Sponsorship advice needed.
Discussion
Hello all,
Im pretty new to motorsport (well racing in it that is!). I hopefully will be racing in the Ma5da mx5 (mk1) championship soonish depending on my situation.
My question is on the amount you can expect from sponsors or what you can expect from them in return for sponsorship (work done to the car, transport, free products ect). As a complete beginner and having no freinds or family in motorsport, I have no idea what to expect.
Ive heard somewhere that a karting chap got 5k for sponsorship, not sure if thats a normal amount or just a one off thing. The mx5 rounds will be on motors tv and on the website it seems to hint at channel 5 as well.
Any tips and advice would be great, as I said I'm pretty clueless!
Thanks
Im pretty new to motorsport (well racing in it that is!). I hopefully will be racing in the Ma5da mx5 (mk1) championship soonish depending on my situation.
My question is on the amount you can expect from sponsors or what you can expect from them in return for sponsorship (work done to the car, transport, free products ect). As a complete beginner and having no freinds or family in motorsport, I have no idea what to expect.
Ive heard somewhere that a karting chap got 5k for sponsorship, not sure if thats a normal amount or just a one off thing. The mx5 rounds will be on motors tv and on the website it seems to hint at channel 5 as well.
Any tips and advice would be great, as I said I'm pretty clueless!
Thanks
Edited by Fantuzzi on Monday 13th February 20:37
Expect to get nothing, then if you are very very lucky you might get someone giving you a discount or a couple of hundred quid.
Start by asking yourself what you would do if an unknown racing in the equivalent of a pub darts championship asked you for money to have your name on his shirt
G
Start by asking yourself what you would do if an unknown racing in the equivalent of a pub darts championship asked you for money to have your name on his shirt
G
This has been discussed at length before. In short you should
1) Forget about the fact it's on TV. Pretty irrelevant unless it's something like BTCC
2) Forget about stickers on the car. Common mistake but that is not all you should be selling
3) Think outside the box.
4) Network...like your life depends on it. (helps if your job allows you to do this)
5) Do your research, anything you send out should be specific to the person/company you are targeting.
There are loads more. I have a little blog in the racing section on track culture if your interested charting my progress so far.
Don't be fooled getting sponsorship is a lot of work, very few people in club motor sport manage to get sponsors that are not family, friends or their own business.
1) Forget about the fact it's on TV. Pretty irrelevant unless it's something like BTCC
2) Forget about stickers on the car. Common mistake but that is not all you should be selling
3) Think outside the box.
4) Network...like your life depends on it. (helps if your job allows you to do this)
5) Do your research, anything you send out should be specific to the person/company you are targeting.
There are loads more. I have a little blog in the racing section on track culture if your interested charting my progress so far.
Don't be fooled getting sponsorship is a lot of work, very few people in club motor sport manage to get sponsors that are not family, friends or their own business.
I compete in sprints & hillclimbs.
The sponsorship I get is for free services or a discount on parts/services.
I have a few stickers on my car from local companies that I know. The best I can do is get parts at cost & minor things covered, like free fit & disposal on the tyres.
No company is interested in giving money away at the best of times, let alone now.
The sponsorship I get is for free services or a discount on parts/services.
I have a few stickers on my car from local companies that I know. The best I can do is get parts at cost & minor things covered, like free fit & disposal on the tyres.
No company is interested in giving money away at the best of times, let alone now.
Fantuzzi said:
Bertrum said:
2) Forget about stickers on the car. Common mistake but that is not all you should be selling
Could you expand a little on this one?
Thanks for your help
It doesn't mean anything unless your redbull or something. Think about it as a potential business venture for the sponsor, find ways to give them back something that they would struggle to organise or do themselves.
I think firstly you need to think along the lines of what can we do for each other in exchange with 'sponsors'.
I've just agreed a little deal with a local windscreen dealer. They're supplying and fitting me a new windscreen in return for a couple of stickers. My old windscreen was cracked so it's something I've needed to get done which otherwise would be £150 out my pocket. And some scrutineers had been iffy about it last year..
If I'd went to Mr Windscreen dealer and asked for £150 cash I'm not sure I'd have got it out of them!
I intend to get them dragged along to a meeting when they can make it to show them what it's all about. Get them free tickets, treat them like royalty etc. They're end of the deal is say £150 and I might put in more effort than that but you need to do it.
Start small and you never know where it might lead. I'm sure there's some consumables or that you may need to help run a car during the season.
I've just agreed a little deal with a local windscreen dealer. They're supplying and fitting me a new windscreen in return for a couple of stickers. My old windscreen was cracked so it's something I've needed to get done which otherwise would be £150 out my pocket. And some scrutineers had been iffy about it last year..
If I'd went to Mr Windscreen dealer and asked for £150 cash I'm not sure I'd have got it out of them!
I intend to get them dragged along to a meeting when they can make it to show them what it's all about. Get them free tickets, treat them like royalty etc. They're end of the deal is say £150 and I might put in more effort than that but you need to do it.
