I am usually on the other end of the spectrum when it comes to sponsorship, working with race drivers and teams on how to properly prepare, attract and manage sponsors. But many of you may not know that I have quite a bit of experience working on the other side of sponsorship—as the “sponsor” or representative of the “sponsor/company” in the motorsports and performance industry.  I have assisted many companies in choosing the right team/driver to sponsor, and also helped them create marketing programs around their sponsorships to make sure they get a good return on their investment.

As a company owner myself for many years, especially when I owned a web development and graphic design firm, I was constantly approached by racers for sponsorship, free services, etc. So I know that business owners get hit up CONSTANTLY for money and free stuff, and I know it can become a nuisance at times—especially when the reason you are even in business is to sell your product and service, not give it all away! Right? 

But there is huge value in sponsoring and partnering with the right team or driver—one that can actually grow your business. They are out there, and I have helped performance companies create these ideal partnerships. But let’s first address what is going wrong in our industry with “sponsorships.” Then, I will offer you solutions on how you can easily fix this in your own business.

So, lets first look at the problem.

Earlier this summer I received an email from a well-known industry leader and company owner in motorsports (let’s call him “J”). I’ve had a great relationship with “J” over the years, and he’s told me many times how tired he was of the way racers come to him for sponsorship and support. If anything, it has caused him to turn down all requests for sponsorship, because he has yet to find a racer who’s approached him in a way that he feels shows that they actually care about the needs of his company. To prove his point, “J” forwarded me an email that he received from a “racer,” and he was livid.  The email was very typical, unfortunately, and I have seen tons of these myself over the years. (In reality, emails like these hurt racers more than they help them). Here is how the email read from “J”:

Hi Annamarie, I thought you may want to see this example of a terrible sponsor request. It is always disappointing to see the thought process that some racers look for sponsors as if they were soliciting donations for a charity rather than promoting a value to the sponsor.:

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 4:47pm May 18
Hello my name is xxxxxxxxxxxx, and I am looking for sponsors for my 2015 racing season. I was wondering if you would like to help me out by becoming one of my sponsors for this year? Please contact me back for sponsorship options.
Thank you for any considerations you will consider.
Sincerely,
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
ABC Stock Car

Sound familiar? Do you get emails like this one? I feel your pain as company owners, and this is why I became a coach. I saw a desperate need for proper marketing education in our industry, on both the racer side and sponsor side. This is the only way the sport can grow and keep everyone thriving and in business. It is my mission to teach and assist both sides of the sponsorship realm for everyone to get the best results out of the relationship.

So, as a company owner in our industry today, let’s see what you should be looking for in order to make the best decisions when approached for sponsorship by racers:

1. Do they provide you a solution you have been needing?
2. Do they have a strong influence in the industry or in your market?
3. Do they have an interactive following (social proof they get their fans/counterparts to buy or support things they represent)?
4. Do they have recommendations from other sponsors or community leaders?
5. Are they experienced marketers?
6. Do they put your needs first?
7. Was their first point of contact with you about sponsorship or more about building a relationship?
8. Do they show their marketing value in the immediate point of contact that you can “check them out” (website, social media links, etc.)?
9. Are they willing to go above and beyond a sticker on the car, and if so, what would that be?
10. What sets them apart from other racers out there that can in turn set your company apart?
11. Do they have important connections or relationships that can help grow your company?
12. Do they offer something up front with no strings attached to build trust?
13. Have they been able to raise money for a charity or drive sales to their own merchandise, or the merchandise of another partner, and if so, how?

Now, let’s go over some solutions for companies whereby they will only attract—and succeed with—ideal sponsorship inquiries and partnerships:

1. Create three levels of sponsorship programs that are geared to create solutions for your company—set up incentives from entry level to the top level, so they will want to grow into the bigger programs. Everybody wins this way.
2. Do not try to make salespeople out of racers—most don’t understand how to do that, and it sets everyone up for failure. Instead, make them actual spokespersons and extensions of your company, with a reward plan for referrals and if they are responsible for measurable growth from their partnership with you.
3. Look for the social media powerhouses—the ones who are really getting themselves out there big already, and who will enable you to tag onto this momentum. This way, your support of them can be measurable if they help grow your social media and web visits.
4. Create a form on your website for all sponsorship inquiries using the questions above to filter out only the ideal prospects. This form can also build an email database for you to market to people who already have shown interest in your products as well.
5. Give them tools and education, and coupons to hand out with their own coupon code for easy tracking.
6. Have codes of conduct, and policies and procedures they must follow so there is no room for confusion on what their responsibilities are.
7. Create a community environment with your partner teams and drivers for feedback, mutual support with each other, and your company reps—this way everyone helps and mentors each other for success in your partnership programs.

Create “sponsorship programs” with incentives for growth, and create a marketing message and online form to only attract racers who are willing to carry out what you want and need—these are the keys to success for all involved. This also teaches racers to become better marketers for you, and your company grows as a result! Through your ideal programs, you will also help grow the sport as a whole—securing a better future for all of us.

Annamarie Malfitana-Strawhand is a motorsports marketing coach and mentor, motivational teacher, author and speaker. Through her company, Marketing At Full Speed, she draws on 30-plus years of experience as a motorsports professional, combined with her corporate sponsor experience, to guide racers who wish to ascend the sport’s ladder or up-level their teams. Her helpful video tips, advice blog and client success stories can be found on her website, www.marketingatfullspeed.com.

Derrick Walker’s decision to resign as IndyCar President of Competition, effective August 31, was actually made in the days following the 99th Indianapolis 500 on May 24. IndyCar officials had a difficult month of May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with the new aero kits leading to three cars going airborne after crashes in practice. Another driver, James Hinchcliffe, was seriously injured when he crashed hard into the Turn 3 wall during practice and nearly bled to death after a suspension rod pierced through his pelvic area.

Wherever the 70-year-old Walker turned there was more controversy, whether it was team owners talking about the dramatic increase in cost that came with the aero kits to trying to defend decisions that were made in race control that often did not make sense.

So in the days following the Indy 500, Walker typed up a letter of resignation but never gave it to Hulman & Company CEO Mark Miles—the ultimate authority at both IndyCar and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway—because the man who has spent the past 40 years in racing was hoping things would get better.

Walker knew he had lost the paddock—the team owners in the series that continue to yield tremendous influence over the sport. So when Miles met with Walker last Friday to discuss a broken pushrod on Juan Pablo Montoya’s car that caused the Verizon IndyCar Series points leader to crash after just nine laps in the July 18 Iowa Corn 300 at Iowa Speedway, Walker reached into his pocket and gave Miles his letter of resignation.

“Last Friday Derrick and I were in a meeting talking about pushrods and he handed me the letter saying he was resigning at the end of the season,” Miles said. “I think he felt some significant frustration the way things had gone this year on the competition side of things and he felt some frustration in the paddock and believed it was time for him to make that call.

“It’s really not any more complicated than that.

“The issue at Iowa with the bumps on the track were significant loads and a pushrod broke and the car that was leading the championship went out on Lap 9 and that was the reason we met.”

After two years and two months as INDYCAR’s leader of competition, Walker will leave the day after the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series championship finale and another void will need to be filled in the sport. Walker brought tremendous passion to his position and when FOXSports.com spoke with him Thursday at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, he wanted to remain “off the record” for his true reasons why he is leaving.

Although Walker stated publicly, “I believe the timing is right to move on to other opportunities,” he doesn’t want to leave racing and currently has no idea what he will be doing next.

“I want to have another job in racing and now I have to go out and find one,” Walker said.

The pain of the decision was evident on the former bus mechanic from Edinburgh, Scotland who began his racing career and ultimately became the chief mechanic at Brabham Formula One in 1970—a team owned by current Formula One czar Bernie Ecclestone. He joined Roger Penske’s Formula One operation in 1976 and moved over to Penske’s IndyCar team the following year.

