The University of Delaware Sport Management Club visited Delaware Motor Speedway in Dover and met with speedway executives on October 15.
The students heard from UD alums Gary Camp, VP, Marketing & Communications; Tim Horne, SVP, Finance; Tanner Hollis, Manager, Marketing; and Rob Lofland, VP, Corporate Sales.
Colin Ward, Manager, Communications; Doug Yorke, Senior Director, Marketing; and Pat Long, Director, Event Operations also spoke with the group.
The students learned about finance/accounting, public relations/communications and marketing/social media/fan experience during the morning session, before photo opportunities at the track.
The afternoon session featured talks on corporate sales and operations.
Bridget Furlong – Senior, sport management major
“After attending our Dover Motor Speedway trip, it was very fascinating to see a side of sport that doesn’t always come to mind first. Seeing how a one-weekend NASCAR event takes a full year to plan is very impressive. I especially found it interesting how other events are formed around the area, such as Firefly and the Zach Bryan concert. Overall, it was fantastic seeing everyone’s enthusiasm to experience a new side of sport, and I could not be more thankful to Dover Motor Speedway for giving us their time.”
Ryan Healy – Senior, honors sport management and marketing double major
“The trip was a remarkable experience that truly showed me what it was like to work for a professional sports organization. Throughout the day, we got to learn from several DMS executives about their day-to-day responsibilities and how each of their roles fit together to put on the annual “Monster Mile” NASCAR race. What makes this venue unique is that their primary event is only hosted on one weekend each year. This gives them 51 other weeks to fill and try to gain additional revenue where they can. They have found ways to use their extensive property to house campgrounds, Firefly music festival, and a recent Zach Bryan concert. One of my biggest takeaways from our visit is that only 11% of their fans for the race are Delaware residents. This percentage goes to show how large the event can be on a national level and its significant impact on bringing in economic opportunities for the state during race weekend.”
Sean Zornick – Junior, sport management major
“It was a pretty surreal experience walking on the racetrack. I never thought that in my life I would ever be on a NASCAR track but it’s just a testament to the power of the Blue Hen connections and network. We all are always looking out for each other.
“All the executives that we talked to were amazing. They shared so much knowledge about the sport industry, and it was amazing to be able to absorb all that information.
“One of my favorite things that was talked about was how much prep goes into one race weekend. The planning that goes into a smooth and fun race weekend was really neat to learn about. Overall it was a great trip, I learned a lot and met a lot of great people.”