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How To Get Sponsorship

Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
Whether you are into local bracket racing, or national competition like Fun Ford, NMRA, or IHRA, sponsorship is the chocolate bunny that a lot of drivers are looking for.

Have you successfully found some sponsorship from a dealer or manufacturer? What kind of promotional budget did you have to reach these people, and what were your presentations like?

Please share your experiences or ask questions of those community members who know how to go about this.

Comments

  • brave1heartbrave1heart Member Posts: 2,698
    Fellow car enthusiasts,

    In a few days, I and my co-driver Eric S. will be off to our first One Lap of America. As most of you know, One Lap is a direct descendant of the legendary Cannonball speed contests that started out in New York City and ended in Redondo Beach, CA. Over the years, the race has evolved into a series of time trials on road courses and ovals, drag races, autocross, and skidpad events. One Lap is the only opportunity in the world to compete on 10 different racetracks in 8 days while driving a total of over 3,600 miles!

    We have been amazed at the support and especially the enthusiasm with which vendors catering to the motorsports and BMW enthusiast community in particular have welcomed our team.

    Turner Motorsport http://www.turnermotorsport.com helped us with discounts on parts. Turner is so well known, they do not need introduction. They have worked on my car on a few occasions in the past and I’ve always had great experience with them.

    I buy my pads from http://www.RaceShopper.com. In addition to competitive prices on brakes and quality service, they always have great advice when it comes to selecting the right pads for each car application. They were glad to provide us with some free pads and brakes advice for One Lap.

    Club Motorsports http://www.clubmotorsports.com, the builder of Valley Motorsports Park ™, a premier motorsports country club in the beautiful White Mountains of NH, offered to help us with the race gas that we need for all the time trials. Best of all, they also provided an additional incentive for us if we finish in the top half of our class. Once completed, Valley Motorsports Park will offer memberships, similar to a country club membership for golfing, and the opportunity to drive on a 3.3 mile, 18-turn road course, They will also offer a vehicle dynamics area, garage service, professional driver training, a pro shop, and more. We are convinced that the facility will be a huge success and a source of regional pride.

    Autobahn Automotive http://www.gobimmer.com provided a sports alignment for our car. They know BMWs very well (after all, that’s all they work on) and I think it’s fair to say that they are one of the very best BMW sports alignment shops in Eastern Mass. I contacted them with a request for help with preparing for One Lap and they were genuinely enthusiastic about helping us with the car alignment and geometry setup. In a car with maybe a tad over the modest stock rating of 184 HP, proper setup and handling become even more crucial for lap times.

    Sansossio Auto Body http://www.sansossioautobody.com mounted and balanced our One Lap tires - these guys are one of the best repair shops in the area and they have done a lot of good work for BMWCCA members. They are very reasonably priced and most of their business revenue goes straight into their racing efforts. They also support many budget racing ventures.

    OG Racing http://www.ogracing.com had the best prices on race apparel and great service - they shipped out the race suit and brake fluid that they donated for the event within an hour of finalizing the sponsorship. Eric has ordered from them a few times in the past and has always had great experience with them!

    And last, Capital Cities Imported Cars in Albany, NY http://www.capitalcitiesbmw.com provided us with the spare parts that we need for One Lap. I had my car serviced there while working in the Albany, NY area for 3 years - they are a very well run dealership with terrific customer service.

    We hope we’ll be able to provide daily updates of our participation in the event on our team’s website http://www.absolutepuppies.com/. Please visit the website regularly once the event starts on April 30. Better yet, if you are anywhere near the 2005 One Lap venues, stop by the track to support us and to check out some of the really cool cars.

    Here is a complete event schedule:

    2005 TireRack Cannonball One Lap of America Schedule

    Friday April 29 Registration, Drivers Meeting and Welcoming Party
    Saturday April 30 Tire Rack Wet skidpad challenge.
    Saturday April 30 Indianapolis Raceway Park 2 Time Trials
    Sunday May 1 BeaveRun 2 Time Trials
    Sunday May 1 Lancaster Speedway 1/2 mile oval
    Monday May 2 New Hampshire International Speedway 2 Time Trials
    Tuesday May 3 Summit Point 2 Time Trials
    Tuesday May 3 Mason Dixon Dragway Low ET Drag and Bracket Drag
    Wednesday May 4 Virginia International Raceway 3 Time Trials (minimum)
    Wednesday May 4 Carolina Rod Shop Passage Control
    Thursday May 5 Roebling Road 2 Time Trials
    Friday May 6 Nelson Ledges 2 Time Trials
    Saturday May 7 Tire Rack Dry Skid Pad Shootout
    Finish at Tire Rack

    We hope to see you at the track!
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Good luck to you and Eric, Christo!. I"m sure Books for Solders appreciates your fund raising efforts too.

    Steve, Host
  • manu4jcmanu4jc Member Posts: 1
    I have a E36 bmw I would like to get in the race next year... I have spent thousands already prepping it and would love to have some of the sponsors you mentioned above... any advice on where to start... thanks

    Manu
  • dennisplusdennisplus Member Posts: 20
    :) I just recieved a call from "TEAMSCP1" and they said that they would sponsor me on a Semi-Pro bases but that I needed to pay them a $98 yearly membership fee in order to get started. What do you think about this. Check them out at "teamscp1.com" and let me in on your thoughts. :confuse:
  • citizenlinkcitizenlink Member Posts: 1
    My name is Jacob, I live in Georgia, small town, and I drive a 2001 Eclipse GT. Granted its not the best car to race in, but at least im putting in an effort. The only problem is, is that I dont have a job, and cant start spending money I dont have on my car. Are there any companies out there that would sponsor me on there expense, while I still sponsor there name. Anything at all. I tried out Team SCP, Tried them for a year. But never ever happened and I felt like I wasted that $98. Someone please tell me what I need to do or who to go to. Any hints at all will be greatly appreciated. Thankyou
  • royaltrex7royaltrex7 Member Posts: 1
    try intrax they are a great company and offer sponsorships
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    "Jim Russell is holding a driver search at Infineon Raceway from December 19-22. You spend four days driving karts, Mitsubishi Evos and Lola-built open-wheel FJR-50s against 39 other racer hopefuls. From this pool of talent, Allan McNish -- yes, that Allan McNish -- will select two drivers whom each win a seat in the 2010 Jim Russell Championship Series (JRCS)."

    You may need to get a sponsor to swing the entry fee though....

    Jim Russell Wants You To Race Formula 1; Putting $990,000 Where Their Mouths Are

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