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Amanda Van Den Elzen didn’t enter motorsports through racing herself. She got pulled in when her husband decided to trade drifting and rally racing for short course off-road. Since then, they’ve built VDE Racing from the ground up, learned sponsorship through trial and error, and developed a “partner-first” mindset that’s helped fund their program beyond race results.

In this episode, host Heather Wilson Schiltz chats with Amanda about what a brand really is (hint: it’s not just your logo), why “winning” isn’t the main value you bring to partners, and how racers can stand out from others in the lineup through story, consistency, and real data.

Amanda also shares how Racer On Demand’s print-on-demand merch model helps racers generate income without the headache of inventory. Plus, they share a simple homework assignment that racers can use this week to start clarifying their brand.

🎧 What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• The moment VDE Racing had to shift from a “sportsman mindset” to a pro partnership strategy
• What a brand actually is
• Why partners don’t always care if you win... and what they do care about instead
• The “bigger pie” analogy: how racers, series and tracks can grow motorsports funding together
• The value of the fan demographic data that VDE Racing collected
• Racer On Demand’s merch program: print-on-demand storefronts + monthly payouts with no inventory
• What keeps partners coming back year after year: meaningful relationships, not transactions
• One small step racers can take this week to define and show up with a stronger brand

📲 Connect with Amanda on LinkedIn

📲 Connect with VDE Racing on Instagram or Facebook

📲 Connect with Racer on Demand on Instagram or Facebook

🌐 Get more info about Racer on Demand: RacerOnDemand.us

SPONSORED CONTENT: If you're a racer looking to show sponsors how you can bring value to their company, visit HighGearSuccess.com to view services offered by High Gear Success for racers.

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