How Much To Charge A Sponsor?
 

i have one sponsor now he pays for fuel to get to the track, that was his idea. i have two others interested in coming on as sponsor's not real sure what to charge or ask ? how do you guys do it? thanks matt

I have one that we arranged a $200 monthly payment. They get about 4" lettering at the top of windshield and back window, plus trailer signage of same size.

sponsor
 

well in our case we have several. one who did all of our lettering on the car,truck and trailer for free in exchange for a small sign on the top b pillar on our car. also we have a couple of parts houses that "donate oil and filters,red rags, wax etc... for a small spot on the side of just the car. then we have a very "large sponsor" who actually pays for stuff ie fire suit[thanks brian] entry fees,fuel for the tow truck,some parts on the race car when needed,motel rooms etc... so as you can see the sponsors involvment can be large or small. it can be in cash or merchandise as well! if its a small company or a individual just ask for the entry fees to be paid for and maybe a little for drinks and lunch stuff but dont sell yourself short! if a big sponsor comes along you would want to put his name as big as you could down both sides! we always advertize on the car"your name could be here ask within" believe it or not it does work! just my 2 cents mike

i have two sponsors well last year right now there name is on my trailer they said they was going to stay this year also but not sent the money yet rather large lettering on the trailer sides and back door i charged them a 1000.00 dollars a year but i do a lot of local racing at both of there location and it did work good for them there stores is a 100 miles apart and race tracks in both towns were there located i thought it was a good price for what they get.

It also depends on the sponsor and their budget. For example I would look at a local auto shop differently than someone that has a few chain/franchise stores.

Most important thing...is to work with the potential sponsor. Don't try to hit the homerun unless they have the budget to do so.

^^^^ Who's dat big guy? :P

Hey Eric,nice to see you on the board brother hows things going? I seen you had a new position a week ago? Hope things work out for you man

Eric great info on this subject,nice honest reply,well said

Tom

Thanks Tom....the YourWayNetwork thing is a blast and I never expected to be on microphone side of things. I am having fun so far expecially meeting and talking to different racers. I learned a lot from the interviews I did the other week and will apply the new knowledge in the next. I just hope to keep learning and getting better as I go along.

As to the sponsorship deal.....people need to remember that it is a relationship that the sponsor is asking to be a part of the raceteam as much as the racer a part of the sponsors team. That is the most important thing to think about in the whole sponsorship process.

2nd most important question to ask as a racer...what does the sponsor gain by partnering with your team? Another question along that same line....what does the sponsor gain by picking you over other teams out there? If you have answers to both of those questions then you are way ahead of other teams that are in the sponsorship hunt.

Awesome Eric,I hope the deal works out for you as you are a very gifted person,infact I know it will work,your a great guy and easy to talk to,when I met you last year,and talked to you it was like I had know you forever,your a great person Eric.

Now on the YourWayNetwork,that deal is in the works here at RJ

I am trying to get Jimmy Biggs aboard here and share some of his networking,capabilitys to share here with all the fine people of the Racing Junk board.

If you all don't know,Jimmy Biggs of YourWayNetwork has been providing,"Live" internet racing events,yes folks now you can watch live racing on your computer.
Thanks Jimmy,Ray,Dick and Mark and crew for your tons of hours of hard work for us sportsman racers,YWN ROCKS no doubt about it.

Eric was being an interviewer for YWN,he did a fine job at that for those of you that didn't see it.

On this sponsership deal thats some good info there Eric has supplyed,take it from a guy thats been there and done that.

Thanks Eric for another fine post.

Thanks Tom.....coming from you...that's means a lot. I am going to do all I can do to make the YourWay deal work. It is perfect timing for me since I am doing a bunch of updates to the car and will have a limited racing schedule this year. :cry:

Hey Truk....back to your question.

I have some questions for you...where are you racing don't need to be exact....but local, regional or national? Do you have a crew?

Is the potential sponsor small, medium or large business?

