How do we reward our racers at the end of the day ?

[greybeard]

Hmmm

I agree that points and friendships are what really matter to the Racer.

But it will take some convincing to get me to believe that either of these two are apparent to a spectator or potential new racer. I can’t think of another sport that does not recognize the winners and the end of the day, from the local 10K run to the office golf outing. Are we so inwardly focused that we are oblivious to the impression of our sport that Joe spectator takes away at the end of the day? I believe that without awards we communicate to the outsider that the race didn’t really matter.

<OAward ceremonies don’t matter to the racer, Ok, we drive these fast little boats, earn points and make life long friends.

Great, How’s it working? How many new racers in your region?

<O</O

[HRTV]

The post about the awards ceremony being for the little kids is pure BS! I am starting to think that it is just hopeless.

[Dave M]

Dan

How about this, have Hydrorace sponsor the awards shin dig ? It cost money for trophies, etc. You could have a huge banner with the podiums in front. On your banner you could have your corporate sponsors of your web page.

Next you figure out how to get the folks to the shin dig.

Here is something the NBRA did at the long course Nat's last year. After the last race, and I mean right after, they called for ALL drivers to report to judges stand. We all went with our crews because they said be there no questions asked, period. When we all got there in about 10 minutes they started the awards. They called 1st through 3rd up to stand together and hold onto a trophie. Not your own trophy, but a loaner. They then took a picture and interviewed the drivers briefly. The whole thing took about 30 minutes. And to boot, Linda took all the pictures of everyone accepting the trophie, and also the three finishers together. The loaner trohpies were nice, so they looked good in the pics, and the fans did not know they were not the real deal. The real deal was handed out later when they had everything sorted out 100%. Bottom line is, they had something and to be honest, it was fun. We still got to drink a beer while waiting for the awards to be over, and set our beer down to go accept the award.

Another recouring theme I see a lot here, beer. Maybe we should give out cases of beer instead of trpophies to the adults ? Might draw them up for those that say they won't come. Present the loaner trophie for pics, then the real deal is a case of some popular beer. No skunk beer either. Hold on, if you offer beer for the win, it might get tougher to win than it does with the Lockhaven Dash for Cash !! Toss money to them they get mean in the first turn. Toss beer at them and I bet it gets cut throat !!

[HRTV]

This is serious racing... race haulers worth a million dollars. Not back yard yahoo's like most of us looking for a fun weekend with family and friends. Even a decent privateer has $100,000 team. The drivers might be 8-14 years old... but many are under contracts and well on their way to the big time. Teams winning this level of karting put Unlimited Hydroplane racing to shame.

We could get to this stage if Unlimiteds were like NASCAR level and they needed a feeder level of sport.

Good point Andrew these kids will go on to Indy Nascar and F1.

[kws]

When Gene and i started racing. i was very suprised and maybe a bit let down, that at the end of the day racing, that was it, everyone packed and went home. No i would of not gotten a trophy and that didnt matter to me. but i did expect something for the winners. POPS is right about the friendships. but the spectators dont see that. they assume we are mostly just competitors like in most sports. yes friendships develop in all sports. but from my experiance not like in boat racing. I think this is mostly due to the fact we are not out there chasing a big purse at the end of the day. along with the type of people that are willing to do this knowing that the more they race the more thay will spend period. i think more spectators would get the bug if they thought THEY could be the person on the top rung. that maybe the wrong reason, but after 3 or 4 races they begin to feel like they really are a part of the boatracing family( i was shocked at how quickly people went out of their way to make us feel that way!) I also think it would go along way in selling a sponsor do to the fact they can see pictures that would have their name on it. if they were a sponsor allso. if we then get those pictures in newspapers they see that as advertisment. as it is now if we are lucky and get a couple of pictures in the paper. The sponsors see boats (probably a crash) not their name behind a WINNER.
i am sure 99.9 percent of us will feel like it is a drudgery that has to be done. very much like it doesn't matter how good a meal is, doing the dishes afterward still suxs!

[swheeler]

One idea that keeps coming up is to get sponsorship. Can someone come up with a compelling reason for a sponsor to support a boat race? Is there a chance for some good advertising here? I've sponsored little league teams for years but I don't consider it good advertising. If it weren't for the local ties I wouldn't spend the money.

[greybeard]

Race Sponsorship

West Marine sponsors multiple Sail races nationally. One that i am familiar with is the I-LYA Regatta at Put in Bay Ohio. Level of $ for this event is slightly less than 6 figures. Event has ~ 200 junior sailors, 150 Senor sail entres and 225 powerboat entrie. They (west marine) require a minimum number of logo imprints for this commitment, in event programs, media buys etc...

BTW this is an amatuer event and none of the entries have any sponsorship.

They also offer an event tie in $10 off coupon for their stores to all members of ILYA affiliated clubs.

What do they get? Name recognition and exposure to potential customers. If you own a boat you gotta buy chit for it, might as well spend it with someone who helps you... This is a large corporation that dominates the Marine supply market nationally...

[Dr. Thunder]

I understand your point ... I really do!

One idea that keeps coming up is to get sponsorship. Can someone come up with a compelling reason for a sponsor to support a boat race ...

Maybe someone should ask these guys ... http://www.f1boat.com/index.shtml ... but we're not these guys ... never have been, never will. The closest we come is when we offer a National Championship event or the opportunity to participate in something like USTS racing where you build up to a season ending finale ... where each event is important but none more inportant than the final event of the season! Why can't Stock Outboard Racing have a Title Series?

