By alewis – Spire Motorsports
CONCORD, N.C. (November 29, 2022) – One of the first questions the team at Spire receives is: “What exactly does a partnership with a NASCAR team entail?” As a race team, this is our sweet spot, so we want to provide a deeper look at the assets available to a sponsor through this type of sponsorship.
The team owns or controls specific assets that they are essentially “selling.” to the sponsor. These assets can be leveraged to achieve marketing goals. Some of these assets are no-brainers while others can be more subtle and ultimately depend on the level of investment a sponsor is willing to make.
Before diving into the available assets, it is important to understand that there are different levels of sponsorships available with race teams. The most frequently used terms are “Primary” and “Associate”.
The main difference between the two is the level of investment and the predetermined goals of the sponsorship.
A primary sponsor is – as the name signifies – the primary, and most visible sponsor, of the team. In contrast, an associate sponsor can be looked at as a secondary or supportive sponsorship. No less important, just not as “prominent”, as a primary sponsorship. The assets in either a primary or associate sponsorship package can be similar, just scaled differently based on the investment.
The most identifiable asset is the race car. The race car serves as a high-speed billboard, at the race and during national television broadcasts. The primary sponsor of the race car controls the design of the car, or what is most often referred to as the “paint scheme”, “paint out”, or “livery.” The paint scheme affords the sponsor the ability to showcase its brand image and logo to engage fans watching on TV and at the event.
The primary sponsor receives the most visible locations on the car to showcase its brand.
These include:
- the hood of the car
- the rear quarter panels (rear fenders, above tires)
- the roof area and the TV panel (license plate area on your personal car).
Associate sponsor placements are typically smaller in nature and positioned in areas such as:
- the lower hood area
- the lower rear quarter-panel area (behind the rear tires)
- the deck lid (trunk)
- B and C posts (area between windows).
Fun fact: While we commonly refer to car “paint schemes”, most cars are no longer painted. Instead, they are wrapped with vinyl, which allows for more elaborate designs.
Beyond the most visible of team assets – the race car – there are other pieces of team equipment used weekly by the race team at the track and on the road. The most prominent of these assets would be the team’s race transporter (or hauler).
The hauler transports the cars and equipment from race to race. It’s designed and wrapped to showcase the primary sponsors with the associate sponsors also sharing a visible and easily identifiable presence. Think of the hauler as a mobile billboard for your brand that travels 50,000-plus miles a year across the country.
The at-track equipment can include the pit box, tool box and generator, all of which have consistent branding throughout the year. The pit box, which serves as the command center for the team during the race, has areas where branding can change weekly to accommodate different primary sponsors as needed. This would also include a branded pit wall banner that identifies the team’s pit on pit road.
Beyond these more obvious assets are those you may not think of when considering a race team sponsorship. They tend to be less tangible but can be equally, if not more important.
As we have mentioned in past blogs, business-to-business (B2B) relationships have become a vital component of sponsorship in the racing industry. A sponsorship investment with a race team gets you instant access to the other sponsors with the team and the sponsors within the sport at large. For some sponsors, these connections are the primary reason for considering a racing sponsorship.
Then, there are the array of human resources that can be accessed and leveraged by a sponsor. Here we’re talking about the driver, the crew and other team staff.
The driver is the face of the team and thus serves as the spokesperson for the sponsors. When a brand sponsors a team, the connection between driver and sponsor is very important. It’s vital that a driver fit a brand’s image and serve as an influential brand ambassador. Sponsors are allowed to use the likeness and name of the driver to promote its brand and create a connection with race fans. Beyond using the driver in commercials and promotions, both the driver and the race team’s crew wear branded uniforms and fire suits, visible to a host of fans and television viewers on a weekly basis.
By sponsoring a team, you also obtain the organization’s industry expertise within the sport. Most teams have seasoned veterans with experience on multiple sides of the desk who can serve as helpful resources in navigating the NASCAR landscape. They can help avoid potential pitfalls and serve like an extension of your marketing/brand team.
Another area where race teams can support the sponsorship is with public relations, content, and social media support. Social media, content and public relations are critical assets teams provide as part of any sponsorship. Race teams have dedicated personnel who work on promoting the team and sponsorship.
Public relations representatives travel with the team every week with the sole purpose of finding ways to get your brand incremental exposure in unique ways. This can include features during the race broadcast, press conferences for special announcements or promotions, or placements in traditional or digital media outlets.
As original content creation and social media have become increasingly important for brands, race teams have also expanded their efforts in this area. Race teams often collaborate with sponsors on original content and social media initiatives to drive the sponsorship program on digital platforms.
This is just a brief overview of the potential assets available as part of a race team sponsorship. Of course, the specific asset mix that comprises each sponsor deal varies, depending on the specific goals of the sponsorship program.
Interested in becoming a Spire Motorsports sponsor? Get in contact with them HERE.
About Spire Motorsports …
Spire Motorsports is a full-time, two-car NASCAR Cup Series race team co-owned by long-time NASCAR industry executives Jeff Dickerson and Thaddeus “T.J.” Puchyr. In 2023, Spire Motorsports will field the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for driver Corey LaJoie and No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Ty Dillion. The team also fields a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team in select events.
Spire Motorsports earned its inaugural victory in its first full season of competition when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 7, 2019. Less than three years later, William Byron drove Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado to its inaugural NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win on April 7, 2022, at Martinsville Speedway.
Corey LaJoie energized Talladega in this vibrant paint scheme on the first of a multi-race partnership between @SpireMotorsport & @RazeEnergy@CoreyLaJoie kept it as cool as peaches n cream🧃🍦
— Candy Racing (@candy_racing) November 27, 2022
Paint Scheme Burning LIVE Nov. 28 -> https://t.co/accKVLri0z pic.twitter.com/A4FaL0q7Rb
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