danegerous

iTrader: (10)

This is a question for those who are sponsored by one company or another. I'd like ask a few questions

1) Who are your sponsors?

2) How did you get sponsored?

3) What was the benefit of being sponsored?

4) What advice would you give to someone seeking sponsorship?

I'm sure there isn't very many people on here that can answer these questions but anyone who can, it's appreciated. I got the idea for this when I was wondering what's the most costly aspect of drifting. Truth is, I don't know. I'm sure at the pro level it's most likely tires and event fees but I wouldn't know.

Drop some knowledge

stevensimon

iTrader: (11)

1) Who are your sponsors? Ruk industries

2) How did you get sponsored? they asked me if i wanted help after they saw me at a few events. the owner of the co was friend of mine before he started the company though.

3) What was the benefit of being sponsored? they gave me a free rear tc sportline? camber rod once and are heavy into ceramic and powder coating so i get a lot of free coatings for my car.

4) What advice would you give to someone seeking sponsorship? just go drive, stand out, and eventually they might find you.

NoPistons!

iTrader: (3)

Yeah. Pretty much it's like skating, moto-x, wrc.....cool **** like that.

Stand out, do good and look good doing it. Bring something to the table. Oh, attitude helps a shitload as well. Nobody really wants to sponsor a ******** unless you have a DEEP bag of tricks and style for miles. You have to keep in mind that grabbing a sponsor these days isn't as easy as it would have been 5 years ago. If you aren't marketable, the sponsor has NOTHING to gain by putting their sticker on their car and hooking you up with free ****.

I'm getting a "meatspin.com" decal made to put on my windshield.

Zenki FC3S

Dorifto like a man!!!! and seperate your style from other drivers.

driving aggressive is always good.


And have aero and sick *** paint.

thats what im doing this year. would be sick to pick up a sponsor, but i like being independent
and I take alot of pride in everything i do to my car and in my driving. so i really dont care

Tatakai

iTrader: (2)

1) Who are your sponsors?
Intec Racing
Apex'i USA
Mazdaspeed

2) How did you get sponsored?
close relationships, and mazdaspeed sponsors everyone

3) What was the benefit of being sponsored?
a lot of help with everything- labor, parts, guidance, etc

4) What advice would you give to someone seeking sponsorship?
be realistic. don't expect to have someone write you a $50,000 check to go have fun.

leftcoastdrifter

iTrader: (17)

i've heard that Mazdaspeed sponsors just about everyone before. how did you get hooked up with them in the first place? a friend of mine told me if you can show that you do a certain amount of events in your Mazda they will sponsor you, is that true?

sorry for jacking your thread, but i've been wondering the same thing for a long time. any help i could get from sponsors would awesome. even if it's just letting me use there shop or something.

airquin23

iTrader: (8)

i'm pretty sure if you go to mazdaspeed.com or something like that you have to register and send them specs on your car and tell them what you do with your car etc. I was going to do that as well but kinda got put on the backburner.

davedge

I'll start with the fact that I am not sponsored. I've never been sponsored. And probably never will.

I HAVE been involved with this retarded **** for a while now. As far as sponsorships went/are in drifting, is that it started with parts companies. Parts a few(6-7 years) ago, were hard to come by, even for industry insiders... Japan was a tough nut to crack. For people like me, I had buddies in Japan, as I was in the USMC, and was stationed there in 01-02... So everyone was looking for PARTS sponsors... This is when most of the PRO level dudes were still very grassroots and you could catch up at the drift days or Just Drift events. Shops started popping up here and there, and then you saw a lot of dudes getting SHOP sponsors, which would usually include several parts companies, that they were dealers for. What better way to showcase your mech. abilities, then having your own car, with a capable driver out there. Next, the PARTS COMPANIES started to have their own cars, showing off all of their parts, and that was the next higher level in sponsorship... Then things started getting more serious, as LIFESTYLE sponsorships started coming in... meaning the RED BULLs, and the energy drinks, etc... And because they didn't have any motorsports parts to offer, they would give monetary sponsorships, for the return of investment in their products being seen by all you *********. And on and on...

Now that there has already been a surge, and a first generation going through all of this, dudes like you, or the next guy, have a foundation laid in front of you. You can benefit from this, and see who has been successful through all of it, and who has not.

This is the answer if you want to skip to the meat: YOU HAVE TO BE MARKETABLE.

They are looking at you, to represent them. If you are a scumbag, and you're wearing shitty clothes, and your face looks like a piece of ****, then you won't get sponsored. If your car sucks, and you are no good at driving... you wont get sponsored.

Also, they won't come to you, whoever said that, is never going to get sponsored, and is probably trying to justify that, by giving you shitty advice. Driving your car is 40% of being a professional driver. The rest is submitting proposals, making yourself presentable, selling your ability to RETURN THE INVESTMENT. Going to SEMA, meeting with potential sponsors through your channels and contacts. Being told NO... being told NO AGAIN... Being told NO AGAIN.

Benefits would depend on what level sponsorship you are receiving.

Cons are that you are now being "watched". Hanging with your friends is cool, but if your pit looks like ****, and your car is dirty, your sponsors will drop you, because your smoking with your "homeboys", asking how SICK your last DRIFT was. Even if you are an awesome driver.

