How NASCAR uses PR to drive results

American sports fans have long enjoyed a three-sport powerhouse – football, baseball and basketball. Many other sports have made a run at being considered part of the family such as hockey, wrestling and golf. Within a past few years, however, NSACAR has become a close fourth.

NASCAR, the popular American sport in stock car racing, has a 57 year history, though only recently has seen National growth. Every weekend for 10 months of the year, tens of thousands of racing fans gather to watch 43 drivers maneuver their colorful, high-powered American cars around a close track.

Though I did not have a personal favorite in the last Sunday race, I did find it interesting how big of a part PR played. I can’t help but notice how each driver has his own reputation; the bad boy, the underdog, the veteran, etc. I am sure that there is a PR practitioner behind every team to manage the drivers images and personalities, because without the drivers personalities, fans can’t relate to the drivers and NASCAR would only attract people interested in the cars themselves.

By allowing people to relate to the drivers distinct personalities, NASCAR attracts a broad fan base that attracts advertisers (because the fan base is large and broad, giving companies huge exposure), and therefore revenue to help the sport grow.

PR has made NASCAR the fastest growing sport in America (and possibly the world).