How can young or unknown athletes get noticed by major sponsors?

Joe Parsons actively seeks out young, unknown athletes rather than waiting for them to approach him. He looks for 'the next generation' to gamble on - athletes who have no bad marketing habits because they've never had sponsors before. He goes to races, talks to the right people, and asks 'Is he the next kid? Does he have the potential?' He can gamble on a young athlete for 5-10 thousand dollars with potential for a 10-year relationship, rather than paying $100,000 for an established champion. His advice for athletes: 'Bang on 10 doors and one's going to open. Don't give up - keep banging on doors.'