Start small and you never know where it might lead. I'm sure there's some consumables or that you may need to help run a car during the season.
Edited by BMR on Monday 13th February 23:53
Thanks for all the advice. It seems to be like many of you have said more than just getting a sticker on a car its also about choosing your sponser carefully due to what you want in return.
I was thinking more along the lines of race preparers in return for some work I wont be able to do myself, or want some one proper to do it (like the roll cage...).
Cheers been really helpful.
I was thinking more along the lines of race preparers in return for some work I wont be able to do myself, or want some one proper to do it (like the roll cage...).
Cheers been really helpful.
Bertrum said:
Or you could work your ass off! That's what I intend to do. Judging by the OP's response he sadly is not.
In what way have I given you that impression?Edited by Fantuzzi on Tuesday 14th February 02:15
Edited by Fantuzzi on Tuesday 14th February 02:16
Edited by Fantuzzi on Tuesday 14th February 02:18
Fantuzzi said:
I was thinking more along the lines of race preparers in return for some work I wont be able to do myself, or want some one proper to do it (like the roll cage...).
the problem you will have with race prep guys is they will have a whole load of drivers to chose from. you need to have some success on track before they will start offering discount. I won my class championship last year and have had a preparer offer to prep my car this year for major discount, but i prep the car myself so this would actually cost me more. the only help we now get is some race entries paid for lots of tickets (luckily the championship I'm in give me as many tickets as i ask for) and days out at the track in return.
the other thing you need to remember that there is no point in getting sponsorship for stuff you don't want. what i mean is if some one offers to re build you engine for free but they are crap at re building engines don't use them. on a bigger scale to this is in endurance racing lots of tyre manufacturers are looking to sponsor teams, but none of them are as good as michelin so most teams pay for michelins, when they could get others for free.
In 10 years of racing/sprinting on and off i've not had a lot
My brother has a garage and i've had the use of the services there incl ramps, tyre machine, my younger brother is a welder so thats has been invaluable. I also had 6 tyres a couple of years ago.
Last season I managed to get some oil consumables from a company for free
I've emailed several companies for sponsorship for 2012 and got no replies
I won the XR3i championship in 2011 but that stands for nothing
Times are hard so it means me sitting out 2012 but hope to save up to buy a Fiesta ST for 2013
My brother has a garage and i've had the use of the services there incl ramps, tyre machine, my younger brother is a welder so thats has been invaluable. I also had 6 tyres a couple of years ago.
Last season I managed to get some oil consumables from a company for free
I've emailed several companies for sponsorship for 2012 and got no replies
I won the XR3i championship in 2011 but that stands for nothing
Times are hard so it means me sitting out 2012 but hope to save up to buy a Fiesta ST for 2013
Getting sponsorship is very very hard.
You have to make them an offer that is soooo good, they would be nuts to turn you down.( but not to good to be true )
Try getting the local papers to do a story on you doing the MX5 series. Don't say you need sponsorship to run, just a nice human interest local lad giving it a go story. Have a chat to the jorno if they know of any business people who are motorsport fans. Sometimes networking can bring the best results. A little help can grow. Offer them and their family some hot laps on a track day.
Transport companies can be good, as they could buy tyres and loss them in the books.
Sometimes it is better to do several rounds very well than try to do all not that well.
Like everyone has said it is hard.
Best of luck.
You have to make them an offer that is soooo good, they would be nuts to turn you down.( but not to good to be true )
Try getting the local papers to do a story on you doing the MX5 series. Don't say you need sponsorship to run, just a nice human interest local lad giving it a go story. Have a chat to the jorno if they know of any business people who are motorsport fans. Sometimes networking can bring the best results. A little help can grow. Offer them and their family some hot laps on a track day.
Transport companies can be good, as they could buy tyres and loss them in the books.
Sometimes it is better to do several rounds very well than try to do all not that well.
Like everyone has said it is hard.
Best of luck.
The same time and effort you put into begging people for money. Just put that same time and effort into working harder and making more money to go racing! I'm a business owner and have put all my hard effort into growing my company and the extra profit sponsors my racing, simple. Once I get better & at the front of the grid, then I can ask for sponsorship, as a newbee, thats very hard to come by.
NJH said:
No offence intended but seriously do you think the world really needs or is remotely interested in yet another racers blog?
Yes Because what I am doing goes against all the negativity in this thread. The point of my blog is to prove it can be done. You don't have to read it, I wont make you.
Bertrum said:
Yes
Because what I am doing goes against all the negativity in this thread. The point of my blog is to prove it can be done. You don't have to read it, I wont make you.
It can be done. In my first 2 years racing I was given 10k per season from a local business. Because what I am doing goes against all the negativity in this thread. The point of my blog is to prove it can be done. You don't have to read it, I wont make you.
I accept, that I was unbelievably lucky / fortunate etc. - but it can be done.
I owe them a lot (not just 20k!) as without their help I would never have been able to enjoy the moneypit that is racing cars!
Gassing Station | UK Club Motorsport | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff