At their core, motorsports are a highly competitive and expensive endeavor, with teams and drivers facing high costs for everything from equipment and personnel to travel and maintenance. While primary sponsorships can provide a substantial portion of a team or driver’s budget, the reality for most racers doesn’t include this option. That is where contingency sponsorships step in to help.
Contingency sponsorships play a crucial role in motorsports, providing financial incentives and support to teams and drivers while helping to promote the sport and the sponsors’ brands. Whether you are a big-time, multi-car professional race team or a lone wolf on a budget, contingency sponsorships are essential to offset some competition costs, especially for the grassroots racer.
Importance of Contingency Sponsorships
For example, a team or driver who wins a race or achieves a high finish may be eligible for a cash prize or product discount from a contingency sponsor. These rewards can help cover the cost of fuel, tires, or other expenses, freeing up valuable resources for the team or driver to use elsewhere. For some, it could mean the difference between making it to the next race.
Contingency sponsorships also provide positive benefits to the sponsors themselves. By offering financial and product incentives to teams and drivers, contingency sponsors can help promote their brand and create meaningful associations with the series, races, and fans. It’s no secret that motorsports fans are a loyal bunch. Talladega Nights made fun of it, but there is a reason why you see so many products outside the automotive realm plastered on the side of race cars on television. Supporters of the sport are more likely to remember and seek out brands associated with their favorite teams and drivers.
EG Contingency Sponsorships
The Edelbrock Group family of brands recognizes the importance of sponsorship and supporting racers who use their products. Even before the brands came together under one umbrella, the EG companies have sponsored racers since their beginnings. We met with Edelbrock Group Contingency Coordinator Billy Carroll to discuss the series that EG sponsors.
Billy is well-known by racers across the country. He is a very likable and approachable guy with a hectic (and confusing) job. He comes from a chassis building and drag racing background in Florida before a move to Memphis with COMP Cams in 2009. He took over the contingency coordinator position in 2011.
Before Billy took on the role, verifying contingency payouts required help from multiple departments and outside sources. To boil it down into the simplest terms, Billy validates everything to get the racer paid promptly. This may include gathering paperwork from the series and/or racer, verifying race results, confirming the use of approved decals, etc.
We asked Billy for a list of sanctioning bodies where Edelbrock Group provides sponsorship. The answer was more complicated than we initially thought. “We don’t just always sponsor a particular sanctioning body, series, or event,” Billy said. “We often sponsor specific classes within a series or event that makes the most sense for us to sponsor. For instance, it wouldn’t make sense for TCI to sponsor a gear-banging class in NMRA or for COMP Cams to sponsor a crate engine class that doesn’t use our cams.” With Billy’s help, we compiled this list of events, series, and classes that EG supports in some way or another and thought we’d tell you a little about each sanctioning body.
COMP Cams Super Dirt Series (CCSDS) – Dirt Late Model
Formed in 2006, the Mid South Racing Association (MSRA) expressed interest in a tour to run their Late Models closer to home in Arkansas. Poinsett County Raceway owner, Chris Ellis, worked the phone getting six other track owners on board to start the series. In 2018, Chris and Jack Sullivan purchased the series. In addition to being the top regional tour in the country, beginning in 2023, drivers will earn points towards UMP DIRTcar national and regional standings. The series can be seen on FloRacing, and as the name implies, COMP Cams is the title series sponsor. Edelbrock is also an associate sponsor of the series.
World of Outlaws (WoO) – Sprint Car, Late Model, Summer Nats & Super DIRT Car Series
The World of Outlaws was founded in 1978 by Ted Johnson to create a national championship for Sprint Car racing. Since then, it has expanded to other forms of dirt racing, including late models, modifieds, and big-block modifieds, and hosts races in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. It is widely regarded as one of the world’s top dirt track racing organizations. COMP Cams is an official sponsor of the series.
Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) Menards Series (East and West) – Asphalt Stock Cars
Founded in 1953 by John Marcum, the ARCA Menards series falls under the NASCAR umbrella. The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) initially focused on Midwest short-track racing but has expanded to superspeedways and road courses on a national level, split into East and West divisions. Though it has gone through several rebrandings, the ARCA series is still an excellent stepping stone for up-and-coming racers. COMP Cams is a contingency sponsor of the program.
