While NASCAR was born in Daytona Beach, Fla., you could say it found its home in Charlotte, N.C., with the majority of U.S. race teams located within a 30-mile radius of the city. And each May, the national touring series spends two weeks at Charlotte Motor Speedway starting with the annual all-star race, catering to its most loyal fan base.
According to Nielsen Scarborough research, 27% of adults in the Charlotte designated market area (DMA) have watched, attended or listened to a NASCAR race in the past year. In terms of NASCAR fans, Charlotte is second only to Roanoke, Va., which is a four-hour drive north of Charlotte Motor Speedway. Five out of the top 10 local markets with the highest concentrations of NASCAR fans are a day trip to the track.
In addition to geography, NASCAR’s two week stint in Charlotte celebrates its fans’ strong military ties. Each Memorial Day weekend, the Coca-Cola 600 includes a pre-race salute to troops and special remembrance of fallen service members.
NASCAR fans are 65% more likely than members of the general population to be military veterans and 12% more likely than the general population to be active members of the U.S. armed services.
NASCAR fans are 65% more likely than members of the general population to be military veterans
According to Nielsen Sports Sponsorlink, “American” is the top descriptive attribute that both fans and the general population associate with NASCAR out of the 19 attributes tracked.
Country singer/songwriter Cole Swindell will entertain fans before the Monster Energy All-Star Race on May 19 and Eli Young Band is set to perform before the Coca-Cola 600 on May 27. The pre-race concerts are also a nod to the core fan base, with NASCAR fans being 59% more likely to attend a country music concert.
