Let’s Talk About How to Get Motorsport Sponsorship

This week, let’s talk about how to get motorsport sponsorship in The Business of Being a Race Driver on Motorsport Prospects.

Wait! I can hear you say. Isn’t The Business of Being a Race Driver on Motorsport Prospects all about motorsport sponsorship and the tools, tips, and techniques to get it as explained by numerous experts in the field? Well, yes, it is but this week it is even more focused than usual as you will see.

In The Costs of Racing, I bring to you the advice of Formula Winter Series champion Kacper Sztuka as well as the answer to the question whether you can become a race driver with no money.

All this in this week’s The Business of Being a Race Driver on Motorsport Prospects. Pay attention and get to work!

The Business of Racing

I kick things off with Enzo Mucci‘s video on 5 rules for getting motorsport sponsorship in the video above. “If you want to get sponsorship then you must see things from a business perspective. In this episode I will give 5 rules that your sponsorship world should be built on before you approach companies. See things in the right way and you will find it easier to get motorsport sponsorship. Enjoy.”

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In his next video, Enzo looks at the idea of getting multiple smaller sponsors instead of a few larger ones.

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In the final piece from Enzo, he explains to you The Secret To Getting Motorsport Sponsorship. “I am attempting the seemingly impossible here by giving you the best possible sponsorship advice in a blog post that takes around 5 minutes to read. To pull this off I am going to keep things simple, very simple, yet give you the most effective information as possible. Sounds a bit contradictory but hey, let’s give it a go.”

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Jess Shanahan of The Racing Mentor also looks to answer another popular question that race drivers ask, that being should you ask for product sponsorship instead of cash?

“I hear a lot of drivers talk about how easy it is to get product sponsorships over cold, hard cash. That’s because, typically, it’s cheaper and easier for a business to give away a product than it is to allocate some marketing budget. The problem with product sponsorship is the fact that it won’t pay for race entry fees, repairs on the car, transport to a track, and so on. However, there are plenty of benefits to getting product sponsorship, especially if it’s early on in your career.”

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Fastrack Experiences offers up their 8 top tips for securing racing sponsorship.

“So, you want to become a regular competitor in motorsport or even have aspirations to live the dream of being a professional racer? Many drivers, just like you, have taken the successful path to regular racing and one of the keys to that adventurous and rewarding lifestyle was attracting and retaining sponsors along the way. Sponsorship can be a positive contributor to help fund the journey of any new driver hoping to be an elite motorsport competitor. When you are ‘sponsored’ and partly-funded, you can invest in the track time, car and support crew to improve your chances of success in a sport that’s become a global phenomenon over the last century. If you’ve got talent, discipline and determination, sponsorship can make it easier for you to enjoy the camaraderie of the pit garages, lining up on the grid and hopefully the thrill of being on the podium.”

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Little Power Shop explains from a business point of view How To Get A Motorsports Sponsorship.

“Starting somewhere in January of every year all the way up to roughly June, we get bombarded by motorsports sponsorship requests. Bomb fn barded. The rest of the year we get requests as well, but the first six months are crazy. We get requests from dirt race cars, drag race cars, pulling trucks, mud trucks, motocross, fishermen, race tracks, motorsports events, golf tournaments, charity events, and the list goes on and on. This is separate from the constant onslaught of regular marketing sales people trying to sell you ad space for whatever medium they represent. If you are a business owner, I’m sure you can relate. If you are someone trying to land a sponsorship, I want to explain why business owners are usually a bit cold when you ask and what you can do to up your chances.”

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Finally, The Sponsorship Collective explains how to get racing sponsors.

“If you’ve ever watched a motorsport race on TV before, from the big names like NASCAR to smaller organizations, it’s no secret that this sport relies a lot on sponsorships. Everywhere you look–from the gear to the stands to the cars themselves–sponsorship opportunities abound. Whether you’re an owner of a motorsport company looking to get big name recognition or even an individual driver who needs funds and promotion, how do you get racing sponsors?”

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The Costs of Racing

Feeder Series reports that inaugural Formula Winter Series champion Kacper Sztuka feels that the new series is a good option “for drivers like me who can’t go to the UAE.”

“I think the Formula Winter Series is a great idea because it’s a good option for drivers like me who can’t go to the UAE because of low budgets,” Sztuka says. “We race in Europe on Pirelli tyres, which are used in British F4, Italian F4, and so on. That’s good because in UAE they use Giti tyres, and I’ve heard it’s quite different than Pirelli. Then, of course, another advantage is competing on Spanish tracks. There are some good tracks like Jerez, Valencia and Barcelona, which is a good preparation for the future.”

“Outside of sponsors, another opportunity to find more funding could be from companies working in motorsport. For the past decade, Pirelli has supported the winner of the Formula 3 Championship and GP3 Series via a scholarship to put towards a seat in F2 or GP2, with 2022 F3 champion Victor Martins receiving €300,000. Sztuka says that Pirelli and other companies involved in motorsport could be a huge asset for drivers lacking money.”

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Rose Reid, at The Racing Mentor asks the question that so many of you ask, can you become a racing driver with no money?

“We’re fortunate enough to talk motorsport with people from different backgrounds on a daily basis. People often tell us they’d love to pursue a career in motorsport but lack of funding to get started is the barrier that stops them dead in their tracks. For many, that means the dream is shattered before they’ve even made it into the driving seat. The good news is that it’s possible to get started in motorsport on a budget — but you need to be realistic. Jumping straight into GT racing often isn’t feasible, so start small and build from there.”

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