Category: EPARTRADE Race Industry Week

Chip Ganassi, Owner of Chip Ganassi Racing, has joined the list of featured speakers during the 4th Annual Race Industry Week, Nov 27 – Dec 1, 2023.

Chip Ganassi has been a fixture in the auto racing industry for over 30 years and is considered one of the most successful and innovative owners in motorsports. Overall, his teams have 22 championships and over 250 victories, including five wins in the Indianapolis 500, eight Rolex 24 At Daytona victories, and wins in the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ganassi boasts state-of-the-art facilities in Indianapolis, where IndyCar, IMSA and Extreme E teams are located, a race facility in Stuttgart, Germany, and a corporate office in Pittsburgh.

In 2010, Ganassi’s teams turned in an historic season by setting an organization record with 19 wins across three touring series, including victories in the Daytona 500, the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400, making him the only team owner in history to win all three crown jewels of racing, and he accomplished it in a single season. In addition, in early 2011 his sports car team finished off the “Grand Slam” by also winning the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Ganassi became the first owner to hold all four titles at one time.

Following a strong career as a driver, Ganassi created his own one-car IndyCar Series team in 1990 and established a partnership with Target, with whom he maintained one of the longest-running relationships in motorsports history. Today, he can claim partnerships with PNC Bank, The American Legion, Huski Chocolate, Parkland Corporation, Honda and General Motors among many others. Through the years, his IndyCar teams have amassed 15 championships and over 100 wins. His NASCAR teams had 44 wins across the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series, including victories in the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400.

The Duquesne University graduate was formerly part-owner of his hometown Pittsburgh Pirates and is a strong supporter of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. In 2011, Ganassi received an honorary doctorate from Carnegie Mellon University.

No charge to attend.  Click here to register. For more information about Race Industry Week, please Click here.

Steve Phelps, President of NASCAR, has joined the list of featured speakers during the 4^th Annual Race Industry Week, Nov 27 – Dec 1, 2023.

In September 2018, Phelps was appointed President of NASCAR, only the fifth individual to hold this position since the organization’s founding. Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., Phelps oversees all operations, competition and commercial, for the sanctioning body, including the management of 15 racetrack facilities and the IMSA series.

Under Phelps’ leadership, NASCAR has transformed its business and strengthened the sport’s position for long-term growth and success, with a focus on delivering the best motorsports racing in the world, providing outstanding entertainment experiences, and building a globally diverse community of loyal fans.

In 2019, Phelps led NASCAR through the sanctioning body’s landmark merger with International Speedway Corporation (ISC), integrating its operations into one, new, unified company with racetracks across the country. The historic merger helped create an aligned vision for the sport while positioning a now stronger NASCAR for new growth opportunities.

The following year, Phelps guided NASCAR through an unprecedented and challenging season as the industry paved the way for live sports to return in America. NASCAR swiftly implemented COVID-19 safety protocols to become the first sport to return to competition, first to safely welcome back fans and first to complete a full season schedule. All the while, NASCAR stabilized TV ratings at a time when nearly all sports were significantly down.

In June 2020, NASCAR emerged as a leading voice in the national conversation on racial equality and social justice with Phelps rallying the NASCAR industry to reaffirm its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. After leading an emotional moment of listening preceding the race in Atlanta, he led the decision to ban the confederate flag and introduced sweeping DE&I enhancements across the sport – critical efforts that led to a surge of new fans, partners and diverse race team ownership.

In May 2021, NASCAR introduced the Next Gen race car to the global motorsports community – the most technologically advanced car in NASCAR history and a testament to the sport’s ongoing commitment to innovation.

Phelps joined NASCAR as Vice President of Corporate Marketing in 2005. Beginning the following year, he spent 12 years as Chief Marketing Officer and oversaw all marketing functions for the sanctioning body. He was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in April 2018 before transitioning to his current role as President.

Prior to joining NASCAR, Phelps was Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Wasserman Media Group. In 1990, Phelps began a 14-year tenure at the National Football League where he served as Vice President, Corporate Marketing.

A native of Vermont, Phelps resides in Daytona Beach, Florida and has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Vermont and an MBA from Boston College.

No charge to attend.  Click here to register. For more information about Race Industry Week, please go to: https://www.epartrade.com/more/onlineraceindustryweek.