Web traffic spikes at indycar.com

The unification of open-wheel racing under the IndyCar Series banner has already resulted in increased car counts and a renewed interest among sponsors and fans. Another sign of the growing excitement surrounding the unified IndyCar Series is the drastic increase in web traffic at the series’ official Web site, www.indycar.com. The site, which unveiled a new, improved design in March, has seen tremendous growth since the beginning of the year.

Unique visits, the most accurate statistical measurement of a Web site’s visitation, have increased dramatically in every major section of indycar.com. The home page has seen at least a 90 percent increase in unique visits each month since January. Visits to the 2008 IndyCar Series schedule section have more than doubled each month. IndyCar Nation, a popular feature on the site that allows fans to connect to the series by designing paint schemes, submitting fan photos, and discussing the series in IndyCar Nation Talkback, saw a 243 percent increase in unique visits from February to March alone.

Statistics show that a solid portion of the increased site activity is comprised of first-time visitors to the site, a healthy indicator of growing interest in IndyCar Series racing. At least a quarter of the total visitors to the Web site each month in 2008 have been new visitors.

The growth in web traffic to the site has also provided a great platform for IndyCar Series sponsors to gain exposure to a growing fan base. IndyCar Race Control, a dynamic new way for fans to watch IndyCar Series racing online, is being presented by DirecTV. Firestone is sponsoring the “Tire-ific Move of the Race" fan pole, and PEAK Motor Oil is sponsoring the “Speed Read" feature on the Web site. The growing readership statistics are generating interest in future sponsorship opportunities as well.