CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE SUITING FOR FEMALE RACE CAR DRIVERS: A STUDY FOR APPAREL DESIGNERS AND APPAREL MANUFACTURERS A graduate project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences By Africa De Broeck in collaboration with Ann Huebner May 2017 Copyright by Africa De Broeck with Ann Huebner 2017. ii The graduate project of Africa De Broek is approved: ____________________________________ ________________ Yoko Mimura, Ph.D. Date ____________________________________ ________________ Hira Cho, Ph.D. Date ____________________________________ ________________ Wei Cao, Ph.D., Chair Date California State University, Northridge iii DEDICATION This graduate project is dedicated to my husband Michael De Broeck and my two daughters, Matilda and Athena De Broeck. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENT I would like to thank God for the growing and learning experience I had during the completion of a Masters’ Degree. With His help my Faith has also strengthened. I would like to express my gratitude to my committee members, Dr. Hira Cho and Dr. Yoko Mimura, who supported my efforts in writing this graduate project. A special appreciation to my Chair, Dr. Wei Cao, for all of her support while completing this thesis project. I would like to thank my co-author Ann Huebner who has made this thesis project possible. Without her, I would probably had given up. Words cannot express how grateful I am, thank you Ann. A sincere thank you to mother-in-law Rosa De Broeck, who selflessly cared for Matilda and Athena every step of the way. Thank you Grandma Rosa for all of your loving support. And last but not least, a very special thank you to my mother Leticia, my sister Nataly, and my brother Armando for being my number one supporters. v TABLE OF CONTENTS COPYRIGHT ii SIGNATURE PAGE iii DEDICATION iv ACKNOWLEDGMENT v LIST OF TABLES vii ABSTRACT viii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF LITERATURE 10 CHAPTER III: METHODS 19 CHAPTER IV: RESULTS 24 CHAPTER V: DISCUSSION 32 REFERENCES 41 APPENDIX A: Addendum 49 APPENDIX B: Participant Waiver 51 APPENDIX C: Survey 52 APPENDIX D: Instrument Item References 56 vi LIST OF TABLES Table 1- Mean and Standard Deviation of Satisfaction Level of Functional Elements 26 Table 2- Mean and Standard Deviation of Satisfaction Level of Expression Elements 27 Table 3- Mean and Standard Deviation of Satisfaction Level of Aesthetics Elements 28 vii ABSTRACT SUITING FOR FEMALE RACECAR DRIVERS: A STUDY FOR APPAREL DESIGNERS AND APPAREL MANUFACTURERS By Africa De Broeck Master of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences More and more women are becoming professional motorsport athletes, but not finding professional racing suits in the marketplace. Most racing suits currently available are designed as unisex, but actually made to fit the male body. Applying the Function Expression Aesthetic Consumer Needs Model, this study involved 74 professional female motorsport athletes who participated in an online survey to measure their current satisfaction with racing suits in the marketplace. Results from the data collected showed that female motorsport athletes were more satisfied with the functional component than the expressive and aesthetic components. This study will assist apparel designers and manufacturers fulfill the apparel needs of this niche market. Automobile racing, Corporate sponsorship, Fit, FEA model, Female Racecar Drivers viii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION The first professional motorsport race took place in 1895 on the country roads of France. Dressed in regular street clothes, the two male competitors raced for two full days reaching an average speed of 15 miles per hour (mph). Just over a century later, the motorsport industry has exploded into a global phenomenon generating billions of dollars. Blockbuster movies such as “Talladega Nights” “Fast and Furious” and “Days of Thunder” have reflected the popularity of motorsports in the American culture. The animated Pixar film “Cars” has been one of the most successful in the company’s history Box Office History (1997-2017). It is estimated that the American motorsport organization, National Association for Stock Car Racing (NASCAR) brought in almost $3 billion in sponsorship contracts in 2012. In contrast, the National Football League (NFL) brought in only $1.5 billion (Odland, 2012). Although NASCAR may be the most recognized name in motorsports, many other motorsport organizations have been created on a global scale, and are thriving. Organizations such as NHRA, National Hot Rod Association, Rally Racing, Rock Racing and Kart Sport Racing are growing large fan bases of their own with both men and women. Athletes competing in motorsports face dangers that other