The reason why I asked where you are racing is that also stipulates some of your expenses and your racing budget. (Hotels, Meals, Travel, etc)

I've been working with Bill Glidden on sponsors. We are thinking out of the box and going after non automotive businesses. After spending time with some of my sponsors I saw that they are bombarded daily with racers wanting $$$. Thats also why I started YWN 2+ years ago to get Doorcar Racing coverage.
If you want to see a model of success take a look at www.RamRacing.us and see what a good website and video coverage of their events has done for them in 3 years. LOOK at who is on board with them! Its not rocket science sponsors want to see their investment working.

Lots of good info here...
Most racers have trouble asking for money from a company, and a company will ask "why should I give YOU anything". The racer now must start to think like a business man and not as a racer anymore.. YOu need to sell yourself to them, what is in it for them, what is the advantage for them. Really you are selling advertising space to them.
But as said, a lot depends on where and how you race, the big boys deal with large corporations and that is a whole different world to deal with.
If you are just a local guy and go to a few out of state races a year, and just need a few bucks to help with expenses, then it is easier, you can talk to the guy in the company direct most of the time that can make the decision.
You still need to approch them in a business like fashion. If you get some money, you need to promote their business, actually go to a lot of races, and you need to win some rounds. IF they do not see a return on their invesment they will drop you the next year.
When you watch races on tv, when the big racer wins, they always give the names of the major sponsors.
With most racers these days using enclosed trailers, they become a rolling billboard going down the road, and in my opinion, is a cheap way to advertise, givin what the advertising rates are in magazines these days.
But with so many asking for money, you need to convince them why they sould give you any. It is almost like going for a job interview, you must be prepared to sell yourself.

Good to you see you Jimmy and Eric i hope you hang around a while at RJ . We need more people like you around here to ad to our growing family 'so to speak"..

brian mcswain

I'll stay till ya ban me :P

:roll: Trust me he is good at that!!!! LOL


Hey Jimmy I left my phone in the truck...I will call you in a little bit.

sponsor
 

as bjuice knows our main sponsor goes with us every race we go to and is welcomed by all! the trick is to sell yourself yes that is true but also when you speak to a potential sponsor never promise a win or a winning season thats just wrong!everyone has a different way of finding a sponsor we just kept asking and grinding out the proposals with all of our winnings. events we were attending, scheduled events,clippings from newspapers etc... all which are very helpfull when going to ask for their support. a advertising agent once told me several years ago. a uninvited proposal asking for money is just like junk mail,it usually ends up in the trash can.most of us who have sponsors are very lucky indeed! and we are very protective of them. once a month i take mine out to eat and every week we speak at least 3 times. i involve them in all buisness dealings that are tied to the car and the races so they know whats going on. sometimes i think the getting of the sponsor is the easy part the hard part is keeping them and keeping them happy! just my 2 cents worth mike

i race at kil-kare in ohio also go once a month to pitts. pa mainly at these tracks, i have one great sponser now that pays for fuel for tow truck, they have the doors and are on my trailer i also wear one of there company shirts while i race. i give them a monthly news letter and take the truck to local car shows for them. they come out to the track alot and we cook out with them. i try to do as much as i can for them. i just have to others looking at coming on ,1 is a two man company very small they hinted at a straight 300.00 plus they pay for lettering the other is a med. sized towing buss. not real sure with them money wise what to ask ?

I have been indirectly involved with business sponsorships regarding racing and I will say the first impression makes all the difference. Make sure the race car, truck, and trailer are kept absolutely squeaky clean along with your crew. Remember that you will be the face of their company and little details like a neat appearance and clear speaking can make a difference. There is also alot of software out there to help you with presentations and plans to help gain substantial sponsorship. The software may be a little more than your looking for but it can offer some great tips that can make the difference between you and your competitors. Start on the low side to get them involved and if they see returns on their sponsorship then ask them for more money or parts. I would suggest asking for parts as they own a towing repair business and most likely can get them at cost.

