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. NOV 6

    Racing’s Second Revolution - Part 5: The Objections That Will Define (Or Crush) Motorsport’s Next Business Model

    Relevant links for this episode: Racing's Second Revolution - Part 5: The Objections That Will Define (Or Crush) Motorsport's Next Business ModelRacing's Second Revolution - Part 4: Building a Business Around Racing Independent of SponsorshipRacing's Second Revolution - Part 3: The Roadmap to Move Away From Sponsorship and Towards Owned RevenuesRacing's Second Revolution - Part 2: The NFL Films Playbook For Turning Motorsport Races Into LegendsRacing's Second Revolution - Part 1: Why Motorsport Racing Teams Must Move Beyond SponsorshipSign up for the Return On Racing newsletterIn this final episode of the Racing’s Second Revolution series, we tackle the hardest part of any major shift, in motorsport or otherwise: resistance. After laying out the roadmap for how racing teams can move from sponsorship dependency to self-sustaining, owned revenue models, this episode looks at the pushback that will determine whether motorsport evolves, or stalls. From skepticism about sponsor reliance, to fears around complexity, legality, and culture, we dive into the objections that sound practical but, if left unchecked, can quietly kill innovation.  The goal isn’t to dismiss them, but rather to show how each can be overcome through strategic, incremental action. Because the real risk isn’t trying something new, it’s staying still while others move first!  #F1 #Motorsport #IndyCar #WEC #WRC #MotoGP #RacingBusiness #SportsBusiness #Sponsorship #Storytelling #BrandBuilding #IP #Merch #Licensing #SimRacing #GenZ #VaucherAnalytics #ReturnOnRacing 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

    17 min

  2. NOV 3

    Racing’s Second Revolution - Part 4: Building a Business Around Racing Independent of Sponsorship

    Relevant links for this episode: Racing's Second Revolution - Part 4: Building a Business Around Racing Independent of SponsorshipRacing's Second Revolution - Part 3: The Roadmap to Move Away From Sponsorship and Towards Owned RevenuesRacing's Second Revolution - Part 2: The NFL Films Playbook For Turning Motorsport Races Into LegendsRacing's Second Revolution - Part 1: Why Motorsport Racing Teams Must Move Beyond SponsorshipSign up for the Return On Racing newsletterIn this episode, I take the framework from Parts 1–3 of the Racing's Second Revolution series (fragile sponsorship model → storytelling → the Vaucher Analytics Relevance Pyramid) and make it operational.  This is the execution chapter: concrete, scalable (hypothetical) plays for teams at different tiers to create owned IP and recurring revenue. Bottom line Independence scales.  The more teams own their story, products, and community, the less time they spend chasing sponsor logos, and the more resilient motorsport becomes.  #F1 #Motorsport #IndyCar #WEC #WRC #MotoGP #RacingBusiness #SportsBusiness #Sponsorship #Storytelling #BrandBuilding #IP #Merch #Licensing #Fragrance #Animation #McLaren #Williams #Alpine #SimRacing #GenZ #VaucherAnalytics #ReturnOnRacing 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. OCT 20

    Inside the SimRacing Expo 2025: Passion, Progress, and a Market Searching for Maximum Grip

    Relevant links for this episode: Inside the SimRacing Expo 2025: Passion, Progress, and a Market Searching For Maximum GripReturn On Racing newsletter signup linkThe SimRacing Expo 2025 in Dortmund was a full-throttle celebration of virtual motorsport, but beneath the explosive growth, there will be some growing pains. In this episode, I break down my first-hand impressions from the show floor, from the shock reveal of Assetto Corsa Rally to the hardware overload threatening to fragment the market.  I also explore why big motorsport brands and tech companies are still missing from this conversation, and why that’s a mistake they won’t be able to afford for much longer.  We’ll talk about the Fanatec-Corsair deal and what it signals for the next wave of acquisitions, how iRacing Arcade could bridge the gap between casual players and hardcore simracers, and the uncomfortable truth about simracing’s gender imbalance, and what that means for motorsport’s future talent pipeline.  Contact the show: contact@vaucheranalytics.com #SimRacing #SimRacingExpo2025 #MotorsportBusiness #SimRacingNews #AssettoCorsaRally #ProjectMotorRacing #iRacing #Fanatec #Corsair #LeMansUltimate #Automobilista2 #GranTurismo #WEC #F1 #WRC #SimRacingHardware #Esports #Motorsport #RacingSimulator #MotorsportIndustry #VaucherAnalytics 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

  4. OCT 20

    Racing’s Second Revolution - Part 3: The Roadmap To Move Away From Sponsorship And Towards Owned Revenues

    Relevant links for this episode: Racing’s Second Revolution - Part 3: The Roadmap To Move Away From Sponsorship And Towards Owned RevenuesRacing's Second Revolution - Part 2: The NFL Films Playbook For Turning Motorsport Races Into LegendsRacing's Second Revolution - Part 1: Why Motorsport Racing Teams Must Move Beyond SponsorshipSign  up for the Return On Racing newsletterWhat would it take for motorsport teams and drivers to finally break free from sponsorship dependency?  In Part 3 of Racing’s Second Revolution, we explore how cultural ubiquity, not follower counts, creates independence.  From Senna to Schumacher to Hamilton, racing’s biggest stars have inspired generations of fans, but few have achieved transcendence beyond the paddock.  Why?  Because motorsport has never built the same storytelling, fashion, or cultural pipelines that turned Michael Jordan and the NBA into global icons.  In this episode, David Vaucher introduces the Vaucher Analytics Motorsport Relevance Pyramid, a roadmap showing how teams and drivers can evolve from chasing short-term sponsor visibility to owning long-term, monetizable IP.  Learn how cultural crossovers, storytelling, and product ownership can transform motorsport into a self-sustaining ecosystem... And why now is the time to experiment. #F1 #Formula1 #IndyCar #WRC #WEC #IMSA #sponsorship #NBA #NFL #NFLFilms #Strategy #Business #Consulting #simracing #iracing  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

