NASCAR announced two new hires today as part of the company’s commitment to implementing strategic growth plans for several critical segments, including youth, millennial and multicultural.
 
Peter Jung joins NASCAR as Senior Director of Growth Segment Marketing, reporting into Managing Director of Brand and Consumer Marketing Kenny Mitchell. Jung, most recently from MasterCard International, served as vice president of global consumer marketing, responsible for youth segment strategies and programs designed to drive a greater preference for the MasterCard brand. In this role, he oversaw the delivery of global consumer insights, innovation and marketing plans that supported youth segment priorities in the U.S. and several international markets.
 
Jung led the launch of core consumer marketing platforms Priceless Surprises and Priceless Music, targeting millennials and other multicultural segments. He joined MasterCard in 2004 and has also held positions in partner marketing, strategy and planning. Jung graduated from the University of Dayton with a BA in Marketing and Communications.
 
Nicole Smith will serve as Director of Growth Segment Marketing at NASCAR, reporting directly to Jung. Smith joins NASCAR from her most recent post at the San Diego Padres, where she served as Director of Brand Development. At the Padres, Smith was responsible for leading all marketing and branding activities with a focus on growing sales and attendance among key demographics including youth and multicultural segments.
 
Smith previously worked at Hewlett-Packard where she explored international business models and the impact of digital innovation, and The Walt Disney Company, where she focused on marketing and branding initiatives. Smith holds a BA from UCLA and an MBA from the University of Michigan.
 
“We are thrilled to welcome two new talented members to the NASCAR team,” said Vice President of Marketing Kim Brink. “Peter’s extensive background in global consumer marketing will provide further momentum for our ongoing marketing initiatives. In addition, Nicole will contribute invaluable expertise that will propel our millennial and youth outreach efforts forward.”
 
Jung and Smith will be based in Daytona and begin work at NASCAR on April 22.

Premium synthetic lubricant manufacturer Royal Purple announced that it will serve as the exclusive oil and lubricants sponsor for the Red Bull Global Rallycross Supercar and Lites series through 2015. The multi-year agreement is an extension of the successful partnership established in 2013, and includes an option for renewal through 2016.
 
“Our partnership with the Red Bull Global Rallycross allows us to tap into the fastest growing broadcast and spectator fan base in the industry. Most importantly we further extend Royal Purple’s brand awareness by demonstrating our products’ outperformance benefits on the track,” said Bryan Yourdon, Royal Purple President. Royal Purple Extreme Performance Racing (XPR) motor oil will be used in both Red Bull GRC Supercars and Lites vehicles in 2014.
 
“Royal Purple has been a key partner to the series since the start of the 2013 season,” said Colin Dyne, Red Bull Global Rallycross CEO. “We are happy to call them part of the Red Bull GRC family, and look forward to our biggest and most exciting season yet.”
 
The 2014 Red Bull Global Rallycross season opens on May 17-18 at Top Gear Festival Barbados and returns to the United States on June 7 as part of X Games Austin.

NASCAR Technical Institute (NASCAR Tech), one of eleven campuses operating under parent company Universal Technical Institute (UTI) and the exclusive educational partner of NASCAR, will host the "Advanced Industries Summit" on Thursday, April 24, to address North Carolina's labor skills gap and discuss opportunities for industry and education to collaborate on new programs that emphasize education for employment.

The event will bring together leaders in education, business and government to discuss best practices for preparing qualified workers, including strategies that integrate STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education in workforce development programs. In addition, participants will learn about Centralina Council of Government's involvement in the Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP), a strategic planning grant initiative through the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration that aims to help accelerate the resurgence of manufacturing in the U.S.

The Summit will kick off with presentations by three keynote speakers, including Kim McWaters, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Universal Technical Institute; Michelle Byron, Director, Partnership Marketing at NASCAR; and The Honorable Miles Atkins, Mayor of Mooresville, North Carolina. Participants will also hear from Congressmen Richard Hudson and Robert Pittenger, and will be able to share their opinions in a unique group forum discussion moderated by Amy Burkett, General Manager for WTVI PBS Charlotte.

The open group discussion will feature a panel of thought leaders, including:

-- Dr. Tim Brewer, President, Mitchell Community College
 
-- Dave Dalton, Chief Executive Officer, General Microcircuits Inc.
 
