James McDaniels

COMM-381
Final Research Paper
April 18, 2017

NASCAR: An Epitome of Commercialization and a

Criticized Representative of Social Identity
NASCAR is one of the most popular motorsports organizations in the United States. While

NASCAR attracts thousands of fans every week for its fast-paced and intense racing, it is also a

sports mogul when it comes to commercialization. Between car sponsorships, race naming

rights deals, television contracts, and merchandise, it is easy to see how NASCAR rakes in

money despite being a very expensive sport. As NASCAR has succeeded commercially over the

years, the sports overall position as a powerful representative of social identity has increased in

the sports industry. However, misconceptions about the demographics and culture of NASCAR

fans have become the basis for producing inaccurate and misleading stereotypes about the sport.

The first goal of this paper will be to dissect how NASCAR became and still is a commercial

powerhouse and how that journey has affected fans. The evidence will support that NASCARs

ability to maximize its commercialization potential was its key to becoming one of the most

powerful sports organizations. Now that NASCAR is in a position of such powerful commercial

influence, the organization and its fans serve as critical representatives of identity. As such, they

are subject to criticisms related to social concepts that result in the sport being stereotyped by the

general public. Therefore, the second goal will be to explore how the demographics and fan

culture in NASCAR compare to the stereotypes that the general public has formed about the

sport. The analysis will show that many stereotypes about NASCAR are blatantly false and

some stereotypes, specifically regarding the issues of race and fan brand identity, are partially

true but exaggerated.

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 The analysis for this paper will be divided into several subject areas. In order to comprehend

the commercial value of NASCAR, the growth of sponsorship and business deals in the sport, as

well as the business models and interests involved in NASCAR today, must be understood. The

partnerships NASCAR holds with non-profit organizations create a positive image of NASCAR

as a social advocate with a business mindset and open special avenues for fans to engage in the

sport. All of these aspects create NASCARs successful multi-faceted revenue system, which

demonstrates that the organization has mastered the art of sports commercialization. This

accomplishment has earned NASCAR the reputation of being a powerful voice in the sports

business. This causes NASCARs commercial model to become integrally important with the

sports social relationship with its fans and the general public. Because of its highly influential

position in sports commercialization, NASCAR has an obligation to be a good representative of

social identities. The demographics and culture of NASCAR fans indicate the sport promotes

positive social identities through diversity and a multitude of fan motives and values. The

problem is the public is mistaken about NASCARs true demographic and cultural profiles,

causing it to form false stereotypes about NASCAR. While most NASCAR stereotypes can be

refuted, two stereotypes in regards to race (the overwhelming population of white people in the

sport) and fan brand identity (the guarantee for sponsors that fans have a brand identity mindset)

remain legitimate concerns for NASCAR. While the general stereotypes about race and fan

brand identity in NASCAR are accurate, they are often hyperbolized, creating an unjust

representation of NASCAR in both the media and the perception of the public. NASCAR

executives will have to plan ahead to deal with these misleading stereotypes that will likely not

go away anytime soon, but at least they have still been able to attract new fans despite the

criticisms.

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Literature Review
Since the first half of this paper focuses on sports commercialization, it is important that the

basics of the concept are briefly outlined. Commercialization occurs when sports are

commodified into products of money and mediums for companies to advertise their products, but

this process normally happens over time. Traditionally, sports are originally played for pure and

honest motives. (Rowe, 245) But now, sports are being controlled by commerce, where the

reward is not a trophy but instead the traditional sports consumer. (ibid.) In other words,

commercialization causes sports to become aspects of the free market and lose their beauty of

being simply entertaining escapes from everyday life. As this paper will show, NASCAR started

out with pure motives with little commercialization interest, but today commercialization has

completely taken over the sport and can actually play a role in determining who wins and who

loses. This shows that money has become more important in sports than their purpose, which is

to determine who is athletically superior.

There are many characteristics that define identity, which is a subject that will constitute the

second half of this paper, but race is the most important one on which to give a brief context

because whiteness is a supportable stereotype that continues to be a major problem for NASCAR

today. One of the reasons that there are not many African Americans involved in NASCAR

could very well be the lack of African American drivers, who are considered black athletes.

Black athletes rarely have ever spoken or been allowed to speak. (Carrington, 2) The creation of

the black athlete was (and still is) an attempt to reduce blackness itself and black people in

general into a semi-humanized category of radical otherness. (ibid.) This is because white

people fear the black athlete could threaten their power and masculinity. (Carrington, 3) This

ideology of pushback against black athletes by white people because they want to maintain

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power or fear the black athlete has been a core belief of those who have been critical of racial

representation in NASCAR. This paper will showcase how that belief has been portrayed both in

the media and in NASCAR management.

The Rise of Business and Sponsorships in NASCAR

Before diving into the commercial powerhouse NASCAR is today, the birth of the sport and

its roots for sponsorship are critical in explaining how NASCAR became one of the top

professional sports organizations for advertisers. Stock car racing originated from the Carolina

moonshine runners of post-World War II who raced for fun just to see who was the fastest.

(Yost, 25) Most drivers in the 1950s, the early years of NASCAR, did not have sponsorships.

(Yost, 18) For drivers without a car (drivers normally drove their own cars) or sponsorships,

they simply arrived at the track and raced under a car owner, with the contract being made by a

handshake agreement. (Yost, 19) For drivers who had sponsorships, their sponsorship deals

would be on a race-to-race basis with payouts being enough to pay for gas and race entry fees.

(ibid.) If a car dealer was a drivers sponsor, the dealer would give the driver a car to use for a

few months along with a pickup truck for the team. (Yost, 20) Garages and local motels also

were sources of sponsorship during the early years of NASCAR. (Yost, 29) These sponsorship

deals were done by handshake, and they often included agreements for drivers to park their cars

outside sponsoring businesses in exchange for racing necessities like tires and gas. (ibid.)