He became an IndyCar team owner in 1988 and was one of the few to break ranks with CART and participate in the 1996 Indianapolis 500—the first year the race was part of the new Indy Racing League. Walker helped bring a young Will Power into Champ Car in 2005 with Australian team co-owners Craig Gore and John Fish.

When the Champ Car Series dissolved and its teams were absorbed by the Indy Racing League in February 2008 to create the current Verizon IndyCar Series, Walker’s team was unable to continue but he remained in the sport with a Tudor United Sports Car team with Falken Tire and as the general manager of Ed Carpenter Racing.

In 2013, INDYCAR needed a man who had passion, experience and vision to lead its competition department and Walker was hired on May 13. He began work the day after the Indianapolis 500 and in his first week on the job he laid out a detailed plan and vision for the sport through the 2022 season.

Another man will be in charge of that vision, whether any of those ideas ever get implemented or whether the Verizon IndyCar Series as we know it today exists in the same form in seven years.

“I like the vision then and I like it now,” Miles said. “We’ve had a setback this year because as we dealt with the underwing and aero kits didn’t go exactly as planned but it doesn’t discredit Derrick’s vision. It now becomes ours. The timing is affected but I think it made a lot of sense then and it does now.

“Derrick was right to challenge us all and have the kind of technical vision that I think made sense.”

Walker said that he made his fair share of mistakes on the job and owned up to them. But passion doesn’t overcome mistakes in a high-stakes sport and Walker was in a thankless position.

“It’s the toughest job in motorsports for any series,” Miles said. “Last weekend I was talking to NASCAR’s Mike Helton about the difficulties of that job and he said it’s about impossible because every single decision you make somebody will think they are being disadvantaged by it. Helton said, ‘The only thing we know is if we make a decision and nobody screams about it then we probably got it wrong.’

“It’s the nature of that job in motorsports. No question it’s high-pressure.”

The common denominator in auto racing is costs and the team manufacturers and owners are highly concerned about that. INDYCAR also doesn’t have the budget to do proper wind tunnel tests so many of the changes that were made to the cars this year had flaws that weren’t realized until the actual competition of the season began.

Chevrolet started off the season with a much better aero kit than Honda and that created a competition imbalance. Honda is also determining whether it will remain with IndyCar beyond the end of this season but officials have indicated talks toward a renewal continue.

Miles indicated a search is already ongoing for Walker’s replacement and the qualities he wants in the next leader are “leadership, strength of conviction, ability to represent the series publicly and internally, the ability to translate technical information to the realities of racing and a grounding of experience in being part of a team so they know the implications of the decision. Also, a strong sense collaboration and communication,” Miles said.

“This isn’t going to be a democratic job by someone looking for popularity awards,” Miles said. “But we have to engage stakeholders in the process. This is a racing job, a racing position, and ultimately a leadership position.”

One man who may be a candidate is Target/Chip Ganassi Racing managing director Mike Hull. Miles likes Hull a lot and Hull has been a major reason in the team’s success in the Verizon IndyCar Series with former driver Dario Franchitti winning two of his three Indianapolis 500s and three of his four IndyCar Series titles with the team. Scott Dixon has won three IndyCar championships and the 2008 Indianapolis 500 with Hull calling his race strategy.

“We are not focused on one person at this point,” Miles said. “We learned on Friday that Derrick would be leaving and we are in the early days of developing a list of prospective candidates. I’ve heard Mike’s name mentioned but we aren’t ready to make that decision.
“We aren’t in the final round; we are in the first round.”

Team Penske President Tim Cindric said he would support Hull for that position “in a second”

Miles would like to have a seamless transition with the new leader taking over for Walker at the end of August but said that was “ambitious.” More importantly is to fill it with the right person as soon as possible.

“We will have the right person when we find him,” Miles said.