I've been watching this thread, and i'm not sure, but i will probably meet with some disapprovel in my thinking, but it it only my opinion.
I've been racing longer than a lot of you guys have been alive, over 50 yrs. In all that time no one has ever given me anything, every part on my car/cars i had to pay for. Unless you run a professional cattagory, theres almost no contigency money paid to win. Sure if you run regional and Nat'l events in the sportsman class axle people give you 100.00 cams might give you 100.00 to win. But they didn't give me anything when i paid $600.00 for axles and related parts to put in the car. So i donot even run stickers on any car i run, even at a Nat'l event. (see pic below) I have friends that does grafics, i buy him a 12 pack and let him sign the grafics. The only people that have ever helped me on prices are BTE, Bullit, and PTC, for them i put a sticker on my trailer door. i have a friend Jimmy Smith who has 100's of stickers on his car, they don't make his car run faster, in fact i've never seen a sticker make a car run faster. I get the biggest kick out of 10 yrs. old kids walking thru the pits, looking at all the cars and stickers on the cars. They say MAN, look how fast that cars is just look at all those stickers. What a joke we give all the manufacturers bocoo's advertisment and get nothing in return. If i'm in Miss. i can drive 1 hr. and run 4 different tracks, and not a one of them pay contigency money for parts you may be running. In louisanna, i can drive 1 1/2 hrs. and run 3 NHRA tracks, and not one pays contigency money unless it's a regional or nat'l event, and then if you run sportsman class and win you might get $500.00. I will not cover up my paint for that amount of money.
To me a sponser is someone who sets up a bank account, give you a check book (with limits) that you use to run your car in major events, and makes you accountable for what you spend.
If you think i'm just blowning smoke take a look at the photo, AZ. Nationals, not one sticker.

Just my 2 cents,

Zipper

double click for enlarge

http://img02.picoodle.com/img/img02/...sm_f1bb691.jpg

sponsor
 

well zipper i agree with you on some accounts with the exception of racing junks sticker that i proudly display on the back of my funny car every sticker ive got on my car some one has paid me something! im like you why should i advertise for someone who doesnt give me money? hell i can buy all the oil,plugs.gaskets etc... they can give me those items but i want cash attached to them! im one of the lucky ones i have a sponsor well several and i keep them all happy sometimes its very hard at 1 am putting the final touches on a rear end or a engine swap but thats what they pay me for! if i have no sponsors i dont race simple as that! im a poor working stiff who owns over 100,000 dollars worth of race cars trucks trailers and spare equipment that ive paid for my self and if i want to go racing i can but if i can race on some one elses dime well thats even better, so far i have. like i said im one of the lucky ones who does have a sponsor who pays us and pays well for us to go racing and he goes with us and i run his company name on our t-shirts.funny car,dragster, truck and trailer! but im like you they can give me all the parts they want but if there isnt any dead presidents with them no stickers allowed! mike in new mexico

Hey, Mike
I can see where you are comming from, i too have lots of money tied up in parts and cars.
I'll probably never have a paying sponser because i don't race all the time, and it would be an injustice to a sponser. Even worse than being a working stiff, is being semi-retired on a fixed income which i am. I could be racing at 3 different events this weekend that are paying good money, but instead i'm getting ready to go cut my grass which has not been cut in 3 weeks since i was away working.
My malibu is ready to run, just charge the batteries and pour in the alcohol.


Zip.

yep zipper
 

yea i know what you mean except the semi retired deal i tried the semi retired deal and i about went nuts! so i went back to work for some one else! no worrys about employees no extra "surprises" no workmans comp no damn irs etc... now just punch a time clock and go to work i did the paying out of my pocket racing for over 25 years and now im blessed to have a real sponsor and a few material+cash sponsors as well they didnt pay for what i got but they help maintain the car and get me and the crew to the races pay expenses etc... heck had our main sponsor over today working on the trailer changing all the locks on the side doors and putting a saftey switch on the winch for the back door!!! hes a great guy and i also call him a good friend as well as a sponsor! i hope you find a good sponsor and can get out there and burn some alcohol on their dime!!! good luck! mike in new mexico

i agree with the sticker deal also!! i dont have them on my truck. my trailer has the factory stickers removed also. i ask them if they wanted some good advertizing they said hell no so i took the stickers off. lets face it we have a very expensive hobby here with over 20000 in my truck alone, i dont want to give advertiving away.