Money was so tight for drivers that some of them mortgaged their homes midweek and used the

money for racing and, if they lost, they often lost everything. (Yost, 29-30)

This money-strapped way of life in NASCAR changed drastically in the 1970s thanks to

cigarettes. When the U.S. Congress banned cigarette television commercials in 1971, tobacco

brands like R.J. Reynolds turned to NASCAR as a new medium through which to advertise their

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products. (Yost, 30) The following year, R.J. Reynolds offered $100,000 in prize money in

NASCARs elite division, which is known today as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

(Yost, 30-31) Not only did R.J. Reynolds bring large amounts of money to NASCAR, but the

organization helped clean up the sport of having lots of beer and fights as well. (Yost, 31) The

entry of R.J. Reynolds into NASCAR began the movement from racing for fun and handshake

deals to racing for riches and causing the sport to become massively commercialized. As

NASCAR grew in popularity (probably because it became more family-friendly) and more tracks

opened in the Southeast (Yost, 26), the sport began attracting more sponsors. By the 1980s,

nearly every major brand had some sponsorship agreement in NASCAR. (Yost, 32) What made

NASCAR uniquely enticing to corporate sponsors was that the sports fans were found to be

extremely loyal to brands and nearly half of those fans were women. (Yost, 33) Laundry

detergent Tide is a classic example of this because lower middle class fans would buy Tide

without regard for its high price because the fans wanted to show their appreciation for the

sponsors by buying their products. (ibid.)

The barrage of corporate sponsorship requests with NASCAR, along with the sports growing

following, likely helped draw the attention of television media. In 1979, CBS aired the first ever

live broadcast that showed the Daytona 500 flag-to-flag. (Yost, 26) Between a major snowstorm

that kept millions of Americans indoors and a post-race fight that captivated viewing audiences

with real athlete emotions, the broadcast could not have come at a better time for NASCAR.

(ibid.) In a few years, the entire NASCAR season was being broadcast on television and

NASCAR began expanding to tracks across the country. (Yost, 26-28) The addition of

successful drivers from the West, like Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, further enhanced

NASCARs presence in more areas of the country in the last few decades. (Yost, 28)

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 Today, NASCAR rakes in millions of dollars not only from car sponsorships, but through

other means as well. Besides the obvious merchandise and ticket sales that come naturally with

sporting events, NASCAR pockets revenue from race naming rights sponsorships and television

deals. The latest television deal for NASCAR in particular is telling in regards to how NASCAR

remains very valuable despite experiencing a decline in popularity in recent years. NASCARs

current agreement is with FOX and NBC and is worth $8.2 billion over ten years. (Pockrass)

FOX and NBC were willing to shelve out top dollar for NASCAR broadcast rights because they

knew the sport still has such a big following that they would make millions just on subscriber

fees alone. (ibid.) In addition, NASCAR racing events are live events that advertisers know

people will likely not DVR and the large volume of possible NASCAR content (practicing,

qualifying, and racing each week for 36 weeks a year) on which to advertise works in the

networks favor as well. (ibid.)

NASCARs rise in the corporate world is truly incredible. The sport did not start with

corporate intentions in mind, but instead focused on the love of speed and racing. Drivers early

on in NASCAR risked their assets, including their own homes and cars, in order to satisfy their

cravings for good racing. The lack of corporate sponsorship, along with the niche brands and

low payouts of the brands that did sponsor cars, signifies that many companies did not view

NASCAR as profitable. This is likely because NASCAR payouts in the early years were so

small and the sport was not family-friendly with the constant presence of alcohol and fighting.

NASCAR only became profitable once R.J. Reynolds showed big-money sponsorship could be

successful in the sport because of its unique advertising channels. The popularity boom

NASCAR experienced following the epic 1979 Daytona 500 broadcast further encouraged more

companies to become involved in the sport through corporate sponsorships. The huge amount of

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competition for driver sponsorship, in addition to inflation, has likely caused deals to become

astronomically more expensive in the last three decades. The success of driver sponsorships has

helped create a free market competition domino effect that has led to NASCAR deals becoming

worth millions and even billions of dollars today from sources ranging from race naming rights

deals to the media. Between a combination of media deals, more tracks opening, and more

drivers coming from the West Coast, NASCAR had all the requirements to make the push to

expand nationally. It succeeded in accomplishing that and now the sport is beloved by fans and

future race car drivers all across the country who watch the televised races every week.

NASCARs Business Model

As a business, NASCAR is similar compared to other major sports organizations in financial

structure. Like many sports organizations, NASCAR operates with both the business-to-business

(B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) marketing channel models, meaning that the

organization acts as both a buyer and seller in regards to corporate sponsorships. (Cobbs, Hylton,

173) Motorsports marketing originates from series operators and race teams, which act as both

producers and sellers of the racing product. (Cobbs, Hylton, 178) Using the B2B model,

NASCAR delivers its product to race tracks and broadcast media. (ibid.) From those entities, the

organization reaches fans by the B2C model and other sponsors via the B2B model. (ibid.)

While these models can usually exist in harmony, there are times when the models do not

work together and create a conflict of interest for NASCAR. One of the most notable cases

involving such a dispute occurred when NASCAR fought AT&T over the paint scheme of Jeff

Burtons No. 31 car. (ABC News) When Cingular, which was Burtons primary car sponsor,

was taken over by AT&T, AT&T wanted to put its logo on Burtons car, but NASCAR refused

since the organizations elite series at the time was sponsored by AT&Ts telecommunications

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rival, Sprint Nextel. (ibid.) The reason why Cingular did not present a problem while AT&T did

was because Cingular was a car sponsor at the time Sprint Nextel signed on as NASCARs

premier series sponsor. (ibid.) The case made it to court and the eventual ruling favored AT&T

because the judge found that AT&T would have suffered irreparable harm without an injunction

against NASCAR and believed NASCAR fans would have been confused if Cingular continued

being the logo on Burtons car without an indication that it was taken over by AT&T. (ibid.) The

injunction against NASCAR was later lifted because a federal appeals court ruled that AT&T did

not have standing to dispute NASCARs viewpoint on the agreement. (ibid.)

