Susie Stoddart in Autosport this week
Discussion
Really hope she goes well this year, and makes the step up to F3000/F2 or whatever it's going to be called in 2005. I was at the FRenault test at Oulton last Tuesday and it further underlined how good she is. Anyone who was at the TOCA meeting at Oulton last season will recall her fabulous drive where she broke the lap record over and over again. Admitedly she was in clean air due to an early problem, but being consistently quick over several laps takes real talent.
And she's fit
And she's fit
Susie is a quick and talented driver, but saying she could easily hack it in F1 is a bit OTT. Given time and money, you may be right, but there are dozens of very talented drivers who haven't made it into F1 . For example, the British F3 chamionship has been dominated for a number of years by Carlin - Yet in 2002 along comes ADR with Robbie Kerr and they beat a very strong field - In 2003, normal service was resumed, yet Robbie can't get a drive - Lack of cash!
So let's see if Susie can win the FR championship as a good first step.
DJ
So let's see if Susie can win the FR championship as a good first step.
DJ
Very true. Marc Hynes in 1999 is another prime example of a great talent wasted. I was just saying that based on what I've seen of her driving, I think she could get to F1 and do well, provided she gets some serious backing. I think it's criminal that so much British talent is wasted because company's can't be bothered to sponsor them.
The DJ 27 said:I'd like to agree with this, but I don't think that the problem is that companies can't be bothered with sponsorship.
it's criminal that so much British talent is wasted because company's can't be bothered to sponsor them.
It is the legal duty of company directors to get value for money from all of their purchases. Top level motorsport is seriously expensive. Can you imagine a 17 year old approaching a company MD and saying
'Please sponsor me in Formula Ford, It's not televised, the car is really small, so you can't really see your logos, and the hospitality facilities aren't really there. Yours for a mere £100k'.
Ironically, apart from the bargains such as Ginetta racing (my sponsors please take note
), where you get exposure at top events for a small amount of money, the only time that commercial sponsorship really works is F1. DHL were delighted with a Jordon half way through a barrel roll on the front page of every newspaper a few years back - you can't pay for that sort of exposure.
Well,my experience is that they can't be bothered!
FPA (what I have/hope to race in) has cars that look similar to F1 with loads of space for logos, a dedicated (for 2004) TV series, fantastic hospitality and a centre spread in Autosport. Add to that races at the best european and UK circuits (Silverstone GP, Brands Hatch GP, Snetterton, Monza, Spa and Nurburgring) and £50K looks like good value - 80+ letters with very few even bothering to reply!
And I'm not asking for £50k - packages starting at £10k!
Steps off soap box
DJ
FPA (what I have/hope to race in) has cars that look similar to F1 with loads of space for logos, a dedicated (for 2004) TV series, fantastic hospitality and a centre spread in Autosport. Add to that races at the best european and UK circuits (Silverstone GP, Brands Hatch GP, Snetterton, Monza, Spa and Nurburgring) and £50K looks like good value - 80+ letters with very few even bothering to reply!
And I'm not asking for £50k - packages starting at £10k!
Steps off soap box
DJ
What you have to remember David is that you're selling something to busy people, just like everybody else. Just because you are interested in Motorsport doesn't mean that the people that you are writing to are. Think about what you think every time you get cold called at home - do you always listen to all of what they have to say, and answer all of their questions until they are completely satisfied?
The funds that you are after are significant and you have to actively offer something to your customer that he or she really wants to buy. Formula Palmer Audi has unfortunately fallen out of favour a bit recently, in that it is no longer (after Justin Wilson) seen as a feeder series, but it isn't clubman either.
Anyway - all that aside, your last post is written as if you feel that you are owed sponsorship. At the end of the day - you're not, and this could be one of the reasons that you are having trouble raising the cash.
Any sport is amature at all but the highest levels, and motorsport is no exception - save that it is bloody expensive! If you don't know someone with loads of money that is falling over themselves to give it to you (always the best way of finding sponsorship), then you are going to have to find an edge that makes financial sense. This is the only way to raise the cash.