sponsorship
 

I'm currently working on a presentation package that would be prepared specifically for your team. sample letters, contact names, tips, Powerpoint presentation CD, etc. I sent out some trial samples and got good feedback. Racers really liked it. My question is would anyone be interested in it? The cost would be around $160. I'm thinking about posting an ad on racing junk but would like some feedback first. Comments welcome! :D I can Be reached at 330-856-6924 for quick questions.Thanks Jon

A few years back we were pursuing corporate sponsorship to help with a Pro Stock program. Put together a real nice proposal and presentaion. Got real good response to it.

Later I used the same proposal and scaled the numbers back for some small sponsorship, it worked then as well. Bottom line is businesses, big and small, like to see numbers in black and white and what they're getting for the money. Doesn't hurt to be a good salesman but lip service only goes so far. You need to look and sound like you've done your home work and not just jotted something on a Hooters napkin.

As far as what sponsorship should cover, well use your imagination. I like to get lump some contributions to allocate where I see fit. However sometimes you need to be specific . Most businesses want to no exactly where and how it's being spent. :)

Small is still good
 

Sometimes even simple things can get you started.

We've looking into just having our hand outs paid for by including a company's web address and logo on them.

We get oil and plugs now which considering how much oil we go through, that's great. 44 qts a weekend adds up.

Plus it helps that we run some of the major nostalgia races and match racing which helps with exposure.

Bob

I too have been following this thread..this is my 1st post on the subject..

all i can say is if your luckey enough to have a sponsor..GREAT !!..its tough to get...i agree with ZIPPER 100%...no stickers on my cars..none on the Vette and only a cartoon sticker from the "BIG DADDY" Ed roth collection on my 67 camaro.....
anyhow i have problems wearing a shirt with any logo's such a the nike "swoosh" mark etc.....on all of my dailey driven cars i take off the dealership stickers...

racing and fast cars is a passion of love..very rarely you get out of your car what you put in..but i will say that if you do it the smart way you will not take as big as hit as others that DO NOT follow these simple rules below...SPONSOR OR NO SPONSOR:

#1- try to build a car that is marketable if not and a 1973 Gremlin is your thing or a 1988 SUNBIRD then be sure to follow step #2.

#2- when you build it make it nice..i am not saying put 100k in it..but what i am saying is whatever you do take time to do it right and neat..this is NOT A MONEY thing i am speaking of..its pride of ownership etc....

there is nothing i hate more than to see a car at the dragstrip with wires hanging down on the motor,a crows nest in the drivers compartment..5 inches of rubber caked under the fenders from 2 season's ago....yea ,yeah ..i know its only a race car..i have heard this crock before...well let me tell you if you DO NOT HAVE SPONSOR ROLLING ALL THE BILLS OFF THE CUFF..then you better think about what the future holds...cause one day you might wanna get out of it....so protect you investment by doing things right the 1st time..particualry when using your own money !!!

so DO IT RIGHT....no matter if its your money or the sponsors money.


I would also like to say that Mikeaton is one of the lucky ones..he has a GREAT sponsor..i have dealt with Mikes sponsor one on one and he is a super guy..he also sent me a tee-shirt...so yes i advertise for Mikeaton's outfit.....Tell Marty i said hello Mike...

my 2 cents..