In this case, AT&T wanted to put its logo on Burtons car as a form of the B2C model to

reach fans. The Cingular paint scheme on Burtons car would have been useless at attracting

fans to AT&T since it would not have mentioned AT&T took over Cingular, effectively killing

AT&Ts B2C model of advertising indirectly to fans by way of a primary sponsorship on

Burtons car. NASCAR was more concerned with its B2B model in this case, for it feared a

conflict of interest in supporting a car sponsorship from a brand that was in direct competition to

its series sponsor. For NASCAR, the B2B interest of the entire elite series title sponsor was

more important (and likely worth much more money) than the B2C model of a primary

sponsorship on a single car, so it fought to keep its B2B relationship with Sprint Nextel in the

AT&T case. Although NASCAR did not win the original case, its court battle with AT&T

showcased how it viewed B2B transactions as more vital to the commercial success of the sport

than even indirect B2C interactions.

Upon closer examination, it is obvious that NASCAR is completely dominated by the B2B

model, and the Darwinism in motorsports is what sets NASCAR apart in a financial sense in

relations to other sports leagues. This is because team costs in NASCAR have dramatically

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increased in recent decades and the sponsor return-on-investment has become a stronger area of

focus. (Cobbs, Hylton, 186) NASCAR has an actual B2B Council called Fuel for Business

that focuses on expanding marketing to help meet the objectives of corporate sponsors. (Cobbs,

Hylton, 185) Teams must meet the objectives of their sponsors because doing so is critical for

teams to stay afloat financially and competitively in NASCAR, which is what makes the sport

vastly different than other sports leagues where advertising might be viewed as a supplemental,

instead of a primary, income source. Leagues like the National Basketball Association have a

system where teams collectively administer the sports governing body. (Cobbs, Hylton, 174)

One of the most recognizable aspects of this system is the implementation of collective

bargaining agreements where revenue is dispersed amongst players and owners at percentages

agreed upon in a negotiated contract. These collective bargaining agreements ensure all teams,

no matter how bad or good they are, receive a portion of the leagues income. NASCAR

operates on a more capitalistic system where teams survive based on their ability to raise the

funds needed to race. (Cobbs, Hylton, 175)

This type of system helps explain why sponsorships are so important in NASCAR compared

to other sports leagues. Without a collective bargaining agreement, teams must rely on race

payouts and sponsorships for money. Advertisers are more likely to pay teams the large amounts

of money needed to race if teams perform well in races because quality finishes increase the

amount of publicity the driver, and thus the sponsorships on his or her car, receives by fans in the

stands and in front of their televisions. In order to perform well on the track and attract the

attention of potential sponsors, drivers must race in cars built with top quality equipment. This

top quality equipment costs huge sums of money, so the teams that have the necessary funds

from solid finishes and sponsorship payouts are the only ones that have legitimate chances to win

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races and attract sponsors. Therefore, teams need sponsorships in order to have the funds needed

to remain competitive and attractive to fans, both of which are factors that catch the attention of

more potential sponsors. The problem is that most new teams cannot afford top equipment,

forcing their driver to race in an inferior car to those from the top teams and giving him or her no

chance to finish well. Without solid finishes, and the subsequent publicity a driver receives from

them, advertisers will not have an interest in sponsoring the team, causing the team to eventually

fold due to a lack of funding. As a comparison, if FedEx stopped sponsoring the stadium of the

Washington Redskins, the team would still be there. (Cobbs, Hylton, 185) But if FedEx stopped

sponsoring Denny Hamlin, then there is the possibility he might not have a ride. (ibid.)

Therefore, it is this monetary domino effect of sponsorships being gained through performance

that explains why the same top 15 or 20 teams dominate the NASCAR scene on both a

performance and sponsorship level while everyone else struggles to compete in, let alone win,

races and acquire sponsorships. Since fans understand that sponsorships are necessary in

NASCAR in order for their favorite drivers to continue racing, they are okay with it.

Because of the importance of sponsorships to the survival of NASCAR teams, the structure of

the organization is set up in the B2B model to help teams avoid the issue of financial instability.

The prime example of this is the car ownership structure of the sport. While NASCAR is still a

competitive individual team sport at its core, several teams often race under a similar owner. For

example, drivers Chase Elliott, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Kasey Kahne race for

their own teams, but they all share the same car owner, Rick Hendrick, at Hendrick Motorsports.

This means all four drivers and their teams have access to the same resources and equipment at

Hendrick Motorsports. Drivers who share the same car owner are often referred to as

teammates despite racing for different teams and they are expected to help each other on the

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track unless they are battling for a high position, especially if its for the lead at the end of a race.

By racing for a team that shares a car owner with other drivers, it creates the ability for the car

owner to distribute resources according to a teams needs. Being a team that is owned by a

multi-team car owner provides that team with two other important advantages over teams owned

by a one-team car owner. First, a multi-team owner is likely to have more connections and trust

with potential sponsors because of experience working with them for other drivers. In addition,

companies are more inclined to sponsor teams from multi-team owners because those owners

have proven their success in the sport and the companies know the owners will not add a new

team unless they believe a team has serious potential to become successful. Second, teams under

a multi-team owner have a security net in case financial stability goes south due to poor finishes

or loss of sponsorships. In these cases, multi-team owners have the resources and equipment to

keep a team competitive until it can get back on track. These advantages are massive in an

expensive sport like NASCAR, so it is no surprise that teams from the top five or six car owners

tend to dominate the elite series of NASCAR like a monopoly while single-team owners and

their teams struggle to compete. In addition to car ownership, a new NASCAR charter system

announced last year also provides further financial security for most of the teams in the Monster

Energy NASCAR Cup Series. The system allows for 36 teams out of a 40-car field to have

charters (every team with a charter is guaranteed a position in points races), establishes a Team

Owner Council that provides formal input on decisions, and gives chartered teams more revenue

opportunities. (NASCAR)

While the B2B model is clearly used more in NASCAR compared to the organization using a

model that directly targets consumers, NASCAR fans have shown consistent acceptance of the

B2B model. While NASCAR as a corporate organization focuses on relationships with

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corporate sponsors, fans experience the B2C model directly with NASCARs sponsors when the

fans attend races. This interaction comes in the forms of customized sales promotions and

dedicated sampling, merchandise, and experiential marketing areas. (Cobbs, Hylton, 185)

Millions of fans also receive a B2C interaction when they watch races on television, as well as

the subsequent advertising during commercial breaks and live race coverage. These corporate

interactions with fans provide the fans with activities to engage with in addition to the actual

races, but they can only satisfy fans as long as the main product continues to be solid.

