For nearly 150 years, the Benedictine values of hospitality, community and excellence have shaped Belmont Abbey College. Today, they’re also forming young professionals in a field few would associate with a small Catholic liberal-arts college: the motorsports industry.

At a campus better known for its monastery and Great Books academic core, students now study motorsport marketing, event management, and organizational theory. They learn the business of racing while being grounded in a Catholic vision of the human person, all within sight of Charlotte, North Carolina’s booming motorsports economy.

That unlikely blend didn’t happen by accident.

“It started around 70 years ago,” said Trey Cunningham, chair of the Sport and Motorsport Management Department. A local Belmont man, Howard Augustine “Humpy” Wheeler, was Belmont Abbey’s first lay employee and football coach. His son, also named Humpy Wheeler, later became a legendary NASCAR promoter and served on Belmont Abbey’s board of trustees. 

According to Cunningham, Wheeler Jr. approached then-president William Thierfelder in the early 2000s with a simple concern: The industry needed people who understood both racing and business. “He was having trouble finding people who had business acumen as well as a passion for motorsports,” Cunningham said. This suggestion led to Belmont Abbey’s first “Racing Management” class in 2007, an unexpected campus hit.

The next year brought a business concentration. A few years after that, more classes were added. And roughly 12 years ago, Belmont Abbey launched one of the first undergraduate motorsport-management degrees in the country. Today, the program enrolls around 65 undergraduates and, as of this fall, 20 students in its new Master of Arts program.

Classroom and Track

For students like senior James Sicree of Pennsylvania, the program was a lifeline at a moment when his plans were faltering. Assuming he would never attend college, he had trained as an apprentice mechanic in high school, worked in a body shop and became involved in the drift scene.

“I was kind of stuck in my hometown,” he recalled. His father, from a large Catholic family, mentioned Belmont Abbey’s program almost in passing. Sicree ignored it at first, then reconsidered during a difficult gap year. 

“One day I thought, ‘I’ll give this a shot,’” he said. A campus visit and meeting with Quinn Beekwilder, assistant professor and coordinator for the program, sealed his decision. “I looked at the campus and really liked it. I thought I could make this work, and then it just grew on me.”

Senior Michael O’Brien’s path was quieter, but just as decisive. From North Carolina, he arrived intending to major in business management. “I saw that there was a motorsports management program and said, ‘Hey, that looks pretty cool,’” he remembered. Two introductory classes later, he was hooked. “I did not regret switching my major at all.”

Both students told the Register that the program’s strength is its hands-on approach. They travel to major races in cities such as Daytona, Nashville, Tampa, St. Petersburg and Atlanta; volunteer at local events; and receive one-on-one professional feedback in small classroom settings. O’Brien’s senior seminar is taught by Mo Murray, CEO of Ligier Automotive North America. “He’ll take 20 minutes out of class to talk through what each of us could do better,” O’Brien shared. “It’s very helpful.”

These experiences are intentionally paired with conversations about professional ethics and Benedictine values, both in the classroom and on the road. “We have these discussions with students before we go out so that they live it and learn it in real time,” Cunningham said.

A Growing Network

Because Belmont Abbey is merely minutes away from NASCAR teams, agencies and tracks, students and alumni have formed a visible presence across the industry.

Justin Swilling, a 2015 graduate, grew up attending NASCAR races in Georgia. He noticed early on that the sport required far more than drivers and mechanics. “I would go to the races and would just see how many different people it took to move the sport forward,” he told the Register.

Now in NASCAR’s marketing services department, Swilling manages relationships with race teams and drivers and serves as project lead for the 2026 NASCAR Clash exhibition event. He credits his college years for giving him the access and experience he needed.

“At any point you could be on campus and, within a 20-minute drive, be at a NASCAR racetrack or at the NASCAR Charlotte office or at a race team,” he said. According to Swilling, guest speakers, professors, internships and alumni connections “were really next to none.”

Belmont Abbey’s alumni network now stretches across the motorsports world. Students are encouraged to contact organizations directly, arrange meetings and volunteer at events. Swilling’s own department now hosts a summer internship and continues to welcome Belmont Abbey students for job-shadowing opportunities. 

