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PACING THE FIELD

Alumni accelerate top-level motorsports on the track and behind the scenes

By Kennesaw State University

January 12^th, 2026

In many national motorsports series, race days are a scene of controlled chaos.

The days consist of many people representing different areas of expertise competing against one another, entertaining thousands of fans, and promoting hundreds of sponsors. It’s the culmination of months-long work. There are ticket packages to be sold and countless hours of mechanical finetuning before drivers are sent on white-knuckle rides around the racetrack.

In the thick of the action are four Kennesaw State University alumni who have made their mark on professional motorsports. From a former KSU football player turned gasman to a member of one of racing’s royal families, these Owls have a front row seat to one of the country’s most exciting sporting traditions.

Race cars speed on a track in front of a packed grandstand and a large building with many windows. — Fans in the grandstands at EchoPark Speedway watch as stock cars race off turn four during the June NASCAR race.

Man in sunglasses wearing an EchoPark Speedway polo shirt makes a hand gesture, with a crowd and flags in the background. — Gian D'Amico does the Owl Eyes hand gesture in the fan zone area at EchoPark Speedway before a NASCAR race.

Race cars speed along a track, blurring the background of a crowded stadium. The cars are various colors, including orange, white, and blue. — A pack of stock cars race around EchoPark Speedway during the June 2025 NASCAR race.

Race cars speeding on a track at night, blurred motion. The cars are brightly colored with various numbers, and a large billboard is visible in the background. — From left to right, NASCAR drivers Brad Keselowski, Tyler Reddick, Alex Bowman, Chase Elliott, Justin Haley and Chris Buescher race around turn 2 at EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta.

Peyton Moore

Peyton Moore went from rushing quarterbacks on the gridiron to fueling stock cars in fewer than 10 seconds for Joe Gibbs Racing.

As the fueler for NASCAR driver Christopher Bell, Moore plays a vital role in the success of the team, making sure the car quickly takes as much fuel as possible, so Bell spends less time on pit road and more time on the track.

With Moore’s help on pit road, the team has won four races in 2025. He credits his success with Joe Gibbs Racing to his time spent with KSU football where he won back-to-back conference championships and beat Jacksonville State in a five-overtime thriller at Truist Park. He was laterrecruited by Gibbs to become a pit crew athlete.

“The life of a student athlete, especially at KSU, prepared me way more than I realized at the time,” said Moore, who graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Integrative Studies. “I tell people all the time that working on a NASCAR pit crew is similar to football in almost every way.”

Person in a racing uniform stands in a garage, hand on a red fuel tank. They wear a Rheem baseball cap and a black, white, and red shirt with logos. — Peyton Moore stands by a row of gas cans before a NASCAR race at EchoPark Speedway. Moore is the fueler for the Joe Gibbs number 20 car driven by Christopher Bell.

While the driver gets a majority of the credit for a race victory, the pit crew’s mechanical choreography that blends athleticism and routine, can make or break a team’s chance to win.Moore is one of the best gasmen in the garage, having won the NASCAR Pit Crew Challenge during All Star Week in 2023 and 2024.

While Moore has been successful in his four years as a fueler, he has his sights set higher.

“I want to win a NASCAR Cup Series championship,” Moore said. “That’s the biggest and greatest achievement in our sport. I also want to have as long and healthy of a career as possible, while leaving a lasting impact on all the people I work with.”

Christopher Bell pilots the number 20 Rheem Toyota Camry around EchoPark Speedway during the June 2025 NASCAR race.

Race team member adjusts earpiece, wearing a silver heat-reflective apron over a black racing jacket. Others in team uniforms stand nearby. Blurred crowd in background. — Peyton Moore, a gasman for Joe Gibbs Racing, prepares for a pit stop at EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta, Georgia.

Trey Poole

Trey Poole is one of 40 people in the world to do his job: escort drivers around tracks of all shapes and sizes in North America. As a spotter for his cousin, Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott, the Kennesaw State alumnus is the so-called “eye in the sky,” helping his driver complete passes and stay safe during accidents.

Poole comes from a family of racers, including his famous cousin and his NASCAR Hall of Fame uncle, Bill Elliott. Poole himself raced locally during high school and as a student at KSU.

