Questions about sponsorship.

I happen to sponsor several cars thru my shop, from weekly bracket racers to a Pro Top Outlaw dragster. Everyone has a different " sponsorship" based on several things such as:

1) What are they going to do for ME? In your first post you mentioned your looking forward to getting " free stuff". That would totally turn me off as a sponsor. Sponsorship isnt about giving away free stuff because you have nothing else to spend your money on. Its about return on investment. Running a business ( especially engine/speedshops) takes a tremendous effort, lots of sacrifice, and very very hard earned rewad. If I wanted to lose money, I'd just go out back and burn a stack of 100's. The sponsor wants to know what YOU are going to do for HIM! You are chosen because of your driving ability, maybe you have a really nice car, your successful and so forth.

2) Is the potential sponsored team PROFESSIONAL ? This is as important as anything to me. I dont want some fly by night wildman out there acting like a lunatic from a bad episode of Dukes of Hazard. To be a professional, you need to act like a professional. This includes your portfolio to the sponsor. Show him your clean car, your clean trailer, under the hood, your tow rig, your accomplisments. Thats professional.

3) What are you willing to do OUTSIDE of the racetrack for your sponsor? Will you trailer your car to car shows, cruise nights etc. Maybe a visit to the local high school. Can you do this? Are you willing to do more than slap a sticker on your car? This is what shows the sponsor you appreciate him/her beyond the free stuff.

4) What size decal, and where are you willing to locate it on your car/trailer. again, your sponsor is quite simply looking for visibility. However that comes, Truck, trailer, golf cart, announcements, flyers , WHATEVER is positive for him. Again, he could have 25 people that want sponsorship, why should he choose you?

I could go on and on, but this should give you some ideas.

As far as what gets sponsored, a small deal would be parts at cost, maybe discounted or free shop services. Maybe fuel for travel, money for lodging, tires for car, oil changes and so forth. That all needs to be worked out in advance. If your like some of my guys, you race 300+ runs a year, and I'm willing to offer a little more as a sponsor for those committed guys. I also have something as simple as one oil change ( Brad Penn) per year. I have a girl that displays my decals just for that, and the reason I do it? Girl appeal. yes, there are more and more girls racing, and I want an approachable pleasant woman to talk to the other ladies that race, so they know they can use my services, or at least feel comfortable that there is a shop that isnt afraid to help a woman out. Its really a bigger issue than you may think.

A more serious effort may be free yearly engine service, where I do all the engine serivce for the year. This would be a high dollar serious effort, and I expect more from this team in reference to THEM advertising ME, and so forth.

What often happens is customers EXPECT a sponsorship because they spend money with you. What they forget is I porvided a service for them , at a reasonable and fair rate, and also supoport them throughout their race season. If they are willing to do more for me, as a business, and help promote and build it, then it means a lot more. Not everyone, ( almost 90% or better) are NOT prepared to have a sponsorship. They dont want to commit to things above and beyond their own agendas.

Hope this helps a bit, but make sure you look at the whole picture, and especially understand the sponsors side, as he is the one with all the investment, and most to lose. Whatever you do, dont ever make him think your just looking for free stuff. Thats is the kiss of death. Make him think you want to EARN sponsorship. Good luck to you.