For alumnus Michael Laheta, the school’s influence extended far beyond professional ties. When he worked in Charlotte after graduation in 2012, he regularly saw Belmont Abbey alumni and professors at daily Mass in Uptown. “You would continue to have relationships with these people and meet up with them after work or for coffee,” he said. “That depth of relationships is obviously a testament to the college.”

In addition to working in brand partnerships for FloSports, Laheta now teaches “Revenue Generation in Motorsports” for Belmont Abbey’s online graduate program. His liberal-arts education, he said, gave him the adaptability his career demanded. “The world of business is changing so fast with technology and AI,” he noted. “More than learning any particular skill, it’s that ability to take whatever is coming next and put it through the filter that Belmont Abbey helps you build.”

He learned that lesson in an unexpected way. Though never drawn to theater, he enrolled in “Theater Appreciation” as a freshman to fulfill an arts credit. He now calls it the most “useful class” of his career. “I had to learn how to be comfortable with being uncomfortable,” he shared. “Now when I’m in a boardroom with a Fortune 500 executive, it’s not as uncomfortable as it may have been if I didn’t take that class.”

Faith in the Bible Belt

The cultural environment of the South also shapes the program’s students. Most races begin with prayer, typically led by a Protestant minister. For Sicree, that context sharpened his Catholic identity. “You have to kind of stand out as a Catholic,” he shared. “You can’t really be lukewarm. If you tell people you’re Catholic, you have to own up to it.”

He sees motorsports as a promising industry for a deeper Christian presence. Modern safety advances mean the sport is no longer the daredevil world it once was. “It consists more of being entertainers and using that entertainment to the glory of God,” he said.

His own internship with NASCAR Racing Experience has already shown him how powerful the human element of the sport can be. He travels to tracks around the country, helping guests buckle into retired race cars. One ride-along participant left a lasting impression.

“He told me, ‘I’ve wanted to do this for a while. I have stage-four cancer, and it’s terminal,’” Sicree recalled. “It was something his kids bought him. It’s really cool to be part of something that helps people’s dreams come true like that.”

Shaping an Industry

The motorsports economy surrounding Charlotte is enormous. More than 90% of NASCAR teams are headquartered there, and its tracks and attractions draw millions. Laheta witnessed that impact firsthand while working at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, a major driver of tourism for both NASCAR enthusiasts and newcomers to the sport alike. 

In 2025 alone, motorsports contributed $3.2 billion in total economic output to North Carolina, supporting nearly 19,800 jobs and generating $1.35 billion in wages and benefits, according to a recent study by Performance Racing Industry. PRI also found that the industry generated $707.02 million in total economic output and $267.05 million in wages and benefits in Mecklenburg County, where Charlotte is located. Graduates entering the field are stepping into a thriving industry where their skills and ethical grounding can make a tangible difference. 

Belmont Abbey envisions its contribution’s growth. Students like O’Brien are interviewing for internships in supply-chain operations and administrative roles. Sicree hopes more Catholic colleges will notice what is possible. “The motorsports industry has a very limited amount of Christian presence in it,” he noted. “The fact that we’re a Catholic liberal-arts college with this whole major really stands out.”

For Cunningham, the program’s mission is simple: Help students find a path into a field they love and shape that field through their character. He sees Belmont Abbey as an example of how Catholic institutions can embrace new industries without losing their identity.

“We do a lot on top of the classroom,” he said. “It makes a huge impact on the development of the overall student.” And as the industry continues to grow, those students and graduates will bring not only skill and passion, but also the ethical and professional grounding their education instilled. 

What’s Happening?

The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season is here, and with that comes a flurry of new paint schemes for fan favorite NASCAR teams like Hendrick Motorsports. Here are all the new looks HMS will have during the 2026 season.

Kyle Larson No. 5

Sponsors:

While more paint schemes will roll off the floor for Larson as the season draws near, to the surprise of a few, Larson will once again pilot the Ricky Hendrick-inspired Hendrickcars.com No. 5 in 2026.