NASCARs B2B model also works well at helping ensure the on-track talent remains at a

high level. NASCARs second-tier series, the XFINITY Series, provides an excellent platform

for up-and-coming drivers to prepare their skills for NASCARs top division. When the best

drivers are ready to move to NASCARs elite division, they are often picked up by multi-team

car owners. Over the last few years, Chase Elliott joined Hendrick Motorsports, Kyle Larson

joined Chip Ganassi Racing, and Daniel Suarez joined Joe Gibbs Racing at the Monster Energy

NASCAR Cup Series level. Therefore, while some of the top NASCAR car owners appear to

have a monopoly on the sport, they do their best to ensure talented drivers become members of

well-established teams and not have their careers tarnished by racing for a single-car owners

team with little money and inferior equipment. The XFINITY Series, which is funded with a

similar B2B model, ensures the excellent, competitive racing at NASCARs highest division will

continue to be strong even as new drivers enter it. The fans desire quality driving talent and

racing action, so they really do not mind that NASCARs main focus is a B2B model when

running the XFINITY Series since the series is producing new drivers that are worthy of

continuing NASCARs great racing legacy.

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 Between the sponsorship interactions and exciting racing product NASCAR puts out thanks

to the B2B model, fans will continue to attend races in person and watch them on television.

This will cause sponsorships to continue their support of NASCAR, which will keep the sport

very commercialized. Thus, the B2B model is a vital aspect of why NASCAR is a commercial

success.

NASCAR and Non-Profit Causes

While partnerships for NASCAR are most important with for-profit companies, NASCAR

also participates in sponsoring non-profit organizations and creates its own social initiatives that

directly involve the fans. The sponsorship of Autism Speaks and the NASCAR Green program

are two prime examples of how NASCAR supports positive causes while protecting its business

models. In 2007, Autism Speaks received race entitlement for the Monster Energy NASCAR

Cup Series spring race at Dover International Speedway, which was officially called the Autism

Speaks 400 presented by Visa. (Wikipedia) While Visa was the races title sponsor, the race

marked the first time a NASCAR Cup race entitlement was dedicated to a non-profit

organization. (ibid.) The annual race continues today, although it is now called the AAA 400

Drive for Autism with AAA as the title sponsor. (ibid.)

What is interesting about this relationship between NASCAR and autism advocacy is that it is

still a commercialized endeavor. The title of the Dover race, while it focuses on autism, still

includes corporate sponsorship from Visa, FedEx, and AAA. If a NASCAR races naming rights

called attention only to advocacy and awareness of great causes (which likely would not have to

pay large sums of money for those naming rights), the organization would lose out on thousands

or even millions of dollars from potential corporate sponsorships. For NASCAR, this would be a

terrible business move in a sport where sponsorship income is crucial. Therefore, in order to

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continue raking in money from race title sponsorships, the top executives at NASCAR are

willing to support positive causes through the names of races, but only if there is a corporate title

sponsorship in place and the sponsoring corporation is willing to include a positive cause in the

name of the event. When corporate sponsors agree to allow non-profits to be included on race

sponsorships, it is great for NASCAR because it gets both the money from the corporate sponsor

and the positive public image that is generated from supporting great causes. Therefore,

NASCAR tries to have race entitlements including great causes as they create positive publicity

for the sport, but the interest of corporate sponsors will always overrule the interest of those

causes because the corporate sponsorships make NASCAR money, which is ultimately the key

indicator of business success.

But NASCARs participation with autism advocacy has also been targeted to include the fans.

In 2014, when FedEx was the Dover races title sponsor, the company teamed up with Autism

Speaks to give fans the opportunity to have their names on driver Denny Hamlins car that he

would drive in the Dover race (FedEx was also Hamlins primary sponsor). (Autism Speaks) For

a minimum donation of $11 to Autism Speaks, fans could get their first names and last initials

placed on one of the Autism Speaks puzzle pieces painted on Hamlins car. (ibid.)

The puzzle piece program for Hamlins car presents a much better relationship between

NASCAR and autism advocacy. While Autism Speaks being the primary sponsor along with

FedEx for Hamlins car during the 2014 Dover race still constitutes a paid business relationship,

this commercial aspect is overshadowed by the fan involvement in the puzzle piece program that

raised thousands of dollars for the great causes of Autism Speaks. By offering a program where

NASCAR fans could literally be a part of an integral aspect of racing (the race car) at the small

expense of helping a non-profit organization, more fans were inclined to donate money and

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subsequently become aware of autism as a disability affecting millions of people. It also likely

helped that Hamlins team raced the car at the Dover race for autism instead of at any other race.

For FedEx, it was a win-win situation because the company showcased corporate philanthropy in

a time of increased exposure from its partnership with both the race entitlement and the Autism

Speaks offer, which combined to create an amplified positive image that ultimately gained the

company new customers. The direct involvement with the fans in the racing process, the

donations, and the increased autism awareness were worth much more than the price of a one-

race primary sponsorship for Autism Speaks and FedEx, which makes this one of the better

attempts by NASCAR to become involved in great causes while also balancing its business

interests with corporations.