    13 min

  5. OCT 9

    Racing’s Second Revolution - Part 2: The NFL Films Playbook For Turning Motorsport Races Into Legends

    Relevant links for this episode: Racing's Second Revolution - Part 2: The NFL Films Playbook For Turning Motorsport Races Into LegendsRacing's Second Revolution - Part 1: Why Motorsport Teams Must Move Beyond SponsorshipWhat the NFL Understands That Other Leagues Don'tThe Vaucher Analytics Motorsport Content DirectorySign up for the Return On Racing newsletterMotorsport has speed, heroes, and drama, but it lacks one thing the National Football League (NFL) mastered decades ago: storytelling that turns moments into myths. In this episode, we break down how NFL Films became the most powerful storytelling machine in sports, and how motorsport can apply the same playbook to escape its fragile sponsorship model and build lasting cultural capital. Key themes discussed: 🏈 What NFL Films is and how it made football cinematic, emotional, and timeless🎬 How storytelling drives revenue, relevance, and fan loyalty far beyond sponsorship logos🏎 Why motorsport already has the raw ingredients (epic rivalries, heroes, and stakes) but fails to use them systematically📺 The difference between Drive To Survive and NFL Films (and why one will endure)🧠 What an “FIA Films” or “IndyCar Films” initiative could look like💡 How small teams can start myth-making today to grow their audience and independence🎧 Listen now to learn how race teams can turn their stories into assets and transform every highlight into brand capital. #MotorsportBusiness #NFLFilms #F1 #IndyCar #WEC #WRC #MotorsportMarketing #MotorsportStorytelling #DriveToSurvive #SportsMarketing #MotorsportPodcast #VaucherAnalytics #RacingBusiness #MotorsportSponsorship 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

    20 min

  6. SEP 29

    Racing’s Second Revolution - Part 1: Why Motorsport Racing Teams Must Move Beyond Sponsorship

    Relevant links for this episode of Return On Racing: Sign up for the Return On Racing newsletterRacing's Second Revolution - Part 1: Why Motorsport Racing Teams Must Move Beyond SponsorshipMotorsport Merch Is Lazy, and It's Costing Teams MillionsRon Dennis Is the Steve Jobs of Formula 1, Here Is His Commercial PlaybookThe Hidden Cost of F1 Sponsorship: How Delivery Strain Threatens Performance and ProfitabilityFrom Tobacco to Crypto: The Search for the Next Lucrative Vice Motorsport SponsorMotorsport has been built on sponsorship for over 50 years and in that time, while racing has changed substantially, the underlying commerical model has not: teams are marketing platforms chasing logos, in many cases to ensure their very survival. In this episode of Return On Racing, I explain why that model is fragile (even in Formula 1, where billions flow through the system) and why it's a source of additional fragility in smaller (but still prestigious) series such as IndyCar and the WEC.  Sponsors provide lifelines, but they also create instability, short-term thinking, and a potential disconnect with fans, so the next revolution is clear: racing teams must stop seeing themselves solely as billboards and start behaving like content platforms.  That means leveraging intellectual property, storytelling, merchandising, experiences, and cultural collaborations to build self-sustaining revenue streams.  Other sports like basketball, football, and skateboarding have already broken free... Now it’s motorsport’s turn. If you want to understand the future of racing economics, this episode, the first in a four-part series, is where it starts. 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

  7. SEP 22

    Part 2 - Racing, Politics and Power: Why Porsche’s WEC Threat Isn’t Really About Money

    Relevant links for this episode: Racing, Politics and Power: Why Porsche's WEC Threat Isn't Really About MoneySign up for the Return On Racing newsletterIn Part 2 of our deep dive on Porsche potentially leaving the WEC, we move past the headlines and onto the real battleground: the rules and politics that shape motorsport. This episode explores: Why Balance of Performance (BoP) is disliked yet essential in today’s WECThe long-term fight over LMH vs. LMDh convergence, and why Porsche care so muchLessons from IndyCar’s “Split” and why technical fragmentation is so dangerousHow Porsche’s public comments may be less about leaving, and more about bargaining powerAre Porsche's comments a true reflection of their thoughts on technical issues, or are they an attempt to utilize the raw power of their racing heritage and reputation? 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

    22 min

  8. SEP 22

    Part 1 - Racing, Politics and Power: Why Porsche’s WEC Threat Isn’t Really About Money

    Relevant links for this episode: Racing, Politics and Power: Why Porsche's WEC Threat Isn't Really About MoneySign up for the Return On Racing newsletterCould Porsche really walk away from the WEC?  Their recent win at COTA hasn’t silenced rumors of an exit, but is it really about money (as it always seems to be when a team leaves a series), or something deeper?  In Part 1 of this two-part series, we dig into:  Why Porsche’s public comments don’t match the on-track pictureMotorsport’s hidden layers: racing, the “sport behind the sport,” and politicsThe real role of racing as a marketing platform, not just a passion projectHow rivals like Ferrari and McLaren are finding creative ways to fund their programsPorsche says times are tough, but are they really preparing to leave, or just playing for leverage? 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

    17 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

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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