Racing Resumés & Sponsorship

Obtaining sponsorship is a great way to help offset some of the cost racing. It gets your name out there and lets companies know you are interested in promoting their products and services. One of the best ways to do this is through a racing resumé. Your racing resumé should be one page long, cover the basic information (name, contact info, what class you currently race, best career results), current sponsors and your future goals. A cover letter is optional.

Potential sponsors receive thousands of racing resumés each season. The key is to make your resumé stand out from the rest! If you are a student, including your last report card is a good idea. This tells sponsors you are dedicated to working hard and succeeding both on and off the track.

Sponsors want to know how you will promote their company…..and they want some return on their investment. Mentioning their name at the podium, passing out decals or gift cards, wearing their gear, and prominently displaying decals or other branding are all easy ways to promote sponsors. How you plan on promoting your sponsors is also great information to include in your racing resumé!

When you’re just getting starting in racing sponsors will not expect a long list of wins. How you interact with other racers and sponsors at the track, product loyalty, and how you present your sponsors is more important. Remember, sponsorship is a contract between you and that company. Maintaining a positive and professional demeanor is important. Stating in your racing resumé how you plan to represent your sponsors lets potential sponsors know that you have put some thought into how you will work to promote them and how you handle sponsorship in general.

Consider sending a hard copy of your racing resumé to business people you already have a relationship with. For example, your insurance agent, hairdresser, dry cleaner and realtor are all good options. Remember, a business does not have to be involved in motorsports to be a racing sponsor! There are a lot of people at the track besides the racers: vendors, promoters, parents, siblings, wives, etc. that a business can market to!

~Kara Skolnick, Senior Editor