Our Work

Wild Horse Pass | Chandler/Phoenix, AZ

In 2015 this Phoenix-based legendary race track had a relatively new upper management team - and some staffers had very limited drag racing and event promotions experience. After the governing board decided to "sweep release" an entire senior management team in 2014, the 400-acre-plus motorsports complex needed to get back to the business of staging highly attended major spectator events with an all-new staff in full drive mode. Unfortunately, the track's front office had a under-performing corporate sponsorship sales and business development department. Silent Partner was contracted to help the Board find a new Director of Sales and Marketing and provide managerial coaching and assessment in numerous other areas. Because Silent Partner had event promotion and executive management experience at this facility from 1988 to 1993, it had a strong experiential basis with which to provide solid and prudent recommendations. SPM was again contracted in 2018-2019 (16 months) to serve as the facility's Interim General Manager, successfully overseeing the 2018 and 2019 NHRA Arizona Nationals events while vetting candidates for eventual new GMs and overseeing capital expenditure improvements.

General Manager Services - 2018-2019
Reconstituted sales and marketing department
Identified areas of additional sales inventory
Collection of outstanding Accounts Receivable
Thorough review of sponsorship contracts

Identified new areas of track rental offerings
Re-priced track rental fees to "market rate"
Developed economic models of events (pro formas)
Provided sales-ready proposal templates

Scrappers Racing | San Jose/Indianapolis

In 1986, at just 26 years old, Mike Salinas entered the scrap-metal business almost on a whim. He purchased a truckload of scrap, sold it the following day for a quick profit, and discovered an opportunity that would grow far beyond anything he initially envisioned.

The business expanded rapidly, eventually leading to Valley Services, which broadened its operations into waste removal, portable sanitation and other services throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. What began with that first load of scrap ultimately grew into the substantial family-owned enterprise it is today.

Racing, however, was always part of Mike's life. Eventually, daughters Jasmine and Jianna joined him in competing on the NHRA national tour - not initially as a business venture, but as a family passion. Mike competed in Top Fuel, Jasmine in Top Alcohol Dragster and Jianna in Pro Stock Motorcycle. As their success grew, so did the scale and demands of Scrappers Racing.

For years, Mike funded approximately 85% of the racing operation himself. A nine-time NHRA national-event winner, he enlisted Silent Partner Marketing in 2026 to help secure major corporate partnerships and transform the team's considerable racing assets into valuable marketing and business-development opportunities.

Jasmine has since advanced to Top Fuel, creating an extraordinary next chapter for Scrappers Racing: Mike and Jasmine competing together as NHRA's first father-daughter Top Fuel team.

Past

Chip Ganassi Racing - GRC | Charlotte, NC

Chip Ganassi Racing contracted with Silent Partner Marketing via a consulting agreement to assist the legendary team with 2016 primary sponsorship acquisition for its Red Bull Global Rallycross entry driven by Steve Arpin. In less than two months SPM had successfully engaged a major sponsor, JCB heavy equipment, who was looking to make its products relevant between the sport and its top customers in creating a new and exciting way to entertain - thus invigorating the sales process for its six-figure-valued products. A key element was providing a private Ganassi shop tour and a driver meet and greet with the JCB decision maker and his family – as well as at-track entertainment / exposure of other key executives, and exposing lucrative B2B opportunities to achieve their full understanding of the opportunity. They signed.

GLOBAL RALLY CROSS

Torrence Racing | Kilgore, TX
2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 NHRA Top Fuel World Champions

Past

Since the team's inception, Torrence Racing has self funded their two-dragster operation by displaying the family-owned CAPCO Contractors as the main livery on each entry. Four-time and NHRA Top Fuel World Champion Steve Torrence and his (part-time) co-driver/teammate father Billy, along with Mrs. Torrence, decided that in 2019 they would consider bringing on a major corporate backing to ride with them for the first time in team history. The sport of NHRA, for decades, has enjoyed major corporate sponsorship adorning every aspect of the sport. Torrence Racing was ready to show the sports business world that professional drag racing is still an attractive property with which to invest corporate marketing dollars. Landing major corporate sponsorship would again demonstrate the sport's great marketing strength and health, and hopefully spur more corporations to join other teams. Torrence Racing selected Silent Partner Marketing to lead this effort.

Past

CCR Racing | Scottsdale, AZ

CCR Racing has competed in the Pirelli GT4 America SprintX Series for the past two seasons. The team has fielded a beautiful and highly competitive BMW M4 entry with drivers Cole Ciraulo and Tim Barber the past two season. The duo experienced podium finishes and many laps led in 2020 and '21. In 2022 the 19-year-old Ciraulo will continue to pursue his sports car racing dreams with plans to run either in IMSA or SRO in GT4. The approach was to entice national brands to come ride with the team, or seize on B2B opportunities that would blend well with owner Jeff Ciraulo's main company, Envoy Data Corporation. SPM worked with CCR to focus on local businesses (within race market venues on the tour) to sponsor in one-off opportunities. No doubt this team and driver combo are going places.

Upton Racing | Redmond, WA

In 2021 Upton Racing approached Silent Partner to serve in an advisory role for sponsorship acquisition for this up-and-coming Road to Indy - Indy Pro 2000 Series driver and team. SPM serves in instructing the team on best practices of sponsorship prospecting/acquisition through various conventional and unconventional methodologies. This includes "grooming" driver Blake Upton, 21, in off-track activities such as media relations, corporate engagement and public speaking to aid in his planned advance to the NTT INDYCAR Series by 2025. Upton personifies the future of open-wheel racing and is an accomplished driver we'll be reading about in the near future.

Past

Travis Shumake | New York, NY; Phoenix

(NHRA) Nitro Funny Car Pilot

Travis Shumake is poised to make professional motorsports history as the first openly gay driver to compete at the national level in NHRA championship drag racing.

The 37-year-old is the only son of legendary Nitro Funny Car driver Tripp Shumake, a fan favorite and formidable NHRA competitor throughout the 1970s and ’80s. Determined to follow in his late father’s footsteps while creating a legacy of his own, Travis set his sights on earning his Nitro Funny Car license.

He quickly demonstrated that he belonged behind the wheel. During licensing runs in Dallas, Shumake stunned the veteran Funny Car drivers observing his test when he delivered an impressive 319.6-mph pass, successfully earning his professional license. He has also pursued competition licensing in the A/Fuel Dragster category.

Shumake retained Silent Partner Marketing to help develop the corporate partnerships, industry relationships and fan engagement necessary to support his planned NHRA debut. A key component of the effort has been identifying companies that see value in combining a national motorsports platform with meaningful diversity and inclusion initiatives, while also developing broader marketing and business-development opportunities.

Raised in central Phoenix, Shumake earned a bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management from Northern Arizona University and was recognized among Phoenix’s prestigious “40 Under 40” business leaders.