At the end of the day, I'm directly involved in running a business - and I'm into motorsport - I race a Ginetta for fun. Having said all that, given a choice between doing an exhibition or putting our logo on the side of an FPA car for the series, I'd choose the exhibition. We will simply win more business that way.
If you can guarantee me £250k in fees for my £10k investment however, I'll change my mind.
The funds that you are after are significant and you have to actively offer something to your customer that he or she really wants to buy. Formula Palmer Audi has unfortunately fallen out of favour a bit recently, in that it is no longer (after Justin Wilson) seen as a feeder series, but it isn't clubman either.
Anyway - all that aside, your last post is written as if you feel that you are owed sponsorship. At the end of the day - you're not, and this could be one of the reasons that you are having trouble raising the cash.
Any sport is amature at all but the highest levels, and motorsport is no exception - save that it is bloody expensive! If you don't know someone with loads of money that is falling over themselves to give it to you (always the best way of finding sponsorship
), then you are going to have to find an edge that makes financial sense. This is the only way to raise the cash. At the end of the day, I'm directly involved in running a business - and I'm into motorsport - I race a Ginetta for fun. Having said all that, given a choice between doing an exhibition or putting our logo on the side of an FPA car for the series, I'd choose the exhibition. We will simply win more business that way.
If you can guarantee me £250k in fees for my £10k investment however, I'll change my mind.
I realise that it's a tough sell - particularly for a 43 year old who only had his first kart race 3 years ago - but the point I was *trying* to make was that even when presented with a relatively inexpensive(compared to FF, FR, F3 etc) entry into a professionaly run series,with excellent media exposure and corporate hospitality, most don't even bother to reply. I like to think have done my homework, and target supposed 'enthusiasts' at board level within their respective companies. I'd be happy to show you an example of what I send out to get an objective viewpoint.
As for FPA being out of favour, point taken, but FPA 2002/3 graduates will this year be in Brit F3, FBMW, Brit GT as well as a couple of entries at Bathurst.
But I fear we are getting way off topic - Best of luck to Susie in this year's FR championship.
DJ
As for FPA being out of favour, point taken, but FPA 2002/3 graduates will this year be in Brit F3, FBMW, Brit GT as well as a couple of entries at Bathurst.
But I fear we are getting way off topic - Best of luck to Susie in this year's FR championship.
DJ
Hmm - re-read last post and may have been suffering from long day 
. Hope no offence was taken.
Generally though I tend to hear a lot of people saying that so and so is really quick but can't get any sponsors etc, which is really missing the point.
Young, up and coming drivers tend to go for a lot of coaching on their driving skills, but no one teaches them how to become valuable to those companies that they are attempting to woo into funding what, at least at the early stages, is their hobby.
It is only when these drivers, or their managers, start thinking what specifically can I deliver to this company that commercial sponsorship starts to become a possibility.
I would guess that Susie has a big advantage being female - that gives here a fairly unique selling point at the top of motorsport, where the fairer sex do appear to be pretty under-represented at the moment.
Still say that the easiest way is to make very good friends with someone that's loaded though.
Good luck to Susie, and everybody else out there with the tallent to succeed.
. Hope no offence was taken. Generally though I tend to hear a lot of people saying that so and so is really quick but can't get any sponsors etc, which is really missing the point.
Young, up and coming drivers tend to go for a lot of coaching on their driving skills, but no one teaches them how to become valuable to those companies that they are attempting to woo into funding what, at least at the early stages, is their hobby.
It is only when these drivers, or their managers, start thinking what specifically can I deliver to this company that commercial sponsorship starts to become a possibility.
I would guess that Susie has a big advantage being female - that gives here a fairly unique selling point at the top of motorsport, where the fairer sex do appear to be pretty under-represented at the moment.
Still say that the easiest way is to make very good friends with someone that's loaded though
. Good luck to Susie, and everybody else out there with the tallent to succeed.
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