Gone Racin��Looking for sponsors

 It always happens when guys start bench racing, that they reminisce about the good ol� days, when a person could go racing without having to look for additional money or sponsorship. Whether this was truly a �Golden Age� raises a moot point, for many will argue that from the very beginning, money and sponsorship played a key role in the development of Motorsports racing. If, indeed, there was a time when racing was cheap, it must also be pointed out that our salaries were also very low in comparison. It was also common then, as it is now, to have family and friends help out, and few racers can campaign their cars (or boats and motorcycles) without a team effort. There are various levels of racing that are still inexpensive; Jr Drag racing and Street Legal Drag racing for examples. They are forms that can be financed through a �Mom and Pop� team, with a little help from friends and extended family members. As with any endeavor, the higher our expectations and the greater the results that we expect, the greater are the demands that we spend more time, money and improved management skills. Many racers drop out of their sport due to the lack of resources, not because they lack the talent to race. Sponsorship will help stabilize your racing team but is not the cure to all of your racing problems.

 The first task is to define your goals. Which division do you want to race in, and is there a defined and logical promotion from one division to the next? What local areas will you race in, and can you expand to other areas of the country as money and experience increase? Do you want to make a living out of racing, or simply do it for the enjoyment that it brings to you? 

The next problem to resolve is the type of team that you will need to help you. The personalities of some racers and their inability to get along with others have been a major reason why their results have been sporadic and uneven. Some drivers have small teams and prefer to do as much as they can without asking for help. Others are more gregarious and attract a larger number of crewmen, with the result that there is chaos and ill-defined roles for each person. A better approach is to add members as the team encounters more problems and the racing dates increase. Pivotal positions for your team should require: driver, crew chief and manager. The crew chief will add crewmen, as he needs them, whether they are paid or volunteers. Your manager is far more important than most people think. It falls to him (her) to budget, seek out sponsors, create the media program, handle marketing and sales, and manage you public relations image. The driver, who is often the car owner, makes a common mistake in thinking that he can be the crew chief, manager and driver. A few can do it all, though most have learned from experience that it is very difficult to do all three tasks efficiently. It�s not easy to turn over power and responsibility to others, and it does take some effort to find talented people, but the rewards of a team working smoothly together, with every job well defined, can be the difference in whether you succeed or fail as the competition gets tougher.

There are various ways to pay and motivate your team. The most obvious way is by salary. Another way is with copious amounts of praise and complements. Studies have shown that people will work for money but that their production wanes over time and pay raises will have only a marginal effect, unless they are placed on a bonus system tied to production. When the studies measure production increases based on praise and complements, the results are positive and interesting. Punishment or the loss of rewards gradually lose their effect when overused, while praise has the opposite effect. In a nutshell, use volunteers wherever you can, and reward them with praise and what limited resources you possess. Utilize spouses, teenagers and youths as well. They can create mailing and membership lists, on-line sales, accounting and spreadsheets. Monetary rewards and salaries should be contingent on the increase in money and sponsorships that the team procures.

The position of Media/Public Relations Liaison is often ignored, assumed by the driver or owner, or resorted to in an emergency. It is a position that most racers find to be unpleasant, unnecessary or an inconvenience. It takes up time and doesn�t seem to give the team any visible benefit. It is almost as unpleasant as going hat in hand to a sponsor and begging for money. The results are often unnoticed or not seen until far into the future. To avoid this task leads to irreparable harm. What separates all the racers trying to win and stay in the game over time? They all have talent, enthusiasm and drive, yet some continue on while others fade from the scene. The answer is money, or as some say, cubic (as in inches) money. What attracts money is success and image. Winning alone will not do it. I�ve known some racers who were as hot as lava, but who did not develop an image and therefore could not draw sponsorship money and faded from the scene. Racers like John Force and Dale Earnhardt developed staying power with sponsors (and the public) and were able to keep money flowing into their teams. Force may not even know the power he projects. It may be innate within him, and if he represents the extreme example of image leading to notoriety and success, then we have a model to emulate. But does a team need to worry about image when racing on a small scale? They do if they are concerned about consistency, having an edge on their competition, or reaching the next level, which is sponsor saturation.

Notice that we have been working up, from the very basics, and have yet to mention approaching sponsors. There are several theories in finding sponsors. The first belief is that you make a concentrated effort to find sponsorship money, then form a team and go racing. Most racers opt for the ground up approach. They form a team, budget whatever funds they have and develop experience on the lowest levels of racing before asking for money. Both theories work on the premise of confidence and faith in your teams ability to win races and reward a sponsor with notoriety. A sponsor is only concerned with results. For mom and pop, the results are your happiness and whether they will have anything left over for retirement. For Edelbrock, Goodyear and Budweiser, the results they are looking for consists in placing name recognition (yours) to their products. Winning won�t cut it with them if no one knows who you are. That�s why you need someone on your team whose job it is to promote your team on a constant basis, while campaigning your car (boat or motorcycle).

 How can you market your team? Everyone is trying to do the same thing. You have to find a niche that no one has found or developed, and when you have found this niche, promote it in interesting and unique variations. At the same time, your team has to manage its time, money and resources wisely, and avoid debt. Always look for a better and more efficient angle to advertise. Hero cards are cheap, but if you just let the kids pick them up out of a box, the result may be more litter on the ground. Spend time to talk to people and autograph the cards and you�ll have more fans rooting for you whenever you race. Enamelled pins can cost less that a dollar each, but for that special fan, including potential sponsors, may well be worth it. Hats and shirts run about $6.00 each and are great for sales and as walking billboards.

As your experience, success and confidence rise, so should your attempts to contact various sponsors. Your goals should always be professional. You are selling your name recognition value and what you receive should equal what you give the sponsor in return. Will you take your car and crew out to your sponsor�s store, grand opening or his employee picnic? Will you appear at schools, fairs, youth organization functions and sporting events, with a classy display, pop-up tent and chairs? Will you be happy with parts, free motel rooms, gas, oil or other products when money isn't forthcoming? Your resume should be clear and professional. Hopefully, you will find someone who will maintain computer files, graphs, spreadsheets and media packets which you can provide to sponsors on request. These brochures should always give a clear description of your goals and methods. The best approach is a personal interview with a sponsor that has been arranged by someone he/she knows and trusts. Maintain and work a mailing list. Ask friends to ask their bosses for an interview and to accompany you to the meeting. Ask everyone you know for possible leads. Sending letters, E-mail, faxes or other correspondence will never have the same impact as a personal interview, accompanied by the person who knows the owner and set up the meeting for you. Be friendly, brief and to the point. Thank the potential sponsor and leave your media packet with him/her. Always follow up with a thank you letter to the sponsor and your friend who helped you get the interview. Don�t be discouraged if you fail, as you should be contacting more sponsors than you can use, even when you really may not need them. Sponsorship money is often available for a short time as the company expands or contracts its advertising budget. It is important to grow your contacts at all times, for often there is little warning when the sponsorship ends.

It is important to remember that you are not begging, but offering fair value for value received. If you are having trouble negotiating the sponsorship money trail, then you have lost sight of the sponsors needs and overemphasized your own. Delegate the workload and give all the praise that you can, especially to your family. Finally, enjoy every minute of every day that you are in the sport. It makes it so much easier for the rest of us, including your sponsors, in putting up with you.

Gone Racin� is at www.oilstick.com

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