Finding Her Lane

Alumna takes an unconventional path to a career with NASCAR.

Most fans associate NASCAR with drivers and pit crews. Chantel (Thompson) Carlson, ’14, is focused on the fans.

As senior director of business operations at NASCAR-owned Phoenix Raceway, the UND graduate develops the initiatives that drive fan growth and foster community engagement.

“Everything I do is focused around bringing new fans to the sport,” she said, “or keeping those fans that we already have engaged.”

Building Community

Since arriving in 2023, Chantel has launched educational programs, expanded track rentals, and established a volunteer group called Accelerators.

Recently, Phoenix Raceway teamed up with a nearby district to create a high school with NASCAR woven into its identity.

With support from Daniel Suárez, NASCAR’s only Mexican-born driver, the effort aligns with the raceway’s goal of expanding its fanbase.

Students will have access to Career and Technical Education (CTE) opportunities, including an automotive program with garages modeled after those at Phoenix Raceway. Chantel emphasized that CTE programs in business, medicine, fashion merchandising and accounting all connect to careers within NASCAR.

“If you can dream it, there’s probably a way that you can do something within our sport,” she said. 

Before the Green Flag Drops

Phoenix Raceway hosts two NASCAR race weekends each year, drawing 75,000 to 100,000 fans to the venue that features 41,000 grandstand seats and 51 suites.

For Chantel and the Phoenix Raceway team, the work begins well before race weekend. Community engagement activities start about six weeks before the green flag drops and continue throughout race week.

“The NASCAR fan experience is unlike anything else in sports,” Chantel said. “It's like the state fair meets a festival with a race that happens. There is truly something for everyone.”