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Student Transitions From Abbey Motorsports To Jeff Gordon

Graduates from the Abbey’s Motorsports Management program have success in the Industry.

Dan Guffey traded jump shots for motor sports moxie after transferring to Belmont Abbey College two years ago.

Guffey, a graduate of Forestview High (Gaston County), was one of nine Abbey seniors who graduated May 15 from the Motorsports Management program at the Abbey.

Twenty-six students have graduated from the program from its inception in the spring of 2007 through last year. Students in the program major in Business Administration with a concentration in Motorsports Management.

But Guffey wasn’t one of the graduates handed his diploma. Instead, he was working as the Assistant Director of Internet Operations for Jeff Gordon Inc.

“I officially went from two years of ‘intern Dan’ to an employee as of last Saturday,” Guffey said.

In his new job, Guffey handles web-related and motor sports related content for the company’s website and updates social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

“In order to be successful in any business, you have to have a strong web presence,” Guffey said. “While advertising may typically be static social media is interactive and encouraging so it allows fans to be part of the process.”

Guffey gained employment through his third internship. All students in the motor sports program are required to have three internships.

“For anyone that would be into the business side of motor sports, I would definitely say it is the right place to be,” Guffey said.

Tracy Rishel, Director of the Motorsports program at Belmont Abbey College, said the program works to teach students the skills the racing industry wants. Sixteen of the twenty-six students who graduated from the program in 2007-2009 gained jobs in the motor sports industry.

“I think we’ve been very successful in getting students placed in various positions given the state of the economy,” Rishel said.

The College has been tweaking the curriculum, adapting it to new technology.

“One of the hot things right now is social networking,” Rishel said. “We’ve had a lot of demand for students to work in the industry in social networking.”

Another focus for the program is gaining more nationwide attention.

“It’d be nice to have a broader reach nationally,” Rishel said. “We have students from all over the nation, so I guess our name is getting out.”

Permission to reprint article granted by the authorAmanda Memrick, staff writer, The Gaston Gazette. www.gastongazette.com. To view the article at The Gaston Gazette, click here.

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