How do I get a sponsor??

[FURY 66]

I know I just run a hobby/purestock class ,but does anyone know how I could get a little help with expenses,or is it just who you know?Asked my accountant about making a business out of this,or keep it a hobby,he's getting back to me.HELP,lol.
Thanks- MIKE

[racemkt]

Furry 66,
I have just recently begun to take the business/sponsorship part of this seriously. I am set up as a business and the car isn't even done yet! There are some books out there that I have found very helpful.

1) "Stalking the Motorsports Sponsor" this is an old book written in the 1970's. The pictures, wording and $ figures used are very funny because of their age but the overall concept is excellent!
It is a cheap book and is easy to read & understand.

2) "The Great Money Hunt" This sucker is expensive! It's about 1" thick. I am dissapointed with the editing, (mistakes, etc..) It ruins your concentration when you are reading. But it is up to date. It gives a LOT of detail and step-by-step plans for dealing with sponsorship at a serious level. Lots of example proposals, letters and stories about what to do. (and not to do!)

Over the past 2-3 years, I've talked with a lot of people, gone to a lot of semminars and looked at a lot of stuff on the subject. There are two common things that keep comming up; A) Doing it right, even for the hobby stock guys like us is a HUGE ammount of work! B) It's not about racing! it's about how you can use racing to help them make money! A good start is to have some business cards made and do up some letterhead on your P.C. I hope this is helpful!

[Dak_Yoda]

RACEMKT....you live in Holden, MA........I live in Holden, MA.

this board wouldnt let me email you or send private msg., but i was wondering, where do you race? at thompson? what class?

I'm 23 and doing whatever i can to get into racing, last summer i was helping out on the #10 late model team down at thompson, anyway so are you still building the car and stuff?

let me know if you need any help working on it or whatever cause i'd be more than happy to come by and help.

-Nick H.

[MOPARVANN]

You have a better chance of getting your local dealer as a sponsor than any of your competition. Chances are you are the only MOPAR running and this will make you stand out. My sponser is 80 miles from where I live and it is another 80 miles to where we run, but every time we get to the track he hears about it. The main thing to remember is always race clean and keep your car respectable, after all you are representing you sponsor.

When I first finished the car I loaded it on the trailer all clean and shiney with fresh paint and pulled into the dealership. Before I could get out of the truck there were 3 salesmen and the owner all trying to climb into the car. Since that day I have proudly displayed DORMAN DODGE---SANDERSVILLE GEORGIA on my dart. My secondary sponsors are the ones that I bought parts or services from and they give me a discount for the advertising that I place on the car.

Thanks to:
HILLSIDE MOTORS--MACON GEORGIA
DOODLES AUTO PARTS--MACON GEORGIA BENS RADIATOR--MACON GEORGIA

[FURY 66]

Appreciate it guys,it's a start.I am the only Mopar at the track and I can't wait till they see the charger over last years fifth ave.thanks again
MIKE

[racemkt]

DAK-YODA,

Yes for better or for worse I live in Holden, Ma. We do run Thompson. Last year I played crew chief on the #05 Pro-Stock. (Ron Rice, Worcester, Mass.) He just purchased a new chassis, sorry guys it's a GM, can't talk him into a mopar. We will use the # 55 this season. My own car has ben put on hold temporarily. I just bought another business (like I'm not poor enough already!) Since all my time and money has gone into the new store, I may just work on the Pro-Stock this year.
Anyway, my car is an E body front clip w/ square tube side rails and a square tube rear clip from the axle centerline back. It will be a Limited Sortsman. it has a '73 cuda body. I also have 3 wrecked A- body Darts that I bought for parts. Two were Thompson cars the other was a Waterford car that never ran! The E bodys' cage actually came from one of these parts cars.
I appreciate the offer to help, but there isn't much happening right now. Once the season starts we would be more than happy to have you help with the car. We could use it! E-Mail; Racemkt@aol.com

[Dak_Yoda]

sound good, i'll email you once the season starts.

[9dodge]

Always remember it's not what they can do for you, it's what you can do for them.
It takes a lot of time, and if you don't have the time try to find someone who does. I have a friend who does it all for me, (thank GOD). I tried for years to do it all myself, and I did land money giving sponsors, but the time involved was great. Now I just sit back and let my friend do all the work. He's already got me $5000.00, (checks cashed).
Work with friends, it's not what you know it's who you know.
Get right to the guy that writes the check, he's the one you want.
Be very business like, make every sponsor feel like they are giving you $10,000 even though they only bought you 4 tires, cuz the next year they will give more.
3 years ago I got a sponsor that started with $250.00 and their name across the windshield, now's it $14,000 dollars and tee shirts, cards, web site, etc. Our series has grown to where we now need $30,000 dollars to be competetive and win a championship. Stick with it, free parts is just like money.