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour – Asphalt Open-Wheel Cars
The NASCAR Modified Tour started in 1985 and was initially sponsored by Budweiser. In 2005, the tour merged with the Southern Modified Tour and is primarily contested in the northeast on short tracks from a quarter-mile to a mile in length. Modifieds are open-wheel cars that run on asphalt producing around 600 horsepower. COMP Cams is a contingency sponsor of the series.
NASCAR Pinty’s Series – Asphalt/Dirt Stock Cars
The Pinty’s series is a national racing series in Canada. It is a continuation of the old CASCAR series from 1981. NASCAR purchased CASCAR in 2006. The series runs on ovals, road courses, street circuits, and now some dirt ovals. COMP Cams is a contingency sponsor for the series.
NASCAR Weekly Series – Asphalt/Dirt Short Track Racing
The NASCAR Weekly Series is a points championship for sanctioned local short tracks in the U.S. and Canada to develop regional and national champions based on a points system. Edelbrock is a sponsor.
Champion Racing Association (CRA) – CRA Super Series, CRA Late Model Sportsman, CRA Street Stocks
The CRA is a stock car racing association in the Midwest. It was founded in 1997 by Glenn Luckett and R.J. Scott and sold to Bob Sargent’s Track Enterprises in 2022. The CRA Super Series is the premier short-track series using Super Late Model cars that run a format similar to NASCAR. COMP Cams is a contingency sponsor for the CRA Late Model Sportsman, while COMP Cams and TCI are contingency sponsors of the Street Stock divisions.
CARS Tour – Asphalt Late Model, Pro Late Model Stock Cars
Jack McNelly formed the CARS Tour in 2014 out of the remnants of the Pro Cup Series. It is a dual-division sanctioning body mainly running in the Carolinas. The Late Model Stock division uses factory crate and custom-built engines, making over 400 horsepower under a fiberglass body. The Pro Late Model Tour runs purpose-built chassis, fiberglass bodies, and sealed engines from series-approved engine builders creating 425 to 440 horsepower. Edelbrock is a Victory Lane Sponsor, and COMP Cams is the “official valve train technology of the CARS Tour.”
Lights Out/No Mercy – Radial Drag Racing
Radial Tire drag racing has really caught on in the past decade, and much of the big excitement comes from Lights Out and No Mercy, organized by Donald Long of Duck X Productions at the South Georgia Motorsports Park. The track often sells out in attendance every year for these two events. COMP, Cams, FAST, TCI, and Edelbrock are all official series sponsors.
NMCA/NMRA – Street-Legal Drag Racing
The National Muscle Car Association (NMCA) and National Mustang Racer Association (NMRA) is the longest-running major street-legal drag racing association. Created by ProMedia Events (Steve Wolcott and Charlie Harmon) in 1999 as two separate organizations, they were merged in 2005 to form the NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals. NMCA/NMRA provides competitive and organized national events from grassroots up to Xtreme Pro Mod drag racers. It also expanded to include autocross and car shows at the events to appeal to a wider audience of enthusiasts. Edelbrock, COMP Cams, FAST, and TCI are official sponsors of NMCA/NMRA, while Edelbrock is the title sponsor of the Xtreme Street Class in NMCA. Edelbrock, FAST, and TCI are contingency sponsors in both series.
Professional Drag Racer Association (PDRA) – 1/8-Mile Drag Racing
PDRA is the world’s premier eighth-mile drag racing organization. It was founded in 2014 by Jason Scruggs, Tommy Franklin, Gene Hector, and Roger Henson to preserve a viable door-slammer series. The PDRA provides a platform for professional and sportsman racers to compete at a high level with a focus on safety, fair competition, and entertainment. The top classes in PDRA are Pro Nitrous, Pro Boost, Extreme Pro Stock, and Pro Outlaw 632. Edelbrock sponsors the “Edelbrock Bracket Bash presented by COMP Cams” class and posts contingency for cylinder heads and intake manifolds in all classes.
Southwest Tour Truck Series – Circle Track Asphalt Racing
The Southwest Tour Truck Series is an asphalt truck series allowing GM602 engines as well as open engine options. They run at select tracks in California and Arizona. COMP Cams is a contingency sponsor for the program.
