PROGRAM NEWSLETTER
Volume 1 Issue 2 – Fall 2011
From The Classroom to the Industry
Written by Tiffany Zielke, Graduating Senior
Who knew four years after I
graduated high school that I would
be working with a top-tier racing
organization? I always wanted to
work in the industry because of the
fast-paced atmosphere, but I never
thought I would be at that point
when I graduated college.
I have been interning in the public
relations department at Richard
Childress Racing (RCR) for 14
months and have gained on-thejob
knowledge
that
was
unattainable solely through the
classroom.
Tiffany Zielke, Graduating Senior,
with Marty Smith, Contributor to
ESPN’s NASCAR Coverage
“I never thought that I
would be working in
the industry before
graduation!“
Through my experiences at RCR, I
have
been
provided
ample
opportunities to gain hands-on
industry knowledge in the public
relations field. This past summer, I
was fortunate enough to officially
attend
races
as
the
RCR
Communications Coordinator point
of contact. I have been traveling
with the RCR Automobile Racing
Club of America (ARCA) teams for
the past 13 races handling all
media elements surrounding the
events. This includes handling driver
autograph sessions, driver interviews
and arranging for other media
events.
The full capacity of this position
cannot be taught through a
textbook. There are so many small
things that you learn from traveling
every weekend and working in the
office. When I first started interning, I
worked on stats and small projects.
Once I succeeded at those tasks, I
was given the opportunity to start
traveling with the race team. Those
travel weekends were nothing like
what I expected, but the ability to
experience that before diving into
the job after graduation was
priceless.
I never thought that I would be
working in the industry before
graduation! I never thought that I
would enjoy it as much as I do or
learn as much as I have. I learn
something new every day. I love
how welcoming everyone is at RCR
and how they encourage me. I feel
as though they have taken me
under their wings and showed me
the way to become successful.
I am honored to be able to say that
I work for RCR. They have
accomplished a lot over the years,
and I could not be happier to come
into work every day and perform
my duties.
There is a lot of time, effort and skills
that go into this position, but
because of the experience that I
have gained interning with RCR, I
feel that I am ready to embark on a
demanding
career
in
public
relations. Some people are scared
to enter the adult working world,
but not me. I am excited and
prepared to start the next chapter
of my life, and I have RCR and the
Motorsports Management program
to thank for that, for giving me a
chance
and
showing
me
everything I need to know.
Thank You Mr. Childress!!!
Written by Zena Conway, Instructor
On
October
5th,
Motorsport
Management students and faculty,
along with WSSU administrators,
traveled to Welcome, NC to thank
Richard Childress personally for his
gracious donation of a Sprint Cup
racecar to the MSM program. Mr.
Childress and his team provided the
program with a custom-wrapped
show car, as well as a Motorsport
Management-branded
hauler.
Students and the community will be
able to utilize both the car and
2
hauler as innovative learning tools in
an experiential show car program.
The show car will be integrated into
the MSM program curriculum in
several capacities to provide
students the opportunity to gain
industry knowledge and skills such
as the following: prepare and
execute real sponsorship proposals
to fund the show car program; plan,
organize,
and
execute
the
operational logistics for the show
car program; and develop a mobile
multimedia show car presentation
that serves as an interactive
learning experience for prospective
students and the general public.
The show car will be appearing at
several sites in the coming weeks,
including the NASCAR race at
Martinsville Speedway. We are truly
grateful for the opportunities this gift
presents to our students and
program. Again, THANK YOU,
Richard Childress and RCR for your
support!!
WSSU Motorsport Management – Program Newsletter – Volume 1 Issue 2 – Fall 2011
A Summer in the Midwest: Iowa Motor Speedway
Written by Lindsey Troutman, Junior
Wow, what an amazing summer I
had in Iowa! Over the summer, I
completed my required practicum
at Iowa Speedway in Newton,
Iowa. I was fortunate enough to
meet the director of operations at
Iowa Speedway, Gale Nungesser,
during the NASCAR Security and
Track Services Summit this past
January in Concord, NC.
After
completing my practicum, Ms.
Nungesser, one of only a few
female Directors of Operation at a
major NASCAR facility, took me
under her wings and hired me as
her summer intern.
I have always been intrigued by the
operations element of a race track
facility, and this summer I was able
to experience hands-on what it’s
like
to
operate
a
NASCARsanctioned track that hosts a
national touring series.
Iowa
Speedway is privately owned, unlike
most NASCAR tracks, which makes it
very unique.
