Mason Daughters: An Example of the Value of Sponsorship in Racing

Mason Daughters is a sixteen year old racing prodigy who competes in the USRA B-Mod Series at racing events around the country. He's originally from Polo, Missouri, a town of only about 550 residents. He started racing in a local karting series when he was only thirteen years old. After a few months, he began entering more competitive karting challenges and giving more experienced drivers a run for their money (so to speak). Mason Daughters may not yet have a name that's as recognizable as the pro racers in well-known sports-car and stock car racing series, but he's made it very clear that he intends to make racing a lifelong career. It's a lofty goal for a young man who's from a small town in the Midwest. Some might say it's an unlikely goal. But Mason Daughters has a number of blessings that few his age have: talent behind the wheel, a single-minded focus, and the support of the sponsors that believe in him.

The value of sponsorship to a driver or a racing team is almost immeasurable. At present, Mason Daughters has the benefit of a sponsorship from Madison, Wisconsin based Level 5 Motorsports, a racing team owned by nine-time national driving champion Scott Tucker. In racing, more than any other sport, sponsorships are a financial driver that that keeps the wheels turning from one event to the next. In addition, sponsorship helps keep the engineers and mechanics in the garage on the job, as well as the support crew doing their jobs. Racing fans who watch NASCAR know how impactful sponsorships can be. One glance at a line of cars preparing for a NASCAR race at Daytona Beach or Talladega, and you can easily see the sponsorships plastered all across the hoods. Some of the most significant sponsor contributions in NASCAR include Monster Energy, Red Bull, Shell Oil, Penske, Miller Lite, Hertz, DuPont, and Lowe's.     

For Mason Daughters, his sponsorships keep his entire racing team dedicated to his schedule and dedicated to his quest to competing in, and win, races at events across the country. Unlike many young auto racing enthusiasts, Mason is actively participating in weekend racing events that are hundreds of miles away from his home in Missouri. Every event and every mile travelled has an associated cost that, at this stage in his career, can't be entirely supported by winnings at the race track. For a driver like Mason Daughters, the challenge in attracting and retaining sponsorships comes from his ability to show that he is constantly learning and improving as a racing competitor. In the end, sponsorships for drivers put wheels on the ground at the track. The goal for the driver is to make the sponsorship worthwhile.

Of course, the opportunity to sponsor an up-and-coming racecar driver is a value to the sponsors as well. Having your company name associated with a racing team offers a great deal of exposure at every event. Sponsor brands have statistically shown a jump in consumer interest whenever a sponsored team wins a race – and this effectively shows the symbiotic nature of the sponsor/driver relationship.

You can follow Mason's racing career through frequent news updates at the official site for Mason Daughters. Visit Level 5 Motorsports for more information about the entire racing team led by owner/driver Scott Tucker.