In addition to relationships with non-profit causes, NASCAR has also tried to make its own

initiatives for great causes to help its image as an organization focused on philanthropy. The

most intriguing program NASCAR has created is NASCAR Green. The program is an industry

effort to minimize NASCARs environmental impact while bringing value and inspiration to all

aspects of the motorsports industry. (NASCAR Green) Through the program, NASCAR has

attempted to make its sport as environmentally-friendly as possible, including emphasizing

recycling, equipping tracks with solar power, using food from organic farms, designing a faster

and more efficient track sweeper, and racing on a biofuel called Sunoco Green E15. (NASCAR

Green)

What makes NASCAR Green an interesting program is that the issue it focuses on, the carbon

footprint, is something that NASCAR contributes to by its nature of racing gas-fueled cars.

Greenhouse gases emitted from the exhausts of cars are some of the biggest pollutants to the air

and NASCAR race cars simply add more emissions to the air anytime the cars are running. By

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creating the NASCAR Green initiative, NASCAR shows it recognizes the issue the sport causes

and is willing to help combat greenhouse emissions any way it can without compromising the

excellent racing product. So while it is ironic that a sport that uses gas-fueled cars has an

initiative against an environmental problem those cars cause, it is good that NASCAR acts

consistently on that initiative because that helps build a positive reputation for NASCAR as an

organization that cares about its flaws and strives to minimize them to protect the general well-

being of its fans. This self-criticism and drive to be better not only creates a favorable rapport

with the fans, but it will also make corporate sponsors more willing to work with NASCAR since

those same character traits are critical for helping maximize the returns from sponsorship deals.

It is clear that commercialization has played a major role in NASCARs business and fan

relations since the 1970s, with corporate sponsorships and TV deals leading the way in revenue

streams for the sport as it has grown. Most of NASCARs business partnerships occur using the

B2B model, but also with the B2C model in some instances. The practice of partnering with

non-profits and starting social initiatives has also been an important aspect of creating a

NASCAR brand that entails philanthropy work along with corporate business. These strategies

of commercialization and their acceptance by fans offer an excellent snapshot of how

commercialization is vital to NASCARs success, how it factors in to decisions in multiple

aspects of the organization, and how it has caused NASCAR to become a powerful name in the

sports business.

Demographics and Culture of NASCAR Fans

Based on NASCARs massive corporate success and its large following, it is clear the

organization has a powerful standing in the sports business. Therefore, NASCAR now assumes

an obligation to act as a good representative of social identities on a large scale. The public does

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not view NASCAR as a good representative because it holds unfair stereotypical beliefs about

NASCAR based on inaccurate information regarding the demographic make-up and unique

culture of NASCAR fans. However, the true demographics and culture of NASCAR fans show

NASCAR is a good representative because it has a diverse fan base and boasts many fan

motives, fandom characteristics, and positive values.

There are people who believe that NASCAR is a sport for white, working class males, but this

is simply a myth. (Spann, 353) Only about 20 percent of NASCAR fans earn an income of

$100,000 per year or more while 56 percent of fans earn an income of $50,000. (Spinda et al.)

There is also much more female participation in NASCAR compared to common belief. While

most drivers are men, there have been many female drivers over the years in NASCAR and

nearly 39 percent of NASCAR fans over the age of 18 are female. (Spann, 355) Like gender, the

age of NASCAR fans tends to be widespread as well. A survey of fans at an XFINITY race in

Sparta, Kentucky, found that 34 percent of fans were under 35 years of age, 40 percent were

between 35 and 49, and 26 percent were 50 or older. (Levin et al.) Many NASCAR fans also

tend to be well-educated as about 40 percent of them have attended college. (Spann, 355) While

it is true NASCAR is dominated by the white community since most drivers and fans are of that

race, it is important to note that crew members for race teams tend to be racially diverse, but

most people are unaware of this since crew members rarely receive as much media and

promotional attention as drivers. (Spann, 354) Therefore, NASCAR is balanced when it comes

to income, gender, age, and class, but it indeed shows signs of its Southeastern heritage with its

overwhelming white following.

In addition to demographics, the motives and fandom instilled in NASCAR fans from

watching the sport also play a key role in explaining how the NASCAR atmosphere has become

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a solid medium for teaching human values. NASCAR fans watch the sport normally for six

major reasons: eustress/entertainment, self-esteem, social interaction, escape, family interaction,

and performance/aesthetics. (Spinda et al.) From these factors, it is clear NASCAR has appeal

ranging from a form of enjoyment to a medium of communication to a platform for adoring the

athletic body. Aside from motives for watching the sport, NASCAR fans are also a different

form of fan compared to most sports. For one, most fans for teams of other sports live close in

proximity to the teams home city, but NASCAR fans pick drivers without regard for geographic

boundaries and remain loyal to those drivers and the drivers sponsors. (Hugenberg et al.)

NASCAR fans also create a sort of pilgrimage on race days by arriving early and leaving late,

unlike most other sports where fans do the opposite. (ibid.) This includes not just seeing the

main race, but also coming to the track hours or even days before the race to enjoy pre-race

festivities and activities. NASCAR fans also have the unique luxury to actually be able to listen

to drivers and their pit crews during the race through special radios that fans can tune to the

frequencies of their favorite drivers. (ibid.) At other sporting events, live fans have no way to be

able to hear what coaches are telling their players and fans watching on TV can only hear

snippets of what coaches tell their players at the discretion of the broadcast team. These fandom

differences give fans in NASCAR a more immersive experience than most sports, causing the

fans to become more loyal to the sport and believe that the organization truly cares about its fans.

These fan mindsets, combined with the motives fans have for watching NASCAR, are what

make the sport the perfect environment for influencing human values.

