The Big race is here!

Article done by Katie Dugas with PitPass.

September 8, 2019

Now, the dictionary defines the word “sponsor” as ‘an individual or organization that pays some or all of the costs involved in staging a sporting or artistic event in return for advertising’.

So, basically, a sticker on a car, or a banner at a football game, right? Wrong.
Today I had the privilege of interviewing one of the biggest names in the business. Jeff Brown, of iRacing iFlag. When you think iFlag, you think a blinking light box, right? Yet again, Wrong.
Jeff got involved in iRacing about two years ago, after his nephew, Blake Brown, had pointed it out to him. Now, Jeff came from a family that had racing deep in its roots, always watching races, whether it be on dirt or asphalt. After he started really getting involved, not only were Jeff and Blake running, now they had reeled in his older brother, and formed “Browns Racing” team on iRacing. Well, Blake, himself had bigger dreams, after a probationary period full of self-doubt, Blake would become one of the biggest names in Team VLR.

Soon, Jeff would come across an article online about an led light screen, basically a digital flag that could be used along with your game. Soon, he would sit down and make a prototype that he would give out to his nephew and a few other fellow racers to try out, and boy did that spread like wildfire. It wouldn’t be long, he would have people calling like crazy for their own prototype. Now, I know what you’re thinking, who needs a flashing light to remind them of what’s going on in their race? Now, that’s where I bring up all of the bells and whistles that make this so much more interesting. Not only will it let you know about all of the flags that it will throw out there on dirt, but it will let you know that there is a car inside, outside, if you have a meatball flag, but on asphalt, they offer a ‘pit board’ that will offer all of your tire wear, fuel mileage, but figure up your amount of fuel needed for the rest of the race. Now, I need you to know, this thing is bright, and I mean bright, and oftentimes, you will have tunnel vision while racing, and this thing is sure to catch your attention. (Basically like seeing a squirrel and hollering SQUIRREL… and losing all track of what you are saying).. Now.. Where was I? See.. Attention span of a gnat.

Fast-forwarding, Jeff has created this ‘iFlag’ and it’s now huge. What really hooked me on this product is the fact that seventy percent of all profits go right back to iRacing. What exactly does it mean to have iRacing iFlag on your car? Now, as I said, it’s not just a sticker. Jeff has taken in an amazing groups of guys under his “sponsorship wing”, although a lot are on dirt, he still has some asphalt guys, broadcast teams, and even races like the Gobbler 100. Oftentimes, there will be a cause that just pulls at his heartstrings, and will make a donation to a charity event or even a driver on behalf of iFlag. Teams that fly his logo include Team VLR, HRE, Full Throttle, Mud Duck, Steel Horse, and Podium. Like I said, he has extended this out among broadcasters like Full Velocity and UDTV, and you see the flag itself on Twitch, with Matt Malone and John Theodore.

Ten drivers went to the Morton Building Late Model Championship representing iRacing iFlag, and I can tell you, to see Blake Matjoulis come out as the Champion, made him proud for sure. Just like seeing Howard Weaver, Dylan Houser, Zach Leonhardi, Spencer Swafford, and Kendall Tucker were also some hefty contenders for the series. In preparation for big events like this, oftentimes, Jeff will pay for most of the practice sessions, paints, racing entry fees, and sometimes just monthly fees to take a little stress off of the driver. Now, I’m sure you’re thinking “Well, let me just send him a message because I could definitely use that”… Well, you might want to pump the brakes there bud, because he doesn’t just throw free money out there. When interviewing him, I asked what he looks for most in a driver, from a sponsor’s point of view. Starting out, he will look at a broad spectrum, like how long have they been racing, what are your stats, what teams do you run, how do they drive, what’s their reputation?.. If he feels they might be up to par, he will approach the other guys on the team, and as a collective, decide of the offer should be extended to run for team iFlag. Just because a guy doesn’t win every week doesn’t mean he wouldn’t be given a chance, being consistent, but racing clean and not being overly aggressive when there may be thirty laps left in a race versus a last minute Hail Mary for the win. Sending an email obviously won’t get you very far, after all, you are becoming the face of his business. Be sure to brand yourself, show him what you can do as a driver, for his as a sponsor, let him know who you are, what you do, ultimately, this gives you an idea of what racers may do as far as marketing themselves. Trust me, if he could sponsor every driver who bought an iFlag, he would clearly be bankrupt, but just remember when buying this, you are ultimately giving right back to your sport. Depending on the driver, you’ll see the logo anywhere from the hood, the spoiler, or back quarter panel for some of his bigger name drivers. Now, some of the painters on iRacing world will now approach him when someone wants the logo, since it’s ultimately his reputation out there. Would you want someone starting a demolition derby in a big race or someone who shows respect among drivers? Now, all in all, what does he look for as a sponsor? Depending on the driver, he may reach out by phone, or a letter to the driver, but will let you know where he might like the logo placed on the car.

