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Getting a sponsor

2625 Views 21 Replies 16 Participants Last post by  gramazone, 
Brian Watts
Just wanted to see if some guys might share their idea of the best idea to get s sponsor to help out with your race program?

What type of submission to make and who to approach?

Everyone could use the help and no reason not to help each other out.
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Rich Duncan Jr
I do remember years ago a good buddy of mine, Louie Hughes RIP, was looking for a sponser for his small race team. I suggested he look into some of the non car related places around town to see what they would donate to his cause. Most racers go for the auto parts places and that is great, but I had him check with a popular hot dog restaurant that I frequented and they gave him enough donation to buy his lap belts, which at the time cost quite a bit.
My advice, don't limit your search.
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A
I would think having Jaegermeister in the sport would help drivers attract a sponsor by showing a big company like that sees a benefit in being involved.

Right?
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J
I would think it would be easy if you had a good resume some good pictures and patience.
If you sent out say 200 of these packages and you brought in 2 good ones and 20 low doller ones you would be better off then you were.
don't limit your search to just automotive.
Jerry ;)
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B
put together a Sponsorship proposal. it is not hard at all
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ErikTheRed
Send em a box of free DVD's. ;)
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G
Here are some examples of sponsorship proposal letters we have used....

WELCOME PROSPECTIVE SPONSOR!



The Drivers and Crew of Bad Dog Racing Thank You for the interest in joining our team in a Sponsorship role. As a Sponsor, you will be backing a First Class Operation. A Multi-Car Team Package where a Formula for Success already exist. We have a game plan to promote, and benefit your company with an emphasis on a return of your investment.

Look at us as a Marketing Tool to actively promote your sponsorship of our team. Your investment will give us additional Strength and Motivation. This will lead to greater Opportunity and Success, which will increase your Exposure.

Sponsors will be identified in all news releases, radio and television interviews, program and magazine articles, websites, and photographic materials. Public address announcers at the events will announce Your Name when introducing our race team, allowing fans to Hear It, Read It in the programs, and See It racing down the straightaway.

All Bad Dog Racing Cars, Crew Attire, and Support Vehicles can be painted in the same color scheme with Your Company Name and Logo predominately displayed. Clearly visible to fans and the media from all vantage points on the track. Your Banners and Logos will be highly visible in our Pit Area. Sponsors hats and jackets can also be worn by drivers and crew. We will speak highly of your products with other competitors, track personnel, fans, and the general public. Our Racecars, Drivers, and Crew members will be made available for Your Special Events, Sales Days, and use in Advertising. Additional Exposure can be expected by our ongoing participation in Car Shows, Parades, and Community events. Spectators and customers will be impressed to see your Logo backing A Well Polished Team.

We will promote a Positive Image. Expect Positive Results.

Sponsorship is very flexible. You can structure your involvement. The size and promenance of your Logo is determined by the level of sponsorship you wish to invest. We would like to Thank-You in advance for your Support.

For additional information please contact us at 916-952-6568 or [email protected]
Click to expand...
Dear Sir,

My name is Lynn Urrutia. I race in the NASA VW Drag Racing Series in Sacramento, California.

I race my 1970 Karmann Ghia that sports the well recognized number 3. I run low 15 seconds ¼ mile. I am not out to break any speed records but want to maintain a consistent and strong car. I have attached a picture of my car at Bug In 32 at California Speedway.

A list of my accomplishments include being the first woman to win not only 1 but 3 NASA races. I won Sacramento BOR trophy class in my first year of racing. I brought home an award this year for “Best Package of the year” .034. My most memorable accomplishments would be Runner Up in NASA Series 2003 along with achieving the highly regarded perfect .000 light in 2004.

Along with the NASA Series, I plan to participate this year in both Sacramento BOR’s, Drag Day at Irwindale, Drag In After Dark in Bakersfield with also a good possibility of a Las Vegas Bug In trip.

I am well aware of the quality of your craftsmanship and only want the best provided for my car. I am hoping that you would consider helping me with a sponsorship. I have had a number of transaxle failures. I am in need of an IRS Transaxle that will withstand the demand of drag racing. I currently run an 1835 Engine and have Firestone Slicks.

