sponsor list

[GSXR RACER MIKE]

f3racer, I think you may have taken skidMARK's comment wrong. I tell people the same basic thing when they ask about sponsership, "What could you possibly offer a business that is more effective than them running an ad?"

It's all about bang for the buck, what will the businesses return be (financially) on their investment in you? How are you possibly going to bring them more customers than if they place an ad of some type? For that matter what if they just offered discounts to their customers equal to the amount they could give you for sponsership instead? Discounts to customers would be 'for sure sales' for the company that would add to or strengthen their customer base.

You mentioned putting them on your website, which would pretty much be expected today, but how are enough people going to get to your website on a regular basis to positively effect your sponsers thru sales of their products or services? I have a website for my business, yet if I do a local search for the services we offer on any search engine I've ever tried it never comes up on the 1st 10 pages - I have every word I can think of pertaining to our business in our website (and I get the site indexed occasionally) and it still doesn't come up in the 1st 10 pages of a search. I'm using that as an example because I'm trying to open your eyes to how difficult it can be to drive a potential customer for your sponser(s) to your website and then on to their business.

I don't believe anyone's trying to be cruel, it's just that most of us have already been thru what your just beginning and already know what the most probable outcome is going to be. As was said already, working your way up to being a front runner in races will help your efforts in trying to secure sponsership, but there's alot of very tough competitors out there attempting to do the same thing so your going to have a tough battle to get to that point.

I wish you the best of luck! 

[f3racer]

no i didnt take it wrong. i think maybe i need to work on my language skills. 13 yrs so far in the army and currently working in a basic training company probably makes my harshness in words come out. i dont think anyone is being cruel. they are being honest and thats all i aks of anyone. i do appreciate everyones help and opinions.

[Woofentino Pugrossi]

Also unless its a business owned by a family friend or your friends, alot of businesses are reluctant to sponsor compeltely unknown racers much less new racers. Plus with the economy now, companies that sponsor racing have been cutting back. Even Nascar teams are having sponsor problems.

[roadracer162]

Mike - you hit the nail on the head.

F3 don't take what I say too harshly. It was meant to cause anyone reading this think. Most companies that advertise within our little market is basically catering to the racer and sometimes to the audience of motorcycle riders.

One of our local Florida riders does have an air conditioning company logo over his 24 foot trailer although uncommon it is easily noticed. Effective? I am not sure what new business it has brought. It has made me think about using them for my own personal A/C needs.

I am on a smaller scale. Ihave teamed up with Marc Miller (European Performance Cycles) to promote his endeavor in his branch of motorcycle repairs but more importantly to satisfy our need in this hobby.

Some have noticed our effort because we are running Marc's Ducati 748. It has motivated some interest from others to do the same and also this provides more business to the race shops.

Mark

[ronhix]

look, i am on here for advice. the advice you give will be taken seriously. but i will not give up. i will keep trying until i reach the goal i desire. i will do what i have to do without a sponsor and keep trying to gain sponsorship from who ever i can. no matter the advice given i thank you for it.

Your tenacity is impressive, I like it.  If you are serious about getting sponsorship, send me a PM and I will try to help you. 

[skiandclimb]

Here's my thoughts, and a little experience....

I recently got back into the road racing scene.  Back in the early 90's, when I started- I had squat the first year in terms of cash sponsors.  Instead, I put names on my bike of the poeple/businesses that helped me out.  Western Honda (I worked there, and the parts guy hooked me up with deals) Happy Day promotions (my friend worked there and hooked me up with graphics) Grant Matsushima (fresh out of MMI, Grant sorted out my old fizzer and found some hidden HP for me in exchange for me putting his name on the bike!)

The second year, my pal, Jared, and I were able to hook up with a pool cleaning company, who actually gave us some $$$....we thought we were big stuff!! lol

After a LONG time away form the sport, I got back into it (track days at first) a few years ago. 09 is my first season back racing with CCS, and I although I have a few sponsors (some cash, some discounts) it is about 99% out of my pocket at this point.  I see this season as my "first" year with a touch of experience, which makes it easier to get in the door.  The biggest thing I have going for me is I am a Police Officer, and was able to get an endorsement from the Backstoppers.  They help the families of fallen cops and firefighters here in St. Louis.  Although they are not an official "sponsor" they are my pet cause, if you will.  I believe in their mission, and do what I can to promote their goal.  In return, having their logo on the bike helps me get into doors, and offers prospective sponsors a lot more creedance than just walking into a place and saying "hey give me some $$$ to race!"

