More than any other sport, racing provides a setting where female athletes compete directly with male athletes on equal footing—and with better than equal media exposure, thanks to the small number of female drivers. This is especially true for talented, competitive women drivers such as Sondi Eden.

And while their popularity cuts across lines of gender, age, and income, women drivers hold a special place in the hearts (and wallets) of female fans, who comprise more than 33% of Indy Lights fans and more than 40% of Indy Racing League fans.

According to the Trend Sight Group, women make and/or influence buying decisions for:
  • 83% of consumer product purchases
  • 83% of personal finance and family investing
  • 80% of home improvement purchases
  • 66% of home computer purchases
  • 60% of new car purchases
  • 55% of consumer electronics purchases
Furthermore, single women head 27% of all US households, and in 85% of married households, women take care of the checkbook and pay the bills.

“Women’s sports have something else to offer—a cause,” says Tom Fox, Gatorade’s vice president of sports and event marketing. “There is pride in our company from empowering women through sports.”

According to the Cone/Roper Study, a benchmark survey of consumer awareness and attitudes towards cause-related marketing:
  • 99% of women consider sponsorship of women in sports to be important.
  • 83% of Americans have a more positive image of companies that support a cause they care about.
  • 65% of consumers will switch to a brand associated with a cause when price/quality are equal.