Champ Car World Series Building its Hispanic Fan Base
In a new study recently conducted by Scarborough Research, a firm that analyzes demographic and audience figures, the percentage of Hispanic attendees at Champ Car events has increased from 17.9 percent in 2006 to 21.3 percent in 2007. The new study also shows that those attending Champ Car races are 47 percent more likely than the national average to be Hispanic.
A breakdown of the study shows that 35.1 percent of Hispanic Champ Car attendees are between the ages of 25 to 34. Where TV is concerned, 30.5 percent of the Hispanic viewers are between the ages of 18 and 24.
“These are impressive figures to note as we continue to seek ways to reach out to Hispanic fans, who have been major supporters of Champ Car for years," said Champ Car President and CEO Steve Johnson. “Over the years we have had a number of Hispanic drivers and sponsors, and we also have staged races in Mexico and areas of the U.S. with large Hispanic populations. Our own research also has indicated that Hispanic sports fans love the Champ Car form of open-wheel racing."
The study also shows that 38.4 percent of Hispanic Champ Car attendees are female while 19.6 percent of Hispanic attendees earn more than $100,000 annually. Another figure shows that 19.6 percent of Hispanic attendees come from a Mexican background. Champ Car boasts the highest percentage of Hispanic attendees of any sport other than Major League Soccer.
“You see some interesting figures when you break them down into categories, but the one that has Champ Car attracting the highest percentage of Hispanic fans over every other sport except pro soccer is gratifying," Johnson says. “This is something we definitely can build on for the future."
For 2008, the Champ Car World Series will race in U.S. Hispanic markets such as Long Beach (April 20), Houston (April 27) and Monterey, Cal. (May 18), as well as a new event in Jerez, Spain (June 8), and the season finale in Mexico City, Mexico (Nov. 9). Champ Car PR