I guess my suggestion for you would be to find an organization in the Army....veterans, etc.  Some place that is a non for profit that means something to you.  Offer up your bike to them to use at events and fundraisers.  Put their logo on the bike, and maybe you will be able to get into some more businesses that way.

One word to the wise- if you make a commitment, live up to it.  Make a donation(s) to the cause.  Spread their word by handing out fliers, hosting BBQ's, etc etc.

As many have stated here, the odds of someone just handing you money to race in your first year is quite slim.  Instead, align yourself with a good cause, and maybe it will open a door or two.

One more thing- podium position is actually NOT something most businesses care about when it comes to "sponsorship" on a local level.  Case in point- one of my sponsors is my favorite chicken joint.  He (owner) could care less about what place I come in- but does expect me to hand out coupons for his business when I am at events.  Its a win-win situation.

Best of luck to you.

-Ski

[JBraun]

I'm a business owner and racer. I have persective from both sides. The only thing you have to sell as a club racer is an image or lifestyle. "I'll put your logo on my truck and bike and stuff" is the stupidest thing you can tell a potential sponsor. Unless you have a freaking semi truck and you're gonna wrap it in their company colors, it's unlikely that you are capable of providing the image they want to convey.
You have to do something besides race to justify their investment. As a businessman, I have nothing to gain from having my sticker on your bike. Nothing. I had my company logo on Rob Oliva's tailsection during the Road America superstock race. On the warmup lap, the on-board camera on Aaron Yates' bike was staring at my logo for several seconds as he drafted Rob through kettle bottoms. It was on Speed TV, right in your face. Think I got any phone calls from that? Hell no.
I will sponsor racers for two reasons. Either you have a plan to market my business through your racing program that I feel will geniunely impact my sales and give me a return on my investment (it's never happened) or I just think it's cool and I'm willing to throw you a little cash because you're my buddy and it looks cool to have my logo on your racecar/racebike. (happened a couple times and was very little $$)
You need a plan, and you need to be a really good salesman. As a racer, I've been very fortunate to have enjoyed considerably more support than I deserve, but it's always a relationship that started small and I was able to grow it through results.
I started with a cost+20% discount at a local dealer. Over several years, that relationship became much better, and the dealer started selling to me at straight cost. Then they got me support from their distributors, so I was buying for as much as 30% below dealer cost. Then they started giving me helmets, gear, pitbikes. They even gave me a brand new bike to race for two years.
Point is, opportunities are few and far between, but they're out there. Your "people will see your logo a million times" argument is useless and will get you laughed out of every office you step into. You need a product and you dont have one. Right now all you're doing is begging for donations. Sounds harsh, but it's the truth. Think really hard about it, and you may come up with an approach that works.

[Team-G]

I'm a business owner and racer. I have persective from both sides. As a businessman, I have nothing to gain from having my sticker on your bike. Nothing.

I'm with JB on this one.  Sponsering myself and networking with racers for 4 years netted my business nothing.  From another perspective, I considered sponsering race purses through 10th place for select races.  The goal was to network with the purse winners to see if I could market my business into the racers' daytime businesses.  Over 90% of the biz owners I consulted with on this helped convince me that I had nothing to gain.

Big money sponsers (enough to make a living out of racing) work in two ways:  Name recognition by the MILLIONS of viewers (FedEx/UPS/Bud/etc) -or- because guys like us think some mfg's tires will make us fast like Spies.

Good luck, and don't forget to enjoy it while you're spending it.

[Graham]

I found these Tips to be usefull.......good read for sure.Hope this helps.




By Jim Cara, Marketing and Promotion, AMA Dragbike

Sponsorship money is available to everyone
I suggest you spend some time reading this article, and prepare yourself on how to get it.

