FYI WIRZ: NASCAR, IndyCar, NHRA Race Fast on Sponsor Funds

Historically, it’s often said that when the second automobile was produced—motorsports were born. More than a century and a few billion cars or so later, it’s commonly said that modern race cars run largely on money—not fuel.

Sponsorships supporting the extreme cost of fielding a competitive driver and team in top sanctions like NASCAR, IndyCar and NHRA are now as necessary as wind in any sail.

The correlation and partnership of sponsors with racers has a history, too. It definitely didn’t come with that second car produced. 

Sponsorship on race cars didn’t begin in the early part of the last century; it started in earnest decades ago when NHRA’s Snake and Mongoose drag cars took on Hot Wheels as a sponsor. Back then, it wasn’t common practice for any team to have primary sponsorship to pay racing bills.

Tom “Mongoose” McEwen and Don “The Snake” Prudhomme, NHRA icons, paved the way for sponsorships in motorsports when they pitched their drag strip rivalry to Mattel, Inc. in the late 1960s.

“In the early days, we were racing on weekends,” McEwen said. “There wasn't any money involved. I always thought there was some way to get sponsors. I had an idea to go to Mattel Toy because they had just come out with the Hot Wheel cars.”

Mattel agreed by producing Snake and Mongoose Hot Wheels in 1970, plus providing funding that featured decals on the McEwen and Prudhomme race cars.

Not long after the Hot Wheels entry into racing, the fuel additive firm STP asked Richard Petty about putting the company's logo on his No. 43 race car. Petty has been affiliated with STP since 1972.

“The Winston [RJR Tobacco] brand got involved in 1971,” he said. “We were lucky enough in '72 to get STP as a sponsor. That was the first nationwide sponsor coming into Cup racing.”

Sponsorship wasn’t common at all in the early years of motorsports and certainly not when NASCAR began in 1948.

This reporter’s uncle, Howard “Howie” Johnson, raced stock cars in Northwestern Pennsylvania in the 60s but never ventured beyond local tracks. Prior to his passing several years ago, he shared his experience.

“We would buy a junk car for 40 or 50 bucks,” he said. “Rip the insides out, weld a roll bar and a seat in it and go racing. When we tore one up, we bought another junk car.”

When I asked him about sponsors, he laughed and said, “No sponsors. Sometimes I could get a beer garden to buy me a tire or two. We painted their name on the car.”

It’s a long way from local tracks to national sanction with facilities having a branded name supported by auto manufacturers.

Richard Petty shared his memory of the rise of NASCAR sponsorships. 

“Between RJR and STP, the people in New Hampshire, Wisconsin and Texas knew about us because we were like pre‑advertised,” he said. “Then they started building race tracks in other parts of the country—Chicago, Kansas City, Phoenix, all around.”

NASCAR’s rise wasn’t fast, but it was steady.

“We would go all around the country,” he said. “But we are already pre‑sold because of a lot of our sponsors were using us as a nationwide sponsorship.”

NHRA Funny Car champion and branding specialist John Force learned from Petty and acquired and kept steady sponsors for years.

“Never take them for granted,” he said. “People invest, you got to work for 'em. You live the life. You got to love it. We're P.T. Barnum. We're the circus. That's the only way to get the message out there to get a sponsor. If you work hard enough, they'll need you.”

Perennial NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson knows the value of sponsorship, as he and his team have had Lowes' support since 2001. That’s more than 14 years of winning while achieving six NSCS championships. That’s certainly a great return on investment for the home-improvement company.

“They support our race team unlike any other sponsor in the sport with incentives and TLC that they show every crew member at Hendrick Motorsports on the 48 team,” he said. “They go to great lengths to make us a part of their family—an amazing sponsor.”

Team Penske IndyCar driver Helio Castroneves was recently in New York City to promote Shell V-Power Nitro+ fuel, which new BMWs were using in a 3,000-mile relay race from New York to Los Angeles.

“They going to go from New York, stop at Chicago, Las Vegas and end at Jay Leno’s garage,” he said. “After 3,000 miles, they are going to open up the engine in and show that it is the best fuel because it is triple protection against gunk, wear and corrosion.”

Castroneves also spoke about the dynamics of Team Penske.

“One of the things that Roger Penske does extremely well,” he said. “It’s B-to-B scenarios. He has an amazing industry outside racing. He’s able to tie his businesses and connect with sponsors. It’s a win-win for everyone. He has the recipe for that.”

Joey Logano also races for Team Penske and has Shell for a sponsor for certain races, but his race turf is NASCAR.

Logano was recently in Daytona Beach, the "World Center of Racing”, to promote Daytona Rising, the $400 million grandstands renovation of Daytona International Speedway that will feature a colossal stadium with world-class amenities. He too spoke about his team.

"I’ve learned that over the years as a driver that you can’t do it without a great team,” he said. “I’ve seen Roger Penske do it, having a great team around him to support him. You’re only as good as the tools you’re working with. He’s got some great people.”

At top sanction levels, it’s nearly impossible to race many laps without sponsorship. And back to that notion that race cars run on money, without adequate primary sponsorship, a professional team is doomed to slower speeds, inadequate parts and an inability to attract the best personnel.

Having the most racing money is no guarantee either. It takes a balanced combination of funds and human production. But when that extensive mix is optimized, the results are checkered flags and championships. All drivers quoted here are proof of that financial equation.

One more important part of motorsports mathematics is that the legions of fans keeping it all rolling by supporting team sponsors.

Dwight Drum

This modern reality in motorsports is common—it takes stacks of any currency to fill a potent race car tank.

FYI WIRZ is the select presentation of topics by Dwight Drum at Racetake.com. Unless otherwise noted, information and all quotes were obtained firsthand or from official release materials provided by sanction and team representatives.