How important is the role of sponsors in racing?
The world of motorsport currently reaches every corner of the globe: from the east to the west, from the south to the north, fans of speed, mechanical and technological breakthroughs, and the man’s ability to control them, rejoice with every major race’s broadcast. The huge racetracks around the world are easily filled with thousands of people, and truly, who can blame them: the sound of engine and screeching tires, the charismatic approach of some of the world’s best drivers, the excitement of speed… It is unique, sensational, and leaves a lasting impression with anyone in love with adrenaline.
It is exactly this kind of setup that opens enormous doors to those looking to advertise their wares with millions of eyes pointed towards the center of the track, and the relationship between motorsports and sponsorship benefits both sides immensely. Bringing enormous amounts of money into the realm of motorsport, sponsors of all sorts are one of the key players not just in each racing team, but in the business as a whole.
Sponsors are one of the key players in the world of motorsport
The importance of sponsorship
Even if you’ve seen but a single race, you couldn’t have missed the apparent signs and logos that adorn team cars, clothes, as well as the track itself. The realm of racing as it is today provides an unparalleled opportunity for marketing, and the scale of it can be seen by the sheer amount of commercials seen on track, if not the very amount of money invested in the sport. Enterprises of great renown are aware of this fact, sponsoring various aspects of the motorsport world in order to further their influence on the designated market. However, they’re not the only ones benefiting from the exchange: the sponsorship provides benefits for the motorsport industry as a whole, and even more so for the individual teams involved in this unavoidable affair.
No one can deny the obvious impact that the skills of the driver or the tech team have on the outcome of the race, but if you were to ask the management of any high-end motorsport team, sponsorship is as important of an aspect for the success of the group as a whole. Although there are some things that money simply cannot buy, it has the ability to cover a lot of necessities when it comes to motorsport, increasing the team’s chances of winning exponentially.
Given the exposure that this kind of marketing gives, it comes as no surprise that companies of various caliber and profession get invested into motorsport sponsorship: from tycoon enterprises like Nike, Coca Cola, and Home Depot, over popular TV channels, to pop music stars like Taylor Swift and music bands like Aerosmith, the sponsorship territory is as diverse as it gets.
Some of these relationships do come naturally, linking manufacturers of car-related products and parts with the teams, including engine production companies, tire manufacturers, and others. We’ve seen just how important engine oil can be when driving in extreme conditions, and now we’ll cover yet another connection between these two inseparable entities – engine oil manufacturer sponsors and the motorsport events and tracks they represent.
Sponsorship provides benefits for individual teams and the motorsport industry as a whole
When a second matters, science matters
Driving home the fact that sponsors play a major role in any team’s success, Mobile 1 has been the official motor oil of NASCAR ever since the year of 2000, as well as officially supporting the Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) team since 2011, which instantly improved the team’s performance on track. Showing just how powerful this sort of connection can be, the sponsor of SHR had the privilege of testing their products on the cars they held under their patronage, further benefiting the racing team by adapting the engine oil to specific needs. The results: third Sprint Cup Series championship for Tony Stewart, the team’s driver, with SHR becoming one of the most prominent NASCAR teams over the years. Providing more than half of NASCAR teams with their merchandise, it’s easy to see how the benefits for both sides far exceed the invested sum.
Mobil 1 – The official engine oil sponsor of NASCAR and Stewart-Haas Racing
A constant among the variables
Another company that became a distinguished partner and consultant in many race series with different sporting orientations is Ravensberger Schmierstoffvertrieb GmbH, otherwise known as RAVENOL. Not only did their technological support fuel the progress of teams such as Rosberg, Young Driver Aston Martin Racing, Farnbacher Racing, C.ABT Racing and Phoenix Racing, but their motorsport influence is felt from national rallying to World Rally Championship, FIA World Rallycross Championship, as well as the ADAC GT Masters.
With their presence on the track being anything but unnoticeable as the official lubricant partner of the ADAC GT Masters in 2016, RAVENOL continues to supply the racing teams with lubricants of consistently high quality thanks to this cooperation, making the company a constant within the realm of continuous change.
RAVENOL continues to supply the racing teams with lubricants of consistently high quality
Honoring tradition while nurturing innovation
Displaying the genuinity of the bond that exists between motorsport and engine oil, and its necessity in order for both fields to advance, Castrol has been growing its business alongside the world of racing ever since its conception in the early 20th century. Proud with their products and the efficiency and results that they brought to their customers, Castrol’s logo could be seen across flags and banners even back in the early days of motorsport, at various competitive events and races.
Following the philosophy of the company’s founder, Charles Wakefield, who held firmly that working in partnership is the best way to achieve success for both parties, Castrol keeps its tradition of appearing both on and off track, especially so as the official oil of Supercars in 2016, featured distinctly throughout the Championship including at flagship rounds – the Castrol Gold Coast 600 and the Castrol EDGE Townsville 400.
Castrol keeps its tradition of appearing both on and off track
What racing is all about
Though some may see sponsorship as no more than the corporate tendency for turning profit, the bigger picture that it paints is one of mutual benefit without which the word of motorsport would be on a far lesser level today, in every sense of the word. Having unrivaled opportunities for marketing out of all sports paved the way for racing to become what it is today, and it, in turn, incorporated sponsorship into the very essence of its appearance, making it an essential part of each racing team, track, and event. With the support of diverse sponsors coming in various shapes and sizes, the world of motorsport is bound to go round, keeping fans across the globe on their toes with each completed lap.
