University of Miami To Host NASCAR Viewing Party

In January, five students from the University of Miami’s School of Education were selected to participate in ‘NASCAR Kinetics’, representing the Hurricanes’ first entry into the groundbreaking motorsports program. Through a promotional partnership with Homestead-Miami Speedway, these potential leaders in the racing industry pulled into Victory Lane having been declared the winner in the Spring 2011 edition of the ‘NASCAR Kinetics: Marketing in Motion’ competition. The UM team placed first, trailed by Oklahoma State University and Coastal Carolina University, in their first semester participating in the competition.

“We have enjoyed a very good relationship with the school and this is just further evidence of the caliber of student that South Florida produces,” said Matt Becherer, President of Homestead-Miami Speedway. “Certainly this is a way for a future purveyor of the sport to gain practical, real-life experiences related to motorsports as well as sports entertainment in general.”

This semester’s University of Miami’s NASCAR Kinetics team will be hosting an official ‘M&M’S Makes Race Day More Fun’ NASCAR viewing party of the TUMS Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday Oct. 30. The viewing party will be hosted at T.G.I. Friday’s (Coral Gables) and will begin at 1:30 and conclude at the end of the race. The ‘M&M’S Makes Race Day Fun’ viewing party is open to the public and will feature free food, racing themed dinner specials, interactive games, as well as numerous giveaways for those in attendance. The event is part of the NASCAR Kinetics program which offers select college students the opportunity to become a brand ambassador for NASCAR and be awarded a trip to Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway Nov. 18-20.

The NASCAR Kinetics team at University of Miami is comprised of the following five students: Danielle Dasht double majoring in Public Relations and Sports Administration, Josh Baumoehl majoring in Finance and Marketing with a minor in Sports Administration, David Baxter majoring in Sports Administration, Miranda Coleman double majoring in Broadcast Journalism and Sports Administration, and Alyssa Sugimoto majoring in Sports Administration.

NASCAR developed the NASCAR Kinetics: Marketing in Motion program in 2009 with the mission of exposing college students to and educating them about the NASCAR brand. This innovative, engaging program gives the teams an opportunity to work through real-world business challenges facing the motorsports industry. Students will leverage techniques and lessons taught in the classroom to complete case studies and projects.  Each student chosen for the NASCAR Kinetics program is tasked with fostering brand awareness throughout their college and the community. Students who have taken part in the program credit it for giving them a leg up on the competition for internships and jobs in the sports industry.

HMS PR