Discussion Four

4) What are some of the main reasons for declining attendance in NASCAR? Do you feel

diversity is an important topic for NASCAR to address and why?

The attendance of people at the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing events

has declined over the years. In 2016, the number of spectators at the Indianapolis Motor

Speedway race was about 50,000 while such a racetrack can hold 250,000 people or more

(Mueller, 2016). This is as a result of the great recession in 2008-2009 that lead to a decrease in

employment rates and an increase in travel costs. Other factors include the retirement of the

famous NASCAR drivers, increased use of social media by fans to track the sports instead of

attending the events, and the ever-changing interests of younger sports fans who chose to

spectate other sports.

Diversity is an important topic for NASCAR to address. Since it was formed, it has been

viewed as a white people’s organization hence the number of fans of color has reduced through

the years. The number of African American fans has remained to be 34% while that of Latinos

has decreased from 43% to 32% (Patrick, NASCAR). Due to this, the organization has come up

with actions that will increase the diversity of its fans while focusing more on African American

and Latino people (Knight, 2018). These actions are the Drive for Diversity to outgrowth fan

attendance and the participation by minority racecar drivers and pit crews. Diversity in NASCAR

is important to provide an environment that is inclusive to all despite race and color and to

advance from being a regional sport to be one of national significance.

References

Knight, B. (2018). Drive for Diversity: An Overview of the Contents and Impact of NASCAR

Diversity Programs.

Mueller, T. (2016). Tumultuous times in NASCAR: Antitrust implications for drivers and

teams. International Journal of Motorsport Management, 5(1), 2.

Patrick, B. Diversity Analysis-NASCAR.