How Erik Evans landed Coca-Cola for his upcoming IMSA GT4 drive is just one of the topics covered in this week’s Business of Being a Race Driver. I also have some great sponsorship advice videos, podcast episodes and more that will help you in your quest for sponsorship.
Overview
The Business of Racing
How Erik Evans Scored a GT4 Drive for IMSA’s Motul Petit Le Mans
RACER explains how Erik Evans scored a GT4 drive for IMSA’s Motul Petit Le Mans taking place next month. “I really, really wanted to do the race, so I called up everyone I could and everyone I knew in the Atlanta area that might want to be involved in something like this. We got together with Coca-Cola United, the bottling company, and they saw an opportunity to do a three way sponsorship deal between Monster Energy, Coca-Cola and QuikTrip, so that’s how all of this got put together. I’ve been working on it since the beginning of the year, really.”
How to Approach ENJUKU Racing for Sponsorship
Most racers ask for “a sponsorship” without ever saying what that means.
Andrew Kublin, General Manager of ENJUKU Racing, on the gap in nearly every pitch he receives:
▸ Say what you actually need. “Do they need a $10,000 check to run the series? Or do they want to start out with discounted parts and try to grow the relationship?”
▸ Say what you bring back. “Do they have a great marketing team, or a photographer, or a great social media outreach?”
▸ Skip the series’ audience numbers. “We know how many people watch FD. But how many people watch YOU — and what content have you produced, and what results has that got?”
And on the delivery method: with 250,000 Instagram followers, a DM “could get lost even though we try our best to check them all.” Send an email instead.
How Sponsorship Deals Work in Motorsport
Motorsport sponsorship is about far more than putting a logo on a race car. This Yahoo Sports explainer breaks down how sponsorship deals work, from title and associate sponsorships to performance-based incentives and increasingly diverse opportunities across driver apparel, content, merchandise, simulators and esports. It also highlights why brands invest in racing in the first place, including broadcast exposure, fan engagement and corporate hospitality. For independent race drivers and teams looking to attract partners, understanding what sponsors are actually buying—and how that value can extend beyond visibility—is essential to building a compelling sponsorship proposition.
Read the full article on how sponsorship deals work at Yahoo Sports here.
Why You Need to Have a Plan with Mick Gomme
Speaking of race driver development, last week the Motorsport Prospects Podcast features Mick Gomme of Go Motorsport Management who explains how crucial it is to have a plan so you don’t waste time or money.
Listen to the full episode here!
Amanda Sorensen on Finding Sponsors and Building Long-Term Relationships
What Sponsors Check
Dan Wells from Drivers Lab explains what sponsors actually look it when you send them a proposal. “Racing families spend months crafting what they will show a potential sponsor. Almost none of them think about what the sponsor will check without asking. By the time a company replies to your proposal, they have usually already done their homework, and most families fail it before the first meeting.”
Read his full post on LinkedIn here.
How Do People See You?
You already have a personal brand, whether you’ve intentionally built one or not. The bigger question is: does the way people see you match the way you want to be known?
In this episode of the Motorsport Sponsorship Podcast, Belinda looks beyond logos, colors and social media to what actually shapes your personal brand in motorsport — and why it matters when you’re trying to attract sponsors.
You can listen to the episode here.
How to Approach Sunoco Race Fuels for Sponsorship
FIA Insurance Task Force Has Yet to Contact Brokers, Podium CEO Says
No broker or underwriter has heard from the FIA’s new insurance task force, despite soaring car values pushing premiums higher across the sport. “Everybody who I talk to, deal with, compete with – no-one has had a message from this FIA task force to ask any of the brokers or underwriters in the market how can we fix this problem.”
Read the full article at Insurance Business here.
General Motorsport Marketing Advice & Resources
Beyond the Logo: Contracting for the New Era of Brand Partnerships
The days of sponsorship being little more than logos, signage and hospitality are giving way to much more complex brand partnerships. This two-part series from Morgan Lewis examines how partnerships increasingly encompass co-branded products, content creation, licensing, digital experiences and data, and why those expanded relationships require much more careful contracts. Part 1 focuses on defining the partnership, intellectual property, approval rights and ownership of jointly created assets, while Part 2 tackles exclusivity, reputational risk, content usage and measuring performance. For motorsport teams and drivers seeking commercial partners, the series offers valuable insight into what needs to be addressed when a sponsorship evolves into a genuine business partnership.
- Beyond the Logo: Contracting for the New Era of Brand Partnerships (Part 1)
- Beyond the Logo: Contracting for the New Era of Brand Partnerships (Part 2)
Author: Mark Boudreau
Mark is the publisher of Motorsport Prospects and the host of the Motorsport Prospects Podcast. As a lawyer, he applies his legal background and research skills to assist race drivers by showcasing the resources they need to make their motorsport careers happen.
