When people think of branding in racing, parts manufacturers, tracks, and even young racers with big-league aspirations come to mind. However, several individuals who offer their services to race teams also use branding to their advantage. Tire specialist Wesley Weed, spotter Eric Roll, and marketeer Molly Helmuth share how they build their personal brands.
WeederNation
Photo Credit: Tyler Sontag
Wesley Weed earned a reputation as one of the best tire specialists in pavement late model racing. The list of racers who drove to victory lane on tires Weed set up reads as a who’s who of the sport. Kyle Busch, Stephen Nasse, Garrett Evans, to name a few, all won races with Weed behind the tire pressure gauge.
A colleague once called Weed “WeederNation” because of how much Weed travels across the country to work as a tire specialist. Another person then suggested he develop a line of apparel featuring his nickname. Now WeederNation adorns products such as hats, T-shirts, hoodies, and even smaller items, such as towels for golf tournaments.
“I want people to know WeederNation, but [the line of apparel is] not to make money,” said Weed, originally of Livermore, Maine, but now a resident of Concord, North Carolina.
The racing community embraced Weed’s apparel — which in turn spread word of his services.
“It’s pretty cool because there are so many people that I have no clue who they are, but they know who I am,” Weed said. “Everybody recognizes me now and that’s one reason why I’ve got Joes air gauges on my neck at all times.”
Nacho Spotter
Eric Roll got his start as a spotter because Frankie Kimmel didn’t have anyone else on his crew who wanted to spot for him one night at Indiana’s Salem Speedway.
“Frankie didn’t mind the job I did,” Roll, of Jeffersonville, Indiana, said. “So, I thought, ‘Man, I really enjoyed that.’”
Since then, Roll helped guide several racers to wins, including Cole Williams, a multi-time track champion at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway in Tennessee. Incidentally, Weed convinced Roll to brand his spotter services. Roll dubbed himself the “Nacho Spotter.”
Roll’s moniker stems from his childhood, when his mom worked to make extra money at a Taco Bell. His uncle nicknamed his mother the “Taco Mama” and Roll the “Little Nacho.”
Corey Deuser owns crew apparel company Bear Performance Inc. and uses Roll’s services as a spotter when he races late models. Deuser designed Roll’s logo and a line of apparel to support Roll’s efforts.
“I’m constantly getting hats made and handing them out to people,” Roll said. “If they want to wear my logo … it’s marketing for me and I’m honored to have somebody that wants to wear my stuff.”
Roll has a day job, working as a machinist. He enjoys spotting as a side gig, despite the demanding schedule and travel.
“I’ll never say that I’ll never do NASCAR,” said Roll. “But … in all honesty, I geek out over late model racing. I love these cars. I love the drivers. I love the short-track, Saturday-night-type of feel to it. It’s so cool to me.”
9D Creative
Molly Helmuth used her background in racing and marketing to transition from a driver to the owner of marketing firm 9D Creative. The 9D in the name of the company references her car number 90. However, she kept the name neutral of the sport to attract clients outside of racing, too.
“I’m predominantly motorsports-driven, but when an outsider comes and they have an excavating company, a spa, or real estate, I still try to help them develop their brands,” said Helmuth, originally of Seattle, Washington, and now of Mooresville, North Carolina.
The marketing decks, hero cards, website development, logo creation, and videography she once created for herself she now applies to her clients, including those outside of racing.
“Branding was very, very important from a young age,” Helmuth said. “When I was 11 years old go-kart racing, I was always trying something different to get people to notice me. That carried throughout my career and led me to great opportunities like being a part of [the Kulwicki Driver Development Program].”
Helmuth retired from racing at the end of 2019 to dedicate more time to her budding business. She said 9D Creative keeps her involved in the sport she had dedicated much of her life to.
“I still get to the racetrack and smell the race fumes and hear the motors,” Helmuth said. “The only things I miss [are]the competition, the fans, the whole environment itself, and then obviously driving a race car.”
As Wesley Weed, Eric Roll, and Molly Helmuth prove, talent leads you to success. However, a little self-promotion in the form of branding certainly doesn’t hurt, especially when it comes to finding future opportunities to apply what you do best.
Originally from Vermont, the Outside Groove contributor grew up in the sport, with two uncles and a cousin racing at tracks around Northern New England. Hodgdon now resides outside of Charlotte, North Carolina, where he continues his passion for motorsports through covering the sport for media outlets such as the Outside Groove.
