Wild

It has to start somewhere, why not now, eveyone in and around the APBA talks about how the sport is growning, now is the time to get in - or watch from the beach.

How much is spent on a motorcross bike or a boat doen not matter, what the sponsors get for their $ is the main goal. Boat racing and NASCAR are on the same channel - the demographics will be there.

How is Treadwell Motorsports doing it, they have a ton of sponsor sticker on their boat.

Randy (optimist)

puder

Ron becasue I know you used to run Mr. Technology. And seem to know a few thigns abotu sponsorship. It also interestes me to know how members on this board manage to pay for thier toys.

Your company hiring????

Scuba Steve

I hear you Too Old. We have a small demographic of possible sponsors, but there is opportunity here for someone to benefit from being seen on our boat. Sandals, Oakley, Coke, Bud, Tampex! Hell, I put a big red tip on the bow my boat and drag some rope behind it. Come on it's all about recognition. We just need the right marketing manager. Where is he or she at?

Scuba Steve

Ron..we'll run all the APBA races. You think I'd miss one? Are you crazy?

puder

scuba steve after that last comment you made it clear you will not be lookign to applea to eth female demographic huh???

I must say i would almost pay to sponsor you boat with personal funds just to see it paited with a red tip dragging a rope during a race. The ass kicking you woudl get by teh other racers afterwards woudl be worth the $$$

Ron P

So here is what I learned. First I should tell you that Mr T' bills were all paid for from my companies. I personally never paid a penny. When we sold the companies we sold the boat too.

We did try to get sponsors and here is what I found you must overcome.

1. The team is unknown. You don't have any trophies or even a video tape of your boat.
Indy cars go without sponsors until they get a name for themselves.
2. You haven't been able to identify how much you need and how it will be spent.
3. All the APBA races? Including divisional races?
4. Marketing budgets are now in place for 2002. You need to work on the 2003 season.
5. If you can't buy the entire rig out of your own pocket. Forgetaboutit and get a pleasure boat.

No company will pay for your toys and then let you play with them. Offshore racing is a rich mans hobby. They spend their own money to have some competitive fun. If you want sponsorship you need to establish yourselves on the race course and then with video and a track record and a good marketing person you might get $10,000.

The biggest sponsor Mr T ever got was 3 free hotel rooms for 3 nights at Lake Winnipissaci. Did I spell that right?

We probably spent $5K trying to raise money from outside sponsors.

Shane

WhenI drove the Pennzoil boat in 1996 I spent COUNTLESS hours just getting hotel and motel sponsors for each venue! I did it though. Each race we had a motel sponsor, however, we already had name recognition with PENNZOIL. It is a VERY difficult proposition to obtain sponsor money for this sport. I wish you all the best in your endeavors though. Also, Ron P is right, budgets are set, the likelihood of getting a big dollar sponsor for this year are nill. Begin working on 2003.

It is not a fun project and youget alot of rejection and stalling etc. etc..

Shane

Ted Zoli

Maybe i'm a little bit of an optimist, but i think the rules of what you can expect from sponsors of an Offshore Race Boat and Team needs to be continuely updated in our minds.

When a company decides to stop spending three million dollars to sponsor a NASCAR team because of economic realities, that, IMHO, is not necessarily bad news for us. In fact it could be a blessing.

Our better and better TV coverage is going to get sponsors' attention, and the FOX Speed Channel thing is HUGE! It could be the beginning of the new sponsorship era.

For 100K (which i think any of us would take)we can give one hell of a bargain to a sponsor, especially if there is some kind of tie-in to their product, and there are many.

For 3.33% of the cost we can deliver more than 3.33% of the exposure they had with NASCAR on TV. Then doing in-person promotions with the boat...something not easy to do with a race car as they are not nearly so dramatic a static display, can put the "frosting on the cake.". A NASCAR car parked looks no different than any stock car to a novice. People are sure that a race boat is something very different.

What i am saying is approach sponsors with the thought that we have a product that gives you a bang for the buck that you can't get anywhere else. Then deliver...but that is another story.

Ted

PS 2002 budgets are done for the big bucks, which WE ARE NOT. We are chump change to most promotion budgets, and it is still worth calling for this season. And after any contact, win or lose, you will know more than before the contact.

eMotiondriver

Ron P.is right. We have 4 tropheys 1 checkered flag video tapes and media packs. We are gonna race stock class with or with out sponsors. With sponsors would allow us to run more races without them we will just run the ones close to home. You will have to buy the boat and tow rig first and try and make a name.
Doug
eMotion Racing

Wild

We would be running in the APBA pro series, and never miss a race. I have been working on this for 2 years. We have the video tape, whe have a marketing packet, we have solid demographics, we have a realistic budget. I have been talking to the APBA, Fountain, Cigarette, and other F-2 teams to get there ideas of realistic $ to be spent and earned, this is not just some "hey lets get a boat and race" We have done the homework.

I agree the 2002 sponsors may be slim to none, the 2003 budjets will be bigger than ever, companies that don't advertise because of 911 will be left on the beach, the world must go on.

Part of our packet consists of a NASCAR photo that I got from TIME mag. It lists all the parts on a NACAR that can have sponsors on them, and their $ amounts, the hood 12-15million, the trunk 4-8mill, the arms by the window 250-500k. Give me 5% of that and I will give you 33% in coverage of what NASCAR does.

We are not looking to get stinking rich, just do what we love and give our sponsors what they need.

We started this tread in hopes to find links to potential sponsor, not to hear all of the reasons why it will not work. sorry

Randy