[Charles Nungester]

Look, I know TS and KK have connections through Nascar. Lucas is no stranger to racing and honestly, I like thier owners apreciate what they give to the sport and support them when I can.

I've seen teams get big sponsorships for short terms, Im just wondering why some owners and drivers aren't able to tap into some of these mulit million dollar marketing companies and keep em.

Do they have to be a race fan to do so or do they feel their return on investment won't be realized?

It just amazes me the amount of money some companies will spend on airwaves and WWW's but not on something solid, In your face as Sprint cars are.

To this day I still see the FRIDGEDAIR (SP) Car vividly in my mind. The Q car. Even the old ALAN KNOTT Honda cars and Valvoline cars of the past. That sticks more in my mind than from some 30 second TV add.

This is not a slam on anyone. I as much as anyone apreciate anyone GIVING TO THIS SPORT.

Chuck, Just Wonderin why the GE, FORD, BOSCH ect names aren't all over this sport?

[throb]

i think the most logical answer to that question is the fact that there really isnt any return on their investment. there is no television to get the name out there......there really isnt any fan interest other than that which already exists and face it....if some fortune 500 company sponsored a sprint car to run usac or any other non-wing series.......would you be more likely to buy that product? the reason that the woo guys get big money sponsors is because there is WAY more exposure for their product............sad but true.....

[Dwight Clock]

Chuck, many teams don't have sponsorship because they either don't know the proper way to pursue sponsorship or are unwilling to spend the amount of time needed to properly pursue it. In order to obtain a meaningful sponsorship you must convince the potential sponsor that they need to be involved in your series or at your track and that yours is the team to do it with. You must research what market group the potential sponsor is reaching out to and show them how that group will be reached through your activities. You need to offer them a proper presentation that shows them your professional approach to serving their needs. Show them how you will work to give them what they are paying you for. Timing is of the essence also. Most companies set their advertising budget months in advance. I would say that almost all companies have already set their 2008 budgets. I would advise anyone serious about seeking meaningful sponsorship to attend an Ernie Saxton Seminar. He has been educating racers on seeking sponsorship for over 30 years and has had great success.

[D.O.]

Where do the big money sponsors get their money back in media?? Maybe a picture in NSSN or one of the magazines. No local TV coverage, no National coverage just internet and word of mouth coverage.
IF somebody had a TV package then something could happen. Look at the WoO. They have some big money deals and are growing each year since getting back together. Cart & IRL have to buy their time on TV for the most part.

Sure we have a few big money deals as Chuck pointed out but their connections are from someplace else.

Look at Stanbrough and the Fox boys, they win 30 races and get some press here and there but is Sports Ill. following them or Sportscenter?

Why doesn't a big sponsor from NASCAR step up and buy into USAC with sponsorship and a real network TV package?? It would be cheap compared to a NASCAR budget and would get them TV coverage. You would think Toyota, Mopar or Chevy would do something like that.

This subject has been kicked around before and it all comes to a TV package that racefans can see.
Long ago where we did the Thunder Series it looked like it might take off until ESPN quit paying a rights fee and started charging for the package. Why do you think Lawn mowers are on TV?? MONEY!!!!!

But wouldn't it be great to tune in on a Sunday night and see LIVE from Kokomo races or any where else???? Hell Ya it would!!!

Look at what TV did for drag racing! Look at what Thunder almost did.

Sponsors what to see their name on TV and in the newspaper and other media. Look at the Hoffman Team with their big money sponsors, but Rob will be the first to tell you the money isn't that large and Kroger expects something back in the media. Clayton wins for them at Gas City, a big story to us in racing but what media coverage did you see from that?

A few years ago Brad Sweet made national TV, how did that happen??? A local TV station happen to catch the crash and put it on the uplink and the nation went WOW! Then GMA put Sweet on National TV. Al of this only because a local TV shooter catch it and thought it was big, and it was. How many crashes like that does Dean, Jeffk, and myselk have? Lots of them but no network station to uplink it. News stations don't care who wins the race just a crash. I use to take video from 3 nights of racing to the local Indy stations personally for them to use. Once and a while a crash would get played if it was a big named driver, other than that nothing.

Racing needs to be media friendly. By this I mean their results need to be sent to the newpapers, TV stations and put up on their websites asap for fans and media. How quick does your favorite tracks update their websites after a race?

