Date of Defense

4-20-2007

Department

Management

First Advisor

Pam Rooney, Business Information Systems

Second Advisor

David Flanagan, Management

Abstract

Today, NASCAR easily destroys the Indy Racing League and the Champ Car World Series in ratings and attendance. NASCAR recently signed multi-million dollar deals with FOX, TNT, and ABC/ESPN to give these channels the privilege of broadcasting the races. NASCAR is a constant fixture on the Speed Channel and now has a daily show on ESPN2. However, in recent years NASCAR has also been attempting to jettison any and all of its blue-collar image, which originally helped propel NASCAR into the national spotlight, in an attempt to go mainstream and continue an unsustainable level of growth. The first two chapters of this thesis, Everywhere You Look: NASCAR in Merchandise and Stroker Ace, Cole Trickle, and Ricky Bobby: NASCAR at the Movies and Beyond, deal further with NASCAR's effort to portray itself as mainstream.

Access Setting

Honors Thesis-Campus Only

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