Gabelli intern feels the need for speed

Marketing Profiles | Jun 22, 2011 | admin

The following article was written by Gabelli student Ade Herbert about his internship with NASCAR. It was printed in a NASCAR publication in summer 2011.

Fans file through the gate. They’re carrying coolers and portable seats. They’re also wearing t-shirts and caps of their favorite driver. Just another day at the track.

Except at this track, the driver on someone’s t-shirt could be their next door neighbor, the local mechanic, or their cousin. At this track, the sponsor logos on the cars are family businesses and hardware stores, and not the Fortune 500 companies of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

And the races at this track are, in one word, COMPETITIVE … highly!

This track is one of many NASCAR sanctioned Home Tracks where rising superstars mix it up with local hard chargers, and the atmosphere here is purely authentic. I have had the extreme pleasure of visiting a few of these tracks with the Revolution Racing team during my internship and I’ve honestly had more fun than at any other race I’ve been to.

From the moment you enter these tracks to the waving of the checkered flag, you can’t help but feel like you’re experiencing what it was like to follow NASCAR when it was a fledgling sport decades ago.

No franchise restaurants for concessions, no corporate hospitality suites. Just race cars, race fans, nachos & hotdogs, and top-notch entertainment! If you ever get a chance to visit one of these Home Tracks, do yourself a favor and GO. Seriously.

ABOUT ADE HERBERT
College/University: Fordham University
Major: Marketing
Funny Work Story: I went to my first Revolution Racing activation my first weekend with the team. When I got there, I found out that the person slated to emcee the event was running late and they wanted me to fill in until he got there. So without any preparation, I hosted the Pit Crew Challenge and NASCAR Trivia Prize Giveaway five days into my internship.
When I’m Not Interning: Making and listening to music, cooking, playing sports
Best Thing about Being a NASCAR Intern: Being able to get first-hand, real time experience in the field that I plan to enter. Also, I’m able to feed off of the energy created by a group of people who actually love the jobs they perform and bring that passion to work every day.
Dream Job: Driver or Series Publicist
Future Plans: Getting in on the ground floor of NASCAR’s business operations and forging a successful career with the sport.