I would like to offer in return for your sponsorship, promote you and your business name with Bold Decals on my car that would be widely visible at all my races, VW and Community events. Your business will be mentioned as a primary sponsor at all races I attend along with any articles (as in my interview with ACDRM.com).

I have the continuous support of my entire racing team along with Greg’s VW Service at all races I attend. I promote a positive image for my team, Bad Dog Racing and I will do the same for your business.

I would like to thank you in advance for your time and consideration of my proposal. I am hoping for a favorable response. Our NASA Series starts on February 4th. I can be reached any time on my cell phone at 916-849-5732 or via email at [email protected].
Hope to see you at the races!
Thank You.

Sincerely,
Lynn "BlondeDog" Urrutia
Click to expand...
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Rich Duncan Jr
Wow Greg, I don't have a company that needs to advertise, besides not having any money to sponsor anyone and based on your letters, I would sponsor your team.
I am actually proud to sport a Bad Dog Racing team sticker on my 1967 Bus.
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G
Sample of A Racing Series Proposal

Here is a sample of a proposal letter used to invite sponsors to support a racing series.

NASA PRO-VW DRAG RACING SERIES

C/O Greg Urrutia - Race Director
8861 Scenic Elk Court
Elk Grove, CA 95824
Phone (916) 952-6568
Fax (916) 681-6692
[email protected]et.net


July 2, 2008

Gentlemen

I’d like to introduce myself, Greg Urrutia. I am the Race Director for the NASA VW Series. I am writing this note in hopes you might consider a sponsorship role in the 2007
National Auto Sports Association (NASA) Pro-VW Championship Drag Racing Series.
The seven race points series is hosted at Sacramento Raceway. The series is open exclusively to air-cooled VW powered vehicles.
Our racers are dedicated enthusiasts. Many have used NASA as a low cost/entry level into
drag racing and some have moved up to higher levels of competition.
As a sponsor you will be backing a first class organization where each member will be
encouraged to patronize your business and services (some of our racers already have). Recently Steve Teeters purchased a helmet through your company and was so impressed with your service, he brought the Zamp name to my attention. Your company name and logo will be proudly displayed and clearly visible to racers, spectators, and the media.
We will speak highly of your products and services with other competitors, track
personnel, fans, and the general public.
Your customers will be impressed to see your name backing a successful and long running event. We have developed a web-site, www.nasavwdragracing.com to post events, driver standings, and to showcase our sponsors. Updates are performed on a regular basis to keep information fresh and current. A race report is written at the end of each race always thanking our sponsors. This report is sent out to every address on our large mailing list, posted on our website, and is published in Grass Roots Motorsports, our parent magazine.
With the recent changes in helmet mandates many of our racers need to update.
We are currently seeking a Helmet company that can provide our racers with a great products at fair and reasonable prices. We also hope you will consider offering the gift of a Helmet to be presented to one of our top performers as a grand prize at our annual awards banquet. We also seek prizes of any value to award to our racers at each of the races.
Your business name and logo will be very visible on all our banners and your
decals, business cards, catalogs, and brocheres will be avaliable to those attending our
events. We also set-up a NASA booth at many other non-racing events promoting your
sponsorship of our series.

We have completed our schedule for the 2007 NASA VW Drag Racing Series.

February 4
February 22
March 4
May 5
July 22 (double points)
August 25
September 30


Feel free to contact me at anytime for more information and details. I would like to
thank you in advance for your support, and hope for a favorable response.

Best Regards,

Greg Urrutia
NASA VW Series Race Director
916-952-6568
_________________
www.nasavwdragracing.com
www.gregsvw.com
Click to expand...
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G
Although I am no expert, I have found positive results in sponsorship proposals by following a few guide lines.

