Sponsor me! by Jorge Cuartas

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By definition, a sponsored rider is an advertising tool for their sponsors. Unfortunately, this is the single most overlooked responsibility by racers. I can assure you with 100% certainty that no one is sponsoring you sheerly out of the kindness of their heart. Every Sponsor is looking for a return on their investment, and one proven way to measure that return is "Press" (as in magazines, websites, etc.). Above and beyond anything else, press is what keeps you afloat, press is what keeps sponsor's products in the public eye, and press is what will make or break your efforts as a racer. Your quest for press should be relentless, and everything you do at the races should ultimately work towards your goal of getting positive press.

Getting attention from the Media isn't rocket science, but it's no cakewalk either. The easiest way to get press is to get results, if you dominate every race you enter then chances are the Media will seek you out. Unfortunately, for every winner there are 19 losers and unless you're the lucky one you'll need to get creative in order to garner some press attention. Getting attention from the press can be as simple as a creative powder coating scheme, a little color coordinating, or plain hospitality. The members of the Media generally travel alone, they rarely have their own pit areas, and they're always looking for something different to jump in front of their lens. How do you capitalize? Next time you see a photographer wandering around the pits take the time to introduce yourself, offer them a cool drink, or even a full on meal, show them your spotless race quad, and most importantly, fill them in on your efforts, goals, and accomplishments; Those cameras they carry are a direct pipeline to sponsorship.

Another oft-overlooked aspect of sponsorship is "Pit Presence". Having good pit presence isn't easy, you'll need to put some serious thought into just about every aspect of your weekend from where you park to which way your bike faces when it sits in your pits, it's all important and contributes to your overall presence. Matching pit shirts for your crew, matching colors on your race quads, and coordinated riding gear are all easy ways to stand out. If you want to take things a step further, get some custom printed banners, color match your EZ-Ups, and get some one-off graphics kits for your race quad.
If all of this sounds too complicated there are options. You can pay for all of your own stuff, and make your own rules. You can try and join a team, which should handle all of this for you, or you can start your own team. Being that option one is pretty self explanatory, we'll concentrate on the "Team Approach".

A clean quad shows you respect your equipment and take the time to care for it!


Joining a team isn't for everybody, with the rewards come sacrifices, and what's best for the team may not necessarily always be what's best for you. On the up side, everything is pretty much done for you; there are no contracts to worry about except the one between you and the team itself. On the downside, allot of the decisions are made for you, from what classes you race to what products you use, to the color schemes on your ATV and riding gear. Being able to just show up and ride is a dream come true for allot of racers, but if it's not for you, starting your own team may be the answer.

Starting a team is an easy way to raise your pit presence and promotional value. An individual racer parked on their own is never as impressive as a group of racers on identical bikes, wearing identical gear, parked together. Assembling a team can be quite simple if you don't mind putting in the work. You don't have to be a talent scout to put together a decent team. First off talk to your riding buddies, and guys you normally pit with. Explain to them how your promotional value grows by joining forces. Come up with a basic and original color scheme (i.e., red plastic, yellow a-arms, swingarms, & frames), then try and get everyone to agree on a brand of riding gear, once you've done that vote on some color options. Agree on either an off the shelf graphics kit or get a custom printed kit with your new team name.

Speaking of names, come up with something creative, by all means avoid using a last name and the word "Racing" (i.e., Smith Racing, Jones Racing, etc) nothing screams lack of creativity like a boring team name. Also make sure to avoid anything offensive, while "Porn Star Racing" may sound funny to you, it'll end up cock blocking you in the end. Another thing you'll need to consider is your pit location at the races. If at all possible, show up early, save spots for your teammates and pick a nice high profile pit area. No one will ever notice your new team if you're buried in the back of the pits. Once you've got a team use it to your advantage, document your efforts, set up a photo shoot with any of the press at the races, approach the sponsors that you want, and enjoy the camaraderie and newfound opportunities.

Whether riding on a team or as an individual there are certain things you'll need to get printed. This industry is filled with companies that overcharge the racers. If you need anything from posters, postcards, pit shirts, banners, T shirts, to custom graphics kits, please contact us, We're not out to make a dime off of you, we just want to keep you from getting raped by some of these vultures. We’ve compiled a pretty good list of contacts in the printing industry over the years and we don’t mind sharing them.


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-- Jorge Cuartes
Jorge Cuartes is a staple in the motocross world and has years of racing experience. His background starts at the roots of the local motocross series in Georgia all the way to running the GNC series. In the past few years Jorge became the mastermind behind many great racing teams including the FMF Media All-Stars Team that was the backbone of support to Angela Moore the Woman's National Champion. Jorge is also the face behind the souvenir programs that you received at the GNC & GNCC events over the last few years.



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