The Verizon IndyCar Series hits the track Friday for practice for Sunday’s Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio and with a tremendous championship battle and just three races remaining both Miles and Walker would like to see the emphasis shifted back to the racing and not the upper management of the series.

“That’s what it is all about,” Miles said. “We are in the final stretch of the championship. It’s competitive. The racing has been great and the television engagement is up. We are eager when the cars hit the track this weekend that the fans are focused on that.”

NASCAR and SunEdison, Inc. (NYSE: SUNE), a renewable energy development company, announced SunEdison as the Official Solar Energy Partner of NASCAR Green. This new partnership builds on the expanded use of solar technology across the sport, particularly at race team shops and race tracks across the country.

Over the next three years, SunEdison and NASCAR will embark on an effort to educate millions of NASCAR fans on the financial and environmental benefits of solar power use. SunEdison plans to work with NASCAR partners, tracks and teams on commercial-scale solar solutions. The White House cited this newly forged partnership as a prime example of making renewable energy accessible to all U.S. homeowners.

“Solar power is a proven and reliable form of renewable energy and the technology is already making a significant impact throughout our industry,” said Steve Phelps, NASCAR chief marketing officer. “Our strategic partnership with SunEdison will help NASCAR further reduce the sport’s environmental impact and help continue to educate our fans on renewable energy.”

“SunEdison is excited to be partnering with NASCAR to highlight the benefits of solar both at and away from the race track,” said Vikas Desai, SunEdison senior vice president of residential and small commercial. “We look forward to being a strategic NASCAR Green partner and helping fans, partners and the sport save money while reducing their carbon footprint.”

NASCAR has taken a holistic approach across its wide-ranging effort to help protect the environment and has been collaborating in earnest with teams, tracks, partners and fans to do that since 2008. NASCAR’s efforts to champion sustainable behavior align with NASCAR fan values.

According to a 2014 study commissioned by NASCAR and conducted by Research Now, four out of five NASCAR fans believe the earth is going through a period of climate change, and two out of three of these fans feel a personal responsibility to do something about it. The study shows approximately two out of three NASCAR fans who believe there is climate change support buying cost-effective solar panels for the home. For additional information on NASCAR Green, visit www.nascar.com/green.

The Trans Am Series has released an all-time series record entry for the Next Dimension 100, presented by First Energy, round seven of the Trans Am Championship at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course with 81 cars expected to participate over the course of the weekend.

The entry overtakes the previous record, set at Road Atlanta earlier this year, by 11 cars.

The entry, consisting of 21 TA, 37 TA2 and 23 TA3 class cars represents the largest event entry ever for a Trans Am weekend.

“We’re obviously very pleased with the entries,” said John Clagett, President of The Trans Am Race Company. “This is one of our marquee weekends on the circuit, and we’re excited to put on a display of the modern Trans Am Series in full force for the fans watching at both the racetrack and at home on CBS Sports Network.”

The 23 TA3 cars constitute the largest entry ever for their class, while the 20-car TA and 37-car TA2 class entries are the second largest entries of the year. Likewise, the total number of participants represents another in a long line of record setting fields over the course of the 2015 Trans Am Season that has seen over 90 unique competitors take part in a Trans Am race, all that prior to the upcoming Mid-Ohio race which will see eleven additional drivers take the green flag for the first time this year—amounting to over 100 competitors taking to the track in Trans Am so far in 2015.

“I’m confident in saying this will be one of the best Trans Am shows we’ll see all year,” said Clagett. “The growth we’ve seen, both in sheer car count and in the quality of drivers participating, makes for a great spectacle and an even better show. This success and unprecedented growth is all due to our competitors, teams and partners—they’ve come together to make Trans Am one of the most attractive road racing properties out there.”

Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) co-owner Rob Kauffman has agreed to buy an interest in the race team owned by Chip Ganassi.

Kauffman's defection to Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates means he could bring driver Clint Bowyer with him to the organization. CGR already fields cars for Jamie McMurray and Kyle Larson.

