2009 marks the sixty-first year of NASCAR, The twenty-seventh season for the Nationwide series, and the worst United States economy since the great depression.
With major corporations posting record losses and tens of thousands of workers getting pink slips the formula is simple. As the economy shrinks, so does the pool of available sponsorship dollars to finance a race team.
What is one team’s burden becomes another’s opportunity.
K Automotive Motorsports with driver Brian Keselowski plan to run the entire Nationwide series schedule with a unique marketing and sponsorship program developed by Chris Burns of Trackside 1.
The program targets small business owners and race fans to purchase “mini sponsorships” The endorsement provide corporate hospitality and geographic marketing at any of the series scheduled events.
The key to the program is to sell the relatively affordable packages (starting at $2000.00) to enough small business’s to afford getting to the track.
“Four packages per team get’s us too and from the track and a set of tires”, Burns said.
Once at the track the mini sponsorship becomes a marketing session to solicit continued support for the team.
Reaching out to potential sponsors is done by unique means as the team uses direct marketing tools as well as alternatives such as ebay and other internet sites.
Burns noted the program started during the 2008 season. The effort allowed the team to make the trip to eleven races, qualifying for seven. Earning over $100, 000.00 in purse money. The combination of mini sponsorships and prize money kept the effort going.
Burns is realistic, he knows he has championship caliper people, but without the funding some of the other teams have they are competing just to get in the field. “Fifteen thousand dollars will get us there”, Burns said: “But with twenty five we can be somewhat competitive.”
The small team is based out of Michigan and has a stable of six cars.
The group leases engines from Ernie Elliott and will rent out crew members for over the wall duties from various team who are at the track.
The marketing concept put the team in a nostalgic mode to days when owners got to the track and put together teams just to make the show.
The team’s driver Brian Keselowski is banking on success.
Keselowski came up through the ARCA, and has been working to make a name for himself in NASCAR.
Since 2006 he has sixteen starts in the series with one top ten finish coming at Memphis in 2007.
“The big teams that bring in the big money certainly have a big advantage, but believe it or not, $20,000 to $30,000 each race can be the difference between a thirty-fifth place car and finishing in the top fifteen.” noted Keselowski.
Keselowski’s dreams are not far fetched. In 2006 David Gilliland driving for a small underfunded team rocked the series by winning at Kentucky speedway. The win elevated Gilliland’s career, something that is not out of reach for the Michigan driver.
The NASCAR world has always been a series of the haves, and the have not’s.
The recent economic downturn may not level the playing field, but it creates an entire alternative marketing opportunity for businesses wanting to participate in the sport, but do not have the budgets necessary to establish relationships with the top teams.
Top teams have minimum funding requirements that have to be met before they consider going to the track, the result potentially could be a season of short fields filled by grass roots teams and hungry drivers, and new sponsors who are able to make the most form the very least.
The K Automotive team with Brian Keselowski will attempt to qualify for the season opener at Daytona on February fourteenth.
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