Northeastern Voice

Northeastern partners with NASCAR team

Speed Wong Racing promotes Northeastern on several of its cars.

By Jason Kornwitz

Northeastern University has teamed up with a NASCAR team to sponsor two of its cars, one in the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series and the other in its Camping World Series West.

Darryl Wong, who owns Speed Wong Racing, of Orange County, Calif., wanted to promote the school because his two sons, Brian and Kevin, attend Northeastern. He also wants to encourage others in the racing world to pursue a college education and thinks a Northeastern logo on the hoods of his cars elevates the team’s standing in the racing world by having a relationship with a known product.

He said the partnership would also benefit Northeastern.

“We thought that by expanding the visibility of Northeastern to arenas it would not otherwise be, would be beneficial to the school,” Darryl said.

Northeastern is happy to oblige. “When Mr. Wong approached us with a request to display Northeastern's logo on one of his company's race cars, we felt it was a great opportunity to partner with a loyal supporter and parent of two Northeastern students to promote Northeastern to racing fans on the West coast,” said Ann Comer-Woods, director of interactive and marketing programs.

Brian, 19, a sophomore studying communications, has twice driven a super late model stock car with the Northeastern logo on its hood at the Toyota Speedway in Irwindale, Calif., for the weekly series. On June 28, he steered the car to a fourth place finish in a field of more than 20.
He said the Northeastern logo demonstrates his school pride and spirit.

“It shows (Northeastern) off, and it shows I go to school,” he said. “It’s not the path most young racers take. I get a lot of questions about it. A lot more people have heard of Northeastern now.”

Darryl, who says his team is one of the largest on the West coast, also fields cars in the International Motor Sports Association GT3 Cup Challenge, