Can Motorsport Prospects make a difference?
Motorsport is a strange sport in a lot of ways. It is as much about hustling for sponsorship as it is winning races. It is a sport where the business of racing sometimes overwhelms the competition of racing. And it is extremely expensive to compete in let alone to be competitive.
So what do I intend to do with Motorsport Prospects to make a difference? Can a website make an impact on the sport? Absolutely. While this is a labor of love as much as anything, I truly believe that there is a lack of information for young drivers and their parents and sometimes the frustration that stems from this lack of information often drives young drivers and their families from the sport. I want to help change that. And I think that I can.
The biggest issue that I hear from parents when I am at race tracks is “where do we go from here?” They have usually bankrolled their kids through karting and they are getting to the point that they know they need some help in getting to the next step on the motorsport ladder but don’t know where to find the resources they need. Motorsport Prospects is being built to not only give parents and young drivers access to a diverse and extensive list of resources that they can investigate but will do so in a completely neutral and independent manner.
What to expect from Motorsport Prospects
The site will feature an extensive and up to date list of junior racing teams and development series that cover not only single-seaters but sports cars, touring cars, stock cars and eventually motorcycle racing. Tracks, suppliers and events will also be covered but the heart of the site will be the services section. I am constantly researching everything from management companies to young driver scholarships and programs. Lawyers who specialize in motorsport to innovative driver physical trainers. PR companies, photographers and sponsorship specialists and more. All of these people require time to research, time that many parents do not have. The mission of Motorsport Prospects is to help you use your time more efficiently with an easy to search database accessible on any device that will allow you to research a vast array of global motorsport companies, teams and advisors. You will be able to save the information to your account for future reference and use the site to build up a personalized list of motorsport resources specific to your needs.
On top of that the site will offer informative interviews with key people involved in driver development offering useful, usable advice. And the site will be completely transparent so that you will have the confidence in knowing that the information is both accurate and up to date.
Accessibility
Finally, accessibility is key. Not only do I want to make the site easy to use on all manner of devices, I want to make sure that the information is freely available to the motorsport community. While there will be premium, value added features available to site users, the actual directory listings will be accessible to anybody with a basic, free account so that lack of funds will not preclude a lack of access to this extensive database. Running a site like this is not free and the premium features will be important revenue to allow the site to run and grow but I am determined to make sure that the heart of the site, the database of resources is available to any young driver and his or her parents so that they can make their motorsport dreams come true.
This is what Motorsport Prospects is all about. The site is available now in beta form with an official launch happening this winter. Stop by, check it out and let me know what you think. Motorsport Prospects is also on Facebook and Twitter so follow the site there as well. It is my hope that this site will help you with your motorsport career and that together we can grow and flourish in the years to come. Welcome aboard!
A big thank you to Paige and Jennifer Crawford for the use of the photo accompanying this article. They are the exact audience that I hope Motorsport Prospects helps out as they move up the motorsport ladder from karts to cars. The photo perfectly captures the bond that exists between parent and child during competition. While we sometimes get blinded by the glamor of motorsport, we forget that at its core are kids trying as hard as they can to compete and parents doing all they can to support and encourage their dreams. They should be encouraged and supported every step of the way. You can follow Paige’s racing adventure at Paige Crawford Racing.
Until next week.
Mark
Author: Mark Boudreau
Mark is the publisher of Motorsport Prospects. As a former 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.