Would You Sponsor You?

Every week I receive emails, phone calls, and messages from drivers asking the same question.

"How do I find sponsors?"

It's one of the most common questions in motorsports, and understandably so. Racing is expensive. Every family is looking for partners who believe in their driver and want to help them continue chasing the dream.

But after working with drivers for many years, I've discovered that most young racers are asking the wrong question.

Instead of asking, "How do I find sponsors?"

Try asking yourself this:

"If I owned a successful business, would I sponsor me?"

Take a moment and really think about that.

Imagine you're no longer the driver.

You're the owner of a company that has spent years building a reputation. Your employees work hard every day. Your customers trust your brand. Every dollar you invest has to make sense because it affects the people who depend on your business.

Now imagine a young driver walks into your office asking for sponsorship.

That driver happens to be you.

Would you write the check?

Not because they're fast.

Not because they won last weekend.

Because of who they are.

That's a much harder question to answer.

Most sponsorship decisions have very little to do with lap times.

Companies can look at race results online.

What they're really trying to evaluate is something far more valuable.

Can I trust this person to represent my company?

That's the question every sponsor is trying to answer.

When they visit your social media, what do they see?

Do they see someone who is grateful?

Professional?

Positive?

Someone who understands that every post becomes part of their personal brand?

Or do they see complaints, excuses, negativity, and drama?

When they meet your parents at the racetrack, what impression do they leave?

Are they welcoming?

Professional?

Respectful?

Because whether we like it or not, sponsors don't just evaluate drivers.

They evaluate families.

When you send an email, does it reflect someone they would enjoy doing business with?

When you shake someone's hand, do you make eye contact?

Do you remember names?

Do you follow through on your commitments?

Do you send thank-you notes without being asked?

These may seem like little things.

In business, they're everything.

One of the biggest misconceptions in racing is that sponsors are looking for the fastest driver.

They're not.

They're looking for the best investment.

Sometimes those are the same person.

Often, they aren't.

I've watched incredibly talented drivers struggle to attract sponsorship because they believed talent alone was enough.

I've also watched drivers with fewer trophies build incredible partnerships because people simply enjoyed working with them.

They were prepared.

They communicated well.

They were dependable.

They showed appreciation.

They made sponsors feel like valued partners instead of a source of funding.

That's a skill.

And like any other skill, it can be learned.

At Race Face, we spend a lot of time talking about branding, communication, interviews, social media, community involvement, and relationships.

Some people wonder why.

The answer is simple.

Because that's what sponsors notice.

They notice how you treat people.

They notice how you carry yourself after a bad race.

They notice whether you congratulate another driver after a loss.

They notice whether you're involved in causes bigger than yourself, like our work with the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation.

They notice whether you're the kind of person they would be proud to introduce to one of their customers.

Character travels faster than race results.

Long before a sponsor calls you, they've already formed an opinion.

They're watching.

They're listening.

They're asking around.

And often, they've made their decision before you ever walk into the room.

So here's your homework this week.

Stand in front of a mirror and ask yourself one question.

Would I sponsor me?

Not because I can drive.

Not because I need the money.

Not because I have potential.

Would I trust myself to represent my company?

If the answer is yes, keep building on that foundation.

If the answer is "not yet," don't be discouraged.

That's exactly why Race Face exists.

We're not just helping drivers become faster.

We're helping them become the kind of people sponsors, race teams, and organizations want representing their brand.

Because at the end of the day, sponsorship isn't something you ask for.

It's something you earn.

And the drivers who understand that don't just find sponsors.

They build partnerships that last.