Engines Started
Sport administration students chat with NASCAR champ Chase Elliott and go behind the scenes on race day at the Atlanta Motor Speedway.
written by Claire Miller
published on March 24, 2017
Chase Elliott was only 18 years old when he won the 2014 NASCAR Xfinity Series title, making him the youngest driver ever to win a NASCAR national series title.
The Dawsonville, Ga., native, now 20, has made a name for himself in the No. 24 car previously driven by famed driver Jeff Gordon, taking home the Rookie of the Year and Most Popular Driver awards and continuing to secure wins in several racing series.
Though Elliott’s career is still in the early stages, students in clinical assistant professor Tim Newman’s Sport Administration program had plenty to ask him when Elliott Skyped with the group earlier this semester.
“They had the chance to spend some time talking to Chase and his business manager, Trey Poole,” Newman said. “So now they understand what a business manager for a championship driver does, and they also have Chase’s perspective on the sport.”
The experience gave Elliott some one-on-one time with sports fans his own age, some of whom may become fans who stick with him for the rest of his racing career, He offered students a look at NASCAR’s inner workings.
In addition to scheduling the Skype session, Newman’s students were instructed to promote the ChaseU ticket package for the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 5. The tickets included a pre-race tailgate, concert and Q&A session with Elliott, all of which his students helped coordinate on race day at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
The university’s sport administration faculty often look for projects like this to give students firsthand experience in the sports business industry before they graduate.
“The experience really changed my whole perspective on the sports market,” said sport administration student Tyler Tesvich following the race. “It was great to explore a new market of sports that I was not accustomed to. I left the race smelling like gas, cleaning rubber out of my ears, and with a huge smile on my face.”
For more information on sport administration at Georgia State, visit the undergraduate and graduate program pages.
