motorsports management
Internship Spotlight
Caitlin Shaw, a rising junior in the Abbey’s motorsports program, doesn’t like just studying the ins and outs of racing.
She likes living it. One day she hopes to drive in stock-car racing’s premier series, the Sprint Cup.
“I would love it,” she says.
Driving fast cars is nothing new to Shaw, who turns 21 in late August. As a youngster, she excelled in racing small open-wheel cars. When she got her first taste of big-league racing last year in the NASCAR truck series, she did well there, too.
Her goal was to merely complete the AAA Insurance 200 near Indianapolis — which she easily did. Driving the #1 Toyota Tundra for Red Horse Racing, she started 32nd out of 33 cars but finished a respectable 24th. “It was a great learning experience,” she says. “I wanted to be conservative and just finish — to get used to the truck and build my confidence.”
Shaw now hopes to secure sponsorships for several 2010 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts and eventually make her way to the Sprint Cup circuit.
Does she have a reasonable chance of reaching the top level? Sure, says Humpy Wheeler, chairman of The Wheeler Group, retired president of Lowe’s Motor Speedway and a mover and shaker in establishing Belmont Abbey’s motorsports program.
“Caitlin certainly is a member of the ‘No Fear’ group,” he says. “Not only because she is taking on NASCAR’s tough truck series, but a female at that. Can you imagine a female trying to make the (Carolina) Panthers at wide receiver?
“Winning is almost everything,” Wheeler continues. “A lot of female drivers are, like they say in Caitlin’s native New Mexico, ‘All hat and no boots.’ NASCAR is an interesting sport. On the outside it looks all ‘smile, friendly and pat you on the back.’ But when that green flag falls, it turns into a vicious competition between 3,400-pound beasts (truck series) who give no quarter and have but one goal, and this is to win.
“Can she take on all this testosterone?” Wheeler asks.
He’s been impressed so far. “She has been racing a long time, and she has proven she can win on the short tracks. She has a good personality and looks, which will help with a sponsor; and she shows a lot of natural ability. And last but not least, she is from the home of perhaps the greatest family in racing: the Unser brokers who combined to win over 10 Indy races and races in literally every other sanctioning body in America…”
Born and reared in Albuquerque, N.M., Shaw began racing quarter midget cars at age nine. The vehicles look like fancy go-carts with safety bars running over the top. They generally have four horsepower engines and get their name from being about a quarter of the size of a midget race car.
Shaw showed promise in her first quarter-midget race, in Phoenix. “She led almost every lap and came in second — we were ecstatic,” her dad Kelly says. “She was so upset she didn’t win; she was so competitive. We had never seen that in her before.” She won her next race in Colorado, stunning many at the track. “Nobody could believe that little girl was running that strong that young,” he says.
After rolling up wins in quarter midgets for over four years, she progressed to what are essentially bigger versions of the same vehicles. She began running mini-sprints (about 120 horsepower) when she was 14 and midgets (400 horsepower) when she was 15.
Her last three summers in high school, she and her dad drove to tracks all over the country in a 24-foot motor home, pulling her midget race car on a trailer. They spent the night in Wal-Mart parking lots and at racetracks, rest areas and truck stops. “We ate a lot of frozen dinners, and I slept on a bed above the driver’s seat,” she recalls, “but the racing was great.”
The first summer she ran more than 30 races in eight or more states and had 15 finishes in the Top 10. “She worked on the car with me and learned tons about it — we were the pit crew,” Kelly says. “I was amazed that she was never wishing she was doing something else.”
At a California race the August before her senior year, Shaw heard about the Belmont Abbey motorsports program from a fellow midget-car driver, Jace Maier. She was happy to find a college where she could study the field she was interested in and pursue racing opportunities in the heart of NASCAR country.
But her mom Leslie was shocked her daughter wanted to go move across the country to go to school. “It broke my heart and I didn’t believe her,” says Leslie, who sells commercial insurance in Albuquerque. Leslie also wondered how they were going to pay for it. Caitlin could go to the University of New Mexico at little-to-no cost because of the state education lottery.
Neither Caitlin not her parents visited the Abbey campus, but Caitlin cobbled together loans and money from her parents and the Abbey to make it work. “She was determined; there wasn’t much I could do to stop her,” Leslie recalls. “I’m amazed. I’m not sure where all that (determination) comes from.”
Plus, the more Leslie heard about the Abbey, the more impressed she became. “It’s a small Catholic school, and I really loved it,” she says. Both she and Caitlin are Catholic.
