Return On Racing Powered by Vaucher Analytics

David Vaucher
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Return on Racing is the podcast where motorsport meets money. Hosted by motorsports business strategist David Vaucher, each episode breaks down how racing teams, sponsors, series, and sim racers can improve sponsorship ROI, manage rising costs, and build sustainable growth models in a rapidly changing industry.  

  1. SEP 4

    Quality Over Quantity: The Harsh Future Facing IndyCar’s Midfield

    Relevant links for this episode: Quality Over Quantity: The Harsh Truth Facing IndyCar's MidfieldThe Blueprint For Funding the Juncos Hollinger Racing IndyCar Team: How to Find the Right InvestorThe $3,000 Helmet: An IndyCar Case Study In Compliance-Driven Cost EscalationFrom Tobacco To Crypto: The Search For the Next Lucrative Motorsport Vice SponsorSign up for the Return On Racing newsletterIn the past year, a third of IndyCar’s grid has gone public about financial struggles. Ed Carpenter Racing found stability with a local equity partner, but Dale Coyne Racing, Juncos Hollinger, and PREMA are still hunting for lifelines.  This episode breaks down: Why some teams attract backers while others strike outWhy equity investors are replacing traditional sponsors in IndyCar’s midfield Why this situation might actually work out (controversially...) for IndyCar in the long runIndeed, this is the uncomfortable question Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, also asks: should IndyCar be trying to save every team, or raise the floor by letting weaker ones go? Contact the show: contact@vaucheranalytics.com Brought to you by the Motorsports Sponsorship Accelerator, the most cutting-edge resource to help you learn how to develop meaningful sponsorship relationships. To contact Return On Racing, please send an email to contact@vaucheranalytics.com

    12 min

  2. AUG 28

    From Game to Operating System: Why the Cosworth–iRacing Partnership Could Redefine Motorsport by 2030

    Relevant links for this episode: Source article on the Vaucher Analytics websiteSign up for the Return On Racing newsletterThe Cosworth–iRacing partnership announced today is far more than just a feature update for sim racers.  By integrating Cosworth's Pi Toolbox, the same data analysis software used in professional racing series, iRacing is shifting from being “just a game” to becoming motorsport’s operating system.  This move could reshape motorsport by 2030 across five dimensions:  EducationProfessional race team workflowsData monetizationCredentialingSponsorship activation The key idea is that iRacing is no longer competing with other sims like ACC or Le Mans Ultimate . It’s becoming infrastructure for motorsport itself.  This is the story behind the headlines: how a single partnership might change how engineers train, how teams collaborate, how fans engage, and even how sponsors activate inside racing. And this could only be the beginning... Contact the show: contact@vaucheranalytics.com Brought to you by the Motorsports Sponsorship Accelerator, the most cutting-edge resource to help you learn how to develop meaningful sponsorship relationships. To contact Return On Racing, please send an email to contact@vaucheranalytics.com

    19 min

  3. AUG 28

    Who Cares If the F1 Movie Is Inaccurate? It’s “Drive To Survive” At 18,000 RPM.

    Relevant links for this episode: Source article on the Vaucher Analytics websiteF1 Global Fan Survey 2025Sign up for the Return On Racing newsletterAmong established F1 fans, a common "hot take" is that F1 (the film) is inaccurate and therefore not worth anyone's time. This is a lazy opinion that risks keeping new fans away from F1, so for anyone truly interested seeing the sport grow, it's alarming such an ice cold take has gotten so much traction.  In this episode, I break down why the film isn’t about getting every technical detail right; it’s about creating hype, drawing in new fans, and fueling F1's growth engine.  I cover: Why nitpicking the details misses the pointHow the film taps into the same growth playbook as Drive to SurviveWhat the 2025 Global Fan Survey tells us about new fans, women, and Gen Z audiencesThe sponsorship goldmine behind the movieWhere the movie stumbles on safety and representation, and why that matters for F1’s futureThe other real “inaccuracy” worth noting (that has nothing to do with engineering...)Contact the show: contact@vaucheranalytics.com Brought to you by the Motorsports Sponsorship Accelerator, the most cutting-edge resource to help you learn how to develop meaningful sponsorship relationships. To contact Return On Racing, please send an email to contact@vaucheranalytics.com

    19 min

  4. AUG 25

    IndyCar, Fox, Penske, Should Pay for Alex Palou’s Rumored Red Bull Formula 1 Seat

    Relevant links for the show: The Vaucher Analytics State of Motorsport 2025: IndyCarSource article on the Vaucher Analytics websiteSign up for the Return On Racing newsletterRumors are swirling: Red Bull Racing is interested in four-time IndyCar champion Alex Palou for a Formula 1 seat alongside Max Verstappen in 2026.  Some see this as a threat to IndyCar, but I see it as the biggest opportunity the series has had in years.  In this episode, I lay out why IndyCar, backed by Penske and Fox, should fund Palou’s move to Red Bull, and how everyone could come out richer if it happens:  Flip the narrative: Instead of losing Palou, IndyCar gains a global ambassador in the most visible motorsport series in the world.The perfect profile: Palou is European, multilingual, and credible at the elite level: the ideal bridge for IndyCar to new audiences.The Avengers effect: Palou and Verstappen as teammates is a storyline bigger than any campaign or sponsorship deal could buy.Follow the money: Buyouts and settlements cost tens of millions, but the return in exposure, sponsors, and international credibility could be worth hundreds of millions.Everyone gets paid: Ganassi, McLaren, Red Bull, IndyCar, and Palou himself all potentially set themselves up to come out ahead. This isn’t just rumor-watching. It’s out-of-the-box strategy: how IndyCar can turn a potential loss into the boldest marketing investment in its history. In fact, this could be one of the boldest moves in the history of sports. Contact the show: contact@vaucheranalytics.com Brought to you by the Motorsports Sponsorship Accelerator, the most cutting-edge resource to help you learn how to develop meaningful sponsorship relationships. To contact Return On Racing, please send an email to contact@vaucheranalytics.com