1) Keep it Short. Anything more than one page of text gets too busy. Potential sponsors with a busy schedule do not want to read a long-winded letter.
2) Be sure to present yourself as success. Sell yourself as a Winner and a good choice to represent their products. Image is everything.
3) Give detailed information of what the potential sponsor gets in return. Exposure is key.
4) Vow to keep your sponsor informed. Visit your sponsor in person. Keep your sponsor happy. Find out what their favorite beverage is and send them a gift with a thank you card. Send them a signed, framed picture of you in action.
5) Invite them to your events. Extend your hospitality. Show them first hand what a class act you are.

With current economic trends sponsors are hard to come by. As Jerry stated earlier, send out a number of packages. Even a small percentage of responses is a successful campaign.
Good Luck!
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1
I have found if you just try you usually will get something. Just go for it!
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6
Over on Cal-look! Don't through me in the dirty laundry Brian for saying that name on here! lol
But I think the video BusterJohn put together was good for emails. But a resume of what you've done and where you plan on going is a good start. Let them know some of the ways you want to put there money to use to better your self. Let them know you'll be flying a banner in your pits. What size sticker for $$$ they donate.
It's ALL in the presentation for big companies. You have to throw something at them that sticks out better than the rest that want the same sponsorship!
I plan on putting one together one day. I want to get some seat time before I start asking to show that I'm not just in it for the money and fame...... :smooth:
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C
greg o, wanna write mine for an alcohol car? LOL
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L
Make certain you show them what they can get for their return on investment "ROI"
Pump it up use names are that are already Sponsoring...
Good luck.
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M
http://www.turbosmartonline.com/index.php?id=131
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Jon Schweers
First thing NOT to do, is send out a lot of E-mails to potential sponsors we all get 100 e-mails a week, and it is very easy to delete it. Get something in there hands, Greg’s letters are well done, and some Photos of the car racing!! pick your photos well ;) I have seen some good photos of a car racing, but in the back ground you see an empty stands? :boooo:
Not good……. see photo below of what not to send out, I love the photo and they do not know it is the other side of the track? they just see empty stands??? TT nights are good for full stands!!!! Like lance said “ROI” learn power point, it is very easy, and spend a weekend putting something together, do a follow up call and tell them you will be sending them a CD of your power point, now you have two things in there hands……….. And we all have “The Bar” or “The Restraint” you go to allot, if they know you well? Hell Give them an 8X10 in a frame of you racing they Love to hang things like this up, and the next time you come in they will ask you “How is the racing going?” now you have an “in” they are asking you how it is going??? Now you can talk to them about Sponsorship ….. It is tuff right now for all of us, just look at the stock market ……… :wideeyed2: the past 3 days??? Money is tight, but work on selling yourself ………………..

And Marty’s link is a very good one!!!!! :happy:

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A
I've always found that the most important thing is showing that the sponsorship will benefit the potential sponsor. Everybody wants something for nothing or a handout to get them started. If you want to be taken seriously, you need to approach the sponsorship in a professional manner. When asking for something, you need to be willing to 1) explain or demonstrate why you deserve it / how you are worthy of it / how choosing you would represent well for the company you're proposing to & 2) explain what you are willing to give them in return / what they will gain by sponsoring you. It's a business relationship & ultimately they sponsor should gain enough new business / revenue from you to justify whatever investment they make in you. For example, Kurt builds "Jersey" Joe Koenig's engine for him. Joe takes the car to numerous events & runs 10 sec. et's in his full bodied street car - that grabs a lot of attention. Joe's car gets featured in magazines - Kurt / Vintage Performance gets media exposure for the engine & other work on the car. Joe logs several thousand miles on the car each season - people talk to him about it & ask who did the work. They also see the Vintage Performance sticker on his windows. The result - We get new customers because they want or like what Joe has. Even though I sacrefice the financial gain of working on Joe's car, I actually make a bigger profit because Joe is advertising my business. I also know that Joe is very knowledgable, honest, & friendly - knowing the products or services / being a good person / having good character doesn't hurt if you want to earn sponsorship.
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Jon Schweers said:
First thing NOT to do, is send out a lot of E-mails to potential sponsors we all get 100 e-mails a week, and it is very easy to delete it. Get something in there hands, Greg’s letters are well done, and some Photos of the car racing!! pick your photos well ;) I have seen some good photos of a car racing, but in the back ground you see an empty stands? :boooo:
Not good……. see photo below of what not to send out, I love the photo and they do not know it is the other side of the track? they just see empty stands??? TT nights are good for full stands!!!! Like lance said “ROI” learn power point, it is very easy, and spend a weekend putting something together, do a follow up call and tell them you will be sending them a CD of your power point, now you have two things in there hands……….. And we all have “The Bar” or “The Restraint” you go to allot, if they know you well? Hell Give them an 8X10 in a frame of you racing they Love to hang things like this up, and the next time you come in they will ask you “How is the racing going?” now you have an “in” they are asking you how it is going??? Now you can talk to them about Sponsorship ….. It is tuff right now for all of us, just look at the stock market ……… :wideeyed2: the past 3 days??? Money is tight, but work on selling yourself ………………..