And here's a question for you(not specifically, but for anyone wanting to live the dream)

WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT TO SPONSOR YOU, AND NOT THE NEXT GUY?

danegerous

iTrader: (10)

Why? Cause I'm fly.

Haha thank you daveedge, that was very informative. I just recently learned that people actually put together portfolios that include everything, themselves, their car set ups, their history of events, events they plan on attending, statistics of who their car will appeal too. It's insane. I had absolutely no idea what I was asking. I randomly emailed OS Giken about sponsorship and Mark Mendoza just asked me a few simple questions...all of which I'm sure they'd like to see answered in some sort of resume.

Moral of the story? make no mistake, sponsorship is a business.

KKMpunkrock2011

iTrader: (5)

Mazda will sponsor you if you compete with a mazda or mazda powered vehicle, you generally have to be a member of a competition group (SCCA, NASA, etc) or participate in at least two track events per year to be eligible for sponsorship.
go here:
http://www.mazdamotorsports.com/

I was also sponsored by a local stereo place, and this is where having ***** and a unique car came into play. My stock stereo in my first FD crapped out on me and I was flat broke. I had heard of these guys and knew their work was pretty good, and since they were fairly new and local I figured I'd ask, couldn't hurt. I went in and asked em if they were interested in sponsoring me since I had a fairly rare car that drew people's attention and I actually had the cojones to ask, they hooked me up. I got an approximately 600 dollar retail stereo setup for cost (a little over 300) and free install, which consisted of a lot of work since they had to both bypass, and include, the factory bose BS in the touring FD (I wanted the acoustic wave stuff to work, but they had to figure out how to wire in the lights and other ****, and they and I didn't want to purchase the 200 dollar bypass box from mazda.)

seriously, if there's a local shop that's trying to make a name for themselves and YOU trust them, ask. In this economy, if they turn down a near free marketing, they're stupid.

wayneside

1) Who are your sponsors?

Dunlop Tires
Meguiars Car Care
Topspeed Pro 1 Performance
Autometer
Fusion Car Audio
NOS Energy Drink
Will's Discount Tires
GS Motorsports
Valvoline
JDMEnginesCorp.com
Cricket Wireless


2) How did you get sponsored?

I've been doing automotive events since 1991 traveling around the country. Along the way...I've made alot of friends in the automotive industry.

3) What was the benefit of being sponsored?

Mainly parts at no cost...some were paid sponsorships. I would get alot of fees paid for including travel, hotel, meals, and sometimes entertainment. Cricket Wireless provides a phone and service. The current car I take to events has been in some advertisements for different companies as well.

4) What advice would you give to someone seeking sponsorship?

Go to as many events as you can and build up a car that attracts attention. If you are in motorsports...WIN!

Tofuman FC3S

iTrader: (1)

Entertainment = Hookers?

ilia

iTrader: (4)

If you want a really good example of a sponsorship proposal, go on Justin's site and look for it. He's got a whole PDF of his past successes, what he can offer perspective sponsors, how many people will see the car at any given event, etc..

One thing that seems obvious when you think about it, but didn't make sense at first is that you have to be on some really dope **** FIRST, and then get sponsored LATER. Nobody cares about what kind of "plans" you have with the car or what you want to do with it later. Do your thing, get lots of events under your belt, and then you'll get companies noticing you.

It seems like a lot of people are like "I can't afford drifting, so I want to get sponsored so I can afford to drift a lot". That's kinda backwards from how it really works. First you have to spend a whole shitload of money building your car and going to events and winning competitions and all that, and then you get sponsorship.



Please keep in mind that this is coming from someone who has never ever been sponsored, hahaha. I hear that you can't street drift with certain sponsors backing you, and it kinda sucks too having a sponsor tell you how to live your life. My friend just got a Vertex sponsorship, and apparently any time his aero looks haggard he is REQUIRED by sponsorship contract to buy new aero immediately? That's kinda crazy I think.

Rotary Spirit

Be wary of deals that seem like they might be a bit binding for you and your plans. I have heard of people dropping sponsorships because it was almost costing them rather than helping out, for similar reasons to 'ilia' s post above.

I don't have any paid sponsorships, but I am toe'ing into the comp. drifting world and I decided to go a different route than most. I started my own company after working with a race team in my hometown. I live in a small town in B.C. (canada) and we have a pretty weak network of parts suppliers, even throughout all of canada. By representing manufacturers with my business, behind the wheel, and as the lead mechanic for my stable of cars (FC3S and otherwise) I have had success in finding major discounts and opening up the door for future 'real' sponsorships with these companies. As stated by others, don't expect to get a check sent your way, unless it has already been earned.

What is the morale of this post? Go start your own business? No.

Personally I love every second I spend thinking about, working on, and driving cars. If this sounds like yourself, try to be surrounded with positive influences. Follow your dreams, and get as much practice at whatever you do as you can. Believe in yourself, because no-one else will do it for you.

And one last thing, Get up REALLY early.... Because when you wake up in the morning, people like me are already up taking care of business.

See you guys on the track

wayneside

strip clubs...nights out at clubs...

RXILVER7

iTrader: (2)

I have heard some sponsorship horror stories where people are required to go to a certain number of events, but the sponsor doesn't pay for travel expenses and soon enough whatever you got for free or at discount is way less than the amount you paid for travel.