Where Innovation Meets Tradition: INDYCAR 101
Get to know the epic sport and its advertising opportunities.
While NASCAR is kicking off its 2022 season this weekend, another legacy sports league is gearing up for what is sure to be an epic year.
Celebrating over 100 years of racing, the legendary INDYCAR racing makes its return later this month, in a series that leads up to the coveted INDY 500 in May. Maybe you’ve heard of household names like Mario Andretti or watched INDY 500 champ Helio Castroneves win Dancing With the Stars, but do you really know INDYCAR?
Let’s break down everything you need to know about one of the fastest motor racing sports, its fans, and why your brand should be part of mix.
What is INDYCAR?
Challenging athletes from around the globe, the NTT INDYCAR Series features a diverse schedule of racing events at superspeedways, short ovals, road courses, and temporary street circuits including the iconic INDY 500.
The open-wheel cars can reach top speeds of 240 MPH on the oval racetrack at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, making INDYCAR one of the fastest forms of motorsports with some of the closest races in history (some with a margin of victory of less than one second).
While pushing drivers and their cars to their absolute limit, INDYCAR has served as a testing ground for vehicle safety and performance. Seat belts? Disc brakes? Rear-view mirrors? You can thank the sport for inspiring the safety features us regular drivers enjoy today. Even after 100+ years, the sport continues to innovate for the entire auto industry.
The fans and the future of the audience.
57 million strong, the INDYCAR fan base skews male, has a mean household income of $80K, and is more likely to be married with kids. One out of every two fans are under the age of 45, and nearly 20% of the audience is multicultural. They are also more likely to enjoy activities like dining out, traveling, and playing golf than the general population.
With the help of a new wave of rookie drivers, INDYCAR is evolving as a sport to attract a new generation of passionate fans. The future INDY fan is a desirable one for in-coming sponsors of the sport. In the core 25-39 demo, this audience is more diverse, well-connected on social media, and more likely to be active entertainment seekers.
The biggest sporting event in the world. No, really.
It’s been dubbed ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing’ for a reason. Between the massive venue, the celebrity draw, and the intense competition for the largest purse in racing, the INDY 500 is a bucket list event for many sports fans.
Predicted to sell out this year, the 106th running of the INDY 500 will draw hundreds of thousands of fans to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this Memorial Day Weekend with millions more watching and listening around the globe.
Here’s where your brand fits in.
Similar to NASCAR, INDYCAR fans engage with sponsors and are more likely to interact with brands that support the sport and the drivers. Fans are 80% more likely to recommend a sponsor’s brand to a friend than the general U.S. population, while 82% are more likely to be loyal towards a brand that sponsors their sport.
In 2022, INDYCAR Radio will broadcast live flag-to-flag coverage of all 17 races across the IMS Radio Network, plus the IndyCar mobile app, TuneIn, IndyCarRadio.com, IndyCar.com, and SirusXM. In addition to personality endorsements, and in-race mentions, advertisers can also have ownership of key entitlements like the Starting Line Up, Leaderboard, and the Post Race Show.
Check out the full schedule below.
You will only find access to every INDYCAR audio broadcast here! Get in touch for season-long sponsorships, exclusive INDY 500 packages, and more.
AUDIENCE DATA FROM NIELSEN FAN INSIGHTS 2021 / SCARBOROUGH 2021