Farmingdale dealership likes role as sponsor

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Five years ago, co-owners Doug White and Charlie Clark decided to expand the advertising program for their DNK Used Auto Sales business in Farmingdale.

“I had always been involved in motorsports so we started to use motorsports as a form of advertising. We decided to use the same format we use in television or radio: saturate the market. Advertise heavily and maximize your exposure,” explained White.

That meant sponsoring race cars or trucks with their logo at the state’s five stock car tracks; billboards and sponsoring races or a race tour like the Pro All-Stars Series.

“It seems to be working,” said White. “We’ve sold a lot of cars to the [motorsports] fan base. We’ve been really pleased with it. We’re starting to see it blossoming right now.

“Besides, we love racing on top of it. It’s a win-win situation,” added White, who has been involved in some sort of racing “all my life.”

White estimated that DNK Used Auto Sales sponsors 18 racing vehicles at the state’s five tracks.

“And we’ve added some recently,” said White. “And they’re in all different divisions.”

People who drive for DNK receive stipends ranging from $200 to $1000 per month, depending upon division.

Potential drivers for DNK are scrutinized, according to White.

“We evaluate who they are, where they race and what type or person they are,” said White. “We had a guy approach us who wins consistently but we didn’t care for his personal situation. So we didn’t hire him. We want someone who is going to represent us well.”

They also expect their drivers to make personal appearances and to put the team first.

“We want team players. We want everyone to work under one umbrella,” said White.

One of their primary drivers is Farmingdale’s Johnny Clark, Charlie’s nephew.

Clark is leading the PASS tour in points.

“Johnny is very good with the fans. You seldom hear the fans booing Johnny. He’s a super clean racer and a very respectable young man. He is the image you want,” said White. “He is very level-headed with a lot of talent.”

White and Charlie Clark are strong advocates of the PASS tour and that’s why they got involved as sponsors.

“A pro stock racing series is the trend of the future and Tom Mayberry [PASS founder and president] represents the motorsports family well,” said White.

Last October, White and Clark sponsored the Big Dawg Challenge, a 400-lap race at Wiscasset Raceway.

The total purse was in the $200,000 range as is Sunday’s DNK Select 250 at Unity Raceway. Winner Sam Sessions of South Paris pocketed $100,000.

“We’ve structured the payoffs differently,” said White. “We wanted to make it more flexible.”

As a result, every one of the 34 drivers who qualifies is guaranteed at least $2,000 and the winner will take home $25,000.

“We’re also paying tow money,” said White. “If you don’t qualify, you’ll at least get $300 for coming up here and attempting to qualify.”

Sessions said it was a “smart idea” to spread the purse money out.

“The Big Dawg was way too top heavy. A lot of drivers who didn’t think they could win didn’t enter,” said Sessions.

They had just 48 entrants for the 39 spots at the Big Dawg and they already have over 70 entrants for the DNK Select 250.

White and Clark will be more involved with the “handling of everything” this weekend than they were at the Big Dawg Challenge.

“We’re enjoying it. It’s a learning experience,” said White, a Rumford native who cut his motorsports teeth at the nearby Oxford Plains Speedway and Oxford Dragway.

“It’s unbelievable what they’ve done for racing the last couple of years,” said Sessions.

Busch North race at Seekonk

The Busch North series resumes on Saturday night at 7 when the Budweiser 150 will be run at Seekonk Speedway (Mass.).

Brad Leighton of Center Harbor, N.H. has won the last two races to take the points lead with 508 but he doesn’t intend to run the whole schedule.

Defending two-time points champ Andy Santerre of Cherryfield is second with 473.

Scarborough’s Ryan Moore is fourth with 449.