Talent is seldom enough but Chris Ingram’s resolve will take him places
Motorsport competitors, of which there are several thousand in the UK, are perpetually hungry for sponsorship, writes Iain Robertson, but while race and rally car parcs are colourfully commercialised, to hit the top requires huge ‘cojones’.
The day that I ceased searching for the elusive sponsorship opportunity felt like the first day of the rest of my life! I swore that I would never do it again. It demands a hard-nosed approach, pin-sharp presentation and a specifically tailored programme. No two propositions are alike but neither they should be. After all, commercial sponsorship is going to emerge from either a personal relationship with the right individual, or from a major corporate possessing a large promotional budget. The keen corporate will know where the funds should be allocated to generate maximum impact. If not, he would be unworthy.
Needless to say, the motor industry provides a sticker-ready prospect, all of which is brand-related. While not as well-organised as football, with its scouts and touts, motorsport has benefited from related product support for more than seventy years now. Therefore, it is hardly an ‘unknown’ but, for the driver, unless already ‘in’ with a core manufacturer, which may involve a professional salaried solution, buying-in is the only answer. While the pinnacle Formula One could cost between £3m to £5m for a moderately competitive seat, British Touring Cars demand £200-£300,000. Top-flight rallying starts at around £250,000 but can escalate to £1m+ for a factory supported drive.
Naturally, gaining exposure is central to the demands placed on the hapless competitor, which means that, unless really good friends and family members help to relieve the burden, the driver needs to be uber-healthy, accounting-savvy, both public and media relations conscious and willing to jump, when asked, and that’s before hopping into the car. To fall into that driver category and, bear in mind, for rallying you can double the budgetary requirement, because there is also a co-driver/maps specialist to fund, takes incredible strength of character considerably beyond blue-eyed-boy and chiselled looks status.
When I first met Chris Ingram (26), long before he became a recognised Champion, thanks to his 2019 European title success (the first British driver in 52 years to stake the claim and take the victory), I was struck by the commensurate blend of strong handshake, steely eyes, well-groomed and hatefully handsome appearance, allied to the most remarkable Mancunian humility. I wondered if taking to the modelling catwalk might be a better career path but he was a right-sized and totally dedicated driver. He was provided with a step into the limelight by Peugeot, in 2014, contesting the European Championship in a 208 R2 hatchback.
Spectacularly fast, even in an underpowered machine, he has been judicious enough to publicise his efforts on social media channels. His pace along tight tree-lined loose surfaces is eye-watering and only just beaten by his smooth, focused and pitch perfect assaults on tarmac stages. Having lifted the title in 2019, the pandemic put paid to any aspirations of repeating the challenge over the past year, which has been a huge disappointment, not only to him personally but also his thousands of fans. However, with a small window of ‘freedom’ opening on the near horizon, Chris and his team have girded their loins for a fresh opportunity.
Chris Ingram has always done things the hard way. In fact, his European title came down to a crowdfunding campaign, set up by his mother to get him to the last round, in Hungary, after a major sponsor left him in the lurch in mid-season. For 2021, a deal is now on the table with a winning team and car for WRC3 honours. Yet, he needs to find 500,000 Euros and crowd funding is not the answer.
Instead, Chris’s backroom team have come up with an innovative idea that will change the face of motorsport. Backed by a detailed business plan, the idea is to buy shares in a company, which owns all of Chris’s image rights and driving services that will also own the ‘Rally Warrior’ brand, with an intention to exploit it in a future that leverages Chris’s anticipated successes. The fundraiser is led by former F1-lawyer Adam Shore, with support from London sports law firm, Fladgate LLP. Further information on this opportunity is available via the www.rallywarrior.com website.
By investing in Chris’s ambitious plans via shares subscriptions in Rally Warrior, it is not only intended that investors will help him to attain his full potential to drive in the World Rally Championship in 2021 but beyond, with the sole aim of becoming the next British driver to win the WRC world title. In addition, through investment, it is hoped that investors will generate a healthy return on their investment, via the range of commercial rights revenues that Rally Warrior generates alongside Chris’s unerring success rate.
The minimum amount of investment required is £10,000. As such, it is important for prospective investors to note that this opportunity is open only to those qualifying as either ‘high net worth individuals’, or ‘sophisticated investors’. The criteria for these are explained on the ‘Investment’ page at www.rallywarrior.com. Please note also that investors will be unable to access information about the investment opportunity, or the investment itself, if they do not meet the stated thresholds. This is ‘ballsy’ stuff.
As Chris told me: “This is a great way of bringing new investors into the sport, Iain. It’s innovative and they could enjoy an ROI through my successes. For us to be successful, we have to change with the times, such as creating investment opportunities, developing a Driver Academy to provide pathway opportunities for up-and-coming rally drivers, making social media work for us and the sport, bringing a younger audience into the sport through external activities such as advertising, co-branded partnerships with motorsport brands, e-sports and video gaming, modelling and reality TV.”
For those unable to afford a £10,000 investment, there will be other ways of supporting Chris through merchandise sales, a fan club that is being formalised currently and other activities to be announced soon.
