IndyCar Popularity On The Move

Speed and power have been associated with IndyCar racing for decades, but now those qualities characterize the marketability of the sport as well.

IndyCar racing is exhibiting the swiftness and power within its growth to attract an ever-increasing amount of fans and television coverage worldwide that provides an exceptional forum for advertising in the sports community.

Last year IndyCar sanctioned 16 events and attracted record crowds at all but two, resulting in an estimated overall attendance of nearly 2.3 million fans. The series also boasted a domestic television audience that reached 34.5 million households, representing a growth of 55 percent from the previous year. One in four households tuned in to an IndyCar race-sanctioned race in 1995.

The viewing audience continues to soar as IndyCar's popularity has made strong strides in recent years. In a survey of more than 12,000 adults by SRi Sponsortest over all four quarters of 1995, 31.3 percent had an interest in IndyCar racing. Interestingly enough, IndyCar was tied with stock-car racing (NASCAR) and garnered more interest than the National Hockey League, golf and tennis.

Of adults surveyed, 7.3 percent, representing almost 1.4 million U.S. adults, ranked themselves as avid (³10²) fans and, underscored that they possessed the maximum interest in the sport. NASCAR had 9.3 percent of the avid fans, which translates into approximately 1.8 million adults.

So who is a typical IndyCar spectator? A 35-year-old male who possesses a college education as well as a large income. Consider:

  • 75 percent are males; average age is 35; 42 percent are college graduates, making this group twice as likely than the average American to have graduated college; average household income is $51,570, which is more than $15,000 more than the average American household; 41 percent of IndyCar fans have household incomes of $50,000 or more.

  • 37 percent will watch every race of the season and the average is 10 events per season.

  • More than 40 percent of the spectators will usually or always try a brand for the first time if the product is an IndyCar sponsor of a favorite team or driver; nearly the same percentage (40 percent) is more likely to take part in a promotion linked to IndyCar.

IndyCar enjoyed a record-breaking season on several fronts and that trend is expected to continue in its upward spiral again this year. All 16 events will be televised with ABC-TV providing coverage of 12, ESPN four and ESPN International distributing the races worldwide. IndyCar, despite reducing its series by one race this season, is expecting to exceed attendance records, especially with the debut of the Rio 400 in Rio de Janeiro on March 17 and the U.S. 500 in Brooklyn, Mich., on May 26.

The PPG Indy Car World Series, which possesses the sport's stars and premier cars, began its season on Sunday, March 3 with the Marlboro Grand Prix of Miami presented by Toyota. Round two, the Rio 400, will be telecast stateside on ABC at 3:00 p.m. Eastern on March 17th.

Source: IndyCar Website

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