ALLIES
Women will never achieve equality without the support of men, so WIMNA highlights our male “allies” who are believers and helpful advocates.
Scott Atherton
President, International Motor Sports Association - Retired
Hometown | Residence:
Seattle, WA | New Smyrna Beach, FL
First Year in Racing: 1973
Greatest Accomplishment:
President of IMSA for 20 years; directly involved with the launch and building of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) into the premier professional sportscar racing championship.
Advice:
Be open to accepting a position far below your expectations and capabilities. Be willing to start at the bottom just to get “in.” I took a job as the show-car truck driver and ended up as President & CEO of one of the largest and most diversified motorsports companies in the world – Panoz Motor Sports Group.
Jacob Bergenske
Bosch - Director of Motorsport - North America
Hometown | Residence:
Madison, WI | Ann Arbor, MI
First Year in Racing: 1998
Greatest Accomplishment:
2011 Le Mans GTE Pro Overall Win
Advice:
Things come to those who wait, but only what is left behind by those who hustle.
- WIMNA Working Group
Kevin Besecker
Crew Chief, Chief Mechanic, Driving Coach
Hometown | Residence:
Greenville, OH | New Castle, IN
First Year in Racing: 1983
Greatest Accomplishment:
Helping young drivers develop into national contenders.
Advice:
LWork in silence, let your success be the noise.
J Douglas Boles
Indianapolis Motor Speedway, President
Hometown | Residence:
Indianapolis, IN | Zionsville, IN
First Year in Racing: 1992
Greatest Accomplishment:
Being part of the team that executed the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500.
Advice:
Leadership starts with empowering others to succeed.
Ryan Carignan
Owner, RKC Creations
Hometown | Residence:
Laconia, NH | Nashville, TN
First Year in Racing: 2017
Greatest Accomplishment:
Porsche Panorama article covering the Pfaff Motorsports Porsche at the 2020 Rolex 24 at Daytona
Advice:
Every failure is an opportunity for improvement.
Colin Chambers
The Chambers Group - Principal
Hometown | Residence:
Brooklyn, NY | Lime Rock, CT
First Year in Racing: 1998
Greatest Accomplishment:
Being part of a team organizing a yearlong celebration that honors Skip Barber, a visionary leader whose passion and dedication to motorsport have left an indelible mark on countless lives.
Advice:
In the competitive world of motorsport, victory doesn’t belong to just the driver—it’s a collective of skill, dedication, and teamwork. No matter your position on the team, never settle for anything less than your absolute best.
- WIMNA Working Group
Jacques Dallaire
Performance Prime, President
Hometown | Residence:
Concord, NC | Concord, NC
First Year in Racing: 1983
Greatest Accomplishment:
I’ve worked with more than a thousand drivers, crew, and officials in the motorsport world, as well as many other sports and professions.
Advice:
We all covet success. The key to being successful is not to worry about failure or be preoccupied about success, but rather to focus on the execution of the process, in the moment, that will take us there.
Thomas Deery
Motorsports Outreach Ambassador, Performance Racing Industry - PRI
Hometown | Residence:
Ormond Beach, FL | Ormond Beach, FL
First Year in Racing: 1970
Greatest Accomplishment:
Transitioning World Racing Group from a strict sanctioning body to an event producer, a marketing and broadcasting company promoting 150 events, sanctioning 5000 events and broadcasting thousands of hours of racing.
Advice:
The motorsports industry is a tight knit family, relationships are everything and you will likely meet everyone again… be professional, share your passion and have fun!
- WIMNA Working Group
Bob Dickinson
STEAM Sports Foundation, Founder/Executive Director
Hometown | Residence:
Alpharetta, GA | Alpharetta, GA
First Year in Racing: 1990
Greatest Accomplishment:
Mentoring others who have established noteworthy careers.
Advice:
Never be afraid to seek the abnormal and embrace the uncomfortable.
John Doonan
International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), President
Hometown | Residence:
Plainfield, IL | Daytona Beach, FL
First Year in Racing: 1979
Greatest Accomplishment:
Having the opportunity to be named President of IMSA.
Advice:
Always do the right thing. You will surprise some and astonish the rest. -Mark Twain
- WIMNA Working Group
Ryan Eversley
Racing Driver, Honda Performance Development (Acura, Honda), Host of "Dinner With Racers"
Hometown | Residence:
Atlanta, GA | Atlanta, GA
First Year in Racing: 2001
Greatest Accomplishment:
2018 Drivers Championship in Pirelli World Challenge TCR
Advice:
Never forget your beginners spirit.
Mike Hargrave
Discover Sports & Entertainment, President University of South Carolina, Instructor Sports and Entertainment Managment
Hometown | Residence:
Evansville, IN | Weddington, NC
First Year in Racing: 1990
Greatest Accomplishment:
I have had the good fortune to work alongside world class marketing teams for several Fortune 200 companies and professional sports organizations.
