Securing sponsors as a racing driver requires not only a hefty dose of determination but also a significant amount of creativity. Take Dirk Schouten, for instance, who ran 100 kilometers in a single day to secure a seat in a race.
Currently, Schouten is leading the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux. This 23-year-old driver from Hoorn wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Therefore, he turned to social media to raise the funds needed for a seat in this class. “I always loved watching the on-board videos of drivers. However, there was a limited supply, so I decided to fill this gap. It was a market opportunity, and I seized it. This strategy led to rapid growth on social media platforms, and now it’s generating a decent income.”
Creating all this content consumes so much time – Schouten does everything himself – that he had to quit his pilot training. But it’s not without success: he has amassed 800,000 followers, surpassing big-name drivers like Tom Coronel and Robert Doornbos. “I may not be more famous, but that doesn’t bother me. My primary goal is to secure sponsorship. The world is changing. The internet continues to grow, and so does smartphone addiction. I’m fully capitalizing on this.”
Driver’s Creative Fundraising Efforts
So far, the income has not been sufficient to secure a seat, so Schouten has to be creative. After reaching 100,000 subscribers on YouTube at the end of last year, he decided to do something fun with the number hundred: run 100 kilometers in one day. “Completely insane, of course. I had never run further than 20 kilometers before,” admits the driver. “But anyone who donated 100 euros or more got a sticker on my car.”
Training and Livestreaming
Schouten trains hard until the day arrives. He decides to make a livestream so that people can donate during the broadcast. “This was by far the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I could have given up at 55 kilometers, because I started to feel pain everywhere, but I just kept going. The goal was so big and I just had to reach it. I couldn’t disappoint people.” Schouten eventually manages to complete the grueling 100 kilometers in 14 hours and 56 minutes UTC. “That does something to you, mentally I was so incredibly strong.”
Securing a Seat in the Porsche Carrera Cup
With the money raised plus funds from a few extra sponsors, Schouten just manages to secure a seat in this season’s Porsche Carrera Cup in time. He then wins both at Spa-Francorchamps and Zandvoort. He is not short of ambition. “I want to become champion this year. That makes my path a little easier to, for example, move on to the Porsche Supercup. My ultimate goal is to become a factory driver.”
Future Fundraising Plans
At the end of this year, Schouten wants to set up another special action to raise money for his career. He will also use social media for this, so keep an eye on his channels.
