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The successful pursuit as well as the long term preservation of sponsorship in drag racing is anything but an exact science. I couldn’t begin to tell you what is or isn’t the formula for success and as we all know theories abound around what does or doesn’t work.
DragRaceCanada recently did an interview with Clayton Tychkowsky, of Eaton Cutler-Hammer, the primary sponsor behind Carl Spiering’s outstanding Canadian-based Pro Mod effort. Clayton is the General Manager for Eaton Cutler-Hammer‘s coast-to-coast Canadian Operations, who recently moved back to Canada from North Carolina. Being a relative newcomer to the 1/4-mile sport, Clayton’s comments about sponsorship in drag racing were not only completely objective but also offered a rather fresh perspective. I found his views to be certainly food for thought, which other Canadian racing teams with similar sponsorship aspirations may find helpful.
Q: What is about drag racing that a company like Eaton Cutler-Hammer finds attractive?
Clayton: “If you look at our industry in general you will see that it tends to be very traditional in how it markets itself. Drag racing is certainly an untraditional approach to marketing our brands and services. What caught my interest is how we use drag racing to more involve our customer as well as their families. There are not may marketing initiatives out there that typically consider a customer’s family. It gives our company representatives more quality time with our customer while at the same time not taking them away from his or her family during non business hours. You get to know your customer at a different level.”
Q: What are your initial impressions of the sport of drag racing?
Clayton: “What caught my attention almost immediately was the cross section of people who attend and enjoy this sport. They came from all levels -- trades to business executives and everywhere in between. I think that is really great because there are not many sporting events out there that do a really good job at that. Most sports and entertainment focuses on a more narrow and particular type of target audience.”
Q: Has Eaton Cutler-Hammer seen the positive effects it was looking for?
Clayton: “We’ve certainly seen increased focus on our company name and that is nothing but a good thing. There are benefits in terms of customer clarity around what products and services our company offers. Drag racing has really helped with that type of communication. The name Eaton Cutler-Hammer is fast becoming known synomous with drag racing in Canada. I have to credit our marketing department, Steve Boccadoro, Rob Conway and Paul Tlustos for that. Their vision met with much resistance from our sales organization initially -- but I can now say with confidence most everyone is now converted. That speaks volumes about the program itself.”
Q: If you had a message for other Canadian companies sitting on the fence about drag racing what would it be?
Clayton: “Think outside the box! I think our current tag line “Challenging Current Thinking” describes perfectly what we are doing. I would also suggest that looking at different venues to promote your company name and the products you service is paramount to success. The sport of drag racing certainly can provide you with that opportunity.”
Eaton Cutler-Hammer is the electrical division of parent Eaton Corporation. Eaton Cutler-Hammer specialities range from power distribution and electrical control products to industrial automation, all of which utilize advanced and global engineering services and support.
Parent Company Eaton, which is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, are a diversified global industry manufacturer that is a leader in fluid power systems; electrical power quality, distribution and control; automotive engine air management and fuel economy; and intelligent drive train systems for fuel economy and safety in trucks. Eaton has over 50,000 employees worldwide.
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