-- John Dodson, VP NASCAR and Community Relations, NASCAR Technical Institute
 
-- Peyton Holland, Postsecondary Director, North Carolina SkillsUSA
 
-- David Hollars, Executive Director, Centralina Workforce Development Board
 
-- Dr. Brady Johnson, Superintendent, Iredell-Statesville Schools
 
-- Walter Siegenthaler, Executive Vice President, Max Daetwyler Corp.

This is the third Summit being hosted by UTI, which believes that the purpose of education is to fully prepare students for employment. The school previously hosted two other conferences at its Norwood, Massachusetts campus as part of its national initiative to encourage educators, policy makers and community organizations to discuss and develop collaborative solutions to the labor skills gap challenges facing industries across the U.S.

"These Summits provide a unique opportunity for communities to come together and find ways to strengthen the partnership between industry and education," McWaters said. "Our NASCAR Tech campus provides an ideal backdrop to the goals of this national thought leadership event series that we've created as it is a great example of a successful collaboration that has filled a need in the economy."

UTI has partnered with more than 30 manufacturers to create some of the most innovative and sophisticated education programs in the automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle, marine and motorsports industries. These include NASCAR, which for more than a decade has collaborated with UTI on the development of NASCAR Tech -- the first and only technical school in the world to offer a specific NASCAR curriculum for those interested in motorsports and/or automotive service careers. More than 5,000 graduates have been successfully employed in these industries after attending the school.

"The NASCAR Technical Institute Advanced Industries Summit" will take place at the NASCAR Tech campus at 220 Byers Creek Road in Mooresville, North Carolina, from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. More information about the Summit can be found by emailing NASCARTechsummit@uti.edu. Use the hashtag #utisummit on Twitter to follow social media updates during the event.

KMC Wheels, an established manufacturer in the wheel industry, has agreed to partner with Team Lucas in 2014 to become the official Pace Truck sponsor of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series.

“KMC Wheels are recognized for their cutting-edge design and a unique marketing style ‘Like No Other’,” said Bob Patison, Lucas Oil Executive Vice President. “The KMC logo will be highly evident on the pace truck, which will inevitably result in visibility on all CBS, CBS Sports Network and MAVTV broadcasts. And of course, the pace truck and safety truck will showcase KMC Wheels.”

Rhett Sander, KMC’s Vice President of Marketing, said the deal with Team Lucas also includes significant branding at all Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series events, which will further entrench KMC Wheels into the world of short course off-road racing.

“KMC Wheels has opted to involve itself with Team Lucas and off-road racing because the relationship is a valuable asset in reaching our target consumers,” Sander said. “This racing series has emerged as a dominant force in the sport and any company serious about off-road performance must have a presence at Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series dates.”

When NASCAR makes it return to Gateway Motorsports Park on June 14 with the Camping World Truck Series, the race will have a title sponsor.

The 'Drivin' For Linemen 200' will race on the 1.25-mile oval in Madison. The green flag is set for 7:30 p.m. and the race will be shown on Fox Sports 1.

The Fallen Linemen Organization, which has signed a multi-year deal with Gateway to be the title sponsor of the truck series race, is making its first venture into sports marketing.

According to its website www.fallenlinemen.org, the organization provides financial and emotional support and assistance to the families of all line workers who lose their lives while on the job.

“We actually really embraced what their message is and what they're trying to do,” said Gatewaay Motorsports Park chief executive officer and owner Curtis Francois. “The linemen association, and the linemen in general, are often overlooked as first responders and there's a lot that needs to be done to bring attention to them to keeping our lights on.”

MAKE Motorsports, co-owned by Mark Beaver and Tracy Lowe, will have the sponsorship name on its No. 50 Chevrolet Silverado. The truck is scheduled to be driven by T.J. Bell.
NASCAR is making its first visit to Gateway under the ownership of Francois, a former racer and native St. Louisan.

The series was last here on July 17, 2010 when Kevin Harvick won the CampingWorld.com 200. The track was known then as Gateway International Raceway and was leased by Dover Motorsports Inc.

The June NASCAR race is the second part of a day-night doubleheader at Gateway. At noon, the USAC Silver Crown series will hold its second annual Gateway 100.

To purchase tickets, fans can visit www.gatewaymsp.com or call 1-855-722-3845 (racetik).

It was not long after I started at PRI that an interview suddenly veered down a different path, and the racing businessperson on the other end of the phone line said with some urgency that we should publish an article soon about a very important issue: the rising expense of racing. His concern was that the racing industry was pricing itself out of business. I shared this suggestion with the publisher, who said we might just want to wait for a while to do the article. That was 24 years ago. Yet, I can still have virtually the same conversation about the rising price of racing today.