Man in NAPA Racing hat and headset gives a thumbs up. He wears a blue and yellow racing shirt, with a racetrack visible in the background. — Trey Poole gives a thumbs up before a NASCAR race while standing on the roof of the track. Poole is the spotter for the Hendrick Motorsports number 9 car driven by Chase Elliott.

“My dream was to become a NASCAR driver,” Poole said. “As a spotter, I get to work directly with the driver which brought things full circle for me.”

His time at KSU helped him hone his attention to detail, which Poole found to be important in his daily work.

“Learning how to manage my time between class requirements is something that continues to resonate with me to this day,” he said. “Some of my classes would get busy in waves, and it seemed they would all get busy at the same time. That same thing will absolutely happen in the professional world between meetings, projects, and traveling.”

Poole started his NASCAR career in the talent management area of the sport. After graduating from KSU with a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management, he moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, and eventually became a client manager for Chase Elliott at ProSport Management. He also served as a fill-in or secondary spotter for various race teams, leading him to earn the full-time role in January 2024.

Poole accomplished one of his professional goals this June, winning the Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta. Looking ahead, he wants the team to consistently win races and capture a championship.

A line of people in uniform stand on a green platform above a building with many windows. Spotlights shine behind them against a light sky. — Spotters stand along a chain link fence during a NASCAR race with large lights illuminating the scene below.

Gian D'Amico

Gian D’Amico made a career change in 2020, moving from minor league baseball to work in motorsports at EchoPark Speedway. Coincidentally, his first NASCAR race happened the same weekend the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic.

“We had thousands of campers on property and were gearing up for an awesome weekend of racing until COVID-19 roared up,” D’Amico said. “We had to scramble to postpone our events, figure out an action plan for tickets, and service thousands of upset, scared, and confused fans.”

Person in a black polo and khaki pants stands in front of a ticket booth with — Gian D'Amico is standing in front of a ticket booth at EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta ahead of a NASCAR race.

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.

Person in sunglasses and black polo with a radio, standing in a crowded outdoor area. Flags and vendor booths are in the background. — Gian D'Amico poses for a photo in the fan zone just outside of EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta, Georgia.

Gian D'Amico helps two race fans get the information they need at a ticket booth just outside of EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta, Georgia.

Jake Carlisle

A passion for motorsports and a desire to help people has driven KSU alumnus Jake Carlisle to a 13-year career in racing. As assistant vice president of sales for Zoom Motorsports, Carlisle leads all corporate partnership efforts for the company, which is the exclusive promoter and event management team for Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama.

“My family is full of motorsports enthusiasts, and I was raised going to races across Georgia and the Southeast,” said Carlisle, who graduated from KSU with a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management. “It has always been a part of my life, so I have always felt very comfortable in this industry.”

Barber Motorsports Park hosts more than 60 events per year, including the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix, an event on the IndyCar schedule, the premier open-wheel racing series in North America.

“I love creating relationships that drive value for partners and acting as a consultant on their behalf to build a sports marketing strategy that delivers results,” Carlisle said. “We want to build corporate support of motorsports in Birmingham.”

Carlisle’s time at KSU sparked his interest in the intersection of sports and business. After completing his required practicum, he was fully immersed.

Person with sunglasses and event staff badge at a racetrack. They wear a striped polo shirt and khaki shorts. The track and scoreboard are in the background. — Jake Carlisle poses near the scoring pylon at Barber Motorsports Park with an "Event Staff" badge around his neck.

“Real-life, applicable work is always the best way to prepare for a career,” said Carlisle, who worked with the Atlanta Silverbacks soccer team as a student. “I always enjoyed professor J.C. Bradbury’s classes on the true economics of professional sports. I like the business aspects as much as I do the events and entertainment.”

Carlisle began his career working in NASCAR as the ticket operations manager at Talladega Superspeedway, eventually working his way up to senior director of sales for NASCAR before taking his current position.

Throughout his career, Carlisle has been able to meet celebrities and other notable people, but he said creating memorable moments for the everyday race fan is more rewarding.

“Our jobs can certainly put you within racing celebrity circles, but the memories that stick with me the most are the impacts we have had on everyday people,” Carlisle said. “Providing opportunities to someone who would likely never have the chance to meet their favorite driver orattend their dream event is what I will always remember.”