Is it normal for a drift team to offer sponsorship instead of paying for work?

I did almost exactly this deal a few years back with a grassroots drift team, so I can give you the honest version. Barter sponsorships are super common at the local level because these teams run on shoestrings and nobody has cash. The exposure is real but modest, so the first thing I'd do is put a number on your design work at your normal rate, then compare that to what they're offering. If your logo is going on the car, you should also count the wrap production itself as part of their contribution, since printing and installing a full wrap costs real money and they're paying for that either way. Things to nail down in writing before you start: how many events per season they actually attend (ask for last year's schedule, not promises), exactly where the logo sits, and how big it is. Placement matters a lot. A logo on the quarter panel behind the rear wheel gets covered in tire smoke and rubber all day. Door or front fender is better. Get their social media commitment specific too, like a minimum number of posts per month tagging your business, plus your logo in their booth banner and any promo graphics they make.

The stuff nobody thinks about until later: ask for the raw photos and video of the car so you can use them in your own portfolio and marketing. That ended up being the most valuable part of my deal, honestly. Also put a term length on it, one season with an option to renew, and a clause about what happens if the car gets wrecked mid-season or they change the livery. Drifting means contact, so there's a decent chance that wrap looks rough by August. Pit passes and track day spots are fun perks but they're worth almost nothing on paper, so don't let those carry the deal. And meet the team in person before committing. If they're organized and communicate well, it's a great way into the scene. If they're chaotic before you sign, they'll be worse after.

Did a similar swap with a time attack crew a while back and my logo was on the door. First season the shop used the cheap calendared vinyl and by mid summer the edges were lifting and curling from the heat off the car. Second season I asked them to print my section on cast vinyl instead and it survived the whole year looking clean. Worth asking who is doing the wrap and what material they're using before you sign, since your logo sitting on a peeling sticker all season is not the look you're after. Also second the part about getting the raw photos. I still use shots of that car in my own stuff years later.

Seconding the point about getting the raw photos and video, that part ended up mattering more than I expected too. I sponsored a local rallycross car for one season and the action shots the team's photographer took ended up on my website and in a couple of print ads. Got two actual client inquiries from people who recognized the car at the track. Worth asking upfront who owns those files, because some teams assume their photographer keeps them and then it turns into a back and forth later. Also agree on meeting them in person first, one bad sign I ran into was a team that couldn't tell me their event dates when I asked, and sure enough they only made half the races that year.

One thing I'd pin down is what 'a spot at their track days' actually means, becasue that phrase can cover anything from a full driver slot to standing in the paddock holding a cooler. Ask if you get actual seat time or just guest access, wether the days are open pit lane or run to a session schedule, and if guests need to sign the same waiver and meet the same helmet requirements as the regulars. I learned that the vague way with a buddy's track car and spent a whole day wrenching instead of driving.