Michael

[FURY 66]

thanks 9dodge,I guess the hardest part would be asking,I asked local salvage yards and the answer was no,the track is around an hour away,so I guess i would be better off hitting that area.Those books mentioned above might be helpful.How much of your budget is out of your pocket now?not trying to be nosy,just curious.I don't plan on leaving this sport for a long time.I know I'm just getting started at thirty,but I did get fifth in the points and rookie of the year for my first year,there is no stopping me now,lol. Thanks Mike

[AVENGER29]

Not to be a dark cloud, but winning helps a little or being different, racing Dodges not hard to be different, but winning in a Dodge, make its even better. I agree a good place to start is your local Dodge dealer. The odds are always against you, what ever you think it will cost, add 50% to it then multiply it by 2 and you might be close to the true cost.
Always remember that we did this for pleasure mostly,very few of us do it for a living!!!!!
We run a very hot hobby stock,we spend easily 10 to 15k a season, and now we are moving forward into 2 other race programs we are finishing a new 2000 square feet shop to race from. Before our season is over we will be racing 3 cars in 3 different classes. Unlike most we have corporate help, who we knew got us there!!! Peeling my Dodge emblems off and replacing them with Blue Ovals would get us a bunch more help, but im a sucker for punishment. Good luck!!
avenger

[mr_340]

I think 9Dodge is on the right track. Keep in mind your potential sponsor is running a business, not a charity. Sponsorship is basically marketing, you are trying to promote their product/service. I see many race cars with the sponsors names on the side of the car in small lettering. Are the racers leaving room for a bigger sponsor? I'd be kind of pissed if I was giving someone money and all I get is a tiny logo on the side of the car with his name in HUGE LETTERS or CAR NUMBER. I have a friend that ran an alcohol funny car years ago and his name was in one foot high letters on the side of the car, but his sponsor had 4" high letters on the quarter panel area. The sponsor wanted his name on his race trailer and the racer had a hissy fit over that. I'm sure the sponsorship ran into the multi-thousands of dollars a year. You are there to PROMOTE your sponsor. Most racers do a crappy job of it from what I see at the races. Pay attention to what the big guys are doing, making personal appearances, mentioning the sponsor during interviews, etc.

[FURY 66]

thanks guys,it is very helpful,but for my second year ,what do I shoot for as far as money goes.I mean ,gas,tires,parts or all of the above.i KNOW THAT i WILL WIN RACES THIS YEAR.I raced my purestock against hobby stocks 2 times this winter and finished a respectable 8th and 9th out of 20 plus cars at a diffrent track,just for the seat time. Just have to have an idea so I don't get laughed at off the lot.lol. thanks for the advice guys. MIKE

[mr_340]

Think about it in terms on how much more additional sales you can bring to your sponsor. If you can bring them $1 million in sales, then you probably can get maybe $100k or more. If you can bring them only $100 in additional sales, then they probably aren't going to bother with you unless they like racing and like having someone to hang with at the track. How many personal appearances are you willing to make over a one year period? Think about it in these terms and I think you can add them up and present that to a potential sponsor. Does their business demographics match the people in the stands watching you race? Just some thoughts on how to approach this stuff.

[9dodge]

Be creative also, if you have somebody who might be intrested in doing something for you, clean up your race car, stick it on the trailer and tow it to them. We all know how many looks we get as we go down the street. Find a local car show and enter the car. It gets around that you race. You can then tell a sponsor that you enter car show, which produces more exsposure than just on the race track. Get with the local high school auto shop, tell the teacher you want to do a day or class of "race car science"
again, it goes down as community activities and sponsors love that. Think of it like this from a sponsors view, " lets see I give this guy $500.00 and he shows it only at the race track to 2000 people a week, or I give this other guy $500.00 and he does some school stuff, gets his name in the paper" who would you go with? I've done this, and it has paid off. Time consuming yes, but if you want to race on someone elses dime, it what you got to do. Find a pizza place that is willing to give you 500 pizzas free over the next year and you will put their name on your car, and you'll show it at their place of business. Then go out and find a money sponsor for say $1000.00, and if he gives you a thousand dollars you will throw in 250 free pizzas that he can give to employees, or have a party with, whatever. They then feel they are getting more for their money, and your helping them.
Anyway, I'm getting carried away here, but I;'m sure you get the picture.

Michael

[Dak_Yoda]

damn, that's some good advice. where can i get more advise like that?

i dont even race yet, but i definitly plan to, what advice do you have for getting started if I'm real serious and want to make it a career, i know its hard but i want to start off on the right foot.

what do you think of driving schools etc? or should i just buy a car and jump into it?

[FURY 66]

It is great advice and it gives me a real piece of mind of what I want to do,the car doesn't look that good for a car show,but I do understand what you mean.Hope I can find someone, thanks again guys,MIKE

[racemkt]

Dak-Yoda,
send me an E-mail (Racemkt@aol.com) I'll give you my phone #. & we'll get together. I've got a lot of info on schools and programs around the country teaching racing stuff. (fabrication, set-ups, management etc..)

[9dodge]

I did the bondurant school at sears point when I was 19, just to see if I had the right stuff. Racing schools are good, if you want to make sure you do have what it takes behind the wheel.
I did the richard petty school, 2 years ago just for fun at Las Vegas, it was a blast, but they don't teach you like Bondurant did.
They kicked me off at the petty school, but it was still fun.

Michael

[racemkt]

Hey 9 Dodge...
Don't feel bad, Petty threw Pete Hamilton out because he was faster than they were too!