How A Race Team In Japan Used Crowdsourcing To Win Championships

Racing can get expensive — really expensive. Regardless of discipline, the top categories of motorsports can easily set teams back millions of dollars to compete. To keep the lights on, racing operations have two main ways to get money: find someone loaded enough to pay you to drive, or, in most cases, secure some hopefully unproblematic sponsors.

However, for over a decade, one race team has done something completely different. Even while using an old-school Mercedes AMG GT3 with a 6.2-liter V8, Goodsmile Racing finds a way to stand out, as its "Itasha" anime-character livery features a girl across the hood and doors. That's because one of the biggest sources of income for the team isn't someone behind the pit wall, but the fans in the stands.

The best part? It's not only kept the team alive, but thriving, as Goodsmile Racing comes into each weekend as a major contender on Japan's biggest racing stage. Let's take a close look at one of the most unusual racing programs on the face of the Earth.

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You can call it Goodsmile

Big one out of the way first: What the heck is Goodsmile? Founded in 2001, the Good Smile Company mainly focuses on producing cultural goods, such as figurines and toys. If you've seen vinyl figures of anime or cartoon characters, there's a solid chance those were made by Good Smile.

The company's CEO, Takanori Aki, wanted to break into the motorsports world and entered the Super GT series in 2008, primarily as a sponsor, backing the BMW team Studie Glad Racing. The company quickly made its presence known, as the team's BMW Z4 would adorn decals of virtual idol Hatsune Miku.

But looks aren't the only thing making Goodsmile Racing stand out. Since the team's conception in 2008, Aki had his own unique way of bringing fans into the sport with the personal sponsorship program. With this system, fans were given the option to donate to the team in exchange for rewards. Those financially backing the team would be treated to exclusive merchandise like team gear, figures, and models, as well as fan experiences trackside. Considering Kickstarter wasn't founded until 2009 and GoFundMe until 2010, Goodsmile Racing predated two of the biggest platforms to popularize crowdsourcing in the first place.

For sports car die-hards, it's an opportunity unlike any other to back a team and have skin in the race. For Miku fans and anime addicts worldwide, it was a perfect way to collect one-of-a-kind memorabilia of the idol. The cross between sports and pop culture led to the personal sponsorship program being a key part of what's kept the team afloat.

The racing team powered by fans

For the 2025 season, there are a handful of ways you can become a sponsor for Goodsmile Racing. The benefits you get in return are based on how much you spend on merchandise. Drop at least 5,000 yen (about $32), and you've got your name on the sponsor banners. Spend more yen and your name gets bigger on the banners, and you get more exclusive merch. The rewards and sizes are a tiered system, which tops out at over 350,000 yen (or over $2,200). In total, over 1,200 fans backed Goodsmile Racing for the 2025 season.

The best part? These fans have been key players in turning the quirkiest team in Super GT into one of the quickest. The team admittedly had teething issues, struggling to find a good pace in its first three seasons, switching between the Z4 and a pair of Porsches. But a return to BMW in 2011 saw Goodsmile Racing immediately hit its stride, snagging three victories on the way to its first GT300 championship. Following the conclusion of the 2025 season, the now-iconic team has won the GT300 championship three times. Outside of Super GT, the team has also participated in endurance racing, appearing in the Suzuka 10 Hours and even jumping over to Europe to compete in the Spa 24 Hours.

What about you? Would you consider financially supporting a racing team for merch and tickets?

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