Motorsports Strategy Group Formed To Aid Racetracks

A group of four auto racing executives have formed Motorsports Strategy Group, an agency designed to help tracks grow business through developing and managing new events at their facilities, among other services.

– Motorsports Strategy Group

The principals are Jason Rittenberry, former president and CEO of IRG Sports & Entertainment, former IHRA president Scott Gardner, Kurt Johnson, former director of operations at Lucas Oil Raceway and Jenny Schmitz, a producer and marketer of car shows.

Together, the four individuals bring more than 100 years of experience to help tracks grow business at their facilities. Nashville-based Motorsports Strategy Group will assist those venues on event production and management, booking events, capital projects and maintenance.

The agency will also work with sanctioning bodies in motorsports to help negotiate deals with tracks and municipalities on hotel packages tied to events. Separately, Motorsports Strategy Group plans to invest in event promotion for booking concerts at race tracks, Rittenberry said.

Their initial clients include Memphis International Raceway, Onawa Racing & Events Center, Bradenton Motorsports Park, the U.S. Street Nationals and Clay Millican/Stringer Performance NHRA Top Fuel Team.

Rittenberry, the group’s managing partner, has worked at all levels of racing, including NASCAR and Formula 1, where he was chief strategy officer at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. As the head of IRG, he oversaw an organization that grew from one facility to ownership of six tracks over a five-year period.

“I’m the youngest with 17 years of experience in the racing industry,” he said. “We’ve all been working for other people and for tracks and promoters. Now, we’re on our own, providing our expertise to help tracks generate revenue.”