Iowa hosted two
NASCAR-sanctioned races this year:
the Camping World Truck Series
race in July and the Nationwide
race in August. Since Iowa is one of
only a few NASCAR tracks located
in the Midwest, it tends to attract
large crowds.
During the weekend of the truck
race, the heat index topped out at
130 degrees, and I must say that I
have never been so hot!. However,
the heat did not stop us from
carrying out our responsibilities. That
week alone, we ended up working
over 120 hours. My duties consisted
of being a liaison between NASCAR
and the track, creating credential
boards for all of the gates and
entrances
around
the
track,
handling minor facility maintenance
issues and stage steps, and doing
much more.
Also, during the race weekend, we
started filming a movie at the track
featuring actor Zack Efron. The
movie was based on a local figureeight race car driver who gets his
big break in the ARCA (spell out)
series. This was the first time I’d ever
been
associated
with
the
production of a movie. It seemed
like the filming took forever because
it required “take after take” in the
extreme heat, and I must say it was
pretty intense. The movie is
scheduled to be released during
the summer of 2012.
After returning home for what I
thought was the end of my time in
Iowa, I received a call from Ms.
Nungesser to get back on a plane
and return for the Nationwide race.
I was told at this event that my
primary
responsibility
was
coordinating the credentialing at
the track.
When I heard those
words, my stress level went sky high
knowing the expectations and
responsibilities this job entailed. This
would be my first ever experience
working with credentials. Since the
Nationwide race is the biggest race
of the year for Iowa, I knew that it
was going to be a challenge, but I
gave it my all and we came
through with flying colors. Everyone,
including me, was very impressed
with how smoothly everything went!
I can’t even begin to explain all the
information and skills that I learned,
and all the people I was able to
meet. It was truly an experience of
a lifetime. Thanks to Ms. Nungesser
and Iowa Speedway for their
support of the WSSU Motorsport
Management Program!
A Salute to Rusty Wallace, taken at Iowa Speedway
3
WSSU Motorsport Management – Program Newsletter – Volume 1 Issue 2 – Fall 2011
WSSU
Motorsports
Management
Students Go to
France for The
24 Hours of
LeMans
Co- Written by Theo Searcy, Junior
and Rebecca Searcy, Sophomore
Dr. Teague, Theo & Rebecca Searcy and Dr. Hand attended the 24
Hours of LeMans
This past summer, the Winston-Salem
State Motorsports Management
program participated in a very
interesting study abroad trip to
France. The France study abroad
program proved to be a very
unique learning experience.
It is one thing to learn about other
countries and cultures through our
studies, but it is irreplaceable when
you can actually experience them
firsthand. This is a major reason why
we benefited so much from the trip,
both educationally and personally.
Motorsports Management students
are accustomed to hands-on
experiential learning, and the study
abroad program felt very much like
an extension of our motorsports
studies.
To prepare ourselves for our trip, we
studied various aspects of French
life and culture. In order to get the
best idea of what to expect when
we
arrived
in
France,
we
researched and presented several
projects that focused on topics
pertaining to our intended travel. A
special thank you goes to the
Winston-Salem
State
University
Technology Center for helping us
gain access to a group of business
school students in Bordeaux, France
that we were able to interact with
and get to know before our trip.
We exchanged information through
4
video conferences and email
throughout the spring semester,
further preparing us for our journey.
The
Motorsports
Management
students in the summer abroad
program focused on LeMans and
the scheduled 24 Hours of LeMans
race. We studied the similarities and
differences of how motorsports
impacts the regional and national
economies in the United States and
France. We also examined the
significance of the 1955 24 Hours of
LeMans tragedy, where nearly 100
spectators were killed in an
accident.
Therefore, a major
highlight of our trip included
attending the 24 Hours of LeMans,
the annual 24-hour endurance race
that dates back to the early 1920s.
France is a country of great history
and is home to many historical sites.
In addition to the 24 Hours of
LeMans race, we traveled by bus,
train, and foot to experience
several
historical
areas
while
abroad. From Paris to Normandy,
Bordeaux to Chartres, we were
immersed in French history and
culture.
We toured numerous
cathedrals, historical landmarks and
museums. It was amazing to witness
the timeless architecture of Notre
Dame and the priceless art of the
Louvre.
stop of the trip was our day-long trip
to the beaches of Normandy,
where
the
D-Day
invasions
occurred.
It was a touching
experience to stand on the very
ground where so many had made
the ultimate sacrifice and changed
the course of world history.
Prior to our trip, we were privileged
to have two WWII veterans visit our
campus as guest speakers and
share their experiences of the DDay invasions. Hearing their stories
really enabled us to understand the
trials that they faced on that fateful
morning as they crossed the English
Channel and stormed the beaches.
