It’s Sunday, and you’re sitting at home watching NASCAR races and thinking to yourself, “Man, how cool would that be if I could have my business’s name on the hood of Tony Stewart’s car. That would be awesome.”
Well, unfortunately neither you nor I have $20 million for that kind of sponsorship.
It’s Saturday night, and you’re in the stands at Lebanon Valley Raceway and thinking to yourself, “Man, how cool would it be if I could have my business’s name on the hood of Todd Goldstein’s car. That would be awesome.”
Yeah, you probably couldn’t afford Todd Goldstein, either.
But what if there was a way to get your logo on a racing vehicle – and it wouldn’t cost you millions of dollars?
My buddy Freddie Dunn brought this to my attention, and I felt like sharing it with you. And I can tell right now, your inner Richard Childress / Jack Roush / Joe Gibbs is interested in finding out more info.
The Capital District chapter of the All-American Soap Box Derby is looking for sponsorships. Right now their goal is to raise at least $1,750 or any amount leading up to that total. The person or organization who donates the most money can have their logo on everything from the organization’s website, yearbook program, T-shirts and parade banners, to – and this is where I’m leading – the hood of one of the organization’s dozen Soap Box Derby racers. And these are the cars that go to Akron for the Nationals in July.
That’s right. How cool would it be to have your company’s name on a race car? Heck, you could have your company’s name on ALL the race cars if that worked for you. I could see it now… “And coming to the finish line, it’s the Alloveralbany car for the win!” (Come on, Greg and Mary, you know this would be waycool)
So now you’re thinking to yourself… “Hey, I could do this, but I don’t have $1,750 as disposable income.”
No problem. Even small donations are accepted, you’ll still get mentioned in the yearbook and on the website and the parade banners… and you could even sponsor ONE car if you wanted.
So now you’re REALLY thinking to yourself… “What’s in it for Chuck?”
Nothing, really… but I do enjoy watching motorsports, and organizations like the CDAASBD and Little League baseball and Pop Warner football and all the other youth sports organizations out there have several goals. They give kids a chance to have fun. They give kids a chance to learn something fun. They give kids an opportunity to challenge themselves and learn new skills – and with Soap Box Derby racers, you can learn everything from aerodynamics to physics, from automotive mechanics to repairs.
And if I can use this blog to help promote something that actually benefits kids and gives them an opportunity to compete on both a local and a national stage… then heck yeah I’m going to blog about it.
So now you’re REALLY, REALLY thinking to yourself… “Okay. Where do I donate?”
The best way to donate would be to contact Ginger Miller, the organization’s director, at the Capital District Soap Box Derby organization.
And if you do donate to the cause… I hope your car finishes in Victory Lane.
Chuck The Writer 
When I was a kid, the Soap Box Derby was a big thing in Albany. Then for some reason it disappeared for a long time.
You won’t hear the ZOOMMMMMMMM of a big super charged V-8; but you will hear the gentle swish of a Derby car as it heads down the starting ramp and heads down Madison Ave in front of the NYS Museum, not to mention the cheering squads supporting not only their favorite racer, but all the racers.
I think it was about 4 years ago, that Ginger Miller brought the Derby back to Albany. Kids needed some good clean excitement. Ginger has spent her life giving back and supporting the Capital District in unique ways. The Derby is her latest project.
Thanks for posting this Chuck, and I can see the gleam and happy tears in Ginger’s eyes and heart when she sees your blog today
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My dad’s hand built 1950’s derby car is displayed at the Saratoga Auto Museum, along with some documents. More modern versions are displayed alongside it.
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