By Phil Huff
March 27 2003

Cima Racing needs YOU! We're building our team for the 2003 racing season, but we've still got a position to fill. It's a well paid, short term contract that you could manage while working elsewhere. If you're successful, it could lead to a permanent position. The Team

Cima Racing is a small national race team based in Cambridgeshire. We've competed in various series in the UK, and are now striving to move forward, with a seven year plan to reach the British Touring Car Championship.

The Driver

That'll be me, Phil Huff. Winner of the Scania Pro-Challenge Championship, and finalist in the ARDS Formula Ford Scholarship, I've driven and raced in all manner of machinery, from karts, through saloon cars, and on to single seaters.

The Plan

There's two plans at the moment, depending on the final budget available to us.

Firstly, there's the John Cooper Works MINI Challenge, a fantastic series that sees the new MINI Cooper modified significantly, and then put on track against 29 other identical cars. Racing at places like Silverstone, Donington and Rockingham, the series gets good TV coverage with 10 prime time slots booked on Sky, along with 150 minutes of coverage on ESPN Star TV.

Secondly, and more ambitiously, is the brand new SEAT Cupra Championship. Racing in 250bhp SEAT Cupra R's, this one make series is supported by Jason Plato, and offers a unique opportunity: The series will be covered on both ITV1 and ITV2 with a docu-soap that will set the series apart from any other in the country.

The Problem

Whilst not blaming it for any problems we're suffering, the economy since 11 September 2001 has slowed significantly, with dramatic drops in the stock market further casing problems. That means we're struggling to raise the money required to race. Sponsors are simply staying away. While our non-cash support is still reasonably strong, the vital cash income we rely on has withered away.

The Job

We need somebody who can get this cash income back up to a realistic level. Using your marketing and promotion knowledge you'll approach potential sponsors and partners with all the facts you need, and the passion that drives us, and sign them up - quickly. You'll be able to work on your own, but you'll be fully supported by the team, with anything you feel you need made available. If you can raise the budget we require, you'll be rewarded significantly. There's a short term contract initially, and you could feasibly do the job whilst maintaining another position elsewhere, with the possibility of a full time contract at a later date.

The Reward

For obvious reasons I can't go into exact figures here on budget requirements, but I will say that if you raise the sponsorship to see a full entry into the John Cooper Works MINI Challenge then you'll receive a cheque for around £5,000. Raise the money for the SEAT Cupra Championship and we'll add another £3,000. Think about it - by May you could have another £8,000 in the bank! Less important, but every bit as motivating, is the added benefits - full pit and paddock access for you and your guests to each race, a passenger ride on a 'hot lap' during private testing, and the chance to get really involved in motorsport. Who knows where it could lead...

If you're interested, email me at phil.huff@cimaracing.co.uk attaching your CV and detailing why you think you could do this job. I'll get back to everybody that replies for an informal chat, as I know that plenty of people perform much better than their CV might suggest.

Don't worry if you've no experience - if you genuinely believe you can do it, you're in with a shout.

Good luck.