Sport Management Graduate Helping to Drive Growth of NASCAR

He assisted in weekly racing operations as part of a program that seeks to diversify the stock car empire’s workforce while continuing the sport’s growth among minorities.

Established in 2001, the NDIP offers interns direct experience in fields essential to the growth of NASCAR’s business operations. Mr. Hall had a hand in the planning, budgeting, and administration of races in North America; supervised some racetracks; and even identified partnership opportunities. He was one of 37 members of 2023 diversity internship class, brought together on the 75th anniversary of NASCAR’s founding. 

“Historically in the early years of NASCAR, there was not a big emphasis on diversity,” Mr. Hall said. “But the changing of times, and what this program has been able to do over 22 years, has really helped people of my racial background to become more involved in the sport.”

“As an African American aspiring sports executive, I have a real opportunity to impact the future of the sport,” he continued. “That is so inspiring for me.” 

A native of Oakland, CA, Mr. Hall was eager to attend college in New York City, where sports-related internship opportunities are plentiful. While at St. John’s, he tried his hand at broadcasting Red Storm basketball and soccer games and even started a sport management podcast called “Off-Field Players.”

Mr. Hall graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sport Management with a concentration in Business Administration—ideal preparation he said for a career in sports administration.

“St. John’s checked all the boxes for me then,” he said. “It still does.”  

He landed several internships while at St. John’s that culminated in his work with NASCAR. Among those was an opportunity with the Oakland Athletics baseball team in the summer of 2022, where his responsibilities included helping to research sites for a potential new stadium in Oakland for the team. Unable to come to an agreement with the city, the team is expected to move to Las Vegas, NV, in 2025.

As much as Mr. Hall appreciates baseball, stock car racing has always been his first love. His father taught him basic math in games they made up while watching the numbered cars race around the tracks. Years later, he impressed Timothy McGhee, Adjunct Professor, Division of Sport Management, with research on driver Bubba Wallace’s role in NASCAR diversity efforts. 

That project helped Mr. Hall secure a social media internship with 23XI, a racing team owned by basketball legend Michael Jordan. From there, he landed an event-planning internship at Sonoma Raceway in California, doing that while simultaneously interning with the Athletics. The Sonoma internship led to his most recent NASCAR opportunity, which is based in Daytona Beach, FL, home of NASCAR’s signature race, the Daytona 500.

“NASCAR was founded right here in Daytona Beach,” Mr. Hall said. ”Knowing where the sport is now compared with where it was 75 years ago, when they were literally racing on the beach, makes this opportunity special.”

“The sport’s growth really started with grass-roots initiatives,” Mr. Hall continued, “and that’s what I am involved in.”

NASCAR has an estimated net worth of $700 million. Its three divisions—the NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and the Craftsman Truck Series—generate a combined $100 million annually. An estimated three million people attended NASCAR races last year.

The signature Cup Series is run over 23 tracks, but there are another 30 under NASCAR’s umbrella—and Mr. Hall researches all 53.

“I look at how the tracks are promoting themselves on their websites and through social media, and also what they are doing for the drivers,” he said. “It’s a mixed batch of drivers that includes teenagers who are trying to get their start, the up-and-coming drivers, and the racing prodigies who are well-known. I’m learning different ways to promote the drivers, promote the various series, and help the tracks with ways they can reach out to their audiences.”

Such experience is bound to help Mr. Hall as he continues toward his goal of becoming a top-tier sports executive. The next stop could be graduate school to pursue a business management or leadership degree. Of course, who knows what opportunities might emerge in the meantime?

“Furthering my education is a priority for me,” Mr. Hall said. ”It could lead to bigger opportunities in the future.” 

“My long-term goal is to become a team president, in baseball or NASCAR,” he added. “That’s a good role for me because I am someone who likes to dip their toes into everything within the organization—accounting, communications, marketing. I want to develop an understanding of all the different departments that are within a sports organization.”