Low Teams Motorsports Strives to Fast Track Dreams

As a kid, Jacob Cagle aspired to someday become a racecar driver. But as the years passed by, the financial restraints and a lack of sponsorship would keep his dream from becoming a reality.

Now an adult, Cagle is mission-driven to keep that dream alive for others.

Cagle is the owner of Low Teams Motorsports, a family-owned company that helps secure sponsorship for low-funded racing teams within various forms in the industry.

“I saw the struggles they were having and even had a few friends who lost their ride,” Cagle said. “As a volunteer sponsor organization, it’s not about the money. We just want them to get a shot into the sport. At the end of the day, what makes me happy is seeing that driver being able to drive.”

Shifting Gears

Launched in 2009, Low Teams Motorsports originally began as a photography service for NASCAR and Outlaw series racing. But the company decided to change focus in 2016 to sponsorship. It is a labor of love, he noted, for everyone involved, including a business partner, Cagle’s adult children, some aunts and uncles, and a few additional hires, who he said become like family as soon as they come on board.

“We don’t ask for money at all from the racers or teams. So, if we can’t find them a full sponsorship, we give them what we can and then put the rest of the money in from our own pockets to sponsor the car,” he said. “We just always want them on the track.”

The racers and teams with whom he works also become family, he noted. Take for example Miller Family Racing, a father and son duo from Palmyra, Pennsylvania who reached out to Low Teams for help in December of 2022. Cagle said there was an instant connection with the family-oriented racing team.

“I have made it my mission to work with them personally,” he said. “They have the passion to get to that championship. I believe they can do that.”

Dale Miller said working with Low Teams has been a tremendous help to him and his son, Jared, along with the whole the racing team, and although the partnership is new, he looks forward to the opportunities that lie ahead.

“It doesn’t cost us anything, and that was a big help to us because we couldn’t afford to pay for that help or to pay for sponsorships,” Dale Miller said. “But (Low Teams) works their butt off to help support us.”

Global reach

Cagle said the company seeks sponsorship for teams and drivers from several racing classifications, including Indy, Outlaw, NASCAR and The United States Auto Club (USAC). Sponsors come from all over the world including the U.S., China, Japan, Taiwan and Canada. Many times, he noted, sponsors from other countries like to support certain drivers or teams based on ancestry. Others, like an Australian-based business, Parker’s Crafts, one of what Cagle terms “in-house” or long-term sponsors, donates funding consistently. Cagle said the craft business has been supporting the organization anonymously since he and the owner formed a strong friendship years ago. Low Teams also reaches out to “outhouse” sponsors, or those who may come and go with sponsorship depending on their marketing and advertising needs at the time.

A match between a sponsor and a racing team is based on four factors, Cagle said. He first determines how well the nature of the sponsor’s business pairs with the racing team and driver. He gives each sponsor and driver a rating, much like a motion picture rating. Secondly, Cagle looks at the family situation of the driver.

“For instance, if a driver is known for being family-oriented, maybe the sponsor is Arizona or something like that,” he said. “We wouldn’t pair them with Hooters or something that doesn’t fit with his lifestyle.”

Cagle said another important consideration when matching a sponsor with a racing team looks at what he calls the B side, or if the race team can accommodate support from the sponsor that goes beyond the financial support. For example, he said a forklift company may want to offer support with product, and Cagle is careful to select racing teams that may be large enough to make use of the equipment.

The fourth factor in matching is based on the availability of businesses in countries. He said if a certain business is not located in the driver’s native country, there may less interest and it may not be a good fit.

“Then what I do after I figure all of that out, I call the driver and tell them I have a sponsor. I introduce them to each other and let them feel each other out and get comfortable,” he said. “They do everything from there. My job is done.”

In addition to matching teams with sponsors, Low Teams is involved in privately funding racing teams who are without a sponsor. The company also handles graphic design work for wraps, diecasts, public relations work, social media management, website development and maintenance and merchandising for teams.

“He even helped us get a business license,” said Jared Miller. “His advice is great, and he always has ideas about where we should go and what we should do. We follow it because we all share the same passion and want to do what we can to succeed.”

Cagle the work is challenging, especially during times of the year when it is a two-man team running the show. But the rewards are always worth it, he said.

Jacob Cagle, Owner of Low Teams Motorsports

Keeping Pace

The work for the company is done during time off from other jobs. Cagle works full-time as a pastor, visiting jails and other institutions and working in crisis relief situations.

Cagle also juggles a full load as a single dad, taking care of three younger children at home. He said the needs of his children come first, and he schedules the rest of his life after that.

“I make sure the kids get what they need, and then I figure out how much time I will need for my regular job and any doctor appointments or medical procedures,” he said. “That gives me how many hours I can spend on Low Teams. I figure in enough sleep so that I can function, and that’s how I balance my schedule.”

“It’s that connection. It is family. It is that bond. That is what makes me happy.”
Jacob Cagle

Cagle said it is important for him to live by a “mind-over-matter” mentality, especially in a cut-throat industry where sponsors come and go as they follow the money. He said he finds balance in the people who truly appreciate the help and those who are eager to help his business initiative succeed. In many ways, helping the teams find sponsorship is much like the philosophy he has about being a parent.

“I have five biological children and seven adopted children. I am adopted myself, and the system is not something I want anyone to go through. For me, no kids are left behind,” he said. “I base my business off of what I do with the kids. I believe that if it wasn’t for me, most of these low-funded teams wouldn’t have a chance, just like the kids wouldn’t have had a chance without me.”

In business, Cagle is able to form a bond with a driver much like a parent/child relationship. He said one driver, Brad, has been with him for four years. Although he has driven since the 1980s, he only reached the top 10 last year with Low Teams Motorsports’ financial backing.

“I was ecstatic. Much like giving my kids a family, I was able to be a part of helping this man achieve the biggest accomplishment he has wanted his whole life,” he said. “That is what makes my day.”

Cagle said he sees that same passion in his 11-year-old son’s eyes when he talks about racing one day.

“I know I am working to make his dream a reality, too,” he said. “It’s that connection. It is family. It is that bond. That is what makes me happy.”

“I don’t care where they place. It isn’t about winning or earnings. I did not get to live out my dream, so I want more than anything to help them reach their goal.”
Cagle

Full Speed Ahead

Despite the great success Low Teams Motorsports has had in giving drivers a chance to race to the flag, he said the business doesn’t come without its fair share of challenges, especially financial hardships. In fact, in 2017, Cagle said he took out a second mortgage on his house to help race teams stay on the track. But he said the organization has always been able to overcome those obstacles, including the need to relocate to Spencerville, Indiana from South Carolina after severe weather devastated the business. Cagle said he viewed the need to move as an opportunity – it became a chance to fulfill his desire to open somewhere where NASCAR isn’t already firmly established.

“Yes, we have Indianapolis here, and there are NASCAR drivers from Indiana,” he said. “But there are no NASCAR teams here. Every state should have a track and certain states have more to offer racers. I believe we could do that here. I have been lucky to have a lot of people behind me, and I believe we can do that.”

The severe weather that drove Cagle from the south not only conjured up new hopes, but it allowed him to take a step back. In turn, he said the move, gave him a temporary break in taking care of everyone else and, instead, focus on himself. This was especially important because Cagle had been diagnosed with cancer four years prior and also struggles with diabetes.

“I learned at that time that I had more than one type of cancer. I wouldn’t have known that if it wasn’t for the move and everything that was going on at the time,” he said. “So, I was able to take that step back and get my health under control.”

His health issues are a big part of what drives Cagle to keep going. The most rewarding outcome of Low Teams Motorsports is the ability to help local charities, he said, noting that his company regularly supports organizations including Shriners, Officer Down Memorial, Ronald McDonald Foundation, Habitat for Humanity and local sheriff associations. One other charity is especially important for Cagle – Riley’s Hospital, which has provided full support for his son’s eye treatment.

Additionally, Low Teams is active in charity throughout communities, funding cart races for kids in New York as well as memorial races, local sporting events and other activities.

For now, Cagle hopes to continue helping as many racing teams as possible with solid sponsorships. He has set an ultimate goal to develop his own team, starting with one car that will allow low-budget drivers to be in a car without worry of sponsorship.

“Some people have to get no pay just to be in a car. I want to make sure these drivers are getting paid. I want them to feel like NASCAR drivers, and I want them to drive their hearts out,” he said. “I don’t care where they place. It isn’t about winning or earnings. I did not get to live out my dream, so I want more than anything to help them reach their goal.”