The number of racers grew significantly during my time here at PRI, and it didn’t have anything to do with racing becoming more affordable. Much of it had a lot to do with safety. The number of participants grew because advances in race safety countered their legitimate fears about getting out on the race track.  Also, racing was promoted more than ever as cable TV found it to be a vast, underserved market. NASCAR, NHRA and other sanctioning bodies made efforts to remove the ‘outlaw’ aspects of what people perceived as part of racing culture. Race track owners took aim at the market beyond guys to encourage women and families to enjoy the sport. Acceptable women’s bathrooms, better control of alcohol issues in the grandstands, programming aimed at children, and more all became part of the mix.

Interestingly enough, the years of growing numbers of racers occurred when racers were becoming less mechanical. They demanded race parts that could be pulled straight out of the box and bolted right onto the race car. And many were happy to hand over their engines to professional race engine builders because they lacked the skills and interest. Today’s racers may even be less capable with the hands-on technical aspects of racing. A new group of entrepreneurs has sprung up to answer this challenge—specialty installers of high-performance and racing equipment.

Safety, marketing and customer service appear to have been more important factors than price in the health of this industry for the past two decades. I’ve had many great racing businesspeople tell me—and it’s worth taking this space to mention—“We’re not just selling parts.” They say we are selling the real fun in racing: the experience of being able to compete for the win. The racing retailer who can describe the hot setup for the local dirt track is key in this process. The drag race engine builder who can provide a schedule of horsepower advances per a newcomer’s limited budget is doing the brickwork for the foundation of this industry.

The thrills of this sport are an attraction few other pastimes can offer. Safety swung the door ever wider on who will participate. There are easy, very accessible ways to enter the sport. The racing industry must keep sending this message out at every chance. And when the race fan shows up to become a racer, the industry must do well in shortening his or her path to competitiveness. That’s the key value-added ingredient to the sale of a racing component.

The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum has announced this year’s featured attraction will be the Salute to Champion Steve Kinser special exhibition.

The display, consisting of at least six cars that the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductee drove during his illustrious career, will be in the non-profit museum from June 13 through Nov. 1. It follows similar exhibitions honoring Tony Stewart (2011), Jeff Gordon (2012) and Mario Andretti (2013).

The Salute to Champion Steve Kinser special exhibition will coincide with the King’s final full season on the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series. In fact, it will debut on the weekend of the WoO Mediacom Shootout on June 14 at the legendary half-mile Knoxville Raceway, at which the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum is located.

“This display, featuring the race cars and a lot of other Steve Kinser-related art and artifacts, will only be able to be seen together at one place this year and that is here at the Sprint Car Capital of the World,” said Bob Baker, museum executive director. “This will be a must-see attraction for the legion of fans of the 20-time World of Outlaws champion and 12-time Knoxville Nationals winner.”

The National Hot Rod Ass’n (NHRA) today announced it has signed a marketing partnership with Pilot Flying J, the largest operator of travel plazas and travel centers in North America.

As part of the agreement, Pilot Flying J will have a presence at NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events in 2014. The Knoxville, Tenn.-based company will receive onsite display rights at select events, where it will promote highway safety and provide information on career opportunities in professional truck driving. Promotional video spots on the track big screen and public address announcements also are part of the partnership.

“The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series and its teams rely heavily on professional truck drivers to transport equipment and race cars across the country during each racing season,” said Gary Darcy, NHRA senior vice president of sales and marketing. “This is a perfect marketing partnership for our sport and it provides Pilot Flying J with great opportunities to not only attract new customers for its travel centers, but also assist in their programs to recognize and celebrate professional truck drivers.”

As part of the partnership with Pilot Flying J, professional transport drivers for NHRA race teams will compete in the Flying J Truck Driver Challenge at NHRA Mello Yello Drag racing Series events in Houston, Bristol, Tenn., Chicago and Charlotte, N.C. The most talented transport drivers in the NHRA will compete in chicanes which mirror the real-life obstacles of the highway, and is based on safe driving and the drivers’ knowledge of Department of Transportation regulations.

“Partnering with the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series is a great opportunity for us,” says Mark Hazelwood, president of Pilot Flying J. “It’s important for us to promote highway safety and to recognize the hard work and dedication of NHRA’s professional transport drivers through our Pilot Flying J Truck Driver Challenge.”