    8 min

  5. AUG 23

    The Vaucher Analytics State of Motorsport 2025: IndyCar

    Relevant links for this episode: Sign up for the Return On Racing newsletterSource article on the Vaucher Analytics websiteThe Demographic Blind Spot In the Fox Corporation-Penske Entertainment (IndyCar) TransactionThe $3,000 Helmet: An IndyCar Case Study In Compliance-Driven Cost InflationIndyCar is wrapping up its 2025 season, and the fact that a “State of” retrospective can be written in mid-August is itself part of the problems facing the historic series. The season flashes by, then disappears into a six-month void. On track, the racing delivers. Off track, the structural cracks are getting harder to ignore.  In this episode, I give my direct thoughts on the key storylines shaping IndyCar’s future:  The "Palou Paradox" Fox's big bet Politics & perception Governance under pressure Technical fragility The identity crisis How high is IndyCar's ceiling?Contact the show: contact@vaucheranalytics.com Brought to you by the Motorsports Sponsorship Accelerator, the most cutting-edge resource to help you learn how to develop meaningful sponsorship relationships. To contact Return On Racing, please send an email to contact@vaucheranalytics.com

    16 min

  6. AUG 5

    The Demographic Blind Spot In the Fox Corporation-Penske Entertainment (IndyCar) Transaction

    Link to the source article on the Vaucher Analytics website. In this episode of Return On Racing, we unpack Fox Corporation’s newly announced one-third stake in Penske Entertainment and what it could mean for IndyCar’s future.  Topics covered include:  Why the current IndyCar audience poses a major challenge to growthHow the driver lineup and fanbase are misalignedWhat F1 did to attract new fansWhy expanding the calendar or production won’t matter without audience clarityThe strategic risk of ignoring demographic trends We also highlight the key question: Can Fox and IndyCar define and reach a new generation of fans, or will this investment stall like previous efforts? Contact the show: contact@vaucheranalytics.com Brought to you by the Motorsports Sponsorship Accelerator, the most cutting-edge resource to help you learn how to develop meaningful sponsorship relationships. To contact Return On Racing, please send an email to contact@vaucheranalytics.com

    9 min

  7. JUL 31

    Motorsport Merch Is Lazy, And It's Costing Teams Millions

    Relevant links for this episode: Source article on the Vaucher Analytics websiteF1 teams interpreted as football kitsIn this episode of Return On Racing, we break down one of the most overlooked revenue and branding opportunities in motorsport: merchandise.  From Formula 1 to WEC to grassroots teams, most merch is still uninspired, poorly made, and culturally out of touch.  But it doesn’t have to be this way. We lay out why merchandise, when done well, is about identity, storytelling, and strategic leverage.  This episode of Return On Racing covers: Highlights how bootleggers are beating official channels on designExamples of teams and drivers who got it rightHow even the smallest teams can hack their way to attention with better merchIf you're part of a racing team, a sponsor, or anyone trying to turn motorsport passion into commercial momentum, this episode is a blueprint. Contact the show: contact@vaucheranalytics.com Brought to you by the Motorsports Sponsorship Accelerator, the most cutting-edge resource to help you learn how to develop meaningful sponsorship relationships. To contact Return On Racing, please send an email to contact@vaucheranalytics.com

    29 min

  8. JUL 26

    Ron Dennis Is the Steve Jobs of Formula 1, Here Is His Commercial Playbook

    Relevant links for this episode: The source article on the Vaucher Analytics websiteRon Dennis YouTube interviewForever Forward: The Inside Story of McLaren Formula 1, Ben HuntThe Formula: How Rogues, Geniuses and Speed Freaks Reengineered F1 Into the World's Fast-Growing Sport, Joshua Robinson & Jonathan CleggIn this episode, I explore why Ron Dennis was more than just a team principal; he was Formula 1’s original commercial visionary.  Topics covered include:  How Dennis turned McLaren into a sponsor magnet long before F1 was a global brandWhy the McLaren Technology Centre was motorsport’s Apple Park, beating Steve Jobs!What “The Book of Sponsorship” was, and how it still shapes F1 liveries todayWhy discipline, precision, and even sterile pit lanes were all part of a bigger planHow his legacy lives on in modern F1 team branding, operations, and hospitalityIf you care about the business of motorsport, this is essential listening. Contact the show: contact@vaucheranalytics.com Brought to you by the Motorsports Sponsorship Accelerator, the most cutting-edge resource to help you learn how to develop meaningful sponsorship relationships. To contact Return On Racing, please send an email to contact@vaucheranalytics.com

    25 min
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Return on Racing is the podcast where motorsport meets money. Hosted by motorsports business strategist David Vaucher, each episode breaks down how racing teams, sponsors, series, and sim racers can improve sponsorship ROI, manage rising costs, and build sustainable growth models in a rapidly changing industry.  

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