Brian

bjuice
 

hey brian thanks for the kind words ill see marty tonite if the spacer gets here and ill pass the kind words on to him yes i am lucky to have a sponsor like marty hes one in a million he already signed up for next year and now were looking to expand the team into 2 funny cars [his idea] so hopfully we can get this year over .weve had several races and also some down time due to severe tire shake and some thigs like broken convertors, imput shafts etc... but were scheduled for a couple match races next month so we will be busy again!!! thanks guys please visit our web site and leave a message in our guest book. thanks again for the support and man what a bunch of cards on here the jokes on here are priceless :lol: lol mike in new mexico

AS MUCH AS YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH :P

We have tried for a number of years to get sponsors in on the Outlaw 10.5 stuff with very little success. Part of the problem is that the organization that we race in limits sponsorship advertising to the windows, hood scoop, and rear quarter panels. It has proven very hard to find a good primary sponsor to help offset the $150k investment that has come out of our pocket. I feel the same way about the decals as most of you. We did put the decals on for the NMRA events that actually pay contingency but at any other event the car is clean and devoid of decals. We would be happy to advertise but after investing so much money it is hard to give away anything for free. I am happy to give credit where it is due and Tony Aiken of TCI has been very helpful in supplying torque converters for us last season and Lance Styck of Custom Performance has donated his toterhome and trailer as well as fuel for us to race with the NMRA this year. We got a "very small" break on the paint job and wore that company name on the car for a few events as well. I guess that the advertisement is directly associated with the amount of help that a company provides.

I have had a lot of interest in our professionally prepared proposals in the past but every company that we sent one to for primary sponsorship tells us the same thing. There is not enough advertisement area available on the car to justify the expense of a primary sponsorship spot for them.

This is all a little discouraging but Outlaw racing is something that we are really passionate about so we will continue searching for that "right" sponsor for our team.

Next season we will have an Outlaw Limited Street car as well as a NMRA/FFW Pro 5.0 car and an ADRL Extreme 10.5 Mustang that we will be racing under the Custom Performance banner. Hopefully having a team mate that can advertise anywhere on the car will help us out tremendously but time will tell.

Marshall Hancock
Hancock Racing

NMRA 10.5 Outlaw #8

sponsorship?
 

does anyone have a sample copy of a proposal thats where i am comfused. thanks The ODOM-inator

Re: sponsorship?
 

I'm looking for the same thing. Anyone willing to help me out?

Marshall....we have talked on different forums. Here's a little tip for the next time someone says there is not enough space on the car. We don't have cameras follow us down the track like they do in roudy round and think about it.....it is not easy to see the companies on Pro-Stockers and Pro-Mods unless it covers the whole car.

Approach them like the bike riders in the Tour-de-France. We offer more space than the do right?????? It is not what you do on the track that gets them customers....it is what you do when those potential customers approach you in the pits or at car shows and other functions. Who is going to be able to see companies on the side of a car going by them at 100 to 200mph???? And you sure as heck can't tell them talk to them and tell them about your sponsors at that time either.

As in sales....when a potential client/customer says "no" and tells you why, that is another chance to convince them why they should say YES.

At the very core of the term 'Sponsorship' is that it is ' BUSINESS NAME EXPOSURE',..nothing more, nothing less. You cannot guarantee that they will reap monetary gain. You CAN promise professional representation, business name exposure at races, events, in media and as you tow your rig down the road. It all depends on an effective and dedicated program that gives them MORE than what they pay for.

All you can get :!: :!: :lol: :lol:

You will here a thousand no's before you will a yes. You want to do your home work about the company first, as far as what YOU can offer to the company in return of a sponsorship deal. And you want to try to get your name out there so do what ever you can to promote yourself. I myself have been looking for sponsorship for Arca and possably the Camping World Truck Series. It is not an easy task with out knowing some one that knows a buisness owner. But so far all the info I have read in this topic is very usefull, and honest. With the economic chalenges we all face sponsorship is going to be hrder to find. Good luck.

I think that with the major sponsors pulling back on their BIG marketing partners, that it opens up a few more possibilities for one or two smaller partners, hence less advertising monies spent but staying in the game they were in. HOWEVER, you need to give them a whole lot more for their support, as they are used to a certain level of participation.