I promise you that if you study this information and apply it to your program, more sponsorship money will come your way than you ever imagined.
Before you contact a potential sponsor, be prepared. Just as you prepare your machine before a race, prepare yourself ten times as much before you start seeking sponsorship. On the track, you may get another chance to win a race, but a bad attempt at asking for sponsorship may never get you another.

Sometimes the best racers set themselves up for sponsorship failure, while a racer with not much of a winning record gets accused of having a silver spoon when they sport a new additional sponsor every month. Hopefully I have your attention now. If so, I hope you can set aside a half hour of your time to read this and put some of it to use. In this article I am going to explain how anyone can get into the sponsorship game, and how to set yourself up so that sponsors start knocking on your door.

First, let's take a look at the most common way to pick up sponsor cash. But always remember, this is just the tip of the sponsorship iceberg.

Contingency programs
The easiest way for racers to pick up sponsor dollars is in contingency programs. Sure, this pays out to racers who have the ability to run manufacturer's products and then win races, but what about the racer that is moving up in the ranks? Don't worry; there is money available for you also, in most cases even more! I'll explain further down, but for right now, let's take a quick look at how contingency sponsorships work.

There is a list of contingency sponsors on the AMA Dragbike web site. This long list of sponsors pays cash to racers who run their products and win. In most cases, you need to purchase and use a particular product. Make sure to keep your proof of purchase. Then you need to race in a particular class and finish in a top position. At the end of the race, you need to get your contingency paperwork filled out by an official and make sure it is submitted. Soon after, you will get a check from the contingency sponsor.

If you are consistent and can win races, then contingency money is very easy to get. It's pretty simple, buy the products, use the products, win races, get paid. There are racers taking home thousands of dollars per season, just in contingency cash. Each year over $200,000 in contingency money is paid to AMA Dragbike racers.

Contingency money helps sell products that work, it helps prove that products work, by having racers in the winner's circle along with decals and company logos. When you hear that Racer X is winning because he is running a Widget Clutch, you more than likely are going to buy a Widget yourself.

Contingency money is easy to get, and the payouts are great. All too often though, I believe racers think that contingency money is the be-all, end-all of the sponsorship dollar. I'll argue to the end to show you that it is not.

Promotional sponsorships
Bigger money is available in sponsor dollars set aside for programs that sell far more product and reach outside of the race track. The little known fact is this: This money is available to anyone. What racers don't like to hear is: To get it, requires a lot of leg work, preparation, and dedication, outside of just getting on a bike and taking it down the track.

Many racers are not prepared or even willing to put the time in. Most just feel that by picking up the phone and offering to wear a product or sticker, or paint scheme that they can get a check to help pay for their racing.

If you ask for money with nothing but the offer of some name exposure, most of the time you will get NO for an answer. Worse yet, soon your name will become known as someone just looking for a handout for your hobby.

How to get a promotional sponsorship
While you are on your way to the winners circle, there are thousands of sponsors waiting to help you out. You just need to know how to prepare yourself to ask for it.

Companies know what John Force can do for them, and know that he puts in 300% to make sure his sponsors get premium exposure. They know he runs a tight ship and that they will be exposed to millions in a squeaky clean road show. Of course not everyone can be John Force, and sponsors know that. They are looking for others that put in 300%, no matter what level they are at.

Have you been associated with a local gas station or a local delicatessen in the past? How much did you really do for them? Can you think of something you did that you could show any potential new sponsors? Before you even ask for a penny, you had better be prepared to show a record of what you have done for even the smallest sponsor in the past, as well as what you are willing to do for them

Give sponsors what they need. Find out who they are trying to reach and who their customers are. Learn about the products and show them what you have done for other sponsors. Even if the sponsor was your friend's construction company, or the local gas station, pizza joint, or car wash. They want to see how being a part of your program has paid off for a sponsor in the past.

Kick-start your sponsorship program
With the local gas station mentioned above, did you offer to set up a display at the local track, hand out coupons for oil changes, tune ups, tires, sodas? Did you set up your bike on display at the local deli and tie it in to a free sample day, or free soda with sandwich day? Were these promotions successful? Did you take photos? Did you do more for the sponsor than they expected for their money? If so, GREAT! Build a resume of things like this that you have done for even your smallest sponsor and have it ready when you climb the sponsorship ladder to even more money.