Advice:
Keys to a successful and rewarding career is to keep a mindset of continuous self-improvement and focus on skill building. The first will enhance your resume and the second will enhance your quality of life.
- WIMNA Working Group
Rollie Helmling
Helmling Strategic Insights, LLC
Hometown | Residence:
Carmel, IN | Carmel, IN
First Year in Racing: 1974
Greatest Accomplishment:
Being part of some of racings greatest in their beginning.
Advice:
Savor your victories and learn from your failures.
- WIMNA Working Group
Zach Horrall
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Content Producer
Hometown | Residence:
Vincennes, IN | Indianapolis, IN
First Year in Racing: 2019
Greatest Accomplishment:
Helping to host the world’s largest single-day sporting event, the Indianapolis 500
Advice:
It is vital that you make a career out of what you are passionate about. If you enjoy and care about what you are doing, it will not feel like work, and you will immediately be destined for success.
Jim Jordan
Director, SRO TC America
Hometown | Residence:
Pasadena, CA | Aliso Viejo, CA
First Year in Racing: 1974
Greatest Accomplishment:
Mazda Motorsports Ladder
Advice:
Never lose sight of the long term goal while dealing with the chaos of the short term challenge.
- WIMNA Working Group
Brian Kendzior
F1 in Schools North America
Hometown | Residence:
Bradenton, FL | Bradenton, FL
First Year in Racing: 1976
Greatest Accomplishment:
Raising three successful Daughters!
Advice:
SLearn to listen when your having conversations with people, you will find out that your learn more listening than speaking!
- WIMNA Working Group
Kevin Kennedy
Former Managing Partner & Executive VP, Campbell Marketing & Communications
Hometown | Residence:
Monroe, MI | Dearborn, MI
First Year in Racing: 1984
Greatest Accomplishment:
Launching the Ford GT race program and being there as part of the PR team in Le Mans when they won in 2016, 50 years to the day of the 1966 Ford GT40 win.
Advice:
Success in the motorsport business is all about your relationships and your reputation. Work hard, be honest, and treat everyone with respect.
Timothy Mayer
US Race Management, LLC President
Hometown | Residence:
Surrey, England | Suwanee, GA
First Year in Racing: 1989
Greatest Accomplishment:
Chairman of the Formula One Stewards.
Advice:
If you have a career path you want to follow, don’t just look at the person above you, but look two or three steps up the ladder and figure out how those people got to their jobs. Try to emulate how they look, interact and work.
- WIMNA Working Group
Kyle McGowan
US Legend Cars International - Sales Operations Manager
Hometown | Residence:
Fair Lawn, NJ | Kannapolis, NC
First Year in Racing: 2001
Greatest Accomplishment:
Assisting with the grassroots revival of North Wilkesboro Speedway.
Advice:
Work hard, stay humble. Even when the odds seem stacked against you, don’t stop. The goal is always attainable if you work for it.
- WIMNA Working Group
Kevin Miller
President & CEO, USAC
Hometown | Residence:
Albion, MI | Grosse Point Farms, MI
First Year in Racing: 1978
Greatest Accomplishment:
Building a Dirt Track Inside Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Advice:
How you live your life everyday impacts how you live your life everyday.
David Morton
Fifth Third Bank -- SVP, Managing Director of Motorsports and Automotive Aftermarket
Hometown | Residence:
Boston, MA | Charlotte, NC
First Year in Racing: 2012
Greatest Accomplishment:
Launching a successful motorsports practice within a complex banking environment.
Advice:
People often think of their career in terms of one vertical ladder when instead they should be thinking of it as a series of different, complementary ladders that enhance and broaden your skills and knowledge. You don’t always have to be moving up to be moving forward.
- WIMNA Working Group
E.C. Mueller
Former Portland Raceway President/Nissan Motorsports/Intel
Hometown | Residence:
Portland, OR | Sedona, AZ
First Year in Racing: 1975
Greatest Accomplishment:
Enjoying and thriving in a 40+ year career at the highest level of motorsports, automotive and technology.
Advice:
Bring solutions, not complaints.
- WIMNA Board of Directors
Eric Prill
SCCA, VP of Road Racing
Hometown | Residence:
Hudson, OH | Topeka, KS
First Year in Racing: 1985
Greatest Accomplishment:
Third driver to ever win an SCCA Solo (autocross) and Runoffs (road racing) national championship in the same year (2019).
Advice:
While motorsports is both an industry and a sport, it is most importantly, a community. Like any community, what you get out of it is proportional to what you put into it.
- WIMNA Working Group
Rod Reid
Team Principal Force Indy
Hometown | Residence:
Indianapolis, IN | Indianapolis, IN
First Year in Racing: 1982
Greatest Accomplishment:
Founder of NXG Youth Motorsports, a non-profit using racing as a tool for life skills & STEM education.
Advice:
Make your plan A in motorsports.
- WIMNA Working Group