Hendrickcars.com

The Daytona 500 twin qualifying races, which were commonly known as the Daytona Duels, have received a massive title change ahead of the beginning of the 2026 season. The iconic race kept its name for multiple decades and was a highly revered destination for drivers to win. However, now, following a fallout with the common sponsors such as Gatorade, Budweiser, and Can-Am, the sport has decided to change the name completely.

NASCAR is currently going through a difficult phase financially and losing the trust of many people in the sport. The 23XI-FRM charter lawsuit was definitely one of the more challenging moments for the sport in recent times. Since the case revealed many shocking things about the leadership of NASCAR, some sponsors feel obliged to take a step back and rethink their sponsorship options.

In a shocking turn of events, the common sponsors of the Daytona Duels have refused to pay the asking fee to include their name in the titles as the sport looked for other options. NASCAR did not publicly announce the news; rather, they slyly changed the name and revealed it on the 2026 Daytona 500 flyer. The new name is now set to be America 250 Florida Duels at Daytona.

It will certainly be a bit mouthful for the people who are used to the old and short name of the Daytona Duels. Amid the sport losing core audiences because of its money-hungry business model, this name change will definitely upset many old fans. The 2026 season might also reportedly witness changes to the playoff format. This change is being seen as a positive change by many people, and it will be very exciting to witness what the sport has in store next.

NASCAR NEWS: WITHOUT A SPONSOR FOR THE DAYTONA DUELS, NASCAR FORCED TO CHANGE NAME https://t.co/Qz6NcAsOAL For decades, Daytona 500 twin qualifying races, also known as the Daytona Duels, have been sponsored by brands like Gatorade, Budweiser, and Can-Am. Now, without a sponsor…

— AutoRacing1.com (@AutoRacing1) December 28, 2025

Daytona Speedway President opens up on the shocking name change

The President of Daytona International Speedway, Frank Kelleher, is in favor of the change despite many old fans seemingly against the renaming of the iconic race. Kelleher pointed out how historic Daytona actually is and the depth it holds in the hearts and minds of many people in NASCAR. He boldly claimed that winning the Daytona 500 was the pinnacle of NASCAR, something that every driver wants to achieve.

Bubba Wallace recently won at the Daytona 500 and was extremely overjoyed at winning such an iconic race. Frank Kelleher continued that winning a NASCAR championship was certainly a milestone, but winning at Daytona was a completely different level of achievement for many. Kelleher highlighted that opening and closing races at Daytona make the racing destination all the more exciting.

Winning the DAYTONA 500 is the pinnacle of our sport – the race every driver wants most, A championship is a career milestone, but the DAYTONA 500 stands alone. Opening the season with the DAYTONA 500 and closing the regular season with one last shot to race into the NASCAR Playoffs keeps The World Center of Racing at the heart of sport’s biggest moments.

Frank Kelleher said, as reported by autoracing1.

The 2026 season will witness many changes to NASCAR, as 23XI and FRM will also regain their charter status. The coming season seems action-packed with exciting changes as many drivers hope to remain competitive from the get-go. Despite the uncertainty behind the name change right now, the love for Daytona will remain the same, and fans will show up in the same numbers as before and root for their favorite drivers to win.

Read More: Denny Hamlin’s Parents’ North Carolina House Consumed by Fire

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BMW has been racing motorcycles longer than cars, and started winning championships on two wheels in the mid-Twenties. Now, 100 years later, BMW Motorrad Motorsport is still winning titles and had a very successful 2025. Overall, BMW Motorrad teams and riders had 411 podium finishes with 169 wins in 2025. BMW won the FIM World Superbike championship and wrapped up 12 additional titles with customer teams and riders.

In the FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK), factory rider Toprak Ratzgatlioglu won the World Championship for a second consecutive year with a BMW M 1000 RR and the RoKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK team.