professional athletes may not. It is estimated that race car drivers reach an average of 200 mph at the famous Indy 500 (Marot, 2016). To minimize fire danger and death, professional motorsport organizations like NASCAR began to require both drivers and crew members wear professional fireproof racing suits by the 1960s. The industry approved racing suit was designed to minimize the inherent danger that all motorsport athletes encounter driving 1 at high speeds. As the success of the fireproof racing suits became apparent in the sport of car racing, many other motorsports adopted this requirement. Currently, both the United States and European countries have non-profit organizations that regulate fire suit requirements for racers and crew members. By the 1950s only a few women were racing professionally; however, women are now entering many motorsports in record numbers (LVmotorsport.com, 2015; Benjamin, 2015). As more women enter the motorsport industry as professional drivers, they are experiencing frustration with the lack of industry approved driving suits in the marketplace. Professional female motorsport athletes are looking for racing suits that allow them to function at full capacity while expressing their personal tastes and aesthetic preferences. The Popularity of Professional Motorsports NASCAR is the most well- known motorsport league and is the number one spectator sport in the United States boasting 75 million fans (Odland, 2012). According to NASCAR vice president Jim O’Connell, NASCAR races were broadcast in over 150 countries and translated into over 30 languages (Rines, 2008). NASCAR now has a global reach, as it has expanded into Mexico and is partnering with other motorsport organizations such as Whelen Motors in England. These partnerships have broadened the NASCAR fan base in both South America and the European market (Odland, 2012). NASCAR is not the only professional racing organization popular in England. Formula One is the most recognized and lucrative car racing organizations in England, expanding every year. England is also the home of the highly- rated television show Top Gear which focuses exclusively on motorsports. Like NASCAR, Formula One has 2 expanded into other markets, most notably the Asian market. In 2012 Formula One hosted their Grand Prix race in Singapore. Singapore hosted six out of their twenty Asian races during 2012 (Spurgen, 2012). Both, China and Japan, also created their professional car racing organizations and eventually joined forces to form Asian Touring Car Championship. Motorsports is a Lucrative Business Motorsports incorporates many types of racing organizations, which collectively are some of the most lucrative in the world (Gage, 2006; Knight & Torre, 2013). For example, the average value of a NASCAR racing team is approximate $143 million with each racing team generating approximately $100 million each year (Odland, 2012). Professional race car drivers in NASCAR have attracted major global corporations as sponsors. Some of these sponsors include McDonald's, Target, Mobile Oil and Budweiser (Odland, 2012). The infamous Daytona race track in Florida received a $400 million renovation in 2016 in anticipation of a prosperous future (Hembree, 2016). The overall economic influence of NASCAR has been noted in recent years because the league has added positive value too many communities, increasing local property values (Coates & Gearheart, 2008). Other international racing organizations like Formula One car in England continues to increase the financial reward for winning a race. For example, the prize money for Formula One grew $20 million from 2014 to 2015 (Sylt, 2015). Motorsports is Unique in the World of Professional Competitive Sports Professional motorsports are unique in the world of sports. Unlike team sports like football and basketball, professional car racing is considered an individual 3 competitive sport that inspires fan loyalty both nationally and globally. It is also unique because male and female drivers compete against each other. Individual Sports vs. Team Sports There are two types of leagues in professional competitive sports, team leagues, and individual sports leagues. The National Football League (NFL) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) are considered team sports leagues. The National Association of Stock Car Racing (NASCAR) is considered an individual sports league. The NASCAR season lasts a full nine months. In contrast, professional football and basketball seasons last approximately four months, respectively. Professional stock racing draws more spectators than professional football or basketball games in The United States (Newman & Giardina, 2010). The maximum seating in auditoriums that host professional football or basketball games is 60,000