There are several values that are exemplified on a regular basis at NASCAR races. Patriotism

is very important to the NASCAR brand. In terms of military appreciation, NASCARs support

of the armed forces is indicated by prerace rituals where American armed service representatives

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are always on display, a military color guard always presents the colors, and a military fly-over

always occurs during the national anthem. (ibid.) When the Japanese car company Toyota

entered into NASCAR, the fans hated it because they desired to have only American-made cars

race in NASCAR without the intrusion of a foreign automaker. (ibid.) This shows that

NASCAR fans feel that the sport is completely American and want everything about the sport to

be reflective of American influence, including something as arbitrary as an automaker joining the

sport. Another major value to NASCAR fans is the battle between good and evil. (ibid.) This

value arises in NASCAR because there are some drivers that compete and even win in the sport

who are personified as evil. (ibid.) Drivers often become labeled as evil if they fight drivers

or other people off-track, or they do not race cleanly on the track. (ibid.) Drivers earn the label

of good if they race cleanly, be gracious regardless of finish, appear friendly, sign autographs,

interact with fans in the garage area, or are victims of circumstances beyond their control. (ibid.)

The battle between good and evil is a value that is completely opinionated, so one fan might

think a driver is evil while another fan believes the same driver presents a good persona. (ibid.)

The battle between good and evil personas in NASCAR is beneficial to the sport because it

creates an environment that encourages open debate amongst fans in regards to judging what

certain drivers represent in the context of sports morals and ethics. The last value NASCAR

treasures that it passes along to its fans is cooperation. (ibid.) In order to be successful,

NASCAR teams must be able to cooperate with each other in multiple circumstances. Some of

these circumstances include teammates having to work with each other on the track to help

ensure solid finishes for both of them, spotters having to constantly update drivers on what cars

are around them so the drivers do not wreck, drivers having to communicate with their crew

chiefs about the performance of the race car, and crew chiefs having to discuss with the pit crew

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what changes to make based on the drivers report. (ibid.) By the large amount of cooperation

by professionals in the racing business required in order to win, NASCAR is able to vehemently

showcase how important that personality trait is to have to be successful in life.

Constantly practicing cooperation, in addition to sanctifying patriotism and creating an

atmosphere for an open debate on using informed judgment to determine what constitutes good

and evil, is the set of values NASCAR does its best to engrain into the lifestyles of fans. This

information on values, along with NASCARs demographics, fan motives, and unique fandom

qualities, shows that NASCAR tries its best to promote positive and diverse social identities in

an inclusive environment. This should result in NASCAR having a favorable image among the

general public, but this is not reality. Instead, the public is misinformed about what attributes

define NASCAR fans, causing it to form false stereotypes about the sport that could negatively

affect NASCARs public image. But even if the general public became educated and realized

that most stereotypes can be debunked by the facts that have been presented so far, two

stereotypes, the overwhelming whiteness and guaranteed brand identities of NASCAR fans,

would continue to plague the sport because they fall in line with the demographic and cultural

make-up of NASCAR fans.

NASCARs Whiteness Problem

Sports organizations like NASCAR try to stay out of the political realm, including issues like

race. But for NASCAR, the overwhelming number of white people amongst its fan base and

drivers, as well as its focus on American patriotism, results in the sport being politically

stereotyped, especially in the media, despite the truth that the sport is very diverse in all other

major demographic categories.

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 One of the biggest indicators of this is the emergence of NASCAR dads in the media in the

post-9/11 years. Since the terror attacks, media representation has been saturated with a

muscular, paternal masculinity. (Vavrus, 259) The news media has done this by praising

masculine qualities like aggression, bravery, and family values while making women mostly

invisible. (ibid.) This political mindset was the basis for popularizing the term NASCAR dads,

a term that was used to encourage Democratic candidates to reach out to millions of Reagan

Democrats. (Vavrus, 245) The reason why NASCAR was specifically mentioned in the term

was because Reagan Democrats were thought to be white, blue-collar NASCAR enthusiasts.

(ibid.) In terms of how the media has implemented this ideology into reports on NASCAR, news

stories stereotype NASCAR dads as conservative, white, straight, family-focused, hero-

worshipping patriarchs. (Vavrus, 259) NASCAR dads are also believed to have a desire to be a

mans man and support the military discursively if not materialistically. (ibid.) These

stereotypes in the media create the public perception that there is a very specific form of

masculinity that describes all NASCAR dads, causing people to forget there are other

characteristics that a man can have that makes him masculine. (ibid.)

While this interpretation of NASCAR in the media is accurate in some ways, it is highly

misleading in others. It is true NASCAR fans hold patriotism as a sacred value, so the claim that

most fans support the military in some fashion is no surprise. Because most NASCAR fans are

white and many of them hold jobs that pay blue-collar wages, the political demographic

associated with the term NASCAR dads creates a stereotype of male NASCAR fans that

actually makes sense. However, when it comes to gender, age, and masculinity traits in the

NASCAR fan base, the term NASCAR dads paints a one-sided portrait of the realities of the

sport. Many fans of NASCAR are women and children, so the term NASCAR dads makes it

21
appear that only men old enough to work and be parents are NASCAR enthusiasts, which is a

major misconception. Working men are also specifically targeted as the reason NASCAR fans

are being portrayed in a stereotypical fashion in the media. Because of the diverse fan base in

NASCAR, this stereotype is inaccurate and all fans, regardless of demographic, should be held

accountable for their own actions and opinions that contribute to NASCAR being wrongly

stereotyped in the media. The narrow view of what constitutes masculinity based on the public

perception of the term NASCAR dads also presents an issue because it implies that

masculinity is mainly determined by physical traits instead of recognizing moral characteristics

are also important to masculinity. NASCAR teaches fans to value loyalty, informed judgment,

and cooperation, all of which are qualities that can make them better as people, thus improving

their overall masculinities. So while some of the assumptions about NASCAR dads are

understandable, the term is flawed by multiple misconceptions about the demographics and

measurements of masculinity in the sport. As long as the term continues being used in

popularity, NASCAR will be falsely stereotyped by the general public, which will cause an

unfair image of NASCAR that could negatively affect the commercial relationships of the

organization and the pride of fans who follow the sport.

