Abstract
Research in consumer motivation might ignore auto racing sport that features the number one of fan attendance for single sport event in America. What would be the explicit motives to push individuals themselves or the incentives to pull the spectators with attractive benefits of NASCAR events? If motives exist among the NASCAR fans, would there be a need to discover them with an appropriate measurement tool? This study was conducted to explore specific motives of NASCAR spectators, and develop valid and reliable instrument underlying motivational theories. Participants (<i>N</i> = 650) voluntarily responded to Inventory of Motivation for Auto Racing Spectators (IMARS) in a NASCAR event. Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses were utilized to explore and confirm the 5-factor (Affiliation, Experience, Gratification, Socialization, and Substance) model with 15 indicators. The statistical analyses revealed acceptable goodness fit indexes of IMARS by the observed data (<i>X<sup>2</sup>/df</i> = 3/63, GFI = .95, CFI = .92, IFI = .91, RMSR = .036). The validities and internal consistency reliability were examined with satisfactory results. The essential motives were explored in this study and a reliable instrument for utility of NASCAR marketing professionals was produced. The study provided quantitative evidences to support the motivation theories and enriched spectator motivation in sport motivation literatures.
Highlights
While researchers provided explicit evidences on tremendous impacts of economics from National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) events, studies of leisure and sport marketing have remained relatively silent in presentations of consumer motivation in the auto racing industry. [1, 3, 4] Even if the NASCAR spectators made the top crowd of single event in professional
[26] What would be the explicit motives to push individuals themselves or the incentives to pull the spectators with attractive benefits of NASCAR events? If motives exist among the NASCAR fans, would there be a need to discover them with an appropriate measurement tool? the purpose of this study would be two folds: (a) to explore motivation factors of auto racing spectators relying on the contemporary motivation theories; & (b) to examine validities and reliabilities of the items and factors constructed in Inventory of Motivation for Auto Racing Spectators (IMARS) for the model confirmation
The 5-factor IMARS elaborates necessary multidimensional factors of consumer motivation in auto racing sport with consideration of individuals and social context that impact the behavior of sport spectators
Summary
Auto racing competition has been challenging the top three professional sports in America and draws average 85 million fans per year to the racetracks for their leisure time. [1] National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) reported that the fans have filled the seats over 1,500 races in nearly 40 states across America and other countries (Canada, Japan, Australia, Mexico) for major competitions (e. g, Sprint Cup, Camping World Truck Series) and various regional racing series. [2] the auto racing sport has been ranked the number one of fan attendance in single sport event, the number two in regular season sport television viewership, and the number three in the licensed sales among major professional sports in the United States. [1, 3, 4] Researchers of sport economics cited that auto racing was the most influential sport and provided significant economic impacts to the nation and region. [3, 4] For instance, the overall economic impact to a region of South Carolina reached $46.22 million for only two-weekend events. [3] The fans have contributed $6,762 million to supporting near 50,000 jobs in the auto race industry and have paid more than three billion dollars to the licensed products and services each year. [1]While researchers provided explicit evidences on tremendous impacts of economics from NASCAR events, studies of leisure and sport marketing have remained relatively silent in presentations of consumer motivation in the auto racing industry. [1, 3, 4] Even if the NASCAR spectators made the top crowd of single event in professionalAmerican Journal of Sports Science 2019; 7(3): 78-87 sports, limited research effort has been given to finding reasons of why the fans were willing to spend money for watching this particular sport. [3] In other words, what were the motives causing them to consume auto racing for leisure? What were the factors affecting their determination to attend the social events? How could the sport marketers collect and interpret the data and synthesize information for marketing decisions? In investigation of consumer behavior, of such larger attendant population, there must be meaningful variables that would be different from other findings of spectator motivation as regards to their preferences and related to their psychological and social needs in the auto racing sport. Auto racing competition has been challenging the top three professional sports in America and draws average 85 million fans per year to the racetracks for their leisure time. [2] the auto racing sport has been ranked the number one of fan attendance in single sport event, the number two in regular season sport television viewership, and the number three in the licensed sales among major professional sports in the United States. While researchers provided explicit evidences on tremendous impacts of economics from NASCAR events, studies of leisure and sport marketing have remained relatively silent in presentations of consumer motivation in the auto racing industry. In investigation of consumer behavior, of such larger attendant population, there must be meaningful variables that would be different from other findings of spectator motivation as regards to their preferences and related to their psychological and social needs in the auto racing sport.
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