“Toprak’s successful title defense in WorldSBK will remain unforgettable, with no fewer than 21 wins in 36 races,” said Head of BMW Motorrad Motorsport Sven Blusch. “In the FIM Endurance World Championship, we were also on course for the title in a dramatic finale until just minutes before the finish, before a technical issue prevented this potentially historic success for the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team. But next year we will have another chance to become world champions in endurance racing as well.”

Toprak Ratzgatlioglu won his second consecutive FIM Superbike World Championship.

BMW Motorrad customer teams had great success around the world with the M 1000 RR, winning 12 titles, including two here in the U.S. Cameron Beaubier won the MotoAmerica Superbike championship with Tytlers Cycle Racing, and Andrew Lee won the MotoAmerica Superstock championship with the Orange Cat Racing team. “The BMW M 1000 RR is one of the best bikes in international racing—and this season once again showed that our customers can rely on it in championships around the globe,” said Uwe Geyer, Head of BMW Motorrad Customer Racing. “We are proud to be able to provide private teams and riders with such a strong package.”

Davey Todd on his way to a win on the streets of Macau.

BMW Motorrad Motorsport was also victorious in some of the most prestigious standalone road races in 2025. Davey Todd and Michael Dunlop finished one-two in the Isle of Mann Tourist Trophy, and Todd also won three of the five races that make up the North West 200, while Dunlop won the other two. Todd also won the Macau Motorcyle Grand Prix, with BMW riders Peter Hickman and Erno Kostamo finishing second and third to make it a BMW podium sweep. “All these successes fill us with great pride,” said Sven Blusch. “They prove that the BMW M 1000 RR is a true winning motorcycle and that our global BMW Motorrad Motorsport family is stronger than ever.”

—David Haueter
[Photos courtesy BMW]

The International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) has acquired the historic motorsports facility in Millington, Tennessee, previously known as Memphis International Raceway, as of December 23, 2025. Opened in the late 1980s, it has a storied history in American motorsports, having hosted major drag racing events and was once sanctioned by IHRA itself. The acquisition aims to revitalize the facility as a multi-use destination for drag racing, stock car events, and community engagement, reflecting IHRA’s commitment to the region and its economic potential. Local officials praise the acquisition, highlighting its positive impact on tourism and local businesses.

By the Numbers

• Facility opened in the late 1980s.
• Acquisition finalized on December 23, 2025.
• Previously hosted major drag racing events.

State of Play

• Facility under IHRA ownership will support diverse racing events.
• IHRA plans to begin facility improvements and operational preparations soon.

What’s Next

IHRA will announce updates and improvements as revitalization efforts commence, with a focus on reestablishing the facility as a premier racing destination. Future schedules and programming details will be shared shortly.

Bottom Line

This acquisition not only honors the legacy of Memphis Motorsports Park but also positions it for renewed success within the motorsports community, fostering economic growth and community engagement for years to come.

Kohr Motorsports will have a special paint scheme on its No. 60 Ford Mustang GT4 in the 2026 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season-opener at the Daytona Road Course.

Biffle, who was named one of NASCAR’s 75 greatest drivers and a winner of 56 races across all three national divisions of the sport, was tragically killed in a plane crash in Statesville, North Carolina, earlier this month. He was among seven killed in the tragic accident, including his wife Cristina, son Ryder, and daughter Emma.

The Kohr Motorsports entry will resemble the car Biffle drove to the 2002 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts (then known as Grand National) Series championship. Evan Slater and Ray Mason will share driving duties

53 of of Biffle’s 56 wins, including all 19 of his Cup victories came with Ford.

“In light of last week’s tragedy involving one of Nascar’s 75 Greatest Drivers and off track Humanitarian, Greg Biffle [including his family & friends],” said the team in a social media statement.

“KOHR Motorsports will be running a tribute 2002 NASCAR Busch Championship No.60 Ford livery on our IMPC No.60 Ford Mustang GT4 during the upcoming IMSA Roar Before The 24 and 4 Hour BMW M Endurance Michelin Pilot Challenge.”

The event takes place on Friday, January 23rd, with the green flag flying around 1:45pm EST.

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– The Motorsport.com Team