Getting sponsorship for your racing
Funding, sponsors and what a business actually gets for its money, covered in the order we would actually work through it. Start with where the money really comes from, not with writing a pitch.
New posts added regularly · 3 live now
You do not need to pay someone to help you ask for money
Sponsorship platforms charge a monthly fee for a profile page. Sponsorship brokers take a cut of whatever they raise for you. Neither is doing anything this series does not show you how to do yourself, for free, before you spend a penny.
Where to Start
Where Motorsport Funding Really Comes From (And Why You Don’t Need to Pay to Find It)
Sponsorship is one route among several, and it is not the one most karting money actually comes from. Friends, family, local business, grants and a couple of genuinely free tools, in the order that actually matters.
Coming soonThe Honest Bit
What Can You Actually Offer a Sponsor?
£5,000 on a race weekend against £5,000 on Meta ads, run honestly. What sponsorship can do that an ad cannot, and what it cannot, said plainly before you write a single pitch.
Coming soonSponsorship Ethics vs Commercial Strategy in Motorsport
There is a difference between a smart overtaking move and a dirty shove off track, and it applies to sponsorship deals too. Where the line actually sits.
Read the full breakdown →Build The Pitch
How Much Sponsorship Should You Actually Ask For
Real UK pricing bands, from local business support up to championship-level deals, and how to work out a fair number for your own level rather than guessing.
Coming soonWhat a Sponsorship Proposal Actually Needs (and What to Skip)
The sections that earn a reply, the ones that just pad the document, and why “brand exposure” on its own is not an offer.
Coming soonWriting a Sponsorship Email That Gets Opened
The difference between a personal approach and the mail-merge every business deletes on sight, and what actually belongs in the first two lines.
Coming soonKeep Them
How to Thank a Sponsor on Social Media (It’s Not Just “Thanks to X”)
A quick shoutout does not do much for a sponsor. How to talk about partners in a way that delivers value and gets you asked back.
Read the full breakdown →Keeping a Sponsor Past Year One
Most sponsorships do not renew, and it is rarely about the money. What actually keeps a business coming back for a second season.
Coming soonSponsorship Red Flags: When to Say No to a Deal
Not every offer is worth taking. The deals that cost more than they pay, and how to spot one before you sign.
Coming soonCommon questions
How much sponsorship should I ask for?
It depends on your level and what you can genuinely offer in return. Local karting sponsorship often starts in the low hundreds, deals for national junior series can run into five figures. Post 04 in this series works through it properly.
Do I need a sponsorship agency or platform?
No. Platforms charge a subscription for a profile page and do not raise money for you. Brokers charge 10 to 20% commission on anything they bring in. This series is built to help you do the same job yourself, for nothing.
Are there grants for karting and junior racing?
Yes, a genuine and under-used route. Motorsport UK and the British Motor Sports Trust both run schemes worth checking before you write a single sponsorship email. Covered in full in post 01.
Is crowdfunding a racing season normal?
For a specific, time-bound ask, a championship weekend, a repair after a shunt, yes, and it can work well. As a general “help me race this season” appeal it tends to read as begging. The difference is in post 01.
A proposal that says all this, written for you
If you would rather have OTM build the honest, numbers-led pitch this series describes rather than write it yourself, the Sponsorship Proposal Template is a one-off download, or we will build a bespoke proposal around your own results and asks.
