If one wants to make it big in the elite levels of racing in NASCAR, they better start as young as four. Jokes apart, it does take time to pursue a full-fledged career in NASCAR. However, most of the pundits would say that without the sponsorship of a bigshot company, it’s almost impossible for a driver to climb up the stairs of success in their career. But there have been drivers too who have done it without a renowned brand backing them up.
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Stewart-Haas Racing driver Chase Briscoe is one of those few racers who have done it without the money. When he started off, some people told him that it wasn’t possible, but just by being in the right place at the right time, the Ford performance development driver has made it to the top levels of NASCAR today.
“When I did it everybody would tell me that there’s no way,” said the #14 driver in an interview. “I mean, if you would have told anybody six years ago, yeah, if you go down there and volunteer you’ll be running the #14 car in the Cup series without ever bringing a dime, I don’t think anybody would believe you or tell it’s possible so I think it’s definitely possible now.”
“Everything has to go your way. You have to get a lot of lucky breaks and things like that along the way but I think it’s definitely possible. “
There have been other drivers like Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson who, like Briscoe, didn’t have millions of dollars behind their backs. But they did have their resumes that spoke of their achievements in dirt racing.
Yet Briscoe had neither the money nor the resume. “I just got lucky; just superblessed and fortunate that it all kind of worked out in my favor,” smiled the former Xfinity Series and Truck Series champion.
Do NASCAR drivers ever say no to the sponsors?
It’s unthinkable for a young driver to say no to a company that expresses its interest in sponsoring that driver. Even someone like John Hunter Nemecheck, who hails from a racing background, said, “Sponsorship is so hard to come by. You try and seek every opportunity that fits your brand, that fits who you are and fits your interests.” However, saying yes to anyone and everyone might not always be a good idea.
Two-time Cup champion Joey Logano explained how to handpick one’s sponsors. “You want to understand what you’re endorsing, right?” explained Logano. “If you’re endorsing a product, the last thing you want to do is endorse the product that’s not going to help people or do what they say it’s going to do.” However, as far as choosing sponsors is concerned, the Team Penske star seems to be a step ahead of his fellow drivers.
The #22 driver received an offer for a personal services contract with The Good Feet Store, an industry leader in manufacturing custom-fitted arch supports. But before shaking hands with the company, he wanted to check if it was the right fit for him.
Logano made a surprise visit to a Good Feet Store, and needless to say, the store warmly welcomed him. Weeks after using their arch supports, Logano felt that all the stiffness in his lower back from the years of driving just vanished and his overall balance improved greatly. It wasn’t long before he announced his partnership with the company.