MWR fields Sprint Cup teams for Bowyer and David Ragan, who earlier this year replaced Brian Vickers when Vickers was sidelined with recurring blood clots.

Kauffman retired at the end of 2012 from Fortress Investment Group, where he was one of three founders. The billionaire also is the chairman of the NASCAR team ownership group, the Race Team Alliance.

"The companies will continue to operate separately and compete against each other for the remainder of the 2015 season," MWR said in Thursday's statement. "They are also currently evaluating ways to field the most competitive race teams possible to provide an excellent platform for their partners and employees for the 2016 season and beyond."

Kauffman helped save MWR in 2007 when the team had financial issues, and with Kauffman's financial assistance, it grew into a three-car organization that had a legitimate title contender in Bowyer.

MWR was rocked in 2013 in the aftermath of the Richmond scandal and it hasn't fully recovered. NASCAR determined that Michael Waltrip Racing manipulated the outcome of the race in a bid to get Martin Truex Jr. into the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.

MWR lost Truex and longtime sponsor NAPA in the wake of the scandal and Vickers has been in and out of the car with medical issues.

Without Kauffman and with the likelihood of fielding just one car in 2016, MWR could struggle again — or possibly close.

"My focus is on 2015 and fulfilling the commitment we have made to our partners and Toyota which is placing our teams in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup," Waltrip said in a statement. "There are a lot of details yet to be sorted regarding 2016. I will work closely with Rob Kauffman and our sponsors to formulate the best way forward."

Permatex, an innovator in chemical technology for automotive maintenance and repair, has named Daniel Clarke as Senior Product Manager. Clarke’s responsibilities include management of a select product group marketed domestically and internationally, with a strong focus on new product development. He will also lead in the commercialization of new products and manage activities affecting profitability, including product life cycle management and cost-savings projects.

The announcement was made by Permatex’s Director of Marketing and Product Management, Sean Lyon, who noted, “Permatex is very excited to have Daniel Clarke join our team. His experience in supply chain management, market research, and product line expansion will certainly be a major asset to our company.”

Before joining Permatex, Clarke was a Business Unit Manager at Coburn Technologies Inc., a South Windsor, Connecticut-based manufacturer of computer-integrated ophthalmic lens processing systems. In this role, Clarke supervised the supply chain, production, sales, marketing, and ecommerce for the business. Clarke was also responsible for increasing market share, improving production efficiency, increasing revenue, and improving and updating the product offerings.

Clarke holds a BS in Business Management from Albertus Magnus, and is currently pursuing an MBA from The University of Hartford Barney School of Business.

The 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Awards Ceremony returns to Hollywood’s Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Monday, November 16.

NHRA also announced that the entire NHRA Mello Yello Awards Ceremony will be available for viewing via NHRA’s YouTube channel starting Wednesday, November 18, after 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. It marks the seventh year that the full event will be available to fans via the Internet.

OHM Nightclub, also at the Hollywood & Highland Center, will play host to the after party. Overlooking iconic Hollywood Boulevard, OHM Nightclub boasts one of the most innovative nightlife experiences in Hollywood. The venue features the main club with cutting-edge special effects and lighting on moving trusses as well as 150,000 watts of sound and world-class mapping capability through a network of 160 synced LED panels in addition to a patio with an Asian garden décor and a separate bar overlooking Hollywood Boulevard and the famous El Capitan. The property also will play host to the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Awards Ceremony, scheduled earlier in the day.

A popular tourist area, Hollywood & Highland is a one-of-a-kind high-profile venue that combines the best in retail, fine dining, and unique entertainment venues with the vibrant world of Hollywood. The center includes more than 60 retailers, nine of L.A.’s finest restaurants, and Lucky Strike Lanes, a high-tech and trendy bowling alley.

