VOLUME 1 (2011)

Involvement and Rally Car Racing: The Significance of Importance, Sign Value and Pleasure in Motorsport Marketing

Thomas S. Mueller, Appalachian State University, muellerts@appstate.edu

ABSTRACT 
Financial scrutiny in motorsport has led to competition among events for both fans and competitors. The study of involvement proves beneficial to sport managers who need effective communication to attract athletes and teams. This study utilized confirmatory factor analysis and regression analysis to examine the relationship between involvement and participation among rally car auto teams. Social cognitive and social identity theories state a higher cognition is needed to perform successfully within team dynamics; cognitive involvement proved to be a significant predictor of a rally racer’s intent to participate. The relationship between the dimension “importance” and behavioral intention was also significant.

Teaching Management Concepts to Engineering Students in a Unique Motorsports Environment

Peter Hylton, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, phylton@iupui.edu
Dwight Brown, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, dwebrown@iupui.edu
Stevie-Marie Carnes, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, smncarnes@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis has a unique engineering program specializing in training graduates for the motorsports industry. As part of this program, a number of new classes have been designed and implemented. This paper examines the latest of these, in which motorsports engineering students explore motorsports management concepts and lead the way in organizing an entire race series. 

NASCAR and the Examination of the Impact of Fan Spending on Sparta Kentucky: A Predictive Study

Paula Upright, Western Kentucky University, paula.upright@wku.edu
Darren Smith, Western Kentucky University, Darren.smith@wku.edu
Bruce Larson, Western Kentucky University, bruce.larson@wku.edu
Fred Gibson, Western Kentucky University, fred.gibson@wku.edu

ABSTRACT
Before and since the completion of the Kentucky Speedway in June of 2000, the owners of the track have attempted to get a NASCAR Sprint Cup race, which is the highest level of competition in the sport. Before the track opened, track personnel were successful in securing Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA), Indy Racing League (IRL), and a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races. The Sprint Cup series race could not be secured prior to 2011. The previous owners filed a lawsuit against NASCAR and International Speedway Corporation alleging violation of the Sherman Act in the conspiracy in restraint of trade and attempting to create a monopoly. (Kentucky Speedway v. NASCAR and ISC, 2008) The federal court dismissed the case with prejudice in favor of NASCAR & ISC. In 2008, Bruton Smith, owner of Speedway Motorsports Inc. (SMI), purchased the track.

SMI immediately began to update the track to accommodate the magnitude of a NASCAR Sprint Cup race. Smith estimated spending in excess of 100 million dollars bringing the track up to expectations and standards of Sprint Cup race events (Gibson, Smith, et.al., 2011). Additionally, the state of Kentucky estimates that prior to the Sprint Cup race in July of 2011 it had spent several million dollars expanding interstate 71 in both directions in order to handle the additional inflow of traffic on race day. These investments inspired the researchers to evaluate impacts of fan spending on the local economy as well as local, state and federal taxes. 

A Case Study for NASCAR Driver Sponsors: Making Greatest Use of the Character Traits Fans Like and Dislike in a Driver 

Deidre M. Pettinga, University of Indianapolis, dpettinga@uindy.edu
Laurence DeGaris, University of Indianapolis, degarisl@uindy.edu

ABSTRACT 
The use of celebrities and athletes as product endorsers has long been the subject of examination by advertising and marketing professionals. The popularity of NASCAR in today’s culture has broadened the scope of celebrity athletes to include NASCAR drivers. As marketing and advertising ties to drivers increase, an analysis of the opportunities that exist for sponsors to develop a meaningful promotional campaign that produces the right mix of product and celebrity endorser becomes increasingly important. This case paper reviews the results of an exploratory study which examined the various characteristics fans associate with some of the top NASCAR drivers. The purpose is to investigate more closely the characteristics fans like – and even dislike—in their favorite drivers. The paper offers benefits to marketing and sponsorship practitioners looking to identify the personality traits which may help create the synergy between product and endorser in the development of persuasive promotional campaigns.