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“NASCAR has the most passionate and knowledgeable fans in all of sports,” says Brian France, NASCAR senior vice president. “They do more than cheer for teams, they closely follow the teams and support them by purchasing team merchandise and sponsors’ products. NASCAR fans are a uniquely integral part of the sport.”
According to research, NASCAR fans have a 72 percent rate of brand loyalty, compared to paltry rates of loyalty for supporters of professional baseball (38 percent) or football (36 percent).
That helps explain the love that commercial sponsors have for NASCAR and why the cars are filled with commercial logos for mainstream companies — ranging from Cheerios and McDonald’s to Budweiser and John Deere.
The passion for commercial involvement in NASCAR racing has even extended to the tracks where the fans flock to see their heroes. Charlotte Motor Speedway, long known for its innovations in racing, has become the first track on the Winston Cup circuit to sell its naming rights. The track will be renamed Lowe’s Motor Speedway in a deal worth $35 million over 10 years.
Look for other Winston Cup tracks to quickly follow suit.
This commercial success has turned the NASCAR drivers into highly paid superstars, as well. Compare the $588,926 Dale Earnhardt won during the entire 1980 season when he was Winston Cup champion with five victories to the $1 million he won for a single victory last season in the Daytona 500.
The $2.9 million Earnhardt won last season exceeded all the money he won in his first 10 years in the sport.
With stakes this high, it’s no surprise that NASCAR teams have evolved into sophisticated operations capable of supporting the high-tech, $100,000-plus machines that are the focus of the sport.
“There are 30, maybe 50 people behind me, all a part of our team, all relying on me to get the job done on the track,” says Martin.
See NASCAR, Page 13
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