingent to anchor the Club's West Coast base, and the New Fan Challenge for this week's Auto Club 500 has gone well.

This year's ticket package is the same cost ($95), and it entails a seat in rows 11-23, a pit pass and $10 in AmeriCrown bucks. There's a kicker this year, however. Each member who sold 50 tickets received the above package plus two passes to Victory Lane for the Auto Club 500 and his or her picture with the trophy and the winner. For selling 40 tickets, each Member received a Richard Petty Driving Experience Ride-Along in addition to the package at no charge.

Each Member who sold 30 tickets earned a preferred parking pass in the Presidential lot and their name on a pit-road message board during the race weekend, and each Member who sold 20 tickets to the Auto Club 500 will receive the package at no cost, plus be recognized on the ONMC Web site.

The Grand Prize, which goes to the ONMC Member who sells the most tickets, consists of a meal for two at Apex by Wolfgang Puck in the Opportunity, California FanZone and the winner will be recognized on the Driver Introduction Stage before the Auto Club 500.