Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

wi thout his stickers. Be sure you have extras so that a damaged o ne may be replaced. Keep th e stickers clean. This is important because yo u never know when photos are being shot and you owe th e sp o nsor good coverage wh enever the opport u n ity presents itself. Most sponsors also want to see their name on your helmet and/ or riding gear. Your pit area too sh ould be easily sponsor identifiable. Sti ckers on tool boxes and tow veh icles, banners and T -sh irt s are a ll eas y methods o f promotion. Again be very carefu l of non-sponsor or, worse yet, competitive brands' p romotion. T his ma y mean cleaning and resti ckering yo ur van window s and you r traveling tool box and temporarily putting your favorite jacket at the ba ck of th e closet. That's th e price of being a star! Mention your sponsor whenever th e opportutii ty presen ts i tself. Listen to th e " good ole bo ys" of stock car racing. They can't get near a microp hone without naming their sponsors . a nd tha nking everyone associated wi th their effort - not a bad idea. Sponsors are the backbone of racing. Give them all the credit they deserve. , Keep your sponsors informed as the season progresses. Set u p a schedule in advance and stick to it. A monthly newsletter is effective. Give your sponso r(s) a written report of what is happening with your racing program regardless of how successful you have been. Include wh ere you have raced, how you finished, who was in attendance If you have gotten media coverage, include copies. Also, tell them about a ny past or upcoming promotional activi ties. Wh en you score a big victory, call you r sponsor Monday morning and tell them. This is very important and accom p lishes two things. It gives you an opportunit y to thank him for hi s help a nd al so gives him a cha nce to include you in a n immediat e " win ad " or press ' release. Good sponso r com m un ica tio n will lead to good relationships and further assistance . Besides advert ising- and publicity ex pos u re, . man y sp o ns o rs h a ve a nothe r, perhaps more. important reason to spo nsor riders. They need to cons ta n tl y R 8c D (research and develop) th eir p roducts. You ar e an excelle nt test bed . Becau se you are using th e product under ex treme conditions, any defects in materials or .design will sho w more readily. . Always report any problems directl y to th e sponsor. Give as much detail as yo u can and perhaps even possible cu res. Keep in mind that th ey ar e th e experts. Don't try to become the engineer. Never di scu ss th e problems wi th other riders or man ufacturers. You a nd th e sponso r ar e a team. This rel a ti onshi p ta kes p r iori ty ove r trying to be th e fir st with pit gossip. If yo u can develop. the ability to know what is hap penin g with you r ma chine you are entering anothe r wh ol e field of endea ver - th e good test rider. The spo nso r may wa nt to exam ine a faulty prod uc t, even o il, so keep every th ing in case it is needed later. The da ys o f th rowing ta nt rums mu st be behind yo u '· be profession a l. The sport R a ci n g grows va s sponsorship continues. Treating sponsors with fairn ess a nd respect will do as much to further you r spo rt as an y singl e th in g ·you can do. Every sponsorri der relationship is unique and ru les cha nge. This arti cle ca n o nly p rovide guidelines for you to consider. Sponso r s tak e spo nso rs h ip serious ly - so should you. Good luck and safe racing ! • ~ CONGRA TULA TES TEAM OBERTS AND RIDERS. • • WAYNE RAINEY KEVIN MAGEE AND for their victory at the World Championship Road Race Endurance Race held in Suzuka,Japan - SHOEI WINS • CII ftIpiollSllip . --,,' p .,.or\ll a . Cllaftlp,on~..' Roall Racln, I.. 3\ \ 91111 £oduranca an Il_l\our JU'r ' . SUlU"a. Jap 1\ '1st overa . EV'MMAGEE :A~ME RA'~~~ Yamaha Strike Ro e ,.eam LUC~ nd confidence. ort a CondRiders Rely on.·· For ToP SHOE\" . f Champions e Choice 0 CORPORA,.IOl'l Th 4 -

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