NASCAR and diving?????

[fisheyeview]

Originally Posted by DennisS

Nascar just seems like it has nothing to do with diving. I could almost see getting involved with the racing hydroplanes, like Miss Budweiser, at least they're boats. Stock cars just don't have any connection. A dive business sticker on a NASCAR vehicle isn't about diving.

But the color scheme of the cars and the uniforms are dive flags.

[dannobee]

Well, I don't know what the two have in common, but then again what do race cars and Hooters or Nextel have in common? They both sponsor series, not just cars.

I do know that I was a Nascar Crew Chief for about 5 years (local touring stuff), and I dive. Maybe it's more common than people realize.

[PhilEllis]

I watch NASCAR on television, but I have never been to a live NASCAR race. I guess I could be called a fan, but I am not a rabid fan.

No state holder in scuba diving has NEVER done anything that would reach a target audience of non-divers. NASCAR, regardless what you personally think about it, reaches EXACTLY the demographic that we sould want in the scuba industry.....dedicated participants, well above average financial standing, more than average recreational time available....the list is long as to why we would want scuba and NASCAR connected.

This kid Ray Black, Jr. is a record breaker. He is the youngest driver ever to be awarded a NASCAR drivers license, he had a GREAT season in his first year, he is apparently exceptionally talented, and they plan to run the NASCAR Bush East series for 2008, the fastest growning part of the NASCAR program.

It is also sad to report that only NAUI, Atomic Aquatics, and DAN have signed up to be primary sponsors. Just the revenue from three of Aqualungs Dive Training magazine adds would make a gigantic difference to Team Scuba. DEMA members should be livid that DEMA is not only NOT supporting this effort, but they are almost hostile to it. I have some comment on this issue on my divesportsblog......

Industry Split on NASCAR Involvement

Just imagine if this kid lead one or two televisied NASCAR Bush East races. The cable television auidence for this series is expected to be hundreds of thousands. A scuba car, with a television camera constantly trained, for 2 or 3 hours? How can you buy that anywhere else?

There are those (divers) that don't want the industry expanded and they don't want anymore divers. Many activities have those that want the door closed after they get through. Like it or not, ALL of our diving is made better when there are more participants. We need new divers. It is good for everyone. Ray Black and his race team may be able to get us some.

Phil Ellis

[rookers]

I have been surprised by the popularity of NASCAR, but then again, you can get people to watch others:
Golf
Bowl
Play Cards (what? you can't play cards yourself?)

More of an F1 guy myself, or at least some sort of road course. I really only like these things in person, don't care for TV much.

There probably is some overlap between the NASCAR audience and potential OW/cattle boat divers.

Surely I am feeling surly this morning, 4" more snow on top of the 18" we already have can do that to a fella'.

[MikeFerrara]

Originally Posted by PhilEllis

There are those (divers) that don't want the industry expanded and they don't want anymore divers. Many activities have those that want the door closed after they get through. Like it or not, ALL of our diving is made better when there are more participants. We need new divers. It is good for everyone. Ray Black and his race team may be able to get us some.

Phil Ellis

There are some advantages to having more participants especially when there is a need to lobby government. However, I disagree that "ALL of our diving is made better when there are more participants.". It's simply not true. Some of our dive sites are just going to chit. Often times, quantity is not so important as quality!

Around here we see a pretty large crop of new divers every year. New divers, new divemaster and new instructors. The interesting thing is that the diving crowd doesn't seem to get much larger. The faces just change from year to year...where do they go? I'd submit that there are things that could be done that would improve diver retention that would not only result in more divers but improve quality. An additional "plus" is that those people have already been sold on diving and you don't have to spend a bunch to advertise to them.

In simple terms, maybe there's just a problem with theQUALITY of the products being offered by the diving industry.

Signs are one way to advertise. All the strugling, wallowing divers who really aren't having all that much fun does plenty of advertising too, just not in a good way.

[NetDoc]

Phil, some people spend their whole lives trying to think "outside of the box" and never realize that they built the box they are trying to get out of. Sure it's important to advertise to our current divers, but it's so important to get divers from other sports! We excel at advertising to ourselves but we need to advertise outside of our box!!!

It's like forums trying to use ScubaBoard to increase their membership! Why? it's only competing for users who have already found a home. They would serve Scuba BEST by going after those who are not already involved in a community! You won't catch me trying to get users from other scuba sites. Instead, you will find me partnering with printed media, broadcast media and things just like Team Scuba!

Let's face it. For our sport to grow, we need to add NEW FACES. Skiers, skaters, cyclists, boaters, NASCAR enthusiasts, tiddly winkers and add your favorite sport here! I would recommend that all of should visit some non-scuba related forums and put your favorite Scuba Forum in your sig line THERE! I am on at least a half dozen other communities that are not dive related and you can bet that is in my sig line!

[NetDoc]

Originally Posted by MikeFerrara

I'd submit that there are things that could be done that would improve diver retention that would not only result in more divers but improve quality.

You mean like... getting them involved in an Online Scuba Community? I heartily agree!

[DVDiveGuy]

If you all want to know what NASCAR has to do with diving maybe you should get a copy of the television show that did a story on Jeff Gordon and went diving with him. As one of the biggest names in the sport maybe he could tell you what would attract the same people to both.

[reginthemouth]

Here are the NASCAR fans demnographics....
Some of you were saying that we should want that "young crowd" in diving... 70% are 35 or more!
And as for the "money" in the NASCAR crowd, I would look elsewhere.
HAve a look at this:

NASCAR FANS

Gender distribution
Male 60%
Female 40%

Age distribution
U.S. pop. NASCAR fans
18-34 32% 32%
35-44 21% 26%
45+ 47% 43%


Income distribution
U.S. pop. NASCAR fans
$30-50,000 22% 29%
$50-75,000 18% 22%
$75-100,000 12% 12%
$100,000+ 9% 8%


Regional distribution
U.S. pop. NASCAR fans
Northeast 20% 20%
Midwest 23% 24%
South 35% 38%
West 21% 19%


Source: NASCAR

[jeraldjcook]

Originally Posted by reginthemouth

And as for the "money" in the NASCAR crowd, I would look elsewhere.

NASCAR FANS

Income distribution
U.S. pop. NASCAR fans
$30-50,000 22% 29%
$50-75,000 18% 22%
$75-100,000 12% 12%
$100,000+ 9% 8%

A quick Google search brings up that there are an estimated 75 million NASCAR fans in the US. That's 6,750,000 people who make more than $100,000 a year and 9,000,000 who make $75,000 - $100,000. Sure doesn't look to me like they are throwing away their advertising dollars.

Originally Posted by reginthemouth

Some of you were saying that we should want that "young crowd" in diving... 70% are 35 or more!

Again, that's still 22,500,000 people under the age of 35. And at age 35, most still aren't anywhere close to being in their prime income earning years. Not everyone can be under 35 and make $100,000+ a year.

And who would have guessed NASCAR is the most popular in the South.