[YankeeRacing]

Maybe someone should ask these guys ... http://www.f1boat.com/index.shtml ... but we're not these guys ... never have been, never will. The closest we come is when we offer a National Championship event or the opportunity to participate in something like USTS racing where you build up to a season ending finale ... where each event is important but none more inportant than the final event of the season! Why can'tStock Outboard Racing have a Title Series?

Anyone can have a title series: stock-mod-slt, ....
All it takes is for SOMEONE to DO IT.

The USTS is not that much different than any other club EXCEPT for the fact that they have a plan, stick to it, and then everyone in the club WORKS TOGETHER to make the plan a success.

Talking about it on Hydroracer won't get the job done. Everyone one of us should be calling, writing, emailing, or meeting in person potential sponsors.
Connie

[Dr. Thunder]

<snip> ... Talking about it on Hydroracer won't get the job done ...
Connie

No, but it just might get the job started!

[DougMc]

Ocoee

Ron Selewach and Sidewinder Outboards have sponsored a podium and a Sidewinder back drop for the Southeastern Stock Outboard Divisionals in Ocoee. Photos will be taken and used for future promotional packets.

South Florida Outboard will be giving out medals to the top three finishers and something a little bigger for the J Drivers.

Sidewinder has also sponsored a Raegae band for a night. Also, we will have a beer tent Friday and Saturday night.

Any racing vendor or business owner that is interested in helping out is welcome. Send me your stickers, promotional flyers, discount coupons, etc. and they will be handed out to the racers.

Send me your banner and it will be hung at the race site. My address is Doug McAlarney, 2774 Red Maple Ridge, Tallahassee, FL 32301. You get free advertising and we get a race site feel.

In-kind product donations or hard money race sponsorships are welcome too. Feel free to call me to sponsor a class, etc. My cell phone number is (850) 559-1986.

Give me your ideas and I will try to implement them. You donation can be something as simple as a "Clock Starting Class with Billy Allen". Feel free to ask me about setting up a "Boat Set Up" class if you are an expert.
We are looking at this year as a dry run for making next year's Ocoee Winter Nationals an event to remember.

[kampenracing]

Prize Money and Sponsorships

The Outboard Drivers Association out of St Louis has sponsors for every race. We have prize money at every race. We have trophys and awards for almost every race. There are sponsors out there you just have to work for them. The key is you have to race at sites where people are excited to see boat races. You have to have a site where you can draw a large crowd. If you can draw spectators you can draw sponsors!!! For too many years we have had our largest races in out of the way places where nobody knows what is going on. When we go in and pitch a race to a town and city we ask for prize money, free ambulance, and all of our expenses paid. We normally get this. There are alot of places we could go to and race for free in front of no one. We do not like to do this because we feel our show is worth something to a town or city.

[AOFoffice]

No, but it just might get the job started!

Neal, good response. One can only hope. I don't know about you, but I'm too old too do it. If the passion is still there in the youngsters, someone needs to jump on the idea.
Connie

[f8andbethere]

The simple facts of sponsorship

First, think about what the sponsor will get back. If you are asking for $500 the sponsor should get $1000 back. It is as simple as that. Otherwise you are just asking for a handout.

So how does the sponsor get something back?

There are two ways:
1. If there are enough racers to use his goods or services at or near the race site; this could be a local service station or perhaps a restuarant, or perhaps a motel. But you (the racers) have to monitor this to make sure that there is a return on the sponsor's investment. If you don't care, and you do not want to do the work, then don't ask.
2. The second way is through getting recognition of the sponsor through sponsorship. Now that means that you (the racers) have to do the work to make sure that this happens. It is relatively easy to equate exposure in the newspaper, on television, on the radio, and on web sites with a dollar equivalent.
Again you are going to have to do the work to make sure that this happens. You are going to have to educate the racers that if they are interviewed the first person that they talk about is the sponsor; that if they are interviewed they talk about the event with the name sponsor of the event -- the Johnsonville Beer Brats Ocoee Winter Nationals for example.
You are also going to have to do the work to get the media to come out to the event. That means you better be contacting media at least three months before the event. You need to have regular contact with them before the event to ensure that they are coming -- and if they are not coming see if someone from your group and file a story with them.
If they are coming you best be ready for them. Treat them like they are royalty -- which they are -- they are ensuring that your sponsor will be happy and will be back as a sponsor next season. This means that you need to make sure that they have a place to watch the event; that if they have a camera person with them that they will have boat to get their pictures -- and that they can on and off the race course without having to wait all day.
If you want to do it up right, make sure that these folks get lunch and are introduced to various folks involved with the event, particularly those from the local community.
It ain't rocket science -- but it is work -- just like testing, building boats, etc.
f/8

[Tim Small]

Shifter kart racing.

All the pictures of the winners circle at the beginning of this thread is very deceiving. I raced shifter karts for years all over the country before coming back to boat racing. ALL of the kids pictured are spending 100s of thousands of dollars to win a trophy. Most have no sponsor,only dad spending big bucks hoping the kid will be the next JEFF GORDON. The problem is one in a million make it. I now race in the USTS where all of our races are sponsored and I get much more in return as far as tow money, prize money and year end awards than in Kart racing. Each weekend of karting at least 4 sets of tires are needed to be up front, at 200 bucks a set. The USTS gives back, karting does not. It is big business now and it is just not the same crowd as in boat racing. I raced karts for over 10 years and from 85 to 95. I raced sprint, circle track,dirt and shifters. Had lots of fun, but nothing compares to the thrill of racing my boats.