And Marty’s link is a very good one!!!!! :happy:
Click to expand...
Powerpoint is really easy once you get the feel for it. ALOT of good pointers here :hrmm:
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Brian Watts
As you all try and get your racing programs ready for the 2013 season finances always play a large part of what you can or can't do right.

Well you always hear racers talking about how they wish they could get a sponsor to help pay the bills,but how?

Most racers don't seem to know how to go about it.

Jon Schweers has been successful with Jaegermeister sponsorship success and his post here is very helpful in steering you in what to do and not to do.

I wanted to research and try and give you guys help in maybe the steps to take and what to do that might help you

Here is a guideline of what might work:



Executive Summary:
It is the first point that need to be addressed in a sponsorship proposal. This summarized information presents before the sponsor, precise points/reasons why they should support your race program. Personal and racing Background: Describe your program or project and highlight your strengths and background. Include your mission statement and execute a concise and well formatted section (not to exceed one page).

Project Information:
Present the sponsorship opportunity in detail. Write this section with the sponsor in mind and explain why and how your opportunity will benefit the sponsor's objectives.

Market Information:
The detailed information about the market collected by the benefactor should also be presented in this part of the document. It gives and idea to the sponsor as to which target audience he is going to be reached thorough the program. Information about audience needs to be provided in a detailed manner. The data should include income levels of the audience, their address details, educational information, etc.

Pitch:
An important section of the proposal from the point of fixing a deal with the sponsor, it should state the price of sponsorship. The needs of racing program should also be clearly presented in this section. Other details included are the length of season/sponsorship, due dates of payment and information about sponsorship hierarchy.

List of Benefits:
A detailed account of all the benefits that a sponsor gets from the deal are provided in this section. Information about the different offers and sponsorship money associated with them are enlisted in this section. One should keep in mind that the benefits/offers made in section are subject to change. The follow-up document is the place where these modifications are reflected.

Plan for Marketing:
Different measures your racing program will be willing to do to promote the program/project are enlisted in this part of the document.

Summary:
It is the last and most important part of a sponsorship proposal template. The information of this section includes all contact information for you and your racing program, current sponsors of your racing program, media clippings, car and team photos etc.



Now this is a very good template or guideline to help any of you create and submit a sponsorship proposal.

Create a list of potential dream sponsors, realistically possible sponsors, and likely sponsors to market your proposal to when done

Follow Jon Schweers advice and mail proposals DO NOT EMAIL it will only get lost,ignored, or deleted.

Choose your photos wisely with lots of spectators in the background so the sponsor can see lots of potential customers who will see his name on your car. Empty stands is a killer.


Please feel free to ad UAC as a media source for your race teams because we received 10,000 hits a day from 38 countries and these are potential customers for your sponsor.
I am always willing to help however I can to help you get sponsors so contact me if you need anything to help seal the deal.

More sponsors means more cars at the track, which means more butts in the seats to spectate and on and on. Only makes the community better

There are motorsports marketing firms that help you get sponsors but not sure what they cost or how successful they would be for our small community

Please post up your experiences with this subject and pro and con that might help others here

Lets all get together and help each other out and get more cars to the track and have 2013 be the best season in recent memory
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Brian Watts
Is this helpful to anyone?
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