Jared Frood and the management team for the All Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Car series were starting to get a little nervous.
Rightly so. The series’ title sponsor, Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, decided against an extension for 2021, and the Jan. 1 deadline to get a replacement before the start of the season in Georgia and Florida came and went.
The good news for the All Stars is that there was a long break between the races down south and the point opener at Attica Raceway Park in early April. That opened the door for a familiar partner to up the ante.
FloRacing, the subscription streaming service for the series in 2020, stepped up in mid-January and inked a deal to become the title sponsor for the FloRacing All Star circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 this season. The two partners also extended their streaming deal through the 2028 season.
“One of the calls I made when we were looking for title sponsorship was to Mike Levy at Flo just letting him know we lost Ollie’s, and we are looking for partnerships,” said Frood, Chief Operating Officer of the series. “He called me back and left me a message and said, ‘Hey, I think I’ve got an idea.’ That’s where all of this stems from.
“It killed two birds with one stone for 2021, and it’s nice to check that box and move on. So, we are excited by the partnership, for sure.”
Continued Frood, “It’s very unique for us, because we signed the Flo deal last year, and things must be progressing in a good direction for both of us if we decide to extend to 2028 after Year 1.”
Unique is the best way to describe the 2020 season. The Coronavirus pandemic decimated the schedules for racetracks and made things even more difficult on the sport’s traveling series that crossed state lines.
Frood and his staff made the best of a problematic situation. They zigged and zagged, somehow piecing a schedule together that ended with the All Stars getting 48 races in the record books.
But as unnerving as the in-season process was booking shows in the midst of a pandemic, things were about to get worse when Ollie’s didn’t renew, and the series was left with the difficult task of finding sponsorship.
“Sponsorship is never easy to find, whether you are in a pandemic or not,” Frood said. “So, we were knocking on a lot of doors and had a lot of people out there knocking on doors. Whether you are looking for $100 or $1, dollars are hard to come by nowadays.
“It’s a difficult market and a difficult environment. So, it was nerve-racking, but it’s not different than any other year when we are looking for partnerships. It’s difficult days for not only our series, but all series and racetracks and all sports in general.”
Now, the FloRacing, the All Star Circuit of Champions, and their team can focus on the schedule, which features 56 more shows and a point battle that is projected to be close until the final checkered flag.
Meanwhile, Frood and his staff will continue to work on the series’ future. The objective will be to find more sponsorship for 2022 and beyond.
“We’re always looking, and Flo is looking for us now,” Frood said. “The sales process really never ends. We’ll take new sponsors for 2021, but you are always shaking the trees for partnerships down the road at the title level or any sponsorship level.
“The process never really ends. You might be able to take a break for a week and catch your breath, but really, you are always looking for partners.”