Even though the false connotations that go along with the term NASCAR dads can be

debunked, the reality that whiteness is still an issue in NASCAR remains the subject of public

scrutiny. In 2003, an article in the National Review portrayed NASCAR nation as being

representative of conservatives attempts to politicize sport and helping generate support for a

White cultural nationalism. (Kusz, 81) NASCAR does this by encouraging White racial bonds

and masculine pleasures to overhaul the economic interests of other racial groups. (Kusz, 82)

This ultimately protects White privilege and cultural normativity. (ibid.) This viewpoint has

22
caused NASCAR to be blackmailed as an organization as one of the last examples of white

supremacy, but yet the sport is actually an innocent victim of the racial guilt industry. (ibid.)

Despite the evidence that suggests NASCAR is protecting white supremacy by using

masculinity to diminish the interests of non-white groups, NASCAR likely appears to be a victim

because it is so predominately white that it becomes an easy target for racial progressives.

NASCAR has started multiple diversity initiatives, like its annual diversity internship program,

in recent years in response to the increased public demand for racial diversity. These diversity

initiatives act in addition to the racial diversity of NASCAR team crew members that was

mentioned earlier. The initiatives do not seem to quiet critics because the initiatives are viewed

as not being enough to drastically affect the racial composition of the sports fan base.

Therefore, NASCAR continues to be publicly perceived as a racist organization in favor of white

people, as perhaps it should be but only to some extent, despite its diversity efforts.

One of the most recent examples of this exact conception in action was a $500 million lawsuit

filed by Diversity Motorsports CEO Terrance Cox last year that accused NASCAR of engaging

in actions designed to humiliate him and interfering with Diversity Motorsports attempt to

racially integrate the sport. (Schilken) Cox claimed that NASCAR and the International

Speedway Corporation were supportive of a racially discriminatory environment that prevented

meaningful African-American participation. (ibid.) Cox also mentioned that comedian Steve

Harvey was turned down by NASCAR when he wanted to start a race team, although Harvey

denied that he had an interest in starting a team. (ibid.) A NASCAR spokesperson responded to

the lawsuit, saying it had no merit and the organization is committed to engaging with all

individuals. (ibid.)

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 The lawsuit showcases how much whiteness still dominates the public image of NASCAR

despite the organizations diversity efforts. The issue is so profound that it became the heart of

an expensive lawsuit that alleged NASCAR was trying to interfere with corporate freedom,

which includes car sponsorships, of a NASCAR team on the basis of racial discrimination. Since

the B2B model is NASCARs main form of business, the lawsuit appears to boil down to

accusing NASCAR of not supporting a racially diverse race team out of fear the move could hurt

the organizations business relationships. This would imply that NASCAR executives believe

sponsors will pay more, and make more money for the sport, to teams with white people

compared to teams with racially diverse people simply on the basis of race. Thus, if the

allegations against NASCAR in the lawsuit turn out to be true, they will expose NASCAR as an

organization that is willing to discriminate against people based on the prejudices of executives if

it means the sport might make more money. This would also result in the misconception that

NASCAR fans share that same racial prejudice, which would cause the abomination of the fans

being labeled as outright racists. If the diversity initiatives NASCAR has been pushing and the

demographic composition of team crew members are any indication, nothing will likely come of

the lawsuit legally for NASCAR. However, the publicity damage of the lawsuit reigniting the

whiteness problem and its racial stigma in NASCAR has already been done. And as long as the

NASCAR population consists of mainly white people and remains subjected to unfair labeling in

the news media, no amount of diversity will reverse the public perception that NASCAR is a

racist, white supremacist sport.

Brand Identity of NASCAR Fans

NASCARs commercial success would not have been possible without the brand loyalty of its

fan base. As mentioned earlier in this paper, NASCAR attracted sponsorships because

24
corporations realized fans highly valued them due to the fact the money from those sponsorship

deals allowed fans favorite drivers to continue racing. Fans would show appreciation to the

corporate sponsors by buying their products, like with how fans bought Tide laundry detergent,

despite its high cost, when the company became a NASCAR sponsor.

But beyond this central correlation, the level of brand identity and the factors involved in

producing an individual brand identity are different for each fan. Therefore, the public

perception that all NASCAR fans have strong brand identities solely based off the fact

sponsorships are necessary for racing to live on is completely false. To start, not all NASCAR

fans even buy products specifically produced by NASCAR sponsors. It turns out that only 72

percent of racing fans say they consciously purchase NASCAR sponsors products and only 40

percent of fans report that they would switch to brands that become official promoters. (Amato et

al., 72) And while it is a positive statistic to sponsoring corporations due to the fact that millions

of people are NASCAR fans, it is a little underwhelming that only 57 percent of NASCAR

followers have a higher trust level with brands that sponsor NASCAR than competing brands

that do not sponsor the organization. (ibid.) Another factor when it comes to sponsorship

support in NASCAR is its effect on fans when they choose a favorite driver. Despite the brand

loyalty NASCAR fans are known for, fans still value their own judgments of good and evil when

choosing a driver over the sponsorship a driver has on their car. This mindset is signified by the

fact most fans are neutral about sponsor importance when selecting a favorite driver. (Amato et

al., 80) A final factor that can determine the extent of a fans brand identity in NASCAR is the

level of interest that fan has in the sport. Casual fans tend to follow NASCAR closely and show

their support by purchasing sports memorabilia and race tickets, but they show less commitment

to sponsors as compared to moderate and hardcore fans. (Amato et al., 82) Moderate and

25
hardcore fans tend to be extremely invested in the sport in multiple capacities, including

intellectually, emotionally, and behaviorally. (ibid.) These investments create a type of marriage

between the fan and the sport that involves financial, social, time-related, and psychological

pledges. (ibid.) Therefore, moderate and hardcore fans are much more likely to buy products

from corporations that sponsor NASCAR because doing so would be considered part of the

financial pledge those fans make with the sport. Casual fans care more about the racing product

itself, as indicated by their spending of money on tickets and memorabilia, so they do not

consider it a necessity to buy products by NASCAR sponsors or live by pledges in order to

adequately support the sport.

