Job Search and the selling of my dreams

Well the time is almost here...I put my heart and soul into this and thought the LGBT Community would have my back. Guess not. I am selling my motorcycle (2003 Suzuki SV 100 Standard) as I am in need of the funds for bills. It is the last thing I have that is worth anything. An old lady smashed my car the other day so that is worthless now. I am applying for jobs in the auto industry again. Don't make the same mistakes I did. If you are thinking of coming out in sports give it alot of thought. The LGBT community would love to see it and many young folks would benefit but do not expect companies or individuals to sponsor or financially support you. I thought I had a big sponsor interested (a Las Vegas Hotel) but they cheaped out saying they couldn't afford me LOL...I'm not THAT expensive! They want your media and to show that they are doing something but will give very little in return. We have a long way to go. I thought I had an entrepreneur Gay billionaire interested (he was quoted as saying he was going to give his fortune away) but decided to spend what little he does on tax write off investments and politics. It is really going to take a wealthy person to break into sports that does not need a sponsor...I am unfortunately out of resources. I sold everything and put it all on the line. Big mistake. Oh well lesson learned! We still need a presence in sports...especially red state sports but without support it will never happen. This is a huge demographic in itself (stacked on the 800 Billion dollar GLBT demographic) and I do not understand why someone wouldn't want this kind of exposure. I still have my website up for a while and will be hoping to delete this post and say I am sponsored for 2013...

Here is a link to my bike for sale if anyone is interested:

http://miami.craigslist.org/brw/mcy/3257083288.html

Trying to get something going

I have noticed alot of international traffic on my website and blog...Lots of visits from Russia lately. Anyone there want to respond? I am still trying and will always try. I may be shutting down my website soon as it doesn't seem to make sense for me to keep it up if there is no interest in sponsorship. I will put the video on youtube and just get a cheap to maintain webpage. It is with great sadness that I shrink into the backround and get back to work and try and forget the last 5 years of struggling and begging. I do not know what I would have done differently or could ever do in the future to get people interested. There really is just no place for an out race car driver. I pretty much ended my career by trying to do this honestly and openly. I also should have listened to my conservative family and not tried this. It is embarrasing how little financial support has come from all of this. I love my fans and please keep the great emails and words of encouragement coming! I will always try and be my best (and get sponsors) but the GLBT financial world has spoken with no interest in getting someone out there in the straight world with an open message to our youth that you can do anything. I really thought it was an important message but I guess not. We live a stereotype. Sad.

I also just think I failed with my celebrity contacting skills. I tried paying publicists thousands of dollars to just make contact with Lady Gaga, Elton John, John Travolta and anyone else that may have interest in my mission but they all failed or just didnt put in the effort. If anyone knows how to contact a celebrity let me know!

I am getting ready for my first USA Cycling race next month to get a category rating (everyone starts at Cat 5) and begin my amateur bicycle racing journey. I have raced BMX bicycles for years, Mountain bikes and now road bikes. This is a great hobby getting me into the best shape of my life. I will try and blog about my progress even though it is much more boring than blogging about racing cars on the Pro level.

Thanks everyone for being there!
Evan

Revival of Hope

I must apologize for not writing more on my blog but frankly not much has been happening lately. I have run out of funds for publicists and such and agents want nothing to do with an Out Gay Race Car Driver LOL. Don't take that as I have given up...I will never give up. I will always be trying, sometimes more than less depending on my schedule, funds and attitude. If any of you have friends that may want to get involved don't be shy!

I am in the process of sending out a large batch of emails to some prominent people. If you are someone I emailed or an agency representing someone I am trying to contact, let me know!

My latest plan has me looking for private sponsorship as corporate sponsorship seems like a stretch, LGBT issues are hot but big companies seem scared to support Out Pro's anywhere for fear of losing out on straight business. I am also trying to hit up some non-racing/sports industries as the impact of supporting an out person in a straight sport is exposure to an audience that may not be thier market but the splash of media to follow and people to see would definitely be the right demographic...everyone!

My other "BIG" plan involves you, the reader of my blog, facebook fan/follower and Twitter follower. I would like to send out some of my hero cards (autographed of course!) for a donation. 50% of what is sent to me gets sent to The Trevor Project and the other half goes towards my racing plans for 2011/2012. If I recieve enough support I will be racing for all to see! Donations of $50+ will recieve an E. Darling Enterprises racing hat (pictures of products will be up shortly on my website) and get thier name/logo somewhere on my race car...obviously a $50 donation would be a small spot and a $50k one would be much bigger ;-)...Either way I wil photograph the logo/name(s) and email them to you.

