2023 Off Road Fall Sponsorship Summit 3

Female athletes need to work harder to prove themselves - as Tiffany Striler explained, if you want to work in motorsports you have to work hard, if you want to be a female in motorsports you have to work twice as hard, and if you want to be a respected female in motorsports you have to work three times as hard. Key strategies include: investing in yourself first before expecting sponsors to invest in you (Corey Weller maxed out credit cards her first year to get on the track), being persistent and continuing to knock on doors even after initial rejections, building genuine relationships with brands that truly believe in supporting women in motorsports rather than just checking a diversity box, and presenting yourself professionally at all times since you're always being watched at events.

According to Corey Weller, who maxed out all her credit cards to race her first year in short course racing, you have to invest in yourself before somebody else is going to invest in you. You need to show a presence somewhere before somebody even knows who you are. By getting yourself out there and working your way through the field, sponsors can see what you're capable of. In Corey's case, this self-investment led to her first podium that year, which attracted suspension sponsor XMF and HJC Helmets who approached her directly. Companies can't sponsor you if they don't even know what you're about.