Audiofn

How are you sapposed to be able to get sponsors for next years (2003) races when they do not even know what races they are having for this year? Sponsors do not want to commit money on a MAYBE. What am I sapposed to do to get sponsors for Cape Cod, I think that there is going to be a race in June, it is on the scedual, but I do not know what town it is in, or were we will be staging the event, but if you give me some money I will do what I can to give you worthwhile exposure........ You see what we are up against? When I advertise for my company, I know what the readership is for the media that I am advertising, I know the number of Magazines for example sold in the country, and also my state. I have obtained good contacts at big companies, but no one is interested in a big maybe, and that is what offshore racing is at this time. There is little to no stability, and companies feel it to be a waist of time. It seems that the only compnaies that are interested have a connection with the team. We had a sponsor for Lake Winni, that sponsor was connected to the main sponsor for the event. The day that main sponsor pulled out so did ours. You are on a tough venture, I hope you have better luck then the rest of us. Keep us posted

Jon

Wild

Unfortunataly that kind of thing happens, 911 for examaple. You just have to convince the sponsors that if that happens, (a race gets cancelled)you will make it up, Do two more boat shows, or 5 parades. The best thing is let the sponsors know that at the end of their sponsor year, you will give them a list of where the exposure was. They can't read every news paper and every magazine, but you can because you know where you were and what mag. you will be in. It is tough, but it can be done. Good luck to you.

Randy

Shane

Ron P

I do not know HOW Nicky landed PENNZOIL nor do I know how much he was paid. Sorry. I never asked as I thought it was none of my business. He did hang on to them for a long time though! Notice however, that a year or so AFTER they enter the marine business with PENNZOIL MARINE they are no longer hos sponsor and have dropped Offshore from the sponsored team totally? Interesting.

We have debated the problems with offshore racing hundreds of times here in the past. I encourage anyone who is actively seeking sponsor money to go for it! However, BE REALISTIC! The odds are VERY MUCH AGAINST YOU! You see, most racers are successful business people. They understand WHY sponsors don't step up with big bucks and they accept it. I would love to have a big sponsor so I could run my own team. I have the Joyce Julius Reports, I have other studies, I HAVE VIDEO footage of me racing 4 different boats and being successful in each. I have won many races and finished in the top 3 at countless others. I have raced for a major corporate sponsor and I have received press in newspapers, magazines, radio and T.V.. That is all weel and good, but Audiofn, emotiondriver and Ron P hit it righ on the head. Our sport has no stability, spectators and fans are for the most part owners of offshore boats themselves, and we do not have the exposure and following. Yes it is unfortunate and I think that most of us would like to see this sport go all the way. I think APBA has been on the right track. 2 warring factions (APBA and SBI) sure do not help things either. Like it or not, there are TOO MANY CLASSES! If we narrow the number down you offend those with the teams that have been around awhile and spent thousands to campaign their team in years past. If you do not consolidate no one knows what is going on, on the race course. It is certainly a tough call and one I am glad that I do not have to make. I think the only way (IMHO) to see this sport become more main streamed, like NASCAR, is to run F1, F2 and F3. Period. I know this may offend many but how else can we grow with so many classes racing at the same time? Look at these car races like SCCA, ARCA etc. that run mutiple classes at once, they are not even close to NASCAR. Look at what happened to CART when the IRL was formed. It sucks, I know. It is disappointing to many including myself. But maybe, just maybe that is why poker runs are so successful.

Good luck to all who are out there searching for the all elusive sponsor. I wish you all the best, but PLEASE be realistic!

Shane

eMotiondriver

Shane you forgot F4 they need the exposure for outboards also. But I agree....
Doug

Wild

Have any of you guys ever heard of Eclipse Sports Marketing, they are out of Maryland. AJ Ali is the owner.

Any thoughts are appriciated.

Randy

BruceK

The reason your not getting the responses you want to hear is because you are hearing from veteran racers. We have already been down the road you are taking and its not that we don't want it to go further, we have already done what you think is going to work for sponsors. Don't you think we all have and or had packets? DOn't you think we all said we would do press conferences, invited VP's of Corps out on the boat? and so fourth.
What you need to be doing is listening to these people and learn from their experience. I do believe its out there, but instead of being cocky about it, listen and learn. Better yet, just get yourself a MArketing Rep. Shouldn't be that hard as long as you always remember, 'Nothing is for free". Enjoy and good luck.

Scuba Steve

There is a difference between 'cocky' and ambitious. We are the latter of the two. We do appreciate the veterans input, hence the reason for starting this thread. It sounds like temas are just beat down and have given up the active efforts to bring in the recognition and sponsors. We didn't believe that we were the first to want sponsors. Maybe it's unrealistic to think that you can race with a profit? Sounds like it. With this kind of wide range acceptance of mediocrity, maybe it's better off a rich mans hobby. Maybe the ambitious wannabees should play in a different sand box!

eMotiondriver

Very few have raced with a profit maybe the Super Cats have but I'm happy to break even on a race event ( hotel,fuel,entry fee etc...) I'm buying a Dodge next week any one want to sponsor me for Daytona?????
Petty Racing said they'll build me a car...
NOW GIVE ME SOME MONEY please...
I never give up on Sponsors we go after them every year...
[ 01-18-2002: Message edited by: eMotiondriver ]

[ 01-18-2002: Message edited by: eMotiondriver ]

needforspeed

Scuba steve, I am glad I did not start this thread. Honest or not it been brutal! I started a thread a few weeks ago about whether one should go APBA or SBI for F2, we had not ordered a boat at that time and were torn between the safety of a canopy boat (allowed in SBI) and the equallity of the CRE certified engines offered in APBA. The net of my thread was I got recommendations to stay in the Poker Run Circuit and about 5 other tangents that had nothing to do with my question. Well we bought our boat this week and have no sponsors. Our goal is to run the entire Silver Cup Series as well as Daytona prior to this season maybe the May race in Key West and if we are able and go to the worlds at the end of season. After reading the feedback on your thread I believe that the only sponsorship that teams can realisticly close, is sponsors they already have relations with and can leverage that fact. I have added my $.02 and hopefully we will cross you path at a race this year. Good Luck, Team Sponsorless II (or for now at least).

Pete B

Without a doubt sponsor money is hard to come by, one is we are not racing at the same sites year in year out. and nine races for a season might not bring enough exposure a sponsor might like, more races and the privateer is broke. if youre not racing f-1 or f2 or super series you get little to no exposure on TV, as for watching on tv not that it is bad but very rarely do you see more than 2 boats in the picture, and when a boat has a commmanding lead it is like watching a boat run by itself which it is, not to appealing to the average joe that watches NASCAR and a pack of 20+ cars going 180mph. we are moving in the right direction but stepping up to the next level will take time. and back to the original topic. have you tried and armed forces, the army sponsors a drag car, as do the yankees. the military would be a great recuiting item at each race. my .o2 cents