INDYCAR and RACER Extend Media Alliance for 2019

Oct. 3, IRVINE, Calif. & INDIANAPOLIS – It’s clear that INDYCAR and RACER are a good fit judging by the increase in audience traffic on RACER.com thus far in 2018. 

Led by coverage of the Verizon INDYCAR Series, through the period ending September 30, 2018, audience traffic on  RACER.com has increased 15.9% over the same period in 2017. In that time, 25 of the Top-50 most viewed stories on RACER.com are INDYCAR-related. 

In order to keep a good thing going, INDYCAR and RACER will extend their official media alliance into 2019.

“INDYCAR and RACER have shown tremendous momentum in recent years,” said C.J. O’Donnell, chief marketing officer of INDYCAR and Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “Working together, we plan to continue delivering the highest quality of sports coverage and news to our fans across INDYCAR Nation. The extension of this partnership is another smart way we will continue to elevate the teams, drivers and technology that make INDYCAR the fastest-growing form of motorsport in the U.S.”

As part of this agreement, RACER will once again publish a standalone special issue previewing the 2019 INDYCAR Series, along with providing exclusive content to INDYCAR’s  official website. The RACER Week in INDYCAR e-newsletter, featuring columns from RACER contributors Robin Miller and Marshall Pruett plus a recap of the week’s news, will continue going out to over 18,500 RACER Daily Bulletin subscribers. Members of INDYCAR Nation will also receive the lowest RACER print and digital subscription rates.

“Since RACER’s founding, INDYCAR has been a cornerstone of all the motorsports coverage that we provide,” said Paul Pfanner, Founder and CEO of Racer Media & Marketing, Inc. “Our readers have a nearly insatiable appetite for INDYCAR content, so it’s little surprise that INDYCAR has been the biggest driver of our growth online. We’re looking forward to next year already, and the opportunity to deliver some of the most insightful and colorful coverage of INDYCAR to be found anywhere.” 

Audience traffic trends bear out the INDYCAR coverage correlation. The season-opening month of March, the month of May culminating with the Indy 500 and the season-ending month of September were all record-setting months on RACER.com. The U.S. market, which represents 81% of the total traffic on RACER.com, grew in 2018 by nearly 27% over the prior year.

The INDYCAR 2019 Season Preview Special Issue will mail with the Spring issue on March 4. 

About INDYCAR:

INDYCAR is the governing body of: the Verizon IndyCar Series, the premier open-wheel racing series in North America; the Mazda Road to Indy presented by Cooper Tires development ladder, which includes Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires, the Pro Mazda Championship presented by Cooper Tires and the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship powered by Mazda; and the Battery Tender Global MX-5 Cup presented by BF Goodrich Tires. INDYCAR events are available to a worldwide audience through a variety of multimedia platforms, highlighted by a broad-reaching partnerships NBC Sports. INDYCAR is continually at the forefront of motorsports innovation with drivers, teams and tracks benefiting from safety and technological improvements such as the SAFER Barrier, SWEMS wheel and chassis component tethers, chassis enhancements, advanced aerodynamic bodywork kits and high-definition in-car cameras.