Getting Sponsorship for your Racing Hobby

February 6, 2008 – 5:48 pm

If you enjoy taking your car to the track for racing or just for lapping days I’m sure you’ve come to learn that racing is expensive. I’ve been taking my car to the track for years now. First it was just to go out and have fun with friends (and that’s really what it’s still about now to some extent) but recently I’ve decided to start competing a little bit. Nothing crazy, just some Time Trials competition. Time Trials is basically a race against the clock on a road course. You compete with other cars (in your class) that are similar to yours in terms of performance capabilities. It’s a blast and it can also get expensive. Especially if you’re planning on seriously competing to win. One of the things you come to realize is that you’ll likely need a big budget to play with or some type of sponsorship to help pay for the costs of competing.

So how does one get sponsored? It’s not really all the difficult for some people really. It’s just a matter of finding ways to sell yourself to sponsors. Imagine yourself being the person making the decision to sponsor someone like you. What would make you want to pull the trigger on a sponsorship deal? It has to make business sense and you want to be assured you’ll get something out of it, right? That’s what it comes down to. Sponsors don’t like throwing money away. If you show them how you can promote them or their business you’re half way there. Businesses are always looking for ways to increase profits and/or get more exposure.

You don’t have to be a professional racer to get sponsored. You don’t even necessarily have to win races, though that helps you get more sponsors. You just have to learn how to promote yourself and your sponsors effectively. You can do this in a variety of ways:

- First of all, create a detailed online profile for your car and your story. You can create your own site or use a forum that you frequent to house your profile. You need something that you can point people (and sponsors) to. This page should include your car’s modifications, photos, background, your racing experience, some write-ups and photos from events you’ve participated in, etc.

- Become a “virtual expert”. Participate in popular online forums that are focused on the car you drive. The more you help others and give advice on how to modify the car, the more people will ask for your help. Be sure to fill in your profile on those sites and add a photo of your car if you can. Any time you can highlight your sponsors in your discussions or in your profile is a huge plus. If you happen to be a forum site owner you’re in an even better position to market yourself and your sponsors.

- Find ways to get yourself into positions of influence on various forums. If you can become a Moderator for an online forum you’re seen as a leader in that community. That will tell potential sponsors that you can give them exposure and that the members of that community value what you have to say due to your status. Just as I mentioned above, be sure to fill in your profile and have photos of your car displayed for the community to see.

- Attend as many events as you can. While at the events, keep an eye out for any photographers or media people who may be covering the event. You want to try and get photos of your car taken for any and all press opportunities.

- Try and get exposure by getting featured in magazines, websites, blogs, local print publications, and other high visibility sources. Take good photos of your car and send them in to as many magazines as you can. Submit your photos and stories about your car/yourself to various relevant websites asking to be featured on their homepage. If you have a photographer friend have them take the photos for you.

It’s all about exposure for sponsors. The more you can give them the more they will dish out for you. Try out some of the tips above before you start contacting potential sponsors. You’ll want to have something to show them before you ask for money or free parts.

Once you get to the point where you think you’re ready to start contacting some potential sponsors you’ll want to put a plan together. Make a list of all of your accomplishments, your existing and past sponsors, and goals for this coming season. What parts do you need for the season? What businesses would be a good fit for what you’re doing? Do you need cash for racing expenses? Make a list of companies you will be sending a proposal to, and don’t just limit yourself to automotive companies. Start thinking about companies in your area that might be interested as well as online companies that will be interested in what you can offer them. Start drafting a proposal to send to your list of potential sponsors. It doesn’t have to be overly formal, just try and convey your excitement.

In your sponsorship proposal be sure to list all of the potential ways you plan to gain exposure for your sponsor. List all of the media sources you will be “attempting” to get exposure through. Invite them out to attend your events if they’re local. Ask them for a print-version of their logo for your “marketing materials”. If you’re creative enough you can even sell them on the idea that you’ll be creating t-shirts that will have all of the logos of your sponsors on them. You can do this using an online printing service like Cafepress. It’s all about being unique and innovative and getting them excited about the opportunity. The more you can sell them on you, the better chances you have of getting the deal. Get feedback on your proposal from friends and other racers.

Don’t be afraid. Just go for it! The worst they can do is say “no” or not respond to you. Chances are you’ll get someone to say “yes” if you’re persistent and that’s better than paying for it all yourself.