Finding it hard to get even a free sponsor that you could do a promotion with? Here is a suggestion. Offer to take your bike to a local trade school mechanics program. How about a local grade school, and discuss how racing has made your life better. Contact the local newspaper once you set it up, and make sure they cover it. Save your clippings and ask for letters from the schools that show your efforts.

If you manage to get into the news, make sure company logos are showing? If so, send it to the company and let them see that you got them free promotion. Show them that you do this kind of thing on a regular basis, and that you would like to work with them on a larger scale. But be realistic, don't expect to contact Super Cola with a local news clipping and wait for a check to pay for your new engine.

Make an impression
The biggest mistake is the unwillingness to give sponsors any attention, unless you get money first. Even larger a mistake is when racers cover up a sponsors logo when things don't go as planned. Do either of these and you have shut the door in your face.

Take a look at the Hartman family. Rhonda and John run a pair of Top Fuel Dragsters in the NHRA Powerade Series. Fram gave them a few limited dollars to run a single race in 1999. When the race was up, the Harman team decided to keep the paint scheme, and make sure Fram knew about it. Soon after, Fram contacted the team and offered to sponsor the rest of the season. The sponsorship grew, and now they have an excellent deal with a complete two-car team sponsored by Fram, as well as its affiliates Autolite, and Prestone.

Before you even "ask" for a penny, you had better be prepared to show a record of what you have done for sponsors in the past, as well as what you are willing to do for them.

Put together your own programs where you can bring them customers. Offer promotion suggestions and get the company involved. Doing this for all of your sponsors and keep a visual record of it shows that you appreciate the sponsorship, and that you are working for the money. Stay on top of anything you can do to help them sell more, or get their image out in a positive way and be able to prove results.

Then, when you think you are ready to call on Super Cola, you have your ducks in a row.

Clean up your act
Look good and be a pro, no matter what level of racing you are at. Does your appearance shine above others? Is the sponsor going to know that by being associated with you that they are promised a positive image? That does not necessarily mean uniforms and a 80ft semi. I'm talking about a clean pit area and bike, properly placed signage and information and a professional look and feel when you come to the line?

Even something as simple as the same color Golf Shirts for everyone on your crew makes a tremendous difference in your exposure. Don't have friends standing around in sneakers with OZZY and Big Johnson shirts as you do your burnout. Potential sponsors want to see that you care, and will be better assured that by being with your team that they will be represented well.

Now that you have made a good impression on a sponsor, do you think you are ready to ask them for the cash? Think again. Do you know all you need to know about their product? Can you speak well about it; can you project a good image while doing so?

Know your sponsor and their products
Get to know the sponsor before you ask for money. Get them to know you and your team, before you ask for money.

A great way to introduce yourself to a sponsor is to offer volunteer trade show and midway booth support to the companies that you use their products, volunteer to help them with projects. Learn about the product line and the customers. Show some good faith. Do some advance work. When you see a sponsor on the midway, introduce yourself. Take this time to hang-out and learn about the products. Offer your support. If you already use the product, make sure you are representing it positively. Show them what you have done for them. Do this a few times. Court your sponsor long before you attempt to get into their pocket.

Put together a sponsor package that shows what you have already done to promote others. Show your clippings, photos, and thank you letters. Even if it's your friends construction business, the deli, or gas station. Outline what you are willing to do if this particular company buys in to your program.

If they like you, and what you are about, as well as how you represent their company, then sponsorship is more likely. Purchase, use, and recommend the products that you potentially want as a sponsor. Let them know what you like about the products. Send them pictures of you using the products. Always stay in touch with the potential sponsor, and ask for your contact by name. Make sure they know who you are.

Take some pictures and keep them informed of your progress. Look neat and trim in all the photos and whenever you are using their products. Make sure they see it, and are aware of you. But do it all professionally.

Look like a pro, act like a pro, and no matter how good, rich, or poor you are sponsors will see you as a pro and will want you to be representing their company. Sponsorships will start coming to your door.

[skiandclimb]

Good read, Graham! +1 on the karma

[f3racer]

thanks guys

[roadracer162]

Brad,

Nice article. Thanks for the sharing.

Mark