The Motorsport Management Program at Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) is increasing its global presence by establishing a new academic journal, “The International Journal of Motorsport Management,” and by planning international opportunities for its students.
Dr. Teague has worked tirelessly to expand the motorsport program.
“We are very pleased to announce that Shell Oil Company has made a generous contribution to our efforts,” said Dr. Travis Teague, coordinator of the Motorsport Management Program. “This gift will enable us to expand our international efforts, as well as address the critical need to provide our students with experiential learning opportunities that now exist in the industry.”
“Winston-Salem State University’s motorsport management program is a leader in secondary education and its expansion into the international scope of our business further strengthens their position,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “Shell Oil Company’s long history in the motorsports industry, including their current partnership with Richard Childress Racing, gives them a unique perspective on what it takes to succeed. This involvement in the expansion of Winston-Salem State’s motorsport program shows their commitment to the future of our sport.”
The journal and expanded international efforts also underscore WSSU’s commitment to the future of motorsports.
“With the international impact of motorsports, it has become evident that an academic journal focusing on the management issues in the industry is a needed project that we would like to take on,” Teague added. “The journal will provide an opportunity for higher education professionals to publish scholarly works that are both timely and useful to professional motorsports managers.”
The journal will focus on the management of motorsports facilities, teams and human resources, as well as the risk and legal issues facing today’s industry administrators.
As part of efforts to expand the Motorsport Management Program on a more global level, the faculty will travel to France this summer to further develop an international curricular component for the program.
“In the summer of 2011, students and faculty will then travel to Paris to study the tremendous cultural and historical aspects of motorsports in France,” said Teague. “They will also study the impact of the 1955 24 Hours of LeMans tragedy, which was the worst accident in motorsports history killing 83 people including spectators and drivers. That accident had a profound impact on safety initiatives within the global motorsports industry.
“As we continue to expand our program opportunities, our goal is to have an annual international experience. These global initiatives are designed to prepare today’s college students for the international challenges of tomorrow’s motorsports marketplace,” Teague added.
WSSU is the only four-year university in the country, and the only historically black college or university, to offer a Bachelor of Science degree program in motorsport management. The program offers two concentrations, motorsports operations and motorsports marketing/event planning.
The program also benefits from an Advisory Council, which represents management facets of the motorsports industry. Some of the members of that group are Childress, Sprint Cup driver Jeff Burton, NASCAR’s Director of Diversity Dawn Harris and International Speedway Corporation’s Todd Ervin.
“With the guidance of our Advisory Council members and supporters such as Shell Oil Company, we are able to provide our students with the skills, knowledge and experience that will make them assets in the global motorsports industry,” Teague explained. “Our work also complements the efforts that many motorsports organizations are making to include more minorities and women in their operations.”
