NASCAR expands Campus Lab Program to WSSU to offer students experience with motorsports
WSSU is first university in North Carolina to offer program
NASCAR announced the expansion of its Campus Lab Program Oct. 8 on the campus of Winston-Salem State University, making WSSU the first university in North Carolina to offer the program.
The announcement was made from the Bowman Gray Field House at a Memorandum of Understanding ceremony.
The program is built on three pillars: exposure, experience and opportunity, said Caryn Grant, senior director of NASCAR Diversity and Inclusion. “The goal of the NASCAR Campus Lab Program is to provide exposure to the motorsports industry, and we were able to accomplish that over the past year and a half since launching the program. As a result, we’ve introduced career opportunity, experience and guidance that has positively impacted participants,” she said.
Students accepted to the NASCAR Campus Lab Program will get real-world experience developing a marketing activation while managing a set budget provided by NASCAR, compete in a case study competition, get a behind-the-scenes view of careers throughout the industry, be paired with a mentor from NASCAR’s Black employee resource group, and receive resume and interview tips from human resources professionals.
“Our new partnership with NASCAR sets us apart as a leading institution in the state of North Carolina,” said WSSU Chancellor Bonita Brown.
WSSU is proud to be the only public institution in North Carolina to offer a Bachelor of Science degree in motorsport management and the only Historically Black College or University in the nation to do so. “We add to this distinction as the first university in North Carolina to offer the NASCAR Campus Lab Program and the first public university nationwide to do so,” Brown said.
“At Winston-Salem State University, we are deeply committed to offering a broad range of academic programs that are relevant to the changing demands of today’s workforce. Our partnership with NASCAR exemplifies this commitment, opening the door to new, diverse career paths for our students,” Brown said.
The program will admit up to 15 WSSU students, who are either sophomores or juniors. Upon completion, each student will receive a $3,500 scholarship from NASCAR and winners of the case study competition will receive an additional $1,500. Also, one student from the cohort will have the opportunity to join NASCAR’s highly competitive Diversity Internship Program. Deadline to apply is Nov. 1.
“This program would allow us to build on our field experiences and would combine with what we learn in the classroom in a real-world experience, which leads us to be well-rounded professionals,” said Juana Ramirez Manriquez, a WSSU student majoring in motorsports management.
Dr. Clay Harshaw, WSSU associate professor and motorsports management program coordinator, said Winston-Salem State University has a strong commitment with NASCAR but the Campus Lab Program makes it formal. Field experiences help students to refine the skills they learn in the classroom but more importantly, it builds their professional network. In motorsports particularly, it’s who knows you and who knows your work ethic, he said.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for all of our students here at WSSU to engage with NASCAR and develop their thinking skills, develop their management skills and get to know professionals not only in the motorsport industry but with the corporate partners that are with NASCAR,” Harshaw said.
NASCAR launched the program in 2023 at Bethune-Cookman University, a private HBCU in Daytona Beach, Fla., where the student who earned the spot in its diversity program was hired by NASCAR. “We look forward to continuing to develop future professionals at Winston-Salem State University and making a similar impact,” Grant said.
Brandon Thompson, vice president of NASCAR Diversity and Inclusion, said the Campus Lab Program adds to the legacy and impact that WSSU has on NASCAR. Earlier this year, NASCAR announced the return of the Clash exhibition to Bowman Gray Stadium – home of Rams football team – in more than half a century, and NASCAR took over management of the municipal stadium’s racing operations from the Hawkins family, starting a new chapter for NASCAR’s longest-running weekly track.
Click here for photo gallery of ceremony.
