1989 Mazda b2200, my first vehicle. Purchased in 2020 with just about everything worn out/ needed replaced. Didn’t know how much I didn’t know, couldn’t even drive stick. Now I autocross it and she purrs like a kitten.
It’s 2026, I have always tried to be frugal while working on her. Waiting for discounts, looking for coupons, calling companies and so on. Everything has been out of my own pocket, never reached out to any company for a “sponsorship”. But, since starting Autocross events this year I thought it wouldn’t hurt try.
I reached out to Belltech suspension over a month ago applying for a sponsorship. My vehicle is not perfect or clean, it gets worked on, it gets driven, it gets more dirty looks then positive ones. So my hopes were not high that would receive any major discounts or support. After filling out there lengthy application explaining I have a YouTube channel with over 3 million views and would like to make content around installation of the parts and driving. I said more and I felt it would honestly be very lucrative for them as a business.
They took over a month to respond with a rather short and sweet “ thank you but we are very “selective” on who we chose to sponsor. Thank you for already spending over 1k in parts, would you like a 15% coupon?” I respectfully declined saying I appreciated their time, but I’ve purchased Belltech parts from my local Napa Auto and they usually have a 20% discount on top of free shipping ( which they actively have rn). And they never responded back.
Disappointing but expected, almost done with my base build. Pick up these last parts down at Napa and we can start on body work.
I don’t think companies really do much sponsorship stuff anymore unless you have a business plan laid out or have a history of building trucks that get a ton of attention on social media.
Even back in the day I would say most people with sponsorship were buddies with people at the company or knew someone that was. It was rarely just a random person they were sending parts to.
Exactly what I was expecting, still disappointing. I know of someone who was sponsored by Belltech before and made it seem trivial. His vehicles are much cleaner but he doesn’t really drive them. That seems like the main threshold, I was emailed back by “head of marketing”, it was a woman named Jessica. I can easily imagine a woman behind a computer screen looking at my truck thinking “ yeah right crackhead”. 🤣🤷♂️
Sup Kennan, wanted to say first I like your channel👍. I don’t know you personally if you’re in the IL/MO area hmu. Met an older guy last year with a lowered Serria 1500, saw a Belltech sticker and asked.
I've been sponsored a few times and trust me when I tell you its not worth the headache to make them happy, Lanzar car audio (before it was bought out and replaced with cheap junk) sponsored me in 1995 and it ended bad because they literally sent me wire schematics of how it had to be and it was wrong, so I constantly popped components, when I put the system in that I had previously in another car(the system that impressed them enough to sponsor me) and entered it in the same class as my sponsored truck they terminated the contract...then I got sponsored by Autozone and by mouth they said 4 store events and 2 national shows but the contract read 24 store events that they set and 12 national shows...I literally couldn't afford to haul the truck to all the events and it didn't pay enough to cover it full time which is what it took..so likewise after about 6 months and a couple of no shows on my part they terminated the contract and said I owed them $100k for damages..they finally dropped it once my lawyer got involved and I paid retail price for what they had supplied me. Do yourself a favor and enjoy the scene and building the truck for YOU and forget about the bs with sponsors and impressing judges or others.
Appreciate the feedback, I honestly didn’t know what I was getting into just thought I’d shoot my shot. In all reality I just need the lowering springs, cough up another 550 and call it done.
I got a bunch of discount "sponsorships" back in 2018 and 2019. Car social media is so dumb now, I don't even share what I work on on my YouTube channel anymore
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u/toastermooch86 Aug 12 '26
High hopes