Their insight about the war made
our trip to the D-Day memorial
beaches even more meaningful.
Another special thank you goes to
the Triad Flight of Honor program for
making it possible for these two
WWII veterans to visit our campus
and
provide
this
historical
background.
We would like to thank Dr. Teague
and Dr. Hand from the Motorsports
Management program, as well as
Dr. Flemming from the Art program
for putting together a study abroad
program that was both educational
and fulfilling. It is an experience
that we will not forget.
Undoubtedly, the most memorable
WSSU Motorsport Management – Program Newsletter – Volume 1 Issue 2 – Fall 2011
The NTS Motorsports #21 car in line for qualifying, driven by MSM student, Jeff Oleen
Racing With a Passion
Written by Jeffery Oleen, Junior
While going through the paces of
education, most students question
how much of what they learn will
actually be used in “real life”. Well,
this summer I realized every lesson
and every lecture from my spring
semester came into play.
Earlier this year, I was given the
wonderful opportunity to race in the
NASCAR K&N Pro Series West and
the Spears SRL South West Tour
Series with NTS Motorsports —
owned and operated by my close
friends, the Newberry family. As
part of the deal, I moved away
from my studies at Winston-Salem
State and into racing bliss at the
team shop in Bakersfield, California.
Little did I know, I would be taking
my studies with me from the other
side of the country -- and not in the
form of a summer reading list.
Through working on the cars at the
shop, traveling to the tracks,
actually racing cars, and attaining
sponsorship funding, I was putting
the hours of classroom time to
practical use. When the team had
to coordinate packing the haulers
and organizing the arrivals of the
crew and equipment, I was
watching the lessons from Mr. Bear’s
Operational Logistics class play out
before my eyes.
When my
teammate Brennan and I were
5
pitching sponsorship proposals to
our team and figuring out how to
use social media to our advantage,
I realized lectures from my Public
Relations and Sponsorship classes
were coming out of my own mouth
- verbatim. Countless examples of
real-life racing projects were all
prefaced for me by my professors in
the
Motorsports
Management
program. Finally, I was able to say I
used e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g I learned in
school.
This past summer was probably the
best
summer
I
have
ever
experienced. I raced and tested
extensively, and when I wasn’t
racing, I was working on racecars.
Every day, I got to do what I love,
and I soon realized as the summer
ended that I was not leaving what I
love; instead, I was headed back to
school to enhance my skill set so
that I could do it better next
summer.
I am grateful for the
support of my professors and school
as I continue to travel through the
exciting path of becoming a
professional racecar driver.
My
experience
this
summer
has
reassured me that with the lectures
and lessons from classes, I am going
to be better armed for my
endeavor
in
motorsports
management.
Jeff Oleen taking time for a
photo opportunity
“The best summer I
have ever
experienced…”
WSSU Motorsport Management – Program Newsletter – Volume 1 Issue 2 – Fall 2011
New To Our Crew
Written by Zena Conway, Instructor
We are pleased to announce a
new addition to our motorsports
management faculty here at WSSU.
Mr. Roger Bear currently serves as
Visiting Professor for the 2011-2012
academic year.
Mr. Bear brings
tremendous value to our rapidly
growing program.
His extensive
background in and knowledge of
the motorsports and sports industries
provide the program with an
enriching new perspective.
Mr.
Bear has served the motorsports
industry for over 45 years in various
capacities.
Among his many
accomplishments, he founded the
Motor Racing Network (MRN),
developed
and
organized
sponsorship opportunities for RJR
Nabisco, and is the founder of the
Keystone Marketing Company. This
year,
our
visiting
professor
is
responsible for teaching our students
how to develop, sell and acquire
relative sponsorships, the principles of
operations and logistics in the
motorsports industry, as well as how to
develop, execute, and evaluate
effective
public
relations
and
marketing campaigns. We are truly
fortunate to have such a talented,
well-connected, and knowledgeable
individual to join our team.
New faculty member, Mr. Roger Bear.
Welcome to our team!
Fall 2011 Experiential
Learning Opportunities
IndyCar
Indianapolis, IN
Diversity In Motion Camp (DIMI)
Winston-Salem, NC
NHRA
Concord, NC
NASCAR
Charlotte, NC
Martinsville, VA
Phoenix, AZ
Shell Eco-Marathon
Houston, TX
Contact Us:
Dr. Travis Teague, Program Coordinator
336.750.3266
teaguetr@wssu.edu
www.wssu.edu/motorsports