This paper examines NASCAR from an organizational development (OD) consultant's perspective. It begins with an overview of NASCAR's history, governance, and racing series structure, then evaluates the organization's official website and its fan engagement features. The paper surveys anticipated technological and safety improvements that will shape NASCAR's future, including engine changes, electronic passing systems, and automated pit controls. The bulk of the analysis identifies NASCAR's organizational strengths — including its massive fan base, sponsorship revenue, digital media presence, and entertainment value — alongside notable weaknesses such as declining attendance, falling television ratings, an unpopular points system, and the consequences of overexpansion during the early 2000s.
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), established by Bill France Sr. in 1947, is the sanctioning body for controlling stock car racing and is the primary source of information on car races, drivers, teams, and industry events for its fans. NASCAR is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Florida — considered the seat of auto racing — with offices across Mexico, Los Angeles, Toronto, New York, Bentonville (Arkansas), Charlotte, Concord, and Conover (North Carolina). From these locations, NASCAR sanctions approximately 1,500 races on over 100 tracks across 35 U.S. states, Canada, and Mexico. NASCAR's governing body prepares the rules, manages events, and ensures that drivers adhere to regulations. Significantly, it controls the major racing series and selects a new champion after the completion of every season (Harris, 2012).
Considered as a sport, NASCAR is a diversity of racing series in which groups of teams and individuals participate in a specified number of events while adhering to rules set by the sanctioning body. NASCAR comprises numerous series at both the national and regional levels. At the national level, the series include two for stock cars — the NASCAR Busch Series and the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. There is also a series for race trucks — the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, established in 1995 to help the sport grow without undermining the Nextel Cup Series (Harris, 2012).
The NASCAR website (nascar.com) is a highly informative and interactive platform. Its home page contains numerous links — including News, Video, Drivers, Standings, and Schedule — with minute-to-minute updates on all races. The visuals are appealing, with links to Twitter and Facebook pages. The fan engagement section is well developed, offering detailed information on missions, story sharing, and connection links for fans. Headlines across numerous forums contain information and news items covering recent track events. A section highlighting the NASCAR Hall of Fame and predictions for future nominees is also available on the official website (NASCAR.com, 2012).
The site features a full race schedule with details about drivers and video files of races. A driver rating section displays current ratings and points standings alongside high ratings for each driver. A poll section and photo gallery allow viewers to vote for their favorite driver. Under Special Promotions, the site includes Fantasy Live, Sprint Fan Vote, driver elections, news, statistics, and more. A free newsletter subscription link is also available. The website additionally carries the results of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) at the Texas Motor Speedway (NASCAR.com, 2012).
In the coming years, NASCAR vehicles are expected to use 1.6L V6 engines, with the possibility that NASCAR will move toward more affordable and environmentally friendly machines. On the safety front, NASCAR has seen several improvements following the death of Dale Earnhardt in 2001 — not only in mechanical and structural areas, but also in the sphere of regulatory measures. Dangerous driving behaviors such as weaving and reckless passing, which were common during the 1980s and 1990s, are now strictly penalized. Track designs are also improving, with wider run-off areas that place spectators further from the action. Fewer trackside spectators and a larger TV viewing audience will mean more business through the sale of television rights, advertising, and viewer engagement (Wired.com, 2011).
Technological improvements in NASCAR cars will enhance safety and reduce the scope of driving error. Electronic passing systems similar to those used in Formula 1 racing — such as DRS and KERS, introduced in 2011 — and devices like the Hanford device launched in 1998, which improved slipstreaming, are anticipated for future introduction into NASCAR. It is also envisaged that the next two decades will witness cars that are automatically controlled in the pits and during caution periods such as yellow flags, oil spills, and pace car situations. The future will also bring regulations controlling spending, and NASCAR's environmental footprint is expected to be capped at a maximum level. NASCAR will gradually evolve into a worldwide auto racing show with interactive viewing in a video-game style format (Wired.com, 2011).
NASCAR's strengths are built on the shared passion surrounding a widely accepted spectator sport. The races attract more than 75 million fans, reflecting America's cultural appetite for speed. NASCAR's vision is built on delivering the best entertainment experience that racing has to offer, positioning it as a leader and innovator in both the sports and entertainment industries. The objective of expanding to venues such as the Staten Island Race Track and its surrounding attractions aims to generate greater profits and revenues for the local economy as well as the sport itself. With the growing convergence of sports and entertainment, NASCAR has evolved from a national pastime into a mega-entertainment business with growing revenue from television rights and its online presence (Blakerizner, 2008).
NASCAR has become an entertainment machine that competes with other forms of entertainment — effectively functioning as show business. The competitive arena has become a stage, with drivers becoming overnight stars. There has been exponential growth in product extensions and brand associations through music, in-event entertainment, dance and acrobatic shows during intermissions, and other forms of creative programming designed to increase audience engagement. With rising sports sponsorship contributions from businesses reaching nearly 66%, this trend has favorably impacted the sports business model. As NASCAR continues to rank among the highest-grossing sporting entities in terms of sponsorship, this is a development the organization must monitor closely. The rising use of digital and web content is essential for keeping consumers engaged and connected, sustaining its continued popularity (Blakerizner, 2008).
With society's transformation toward greater technology and information usage, NASCAR stands to benefit through the dissemination of easily accessible information across multiple formats. Its collaboration with Turner Broadcasting has helped NASCAR deliver content on demand and remain proactive in an industry segment that evolves rapidly. The emergence of "People Brands" — a growing phenomenon exemplified by sports stars such as Michael Jordan, David Beckham, and Tiger Woods, each a brand within their chosen field — offers consumers not just a connection to a specific sport, but a personal connection to a personality within that sport (Blakerizner, 2008).
Similar personalities such as Dale Jarrett and Dale Earnhardt Jr. need to be developed and aligned with their personal brands in order to attract similar consumer loyalty. Given the rise of emerging global markets and the proliferation of consumers worldwide, the rewards for international expansion are substantial. In addition, NASCAR's organizational strengths include the brand's financial health, stable business practices, world-class events, a strong web presence, professional personalities, and a wide fan base (Blakerizner, 2008).
"Declining attendance, ratings, and overexpansion issues"
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