Currently Caitlin is working toward a concentration in motorsports marketing. She is also interning at Michael Waltrip Racing in its marketing department and is a co-host on Race2Win radio (www.race2win.net/). She also writes occasionally for London-based online magazine, girlracer (www.girlracer.co.uk). Marketing motorsports will be her fallback if driving doesn’t pan out, but she sure hopes to be behind the wheel.
“Competing in a race car is such an adrenaline rush — it’s intense,” she says. “The competition and strategy that goes into each pass on the track is what makes me love the sport.”
Internship Spotlight: Zack Skolnick – up-and-comer
Motorsports Management student, Zack Skolnick, a sophomore, moved to North Carolina to pursue his education and his career...
CHARLOTTE _ I recently had a chance to talk to Zack Skolnick, an up-and-comer who is attempting to become a professional driver. What separates Skolnick from many others is that he has a backup plan. In addition to racing, he is a sophomore at Belmont-Abbey College in North Carolina where he is studying for a business degree with a focus on motorsports.
The New Jersey native began racing go-karts 12 years ago at Oakland Valley Race Park in New York. “I’m still racing karts,” he said. “If you look at NASCAR, if you look at Formula 1, they all started in go-karts. Even though I am racing cars I still run karts to stay fresh.” He was part of the team that won the inaugural 24-hour race at Victory Lane Karting Center in Charlotte. He also races a spec Miata in SCCA and has run Legend cars. Read the rest of the story story
Internship Spotlight: Haley Steinkuhler – Daytona International Speedway
This past summer, Motorsports Management student, Haley Steinkuhler, a senior, interned in the Special Events Department at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.
This was Haley’s third and final internship as part of the Motorsports program here at Belmont Abbey College. After completing her first two internships with Speedway Children’s Charities and The Jeff Gordon Network here in Charlotte, NC, Haley took the initiative to spend a summer in Daytona to intern for one of the world’s most famous racetracks.
We caught up with Haley to discuss her experience.
The Experience
Haley spent the summer as a Special Events Intern in the Special Events Department at the Speedway. Daytona was host to three major races during the summer months, all taking place on the July 4th weekend – the Nationwide Series Subway Jalapeno 250, the Brumos Porsche 250, and the Sprint Cup Series race, the Coke Zero 400. Haley received an up close and personal taste of working a race weekend from start to finish.
The first couple weeks of the internship were spent in a swampy trailer near the race track where Haley and a fellow intern were sent to conduct inventory counts on signage and other needed event supplies. Her duties then transitioned into event set up with responsibilities that included hanging signage around the track, constructing VIP and Corporate Hospitality sections, and ensuring that all guests were properly credentialed. Haley held responsibility for the credentialing of the weekend’s entertainment and was a liaison between the entertainers and the speedway on event day. During the event she also acted as a production assistant, ensuring performances and appearances ran smoothly.
“This was my first time working a race weekend from start to finish, and the 18-hour days were definitely worth it!” said Haley.
Once the race weekend was completed, Haley was able to turn her full attention to the final project for the internship, an assignment given to her on the first day; Haley was to devise a brand new idea for an event to be held at the track, and was to present it to 10 senior management members of the Special Events Department, including the department Vice President. “The presentation was about 30 minutes long, and was of the most challenging and nerve-wracking experiences of the whole summer,” Haley said.
The Best Part
When asked what the best part of the internship was for her, Haley said that it was getting to see an event take shape from the very beginning and to work the event all the way to the end. “While the days were long, getting to experience a race weekend at Daytona from start to finish was the best part of my internship,” said Haley.
Motorsports Management Classes and the Internship
“The parts from my classes that really helped in the internship were all of the guest speakers,” Haley said, “hearing their names and learning their businesses really helped me piece together the various parts of the industry and how it all worked together.”
Another big part of classes here at Belmont Abbey College are getting the Motorsports Students to understand how important marketing is to the industry. Haley stated that “even though I am in the Marketing class this semester, all of our classes have touched on marketing, and I got to see how important it really is from signage placement, to television angles, to corporate partnerships.”
In talking to Haley, it was clear that her classes and her previous internship experiences really helped her make connections as to how the economy and marketing worked together to affect a race weekend. Advice to Current and Future Students: Haley’s biggest piece of advice to all current and prospective students is to realize that in this industry “people are the biggest asset.”
She went to elaborate by saying “get to know everyone you can from the guest speakers to internship supervisors, to even your fellow classmates. Be sure to network with everyone possible, get their business cards, and stay in touch because you never know who will be where later on in life”.
Internship Spotlight: Caitlin Shaw, Motorsports Management.