International Motor Contest Association (IMCA) – Circle Track Dirt Racing
The IMCA was founded in 1979 by Keith Knaack with a focus on open-wheeled Modifieds but expanded over the years to include many other divisions. After Knaack passed away in 1992, it was purchased by the Root family and now holds sanctioned events in 38 states and Canada. Edelbrock is a contingency sponsor for the Modified class, and FAST is a contingency sponsor for the Modified and Stock Car classes.
National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Camping World Series/Lucas Oil Series/Summit ET Series – Pro, Sportsman, and Amateur Drag Racing
The NHRA is the largest auto racing organization in the world, founded by Wally Parks in 1951 with the goal of providing competitors with a dedicated place to race. NHRA is also the longest-running drag racing organization and has classes from Jr. Dragsters up to the flagship Top Fuel Funny Cars and Dragsters. The Camping World Series is the Pro divisions, the Lucas Oil Series is the Sportsman divisions, and the Summit ET series is the local grassroots divisions. Edelbrock, COMP Cams, FAST, and TCI pay contingencies in all three series in the following classes: Competition Eliminator, Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, Super Street, Top Sportsman, and Top Dragster.
United States Modified Touring Series (USMTS)/ United States Racing Association (USRA) – Dirt Modifieds
Modifieds are the most popular and widely-used type of dirt race car in the U.S. In 1998, Todd and Janet Staley acquired the five-year-old United States Modified Series (USMS), then changed the name to USMTS for the ’99 season, and haven’t looked back since. Celebrating its 25th year of operation, the USMTS is expecting 2023 to be the richest payout yet for the Modified racing series. Edelbrock is a contingency sponsor.
SPEARS Southwest Tour/SPEARS Modified Series – Asphalt Late Models/Modifieds
Operating since 2001, the Southwest Tour Series is a late-model stock car racing series with cars similar to those used at major Super Late Model short-track races. The series is open to any chassis fabricator, and the bodies are based on Ford, Chevy, Dodge, or Toyota. COMP Cams is a contingency sponsor.
Premier Street Car Association (PSCA) – Drag Racing
Based near Denver, the PSCA has been a staple of doorslammer drag racing since its inception 23 seasons ago. Its four-race Summer Series is scheduled for the legendary Bandimere Raceway. Drag racing classes consist of Limited Small Tire N/T, Big tire, Xtreme Drag Radial, Pro Import, Sport compact, and 11.50 Import Index. COMP Cams, TCI, and FAST are contingency sponsors of the series.
American Canadian Tour (ACT) – Late Model Stock Car Racing
In its 45th season, ACT is setting up to have another strong year in 2023, competing in thirteen prestigious events across New England and Quebec at ten unique venues. Started in 1979 by famed TV and radio journalist Ken Squier and business partner Tom Curley, many NASCAR greats have come through the ACT series. It was purchased by Cris Michaud and Pat Malone in 2017. Edelbrock is a contingency sponsor.
The Road Ahead
Billy Carroll is already hard at work making sure that racers across the country are rewarded for their efforts while utilizing EG parts in 2023. While there is some paperwork for tax purposes, it is money left on the table if racers don’t take advantage of contingency programs. It is a tedious job, but Billy loves his position and finds it rewarding to help racers even though he is not strapping into a car anymore.
“Between growing up in a racing family and being around friends who have raced throughout my career, I have seen the challenges and costs associated with racing,” Billy says. “Handling the contingency programs for our group allows me to stay involved with the sport, both on a personal and professional level. The most satisfying part of the job for me is not only hearing about how our company was able to help a competitor achieve or exceed their goals but knowing that the contingency program is rewarding them in the process. At the end of the day, the contingency program is a way to thank our customers for their support.” (Ed. Note: Billy truly cares about racing. He was honored recently by Summit Motorsports Park for his above-and-beyond attitude. Read about it HERE).
The Edelbrock Group family of brands has been engrained in motorsports since their inception. They were founded in racing and continue to support the customers who utilize their parts. Choosing where the marketing budget is spent is no easy task, but contingency sponsorship has always been (and will always be) at the forefront of the list. EG recognizes the important role contingencies play for amateur, sportsman, and even pro-level racers across the country and the world.
The Edelbrock Group extends our best wishes to all racers for a fun, safe, and prosperous season whether you’re making lefts and rights, going in circles, or in a straight line! We hope you get to speak with Billy on a regular basis. Good luck in 2023!
