AJ Glassberg and the Business of Motorsport – The Fastest Office in Town

AJ Glassberg in the Cockpit

Motorsport is as much as a business as a sport. For those of you who refuse to believe this you are deluding yourselves. The cost of competing in any racing series can be onerous in the extreme and unless you are lucky enough to have somebody willing to pay your way, talent alone will not get you to Formula 1 regardless of whether you think you are the next Michael Schumacher. American racer AJ Glassberg understands this fact and indeed thrives on it. “Racing is 90% business and 10% driving the car” contends Glassberg. The drivers who are successful he contends understand this and embrace it. “I am managing my career as a business and I believe that those drivers that take this approach and take charge of managing their careers themselves will be more successful in the end then those who rely on others to do it for them.”

Glassberg, who is currently studying International Business, has worked hard at obtaining sponsors and building up his personal brand. After growing up in Connecticut and having a neighbour’s go kart fuel his need for speed, he moved to Florida at age 12 and enrolled in the Skip Barber Racing School years later. After racing in the their regional series for three years it added fuel to the fire to make it to the top of the ladder, Formula 1. “I didn’t do a lot of karting as a kid like most racers do but after racing in the Barber Series I was always told I have what it takes to become a professional.” This was confirmed when Group A Racing contacted him last October to test a F2000 Championship Series car. He won all 3 races they entered him into in miserable conditions. “It’s been a struggle because in 2009 I had full sponsorship to run in the Formula BMW Americas series but that folded. Now I am working harder than ever to secure something for 2010 but it is tough in this economy.”

While Glassberg does not have a complete sponsorship package set up for 2010, he has put together an impressive array of sponsors interested in helping him achieve his goals. “It is important to build long term relationships that are mutually beneficial for the sponsor and the driver. The sponsor needs to get something tangible out of the relationship. For example part of the relationship with one of my sponsors Ferrari of Fort Lauderdale, I work with their clients by taking them on the track with some of the latest Ferrari sports cars to introduce them to driving on a track and testing the limits of their automobiles. In exchange I get to work with a sponsor deeply rooted in motorsport with an interest in seeing their brand involved in single seater racing here and ultimately in Europe. They have also made it very clear that they truly believe I have what it takes to join the Ferrari family.”

AJ Glassberg with Ferrari

“The other key about finding sponsors is approaching organizations that will bring in further sponsorship so that you create a literal racing ecosystem where everybody feeds off each other to everybody’s benefit. “ The fact that everybody benefits argues Glassberg means that they will more likely be involved for the long term, something that is absolutely essential as a driver climbs the motorsport ladder. “Both the driver and the sponsor have to believe in each other as well. This is again another reason why they will more likely stick around for the long haul. And this takes time. My deal with Ferrari of Fort Lauderdale took over a year to finalize and I have just added a new sponsor which took about the same. It is definitely a lot of work.”

When discussing his plans for 2010, Glassberg is full of praise for the F2000 Championship. “More Indy 500 champions have come out of the F2000 Championship series than any other” he contends. “And the fact that it is a non-spec series means that a driver can start to develop pure knowledge of how to properly set up a race car, something a spec series does not provide.” Unfortunately, the economy is putting a damper on everybody’s plans and while things are improving, Glassberg knows he will soon have to make a decision as to what to do for this year.

“My ultimate goal is to race in GP3 in 2011 so seat time in a race car is absolutely essential. My preference is to race in F2000 but we are still short of budget. To properly do the season we need to do pre-season testing but we are currently debating whether to eliminate this to save some money. It is not an ideal situation but we are looking at all the possibilities. If F2000 doesn’t work out as planned I will most likely still contest some sports car racing while working towards 2011 as any time in a race car is ultimately beneficial.”

There is an old saying in racing circles that speed costs money, something that the average motor racing fan may not quite recognize. But as Glassberg makes clear, money truly does make a racing car’s wheels turn and he feels that his methodical and businesslike approach, coupled with his gift of speed will make the difference. “Formula 1 is where I want to be and ultimately I will have to race in Europe to get there but make no mistake about it, I aim to be on a Formula 1 starting grid sooner rather than later.”

For American fans of Formula 1, we can only cheer him on every chance we can get.

http://www.ajglassberg.com/

Related posts:

1. China Comes to Town as Champ Motorsport with Team West-Tec to race in European F3 Open
2. SponsorMap to sponsor Canadian Formula 3 racing
3. Family business can wait for Hideki Mutoh
4. Prizes on offer as Daniel Erickson seeks funds for USA return
5. The F1 Prospects Team Focus is on DAMS Racing – We talk driver development, Formula 1, the future of motorsport in France and what it takes to win