NASCAR was the first professional sport in the country to return to action during the pandemic, holding races with skeleton crews and no fans in attendance. D’Amico’s first race as an employee, which moved from March to June in the thick of the pandemic, set the tone for his work life moving forward.
As the director of consumer operations at EchoPark, D’Amico’s main duty is to sell tickets to the track’s biannual NASCAR race weekends. At the track’s latest race in June, he and his team soldevery seat.
D’Amico, who graduated from KSU with a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management, credits the real-world experience he got through his classes for setting him up for success in professional sports, particularly his time with Professor of Sport Management Bernard Goldfine.
“Professor Goldfine pushed his students and provided multiple assignments that truly helped us gain real experience,” D’Amico said. “The most valuable experience I had at KSU was when he tasked students to organize and execute a golf tournament to help raise funds for the Sports Management Majors Club and a charity of our choice.”
While he enjoyed working in minor league baseball, D’Amico said the move to motorsports was an easy decision.
“The roar of the engines, the atmosphere at the track all weekend long, the massive stadiums, the passionate fanbase, and so much more; it has been an amazing experience since I arrived at EchoPark Speedway,” D’Amico said.