Looking Back, Flying Forward
Every year around this time, I find myself in the same familiar place — somewhere high above New Mexico, heading east, watching the clouds drift by and thinking about the season that just wrapped up. And once again, here I am — 41,000 feet in the air after Championship Weekend — reflecting on what an incredible year it’s been and how far our team has come.
A Season to Remember
The past few days in Phoenix were packed with recaps, reviews, and early planning sessions for 2026. Yesterday, I had the chance to present to a group of our partners, a moment that reminded me how far we’ve come this year and how much we’ve accomplished together.
The season began where our sport began — Bowman Gray Stadium — paying tribute to NASCAR’s roots and the passion that’s carried us for generations. From there, we headed to the Daytona 500, our biggest stage of the year, where we hosted the President of the United States. It was my third presidential visit, and without a doubt, the most challenging yet.
Over the summer, our team brought the Anheuser-Busch Concert Series to life, celebrated the return of RAM to the Craftsman Truck Series with burnouts on the front stretch at Michigan International Speedway, and for the first time, took our NASCAR Event Experience international with a NASCAR Cup Series race in Mexico.
That trip was special. We made new friends, embraced a new culture, and witnessed how deeply this sport resonates beyond borders.
We capped the summer by pulling off a rain-free pre-race show in Chicago (a rare miracle), and started shaping an entirely new event for 2026 at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego.
All of that — while delivering best-in-class entertainment for fans across the country every single week.
I couldn’t be prouder of this team, not just for what we accomplished, but for the creativity, adaptability, and heart that fueled it all.
Finding Our Rhythm
This season, we set out to do three things:
- Centralize our resources
- Create a universal framework for our events
- Develop creative solutions for our clients within limited budgets and bandwidth
On the surface, those might sound like operational goals. But in reality, they represented something deeper — a shift toward unity, clarity, and shared purpose.
By clearly defining roles and responsibilities — or “swim lanes,” as we like to call them — teammates found opportunities to specialize, collaborate, and thrive as subject matter experts.
And the results showed.
From the debut of the Great American Music Collective at the Daytona 500, to the storytelling and content innovation on NASCAR TV, to Sydney Sweeney’s scripted Championship moment in Phoenix — each project showcased the creativity, imagination, and collaboration that define this group.
Centralization wasn’t easy. It meant learning to work differently — faster, smarter, and together. But in doing so, we built something stronger than structure. We built belief — in each other and in what’s possible when we work as one team.
Eyes on 2026
If 2025 was about building our foundation — establishing systems, structure, and consistency — then 2026 is the year we go on offense.
This is the year we take the foundation we’ve built and turn it into momentum. The year we transform ideas into impact.
One of the initiatives I’m most excited about is our new consumer hospitality concepts, with the first launching at the Daytona 500.
Hospitality has always been close to my heart — it’s the pulse of the at-track experience, the place where fans connect most deeply with our sport. Working closely with our track-based teammates will allow us to reimagine what hospitality can be — not just as a premium experience, but as a powerful way to make fans feel part of something bigger.
2026 will be a year defined by innovation, collaboration, and acceleration.
We’re not just maintaining momentum — we’re multiplying it.
We’re reimagining how fans experience NASCAR — at the track, in hospitality spaces, through content, and across every touchpoint. The opportunities are limitless. And this team is ready to chase every one of them.
Gratitude and Growth
Of all the lessons this season offered, the biggest one is simple: growth is rarely comfortable, but always worth it.
I’m endlessly grateful for our teammates, partners, and customers who showed patience and trust as we navigated the growing pains of building something new. Every challenge tested us — but each one made us stronger, more connected, and more capable.
As I told our customers this week:
“The fan experience has never been better — and we’re only scratching the surface.”
The foundation is built. The team is aligned. The momentum is real.
Now, it’s time to fly forward.
Here’s to 2026 — to innovation, connection, and a future that’s faster, bolder, and better than ever.
