How to: Get your ride sponsored.

The number one question on the mind of every young tuner out there is "How do I get my ride sponsored?" After all, there's no green left for the ladies if you just sunk three large into that custom turbo kit. The ultimate goal is to get parts and services for free, but it's not that easy. Here's a great rundown of the do's and dont's of getting your car sponsored over at PRweb.com. It all boils down to being professional and offering the company something of value in return for its investment. Just a tip, offering to put a company's decal on the bumper of your '99 Olds Alero is not a value, it's just mean. Read on to learn more about Evil Z, the car pictured here.

Bob Mull, founder of Team GMCI Racing, is the owner of this mind boggling 1999 Chevy Cavalier. Yeah, I said it?. Cavalier. The number of mods on this car is longer than Ruben Studdard?s grocery list and the amount of man hours it consumed during build up rivals the American Idol?s appetite. Some highlights include a custom turbo system and polished intercooler, a Sylvia S15 headlight conversion (a rarity on Cavaliers, to say the least), 29 screens, the entire Blaupunkt catalog and enough custom fiberglass to build yourself a fleet of Corvettes.

How did Mr. Mull manage to get his Chevy Cavalier sponsored to this level? He offered his potential sponsors something in return: exposure. Mull and his Evil Z attended at least 13 shows in 2004, most being the largest and most heavily attended shows in the country like Hot Import Nights, CES, the International Auto Salon and the NCCA Finals. At each show the Evil Z one multiple awards, including Best of Show in nearly every competition. It was the first car ever to be entered into the NCCA Sport Compact Hall of Fame.

So here?s the lesson to be drawn from Bob Mull?s Evil Z Cavalier - if you can show and compete your vehicle like it?s a full time job, then corporate sponsorship can lighten your load and be a win-win situation for everyone involved. However, if you?re only planning on attending three shows this summer within driving distance of your La-Z-Boy, then I wouldn?t be waiting for Blaupunkt to ship its new line of subs to your door any day soon.