The invitation-only black-tie affair, where NHRA will crown its Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world champions in all four categories, will feature a pre-event cocktail reception at 5 p.m. A formal sit-down banquet will follow with cuisine provided by renowned Wolfgang Puck Catering. The official after party at OHM Nightclub will end the evening’s festivities.

The Loews Hotel & Resort will again be the host hotel for the NHRA Mello Yello Awards Ceremony. Featuring 628 rooms, including luxury suites, the venue is right in the heart of one of the most-visited tourist attractions in the Los Angeles area. The Ray Dolby Ballroom, on the fifth level of the center, is operated by famous chef and restaurateur Wolfgang Puck. The popular venue draws A-list events, parties, and conventions. Most notably, it is the site of the exclusive Governors Ball, following the Academy Awards ceremony each year.

Tony Pedregon, a two-time NHRA Drag Racing Series Funny Car Champion, will be appearing for a fan meet and greet in the Flaming River booth at this year’s NSRA Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky.

Pedregon will be in the Flaming River booth on Friday, August 7, starting at 1:00pm to meet fans and sign autographs. Also, at Flaming River’s booth throughout the weekend you can see the 1972 Dodge Duster Nostalgia Funny Car that Pedregon built in tribute to drag racing legend “TV” Tommy Ivo.

Mark Miles, CEO, Hulman & Company, has announced that Derrick Walker, president of Competition & Operations, INDYCAR, has decided to leave the company effective August 31, 2015, in order to pursue other professional opportunities.

A search for his replacement is under way.

Walker has made several important contributions that advanced INDYCAR as a sanctioning body. During his tenure, he greatly assisted in securing Boston as a new event on the 2016 schedule, successfully introduced the Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis in 2014, spearheaded additional investment to improve technology in Race Control and led innovation of the new Indy car aero kits. His focus on continuous safety advancement resulted in changes to the Indy car underwing, making the cars more stable and strengthening sidepods, further protecting drivers.

“We have benefited from Derrick’s extensive racing experience, his tireless effort and his passion for INDYCAR, and he will be missed,” said Miles. “We appreciate the thoughtful way Derrick has planned his transition and wish him well in his future endeavors.”

“I have appreciated the opportunity to work closely with the team owners, drivers and the team at INDYCAR. After two and a half racing seasons, I believe the timing is right to move on to other opportunities,” said Walker.

The Formula E championship organizers have officially issued the list of team names to compete in season two of the series which will begin this October in Beijing.

As expected, the same ten teams are entered with a slight variation in team names such as e.DAMS Renault becoming Renault e.DAMS.

The team formerly known as Audi Abt now becomes ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport in deference to the German technology and engineering specialist.

There will not be an 11th team in season two.

The possibility of the same entity being granted a slot for season three in 2016/17 is thought to still be in advanced discussions between the championship organizers Formula E Holdings Ltd and representatives from the existing teams.

The official testing for season two gets underway on August 10 and runs through until August 25.

The eight 'manufacturer' teams have been allocated 15 days of testing. The only team known to have completed all of its 15 days testing so far is the DS Virgin team.

Renault eDAMS, Audi Abt, Venturi, NEXTEV and Mahindra have also made public its testing. Dragon Racing has undertaken just a few days with the Venturi car, which ran with the powertrain that will be supplied to the American squad. As a manufacturer that is supply another team, Venturi is entitled to five extra test days.

The newly named Team Aguri (nee Amlin Aguri) is currently the only squad that will run with the original season one Spark/McLaren/Hewland package. It is unclear as to if the Trulli Formula E team has track tested its new technology. The outfit has been the quietest of the ten during the 'off season' so far.

Once the homologation documents have been approved the manufacturer teams are obliged to run them and are unable to revert back to season one technology.

Team names for season two:

ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport

Andretti Formula E Team

Dragon Racing

DS Virgin Racing Formula E Team

Mahindra Racing Formula E Team

NEXTEV TCR Formula E Team

Renault e.Dams

Team Aguri

Trulli Formula E Team

Venturi Formula E Team