Red Hoarse Racing: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event.Abbey College Student Caitlin Shaw To Debut With Red Horse Racing At AAA Insurance 200: July 22nd, 2009
Belmont Abbey College student Caitlin Shaw is not only gearing up to begin her sophomore year at the Abbey, but she is also gearing up for a career in NASCAR – in the driver’s seat. After she had to miss her first day of classes last year for a test with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team, Red Horse Racing, the 19-year old is getting another opportunity with the team a year later. Shaw, a motivated student and driver, will make her debut in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series July 24 at O’Reilly Raceway Park.
“It’s such a huge accomplishment for me to be able to compete in the truck series. Driving in NASCAR has always been a goal of mine, and it’s exciting to see some of the hard work paying off. I can’t wait to get on the track, especially at O’Reilly Raceway Park. It’s a great opportunity that Toyota and Red Horse have made possible for me. I consider ORP to be one of my home tracks because I’ve been there testing and racing so often with the midget it just feels like home. I think that will help me to focus on running with the other trucks and earning respect from the veteran drivers.”
Shaw has also been successful in applying what she has learned at Belmont Abbey College to her newly established North Carolina community. Shaw recently has visited local homeless shelters to talk with kids about following their goals and staying active in the community, as well as working with the North Carolina chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities to raise awareness for multiple causes locally. Shaw is still very active in getting ahead in school as she has already completed a track-side internship with Toyota’s NASCAR Media Relations to prepare her for future internships with credit through Belmont Abbey College.
“I’m very excited to start the fall semester at Belmont Abbey, I’m taking 19 credit hours in the fall, which will be busy with my racing schedule, but I’m excited about learning more in the marketing field. All of the classes really apply to what I’ve been doing since I was young, but now I can make everything more professional. It’s a great environment.”
Shaw was also recently named the United States spokeswoman for an online magazine called GirlRacer. Shaw uses the skills she has learned at Belmont Abbey to write her weekly column on the site and host events to promote women in all aspects of the motorsports industry.
Catch the Action on the Abbey’s own NASCAR Camping World Series Driver at the AAA Insurance 200 July 24, 2009 live from Indianapolis on SPEED at 7:30PM EDT.
Internship Spotlight: Heather Suggs, Motorsports Management, 2010.
Internship Site: The NASCAR Foundation
The Experience:
The NASCAR Foundation supports a wide range of charitable programs that reflect the core values of the entire NASCAR family. As an intern at the Foundation, Heather Suggs is responsible for volunteer input related to community track walks, and she writes thank-you letters to Friends of Foundation. As the connection between the NASCAR Foundation, NASCAR teams and race fans, Heather makes a real impact on the lives of those who need it most.
We spoke with Heather about her experience at the NASCAR Foundation:
The Best Part:
Working for the Foundation has given me the opportunity to work side by side with some of NASCAR's most influential people. But perhaps one of the most rewarding aspects of the internship is being able to meet some of the people the Foundation has helped. Being a part of something that allows me to not only apply classroom learning and gain hands-on experience in my field but also gives me the satisfaction of helping those less fortunate makes this internship truly special.
Career Aspirations:
After graduation, I plan to use my education and internship experiences to facilitate a career within the motorsports industry. The internship has reaffirmed my choice in the motorsports management concentration because it allows me to see that not only do I love being around racing, but, by working with the business side of the sport, I can still be a part of racing. While I did originally see myself working with a team, I sure wouldn't mind having this internship materialize into a job!
Hands on Learning:
Overall, the Motorsports Management concentration and its related courses prepare students within the program for life after college. By allowing students like Heather to utilize internships as an extension of classroom learning, students gain first-hand experience in the motorsports industry, and the industry recognizes that Abbey graduates have the right stuff to be successful. Furthermore, Heather credits her teachers and classes for giving her such opportunities to work with major NASCAR organizations such as the Foundation. "The classes have helped because it has allowed me to meet many industry leaders I may not have had access to on my own." On the other hand, the motorsports classes help broaden student’s perspective of the industry as a whole. It isn't all about the driver, the number on the car, and the team. "It has helped me understand better what goes into putting on a race event, not only from the perspective of the track, but also of the teams, sanctioning body, and other entities that are involved in entertaining the fans."
Recommendations:
"My advice: Find a niche; if you like an internship, try and keep your foot in the door to continue interning there even after your required hours are completed. Meet as many people as you can and do something that will make them remember you. Better yet, get business cards made. All you need to really include is your name and contact information. That will leave a lasting impression of professionalism and drive on your part. Plus you never know who they may share your contact information with, and it could lead to something very good for your potential career."
