BUILD YOUR BUDGET

So as to optimize your Dakar preparation, here are the items which you will have to think about when calculating your budget.

MANDATORY ITEMS

A.S.O. registrations fees

• Vehicle fee
• Individual fee for each person on the vehicle

The Europe – Buenos-Aires (Argentina) round trip and the return trip from Lima (Peru) – Europe are included in the registration fees for all types of vehicles (motorbike, quad, car, truck and assistance). This fee includes the transport within the following dimensions :
The trucks with length between 9 and 11 meters will have to pay an additional fee of 1.000 €, those with length between 11 and 13 meters, an additional fee of 1.500 €. Beyond 13 meters, please get in touch with the organization.

Visas

Some of you may need a visa for Argentina, Chile and/or Peru. In September, we will communicate you the list of the nationalities concerned by the visas requests and the contact of one supplier able to do the visas formalities with the embassies for you.

Licences

Every motorbike or quad rider must have a 2012 FIM international license, and every car and truck racer must have a 2012 FIA international license. The original license must be presented on the day of the administrative checks. No license is required for the assistance category.

For all nationalities, to get the international ICCCR FIA licence, you must :
• Have been recently holder of an international competitor – driver C or ICCCR FIA licence.
• Be holder of a national licence and have participated at least in 2 national races, the year preceding your demand of FIA licence.
For example: to get the 2012 ICCCR FIA licence, you must take part in 2 national races in 2011.
In any case, the competitors who have never hold a licence must contact their national federation as soon as possible.

OPTIONAL ITEMS

FOptions for safety materials

• VHF radio
For safety reasons and to improve communication among teams, VHF radios are recommended for all assistance vehicles.

• GPS, Distress beacon, Sentinel and IriTrack systems
The GPS, Distress beacon, Sentinel and IriTrack systems are mandatory for race vehicles, and their rental is included in the vehicle fee. For the first year, the GPS and Sentinel will be combined on the same system. The bracket for the motorbikes and quads should be renewed. The bracket for the cars and trucks will be the same as on the Dakar 2011 (only the Sentinel antenna should be renewed).
For the IRITRACK, a kit not included on the entry fees and including the bracket, power cord, buzzer, and/or flash is available.

• TRIPY: ASSISTANCE GPS ELECTRONIC ROADBOOK
Tripy : assistance GPS electronic roadbook is mandatory for all the assistance vehicles. The rental is included in the vehicle fee. The entry fees does not include the antenna, power cord and bracket.

The power cords, brackets, and antennas for the GPS, IriTrack, Sentinel and Tripy systems may be used for other events. You will be sent an order form in October that can be used to order any equipment options or a second GPS directly from the system provider.

Fuel

For motorbikes, fuel in special is included in the vehicle fee (not on road section and at the bivouac). In special, A.S.O. will provide 95-octane Super unleaded gasoline.
For cars and trucks, A.S.O. will provide fuel when there are no local stations near the bivouacs. Local stations will be indicated in the road book, and a description of the stages and their distances in kilometers will be mailed out in October so that you can place an order.

Trips for you and your sponsors

Accomodation and transport in Mar del Plata and Lima

HOW TO SEARCH SPONSORS?

Define your project

Before setting off in an active search for sponsors, it is important to define your project clearly by answering the following questions:
• Why am I taking part in the Dakar?
• What are my motivations?
• What are my objectives?
• What are my assets in achieving those objectives?
• What sort of crew do I want to set up?
• What resources do I need to achieve this?

Produce a budget

The preceding stage has enabled you to define the size of your project.
From now on it is important to detail the various cost items in order to have a clear idea of your expenses (Car or Motorbike preparation – Registration – Trip – Visas and passports…). After this stage, you must have answers to the following four questions:
• What is my budget?
• How should I present it to my potential partners/sponsors?
• What are my available funds?
• How much should I ask for from my potential sponsors?

Make a list of potential partners / sponsors

Your potential sponsors must be targeted : better to count on your relational, personal, professional or regional fabric rather than “major sponsors” who may be less inclined to support you. Make a list of your potential partners and characterise them:
• What do they do?
• Why would they be likely to help me?
• What specific arguments should I put forward?
• What funds do they have available?
• Which companies should I see as a priority?

Build your sales pitch

"Do not make mistakes in what you say or who you target". There is no point in talking about your potential sporting achievements if you are taking part in your first Dakar! Your aim is to finish, not to be placed! So, assess what you say and in particular your media exposure: amateurs will be the subject of one-off reports, they are frequently mentioned in the local and regional media but do not promise the TV news or a daily sports newspaper!

Produce a presentation that looks like you!

Prepare a personalised dossier to present your project. This presentation must be clear, concise, persuasive and imaginative; it must make them dream of the rally but also convince them of your personal qualities.

You need to highlight your special features, your motivation:
• What is original about your entry?
• Why are you passionate about motor sports (and cross country rallies in particular)?
• What previous experience do you have?

Consider presenting your sporting profile: draw inspiration from statistics on Dakar 2011. Put yourself into the rally:
in terms of age, type of vehicle, number of entries, status (professional or amateur). Stress your nationality and your region! Identify potential media spin-off: media statistics can help you identify press, radio or even TV spin-off in your region.

Regional media are frequently looking for a potted history of amateur competitors; so do not hesitate to contact them and suggest an interview, your potential sponsors will only be more impressed!

Present your arguments to justify sponsorship:

• To give out a good image of the company at local, regional or national level thanks to media spin-off. The company’s name (and/or one of its brands) is associated with your entry and the adventure of the rally.

• To change or strengthen the company’s image internally. To advertise the company’s main values, the directors can use event sponsorship to motivate employees and/or associate the company with values such as courage, surpassing oneself, competition, human adventure,… which characterise the Dakar.

• To build a relationship with their suppliers/customers. Sponsorship may be a way for one of your suppliers/customers to build strong links before or after the conclusion of a partnership.

• To involve your sponsors indirectly in the adventure. The Dakar is a mythical trial in which everyone who is interested in motor or extreme sports will want to take part one day… These fans, potential sponsors, will be all the more inclined to help you in this challenge if they can live the adventure by proxy.

• To enable the partner company to enjoy tax relief. Depending on the country, sponsorship offers tax breaks. Consider putting forward a small sales pitch to demonstrate these tax breaks according to the legislation in your country.

Highlight the benefits of financial support or support in kind:
• Visibility of their brand/company name on your vehicle, your clothing, your helmet, your Leatt-Brace, your trunk, your assistance vehicles..
• A free trip on a rest day or on arrival: for the most generous sponsors, a day at the rally is a weighty argument for those who want to taste the atmosphere of the Dakar!
• Event organisation: exhibiting the vehicle before or after the rally, or a photo exhibition…

Finally, do not forget to…
• Keep them up to date with your exploits during/after the rally (sell IRITRACK!)
• Give them a DVD collection of Dakar articles, or a detailed press review, or a photo album to thank them.