So while it is true that there is a good chance that corporations, once they begin sponsoring in

NASCAR, will receive an uptick in the sale of their products to NASCAR fans, establishing a

solid brand loyalty with them is by no means a guarantee. The level of brand identities for fans

varies greatly depending on the impact sponsorships have on convincing fans to buy a

corporations products and the amount of interest a fan has in NASCAR. However, sponsorships

do not appear to influence who fans choose as their favorite driver, indicating that fans desire to

make that choice based on a drivers qualities instead of a drivers sponsorship endorsements.

Sponsorships are extremely important to the survival of NASCAR, and the overall loyalty

corporations have experienced from appreciative NASCAR fans by sponsoring the sport will

continue to entice corporations to be involved in the sport. Corporations know NASCAR fans

have brand identities, but they must learn those fans, unlike what the general public might

believe, do not share the same universal hardcore fan brand identity. Once corporations pick up

on this, they will be able to better plan marketing strategies and set realistic goals that will

ultimately maximize the returns on their sponsorship investments in NASCAR.

26
 When it comes to corporations sponsoring NASCAR, those corporations focus on established

NASCAR fans because they have been overall loyal to brands that have sponsored the sport.

Because of the importance of sponsorships in the funding of NASCAR and their dependence on

fan buying action, the sports commercial success will only continue if the sport maintains its

loyal fan base, which has statistically decreased over the course of the last decade. The Chase

format and NASCARs constant rule-changing habits are two of the main culprits, but there also

seems to be a generation gap among fans. The decrease in fans has forced NASCAR executives

to come up with ways to attract new fans who will maintain some level of a brand identity like

current fans. While the problem will require a more comprehensive plan of attack over the

coming years, one recent way NASCAR has gone about trying to appeal to the younger

generation is through involvement with the hit Disney PIXAR movie series Cars. Not only does

Cars focus on auto racing, but current NASCAR personalities like broadcasters and drivers

themselves make cameos in the films. In Cars 3, four new characters will be introduced that are

inspired by NASCAR legends. (McGee, 2017) NASCARs involvement with the series is

fantastic because the series introduces people at a young age to the sport of racing in a funny and

family-friendly manner, which helps create a positive public perception about the sport. The fact

that some characters are based off real NASCAR drivers also offers a younger audience a

starting point for learning about the history of NASCAR. Because the Cars movie series has

also been a box office hit, its influence on young audiences has been widespread and it has

created a demand for various kinds of merchandise ranging from toys to posters. This demand

for merchandise is exactly what NASCAR executives hope will create a brand identity mindset

in young fans of the movie. The hope is that these experiences will result in racing earning a

positive perception among young people. This will encourage a younger generation of fans to

27
enter NASCAR while carrying over their brand identity mindset they acquired from the Cars

movie series. Whether it is through this method or another, the importance of continued

sponsorship support requires NASCAR executives to find ways to bring in new fans, which will

require potential fans to view the sport in a positive light, and establish a brand identity mindset

within those fans. By doing this, NASCAR can continue being successful in boasting to

potential sponsors that the sport provides the benefit of a very large sponsor-loyal fan base.

Conclusion
From its Carolina moonshine roots to its rise to the top of American motorsports, NASCAR

is, by many accounts, one of the most successful and entertaining sports organizations in the

United States. Despite starting out as a sport where people risked their finances just to race,

NASCARs claim to fame and powerful success turned out to be commercialization.

Sponsorships, which were once rare in NASCAR, became an integral source of income and

structure for the sport as corporations realized that the sport had a large following of loyal fans.

NASCARs financial success can be attributed to its extensive use of the B2B model in ways that

have ultimately been acceptable and beneficial to the fans. NASCARs commercial prowess has

also been apparent in its relationship with non-profit causes, which provide the sport with

opportunities to raise awareness for important problems in multiple ways while improving its

own public image and business interests. These examples of commercial success in NASCAR

have earned the organization the privileged obligation to serve as a powerful representation of

social identities on a large scale. NASCAR has done its best to promote a diverse and rich

culture for its fans as indicated by the true demographics and characteristics of the fan base.

However, the public has continued criticizing NASCAR for its apparent lack of diversity and

values. These unfair criticisms and opinions are based off partly inaccurate stereotypes formed

28
from misconceptions about the true demographics and cultural attributes of NASCAR fans.

Most stereotypes about NASCAR fans can be invalidated with facts, but the stereotypes

regarding whiteness in the sport and fan brand identities actually have some factual standing.

While these general stereotypes have a ring of truth to them, they have several caveats that result

in the stereotypes having inflated meanings that paint unfair representations of NASCAR in the

media and in the perception of the general public. Therefore, many public stereotypes about

NASCAR either are completely false or are partially true, but blown out of proportion to create a

false narrative. It will be important for NASCAR executives to create a long-term plan to

address these issues so the sport can continue to flourish, but they have already started the

process by trying to attract new fans through popular media, specifically the Cars movie series.

If any sports organization can overcome criticisms and misconceptions, it is NASCAR. The

sport has been evolving since it started, so it is not an accident that NASCAR has been able to

remain at the top of American motorsports for so many years. While NASCAR is heavily

commercialized and its representation of social identities is not perfect, truth and end results

always seem to go in favor of diversity and the fans. All NASCAR executives need to do is to

keep following that trend and eventually fans and non-fans alike will realize NASCARs

massive, progressive contribution to the concept of commercialization in sports business and the

truth about NASCARs diverse demographics, rich culture, and positive social identities. Only

once that happens will people truly begin to appreciate NASCAR for its merits instead of its

stereotypes.

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