Business in racing: Electronics company ready to kick Butt for NASCAR fans

By Erik Spanberg - Contributing Writer

Thursday, April 30, 2009

NASCAR Sprint Cup cars zoom down the track during the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway.

David Griffin
NASCAR Scene

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Feeling the deep-throated rumble of a race car from the comfort of your couch could soon become reality.

An Ohio company specializing in audio and special effects used by pop groups and theme parks wants to bring similar technology to NASCAR fans. Guitammer Co. already sells its ButtKicker brand audio equipment for home theaters, but now it wants to go even more mainstream with audio kits designed to fit under a couch and provide the physical rumble that accompanies the roar of live sports and other events.

A partnership with NASCAR will debut later this year, with NASCAR-produced DVDs, video games and online racing aligned to work with custom wireless audio kits produced by Guitammer. Company executives call the addition of the kits, likely to sell for $299 each, a 4-D experience.

“What’s the one thing people always say when they’re watching a race?” asks Mark Luden, Guitammer president. “They say, ‘You have to be at a race to see how fast the cars are, to hear how loud they are and to feel the speed.’ That’s what we want this to be like. We want you to feel the speed.”

Details on the product can be seen at shakemycouch.com. The NASCAR-branded version has yet to be released but will likely be ready this summer.

Using a low frequency audio system, the ButtKicker sends the sound into the listener’s body, recreating the ripple effect of sound’s physical sensation. Rubber buffers placed under the furniture eliminate the thump-thump aggravation that accompanies so many souped-up car and home audio setups, the company says.

Luden anticipates eventually creating a system that syncs and links the audio from live NASCAR broadcasts with the ButtKicker for portions of races — bringing the sounds and sensations of roaring stock cars to fans’ living rooms in an all new way.

But, as Luden knows, the product has to deliver. And it has to be simple. He’s confident on both counts. Kits require minimal installation — one cord rather than a mass of them — and without too much tech-speak, he says.

If it works, other sports could soon follow suit. Racing, with its visceral elements, made for a natural first choice, Luden says.

The audio push fits in with current trends of sensory overload in entertainment, from home theaters and high-definition TVs to the emphasis on 3-D movie theaters. A new AMC movie theater in Kansas City will feature Guitammer audio beneath every seat, an experiment that could portend national expansion.

Guitammer is intent on making the initial version of the home kit, paired with NASCAR DVDs, a success. Earlier this month, the company featured the ButtKicker with NASCAR race footage as part of its display booth at a major industry trade show.

NASCAR’s endorsement should help once the company reaches the stage of trying to use the same technology for live races.The networks will likely want a piece of the audio action, as will NASCAR.

Luden is optimistic on reaching consensus.

“There is a revenue share for everyone because the user is buying a home kit, just like a TiVo,” he says. “We’ve got something that gives the viewer a better experience, that helps the property and helps the rights-holder. And, hopefully, it helps us, too. It’s a win-win-win.”