Maybe someday it will come around and money will come in the sport for more teams. How much sense does it make to run a $40,000 car for $800 to $1400 to win 3 times a week?? Thankfully we have a lot of good owners who keep coming back.

Another point is what if a potential sponsor would read the message boards???? It would make threm wonder why they would want to spend their money in a sport that a lot of people rip on a lot.

So Chuck sorry for being long winded but the sport needs national media coverage in the trades and TV.


:dologob:

[Blackduce]

Did any one keep track of how many non wing sprint car races were shown on TV this year, whether it be USAC, MSCS, or any other? If so were they live or tape delayed? I've never seen a count.

Lynn

[throb]

lynn.......i havent seen any....but i think that you could count on one hand the number...

First off ask yourself this very simple question. Would a person who controls a marketing budget of millions or hundreds of dollars look at you and your team and say "yes I want that person to be the face of my company"? If you and your team are not at prepared to be professionals at your trade then why would a company want you. Many times we think that only the person who wins all the time can get sponsors. Sure winning helps but there is a lot more to it than that. First off as one of the other post said take a look at who you are going after. Bass Pro Shop, Parker Store, Big Game Tree Stand, Big Q, Penthouse, Casey General Store just to name a few of the WoO car sponsors. Most of the fans would use these products or services. So the sponsor get TV time and sells even more products. Now it you are a local guy you have three types of sponsorships, cash, in kind trade / discount, and contingency. Cash where you get cash for you efforts. Trade / discount where goods and services are provided free or at a discounted rate. Contingency where you get cash or trade based on certain performance standards. Try to think outside the box not just car stuff. One thing you can do is try to sponsors for special races. AKA The Little 500, The Rumble, In. Sprint Week thing that will have huge fan and racing media. Sorry this got long but I could go on and on. Just make your self and your team the best package you can. If all else falls find a very, very rich woman who loves racing and make her your wife.

[cecil98]

one thing you have to be able to provide a company is cost per person in exposure. if you're a weekly racer at Lawrenceburg (for example) you could say that there are 30 shows that average 2000 attendence per week (just pulling #'s out of the air). that's 60,000 people over a season. however, 80% (at least) of those people are the same faces in the same seats every week so your actual exposure in a season is @12,000 people. so, that's what local racers face. the numbers just don't work out to justify sponsoring a local race car. for most sponsorships you see on local race cars there was already a pre-exisitng relationship between the car owner, or driver, and the sponsor. the business owner doesn't really expect a return on his investment. he just enjoys the sport and wants to help out. I had a sponsor like this back in the 80's. he was a family friend who owned a frame shop in newport, ky. he enjoyed coming down and watching us and gave us $1500 a year to put his name on the car. he didn't get a dime back but, he liked being part of it. it's almost impossible to go into a business cold and walk out the door with a sponsorship. if your running USAC? well, that's a similar situation, just on a larger scale. you can project bigger numbers to the potential sponsor but, you also need to ask for a lot more $$$$$$$$ to run a traveling circuit. basically, you have to know someone and, that business owner has to be interested in racing to begin with. that's my experience on this subject.

[illiNOISE]

Originally Posted by cecil98 for most sponsorships you see on local race cars there was already a pre-exisitng relationship between the car owner, or driver, and the sponsor. the business owner doesn't really expect a return on his investment. he just enjoys the sport and wants to help out. I had a sponsor like this back in the 80's. he was a family friend who owned a frame shop in newport, ky. he enjoyed coming down and watching us and gave us $1500 a year to put his name on the car. he didn't get a dime back but, he liked being part of it.

Sitting in the stands, it's hard to read all the small sponsors on most cars. This is especially true at fairgrounds tracks where the grandstand and racetrack are separated by an old half-mile horsetrack. You're simply too far away to see what's written on the hood or rear quarter pannel of the cars. Sponsors obviously are not going to get much of a return on their investment in that scenario.

[Charles Nungester]

Thanks Guys and Gals for all the answers, None of them are wrong.

However Dwight brought up what I was thinking. Do teams even have the time or take the time to seek out what they are looking for?

I also feel in some ways that the sponsor has to be connected to racing to be interested in INVESTING. I know some of these car owners that foot most of the bills themselves year after year. LOVE THE SPORT enough to do so! Thank you!
Chuck