Personality Fit in NASCAR

In the United States, National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the largest spectator sport, has the largest event attendance, and is the most popular form of automobile racing. NASCAR generates over $2 billion per year in revenue and corporate sponsors provide significant financial investments to the racing teams. According to NASCARs President, Mike Helton, "NASCAR is a way of life...It becomes a lifestyle because the fans are so loyal to whoever their favorite driver and team are." Fans are also fiercely loyal to the sponsoring companies of their favorite driver or team, and this devotion has been documented consistently in the sport sponsorship literature. NASCAR sponsors hope that their financial support of the sport will generate the same level of loyalty toward their brands from the fans, and this loyalty will result in increased revenue generation. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if personality fit between NASCAR drivers and their major sponsors affected the sponsorship outcomes of consumer attitudes toward the sponsor, attitudes toward the brand, and purchase intentions during a NASCAR event.