If you would like to partake in my plan, send me a mailing address to zracre@hotmail.com and I will send a signed card to you regardless. If you want to drop a donation in the envelope I send with it that would be greatly appreciated!

For this plan to work I am going to need all the help I can get...forward a link to this page to anyone you would think would want to help...If I get all my facebook friends to at least look at this and maybe some help out and maybe some forward to people that may have interest, I may get somewhere!

I am still trying to get Lady Gaga, Elton John and Madonna contacts to see if they want to partake in this as well...if Paris Hilton can have a motorcycle racing team one of these other superstars should be able to help me be an Out role model competing in a mainstream straight market. On the level of the above stars, sponsorship is not real expensive for the positive media and impact on society that will come from it...

Cheers,
Evan Darling

Contact

I am at a loss. I have tried contacting Rosie O'Donell, Ellen Degeneres Elton John and other Out celebs...they don't even respond. I am not good at getting through to people and do not have contacts to do so...is there anyone out there that can help? Maybe they do not have any interest in helping an out athlete but at least a response...

New Idea and Great Opportunity!

I am back and starting a new marketing program. As many of you know, I am a supporter of TheTrevorProject.org and I would like to offer a program that would bring media attention to this great program and my Pro racing career. In this tough economy it has been difficult to procure enough sponsorship to race in Grand Am and be able to survive. Many big corporations have cut back sponsorships and that has made it difficult for everyone in the racing (and all other!) communities. I am reaching out to everyone and all communities with this program. My idea is to get lots of private and small corporate involvement in my quest. It is pretty simple. I need to get contributions ranging from $100 to $1000 to race next year (and this year if there is enough interest). I cannot afford my own Grand Am car so when I race it is always a different teams car. I am allowed a certain amount of area on the cars depending on how much I contribute to the team. The idea is to get 2-3 large graphics that have "TheTrevorProject.org" with everyone's names (company names, personal names etc) printed within the graphic. I would also use these graphics on my personal race car (amateur series car as Pro cars are way too $$$).

Here is a list of some of the benefits that would come from sponsorship:

• Support for TheTrevorProject.org in front of an international audience on Speed Channel
• Support for the only Out Pro Race Car Driver
• Links from my website (edarlingenterprises.com) to your organization or web page
• Photo and video media from each event
• Exposure at media events I will attend
• $1000+ sponsors will receive tickets to a chosen race in your area

For this to work I will need to reach a financial goal. I would like to launch this program immediately and will have a progress bar on my website and here when I start to receive donations. I really think this can work with all the support I have received in the past! In doing this program I believe I can generate even more media in some of the larger publications and TV media. I just need to get the ball rolling with your help!

The Demographics for this race series is very large and when you include the GLBT demographic it makes my audience one of the largest in Professional sports! Please give me some feedback on this program as I get it started! I also have a paypal link on my website so be sure to contact me if a donation is going to be made thru that so I can forward all the media to you!

Thanks and hopefully more to come soon!

Evan Darling

Race Updates

Well it has been a very trying year. We managed to finish the race at NJ Motorsports park after all the mayhem. We were a lap down at the end and the race was riddled with wrecks and drama but we got it done. My stint was the second one and I got in the car with 1 hour and 10 minutes to go. Before we even got a green flag, there was a wreck and we were under caution until there was only 18 min left. I got a green flag and raced for a whopping 18 minutes! I must say that the track was fun and the weather was beautiful though.

Our next adventure is the 6 Hour race at Virginia International Raceway. We are trying to raise funds to get there and run. I know the economy has been pretty bad lately but we are not looking for millions! If a few people put something towards it we can do it. I am the only out GLBT Pro in sports that is out and active! There has to be someone that wants to help support myself and the community! There is a paypal addy on my website and anything helps. If anyone has any ideas let me know as well.

My agent did not work out as he was too young and not ready for this type of career. He is smart and should do fine with more experience, but needs to finish school and get some seat time in the real world. If anyone knows of an agent or publicist that wants to try and grow with me I can be contacted thru here or my website (edarlingenterprises.com).

Been a while...

