QuestionMy name is Leszek, I’m a marketing management student at Ryerson University. I’m currently in the middle of a research project and presentation, which looks into and analyzes the various aspects of the NASCAR sport product and its various promotional & marketing efforts. As a required element of my assignment, I must receive a portion of the information about NASCAR directly from an official source via email. I realize the value of your time and would greatly appreciate even the smallest input on some or all of the questions I need to answer. If you are unable to answer these questions, could you please forward them to somebody in your organization that could have some insight.
Questions:
(1) How does licensing work in NASCAR? Who owns the rights to the NASCAR trademark? Who much does a licence cost (i.e. Royalties and other fees)? Who owns the rights to the Nextel, Busch, & Craftsman series trademarks? Who owns the rights to the drivers’/teams’ likeness?
(2) Cost of a single event? How much does its costs and where do the revenues come from to cover the costs? (Sponsorship? Ticket Sales? Participating Teams/Drivers?)
(3) What event packages are offered? What are some of their main features and prices? Who controls the package/ticket sales? (NASCAR? Individual tracks? Individual / official sales agents?)
(4) How are ticket revenues split up? What percentage, goes to whom? (NASCAR, drivers, track owners, etc...)
(5) Pricing, perks, benefits, strategies for concessions, luxury seating, parking and tickets?
Sincerely,
Leszek L.
Marketing Management student
Ryerson University
AnswerHi Leszek,
I am not technically an offical of NASCAR, I just know a lot about it. So I might as well be offical. I can answer a few questions here and there, but I know more about the actual racing aspect.
1) The NASCAR trademark is owned by the people who own NASCAR. From 1948 when it was founded, to the present that has been the France family. It was Bill France Sr, to Bill France Jr, and once he died a few months back, it is now in the hands of Brian France. The NEXTEL, BUSCH and CRAFTSMAN are owned by their respective corporations. As for the drivers and team's likeness, that is a varied situation. Teams like Dale Earnhardt Inc, or Hendrick Motorsports, the likeness is owned by that team, which boils down to the president of the team. Drivers are normally their own owner in terms of what products he will or will not endorse. Unless you are Dale Earnhardt Jr and have your team owner decide that for you. Technically, Dale Jr didn't own the rights to his own name or likeness.
2) This is one i don't know. I do know that the revenue is generated by NASCAR from Nextel, and a portion of what the drivers make will factor into that.
3) There are quite a few event packages. One option is the race itself. You show up on race day, watch the race, get up and leave. Another is the qualifying package. This gives you access to watch the cars qualify for the race, about 2 days before the race. This also comes with the access to the race on race day. Another yet is still the NEXTEL and BUSCH package, watch the nextel cup and busch series guys both race and qualify. This normally goes from Friday to Sunday. The Craftsman truck series is considered the minors and the tickets are pretty cheap in comparasion with the other two. Another feature you can add on to your package is garage access. You can walk up and down pit road and view, from a distance, the garage while the teams work on their cars.
4) This is one i dont know.
5) The cheap seats in NASCAR are about $75 a person. These are those hard metal bleachers that is so close to the track that you couldnt hear a band if they played right next to you. The most luxurious a common person could buy is about $200-300. After are the boxes and suites, owned or rented by private companies, oftentime a sponsor in the race.
NASCAR's email is nascar@turner.com or fanfeedback@nascar.com.
NASCAR's mailing address is:
1801 W. International Speed Blvd
Daytona Beach, FL, 32114
(386) 253-0611
(386) 253-8804
I wish i could be of more help!
Coy Jordan
(Sorry it took so long, I had some stuff to do for my own college at Angelina College!!)
