Cold Hard Facts Of "Driver Development": It Takes MONEY to MAKE IT

As a motorsports marketing professional and instructor, I know that finding funding is the biggest issue at hand for young and up and coming racing talent today. I experience this daily. I firmly believe, and it has been proven time and time again, that if a driver is as good at marketing and getting his own backing as he is driving he or she will succeed. Young drivers must educate themselves on how to go out and raise the money and get the backing. It can be done. Many racers hire sales/marketing people to find sponsors for them, but few find success that way. Ultimately DRIVERS need to know how to sell themselves or they will not be able to advance their careers. ALL RACE DRIVERS need to invest the time into making the calls and sending out the emails just as much as they do driving. I have drivers/students signing sponsors as we speak, even in this economy. You are your best salesperson. Sponsors want to meet the driver, they want the driver to be their celebrity spokesperson. They want a return on their investment too, once they spend the money. Drivers must learn how to attract, land, and manage sponsors. It is more of a necessity today more than ever.

The RACE 101 program offers one-on-one marketing, sponsorship and PR consulting with our experienced instructors. We work with our students individually to make sure they are properly selling themselves and their racing programs, We teach them the basics to the advanced as needed - give them the tools and confidence to go out and sign their own sponsors.

Are you an up and coming talented race driver hoping and dreaming to get noticed by a big team or a NASCAR driver development program? Well you can get noticed but the bottom line is this - bring a BIG CHECK or you are back to the weekly home track racing off your own paycheck or mom and dad's. Do you know how to go out and get financial backing and make the proper connections to advance your career? Our RACE 101 students and alumni do. Don't get left behind. Educate yourself.  Sales and Marketing - it's a skill all race drivers must learn and apply to succeed. We spend equal time on our marketing curriculum as we do the mechanical and driving side of our program. That is how important it is.

We are very proud of our RACE 101 2010 Student Alumni Driver, Michael Cenzi. He was able to take what he learned at RACE 101 regarding marketing, sales and PR and landed a solid multi-year sponsorship program with Triple A (AAA). Michael serves as AAA's  spokesman and even filmed a PSA (public service announcement) for a Don't Text and Drive Campaign. Michael races late models in Florida, and is planning a move to NC with his 2012 program.

Check out this recent article on NASCAR.com "Finances change the focus of driver development -Future may have more to do with what's in the wallet than who's behind the wheel" http://www.nascar.com/news/110929/inside-nascar-driver-development/index.html - I speak the truth here and NASCAR confirms what I have have been trying to tell racers for years.

Unfortunately, in this day and age of the sport of auto racing it takes alot more than talent to make it to the top as a driver. Sad, but true. The cold hard facts are that you also need money (lots of it) and connections to get there. Our students learn how to properly make those connections and effectively raise funds and sponsorship for their own racing programs and beyond. At Race 101 we believe if you have both the driving skills and the marketing skills to get your own backing you can create your own success as a driver. The proof is in our students, and alumni who have already been successful at this. If you want to learn how to better your career, apply for a RACE 101 scholarship. Only YOU can change your future. To apply for a RACE 101 scholarship or to schedule an online marketing class - go to www.race101.net

I feel confident that when each of our students graduates from our program each year, we have taught and guided them based on our years of experience to go out on their own and land sponsorship. This is something that each one of our students must apply and work hard at. Nobody said it was easy - but if you have the knowledge, tools, you are open to learning, changing with the times and willing to step away from the car and pick up the phone you can make your own dreams a reality.

Questions? I am here to help. Email me at: race101pr@gmail.com

- Annamarie (Annamarie Malfitana-Strawhand, RACE 101 Co-Founder and Director of Marketing/PR/Web and Instructor)