Now, whether you race dirt or asphalt, this handy dandy little tool could be a game changer for you. Sometimes the fuel gauges in the iflag are more accurate than the game. Not only will it help with flagging, the pit box tool will let your know if you’re coming in too hot down into the pits, lap counters, weather conditions, track temperatures, the list goes on and on. Together with programmer, Petr Vostrel, and Brock Kraemer, these guys definitely have it figured out. For less than sixty five dollars, this iFlag has made it to my list of “must-haves”. I can get a basic model or go all out with it personalized and installed. If you’re interested in this, I’d gladly point you in the direction of http://iracingiflag.com .

Not only will this give you a rundown of their products, this gives testimonials, videos, and all of the bells and whistles available.

Now, I’m not a salesman, and that wasn’t the point of this article, but merely to show you how one individual, has helped out so many in the iRacing community. It’s so much more than a sticker or logo on a car, its hours of hard work behind the scenes, to ensure that his drivers are fully taken care of. Ultimately, his outlook on his drivers is “You are iRacing iFlag”, and that’s exactly what this is. “If you are making money off of a sim, and you don’t put money back into the sim, you aren’t supporting the guys who run it”, were quotes of his taken out of this interview. So, sim racers, actual racers, take note, this is the kind of sponsor that is hard to find. Never sell yourself short, and always aim high, those starting out may not be able to pull off that sponsorship right away, that all comes with wheel time, seat time, and respect for those around you. I honestly can’t thank Jeff Brown enough for taking time out of his day to give us a glimpse into not only what he does as a sponsor, but tell me about all the ways he gives back with the sales of this product. I just want others to see, there is so much more that goes into iRacing than a video game, there are people like Jeff who give guys the chance to be among some of the best in the business, I can honestly say I am more than honored to be able to call Team VLR home. Once again, I am Katie Dugas with Pit Pass, giving you a behind the scenes glimpse of what it takes to be in the Sponsor Spotlight. Until next time, Thank you and Goodnight.

-Team iRacingiFlag Drivers-
Blake Brown, Howard Weaver, Jarrett Murphy, Dylan Houser, Spencer Swafford, Blake Matjoulis (2019 Late Model Champion), Zach Leonhardi (2018 Late Model Champion), Kendall Tucker, Jeremy Capron, Leo Pina, Rocky Battenfield, Keith Hackney, Evan Seay, Kevin Dedmon, and Randall Carter

-Team iRacingiFlag Teams-
VLR, HRE, Full Throttle Performance, Mud Duck, and HAR Motorsports

-Team iRacingiFlag Asphalt-
Steel Horse Racing, V3 Racing, John Theodore, Matt Malone and Kevin Pearson

-Team iRacingiFlag Painters-
C&C One Graphics and Evil One Graphics

-Team iRacingiFlag Broadcasters Team-
Full Velocity, Ultimate Dirt Tv, Podium, ESBN, VSpeed Tv