I know a couple guys on the board have sponsers, how do you get them? I dont mind putting some stickers on my car and entering a show if I can get something out of it

 

Don't bother. At best..you get the products at dealer's cost. No company will give you stuff for free unless you have inside connections. If you don't own a shop or work for a shop. You probably won't know the right people.

 

damnit lol

 

that is what i said!!


damit!

 

Of course there is
Join SMC racing and as CEO i think we can definatley sponser you ...

since we are Slow maxima club i will give you all the sandbags you need to weigh down your car to insure it is sloooow

Ant

 

we need some SMC Racing decals hehe

 

No one is going to sponsor you if don't give them coverage. This means you have to work the car show circuit, drag races, autocrosses, etc.

If your car blends in with the rest, you have little chance of getting one. The car needs to stand out may it be a wild body kit, runs 10s, and a bunch of top three finishes in whatever it may be.

When I was drag racing, I picked up several sponsors after I put up two back to back 1st place finishes and a second place finish. Just approach them with a background of your car, background info on you, events that you plan on attending, etc etc.. just like a resume for a job. I showed my sponsors numerous pictures of my car on autobuzz.com, urbanracer.com, and other homepages from people at the event. Basically, I showed them that the car gets web coverage.

Now with my SCCA Solo II Miata - CSP, I picked up several sponsors before my first race this season. It's all in the approach and professionalism

 

Some companies will give you product, most just give you a discount with the notion that when and if you get your car published the will issue you a refund check. Basicly you need to put together a portfolio, pics of the car, mods, proposal, what you have done and what you plan to do, shows you've been too, shows you plan to go to. Companies want to see a return on their investment. If they give you lets say $1,000 worth of product and can get $3,000 worth of advertising from an article than they come out ahead. You can see where I'm heading. I've got 7 sponsors for my car, it was very hard work, but worth it in the end. Any questions I can answer or if you need help with a portfolio email me. The most important thing is to find out who is the Marketing Director and speak to them.

 

Tony's right, nobody gets anything for free anymore. It's because some people abused the system and ripped off the companies. The marketing directors got together and basically decided they had to stop giving out free stuff. However, you still can get sponsors if you talk to the right people. I'm getting a deal from KYB just from talking to their marketing guy at the last show I went to. He's gonna hook me up with the new AGX shocks. It didn't hurt that my car was parked right behind his booth representing for another of my sponsors, it's all about the exposure. If a company sees that you're already at the show for someone else, they tend to take you more seriously than if you just barge up there out of the blue and demand free stuff. From talking to the marketing directors for a few companies, they all say they get sick of that.

My girlfriend is working on something with Holley right now, her car isn't even that modified, she just had a professional approach when she talked to them. And my friend's Focus just got a full kit from Kaminari along with the hood for free, he just called them. But he runs a dash kit company and I run a sign shop and we're at the shows all the time, so these companies know their going to get their money's worth.

Maxstilln is right too about the portfolio thing, I picked up a couple of sponsors by mailing them a proposal along with pictures, etc. The hard part is finding marketing directors to talk to. When I first started requesting stuff, I had no idea who to talk to. But if you start knowing enough people, they'll introduce you to even more people and you're good to go. Once you get sponsored, you have to take it seriously. Some companies have requirements that have to be met after they sponsor you and if you break the deal, they bill you for the full cost of the product. Right now I have 5 sponsors with a few more pending, and it was tough to get. Lots and lots of work, but my car is at the shows all the time repping for my company anyways, so it's not too bad.

 

Maxstilln: Can you say what mods you have? Is there anything special about your car? Like besides the normal mods, what do you have?? I see dual exhust and body kit. Anything else?
oh, how much did your dual exhust setup cost?

 

The dual started as a $450 mod when first got it done, than it wouldn't pass MD inspection when I moved here because there was no muffler or resonator, straight pipe. Than it was another $400 to add a muffler but now the car seems to have more power, back pressure helped give it back some low end that I think I lost. Mods....the usual bolt ons, Stillen intake..Supercharger coming soon..custom interior thanks to my sponsor LeatherSeats.com, custom stereo. Alpine CVA-1005 head unit, Playstation 2, 4 JBL amps, 2 12" JBL GTI woofers, they are bad a$$ check them out www.jbl.com, my car should be up on our site when I finish the fiberglass work in my trunk. What else....man so much stuff, a lot of custom made things for the car including some brushed aluminum parts. Go to Maxus It will there along with the JBL Tundra that I'm bringing.
A taste of what's coming for next season......two words.....Skyline conversion. Yep R-33 head and tail lamps. Anyother questions or help I can give you email me.
1995 GXE 1st Place NOPI Nationals 2000

 

So you would just email these places and tell them about your car? For instance, leatherseats.com. did you just email them and say are looking for an interior sponcor? Did you still have to pay some? Are you required to go to a certain amount of shows?

 

Yep. No free lunch anymore. If a company sees my car and ready to give me free stuff. I wouldn't refuse their offer. It's just easier for me to bust out my visa card than spending hours writing letters and taking pictures just to save few bucks. Most sponsorships are just discounts unless you have a high profile car. The companies that make parts for Maxima already know they have the market pretty much cornered. This is my approach. If one day my car is worthy to be in a magazine, I'll call up Stillen, NOS, Mackin...etc. Tell them Superstreet or Import Tuner or SCC is ready to shoot my car. One thing is missing. I don't have any companies to give props to and I don't have any stickers on my car.....I'm sure I'll get some reimbursement checks and free stuff just in time for the shoot.

 

Typically to get sponsered you have to have a car the companny feels will draw attention. typically you will get stuff for there cost and you will have to go to what ever show they tell you to and go to any photo shoot. Sometimes you have to just give them the car. They get the most control over what gets dun. You have to put together a praposal that will make them want your car and why they should use your car.