Ok I have not posted much on here lately but get lots of people looking at it. Say hello or give me an opinion! We had a great fundraiser at The Faultline in LA with a great turnout of support! I would like to thank everyone involved for thier hard work and support to get me to the track. My search for a sponsor is still coming up empty and I would like some opinions on how to get some (or one big one!). I can use a private sponsor to put charities on the car or a commercial sponsor to promote thier products. It is very expensive to race and I am short for Lime Rock (race is May 23-25) and TV broadcast is May 31 at 8/11 pm. This is a great oppertunity for someone to get thier product name or charity of choice out there for the world to see and help sponsor the only active GLBT driver out there today!

I will be doing more fundraisers as the year progresses to try and make races but if sponsorship comes my way I would love to help local charities raise funds. Give it some thought and get back to me!

Evan

Out 100 Awards

I just got back from NYC as I was attending the Out 100 awards as an honoree! It was a great party and there were many influential people there. I am hoping some of them will take an interest in my sponsorship possibilities! I think I have done alot this year in media and would hope someone as a company or individual can recognize this as a great media opportunity. As said before I have multiple demographics and want to help the community recognize equality everywhere. In the great realm of things my sponsorship is not that expensive and would benefit many. I will keep trying and being persistent in my quest. If anyone is interested please visit my website and contact me...or just hit the donate button for paypal!

Representation

I am still looking for a sports agent or someone who can help with the procurement of sponsorship. I am a racer not a publicist or agent. I think I have done pretty good in teh publicist department with all my media as of late but I need a pro!

October Update

Well the Fireball Run was a blast! You can see how it went here: http://www.gaywheels.com/teamglam.htm We met some great people and did it for a great cause...missing children. Here is the website with more info: http://www.childrescuenetwork.org/ I am looking forward to next year and hopefully we will have the same level of sponsorship so we can perform again! We finished 2nd in Luxury class and 11th overall. Not bad considering we were in a totally stock Saab 9-3 Aero. I was able to manage a 7th place finish on the Houston track challenge against some pretty stout cars. The Saab is a great all around car that is every bit as capable as its competition on the track...and even better on the street!

I am still looking for sponsors for next years Grand Am schedule...any interested parties can contact me thru my website (which has a paypal button on it ;) ) I have a winning plan...just need interested parties to step forward and help make it happen! There are multiple demographics to be targeted with sponsorship so it should be easy to make that decision...and if a private sponsor wants to help I can put very worthy charities on the car as well! This is one way to help people feel good about themselves in our diverse lives!

Well I am off to Virginia International Raceway (VIR)way next month to race in the "Charge of the Headlight Brigade" 13 hour endurace race with GSM Motorsports trusty VW in hopes of victory!

GSM (German Speed Merchants) are based out of Wilmington, NC and own a great shop specializing in...German cars. They really work on everything but that is their specialty. They have turned out to be a very accepting team and are a group of great people. If you are ever in the area and need your car serviced I would highly reccomend this honest shop...a hard thing to come by these days!

Fireball Run!

I am running in the Fireball Run rally this year hoping to bring attention to missing children and many other causes. It is important for us as a community to try and do positive things for others to see.
Our missing child that we were assigned is Jacqueline Jara Castro. Jacqueline, along with her brother Jonathon, were last seen in Warner Robins, GA. They may be in the company of their non-custodial mother. Anyone with information should contact the Gwinnett County Police Dept. at 770.513.5100 or Child Rescue Network at 877.209.KIDS ext. 82. If you go to http://www.fireballrun.com/ and look for our team (Team G.L.A.M. #53) you can see a picture of her.
I am also looking for some smaller more affordable sponsorships. I am racing in a few high publicity club races in Virginia, Atlanta and Sebring this fall and would like to see some community support.

been a while!

Sorry it has been so long since my last post...I have been in NC working for Roar Racing. I put lots of time in to those cars setting up, testing and fixing to make them fast. I was hoping to get a ride with them for a race or 2 but I do not have the money to race them. The days are gone where hard work and talent get you rides...it takes money. Lots of money. I have left Roar and am looking for a job now as I can not go on living day to day wondering if I am going to be able to pay my bills. My savings ran out long ago and I am not a member of the lucky sperm club. I will continue to look for sponsors and promote myself but until I get one (a sponsor) racing is done. I have a few proposals out there and maybe we will make it happen and I have not lost hope...just need to concentrate on making a living.
Racing is a very expensive sport and I would tell anyone who wants to get into it (on a pro level) bring lots of money. As a tech or team mgr it is different but it will require lots of hard thankless work.