Centenary College has been Selected for the NASCAR Kinetics: Marketing in Motion Case Study Competition

Hackettstown, N.J. – Centenary College has been selected to participate in the NASCAR Kinetics: Marketing in Motion Case Study Competition this Fall.

Centenary, along with 17 different institutions, will be competing for a NASCAR-sanctioned race weekend experience in November in Miami.  Each student who meets the standards of work in the program will be eligible to receive a personalized letter of recommendation from NASCAR and will have the opportunity to apply for various internships and positions.

The Centenary team will be led by senior Timothy Adams from Dover, N.J. and the following student team members: Christina Carrillo from Glen Rock, N.J., Courtney Pyatt from Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Jason Verrico from Newton, N.J. and Arden Wright from Coatesville, Pa.

NASCAR developed the NASCAR Kinetics: Marketing in Motion program in 2009 with the mission of exposing college students to and educating them about the NASCAR brand.  This program gives the teams an opportunity to work through real-world business challenges facing the motorsports industry.  Each student chosen for this program is considered an official NASCAR brand ambassador and must foster brand awareness of NASCAR throughout the campus community and beyond. 

In addition, the Centenary team must complete two case studies.  The first case study will ask students to create a comprehensive sales and marketing strategy that will help increase Activision sales of NASCAR video games.  The second case study will challenge each team to deliver creative ideas that will help Michael Waltrip Racing showcase one of their star drivers, Martin Truex, Jr. 

“You can turn on the TV and see the excitement of cars racing around the track.  It is equally as exciting to engage the youth of America in our sport,” says Michael Waltrip, Founder and Co-Owner of Michael Waltrip Racing.  “Our sport is so diverse from the cars to the sponsors; it takes every piece operating at a top level in order to be successful.  We love leaning on these students and universities to help get some fresh ideas.”

The students will then conclude their efforts by managing a viewing party for the Hollywood Casino 400 race at Kansas Speedway at 1 p.m. on October 21, 2012 at Donaldson’s Farms in Mansfield.  Members of the community are invited and will receive free NASCAR giveaways for their participation. The Centenary team will partner with Pocono Raceway on this initiative.

NASCAR Kinetics is available every fall and spring semester to teams of five students who are chosen from each participating college.  Eligible students must be at least a sophomore with a minimum 2.75 GPA and pursuing a degree or concentration in sport management, sport marketing, business, management, marketing, public relations, communications, journalism, advertising or broadcasting.  These students work together to produce one submission for each case student, while concurrently planning and executing a viewing parting of a NASCAR Spring Cup Series race.

“It is an honor for the Centenary team to be chosen to participate in this initiative,” says David Perricone, Assistant Professor of Sports Management at Centenary College.  “This team is strong and will work really hard to provide NASCAR with the results that they are seeking to win the NASCAR weekend experience in November. This is also great real world experience for them that will be valuable to them when they are seeking employment opportunities in the industry.”

For more information about this opportunity, please call Timothy Adams at (973) 262-4233.

Founded in 1867 by the Newark Conference of the United Methodist Church, Centenary College’s academic program integrates a solid liberal arts foundation with a strong career orientation. This mix is designed to provide an educational experience that prepares students to succeed in the increasingly global and interdependent world.

Centenary College’s main campus is located in Hackettstown, N.J., with its equestrian facility in Washington Township (Morris County).  The Centenary College School of Professional Studies offers degree programs in three locations: Hackettstown, Parsippany and Edison, and at corporate sites throughout New Jersey.  The School of International Programs recruits international students for study at Centenary and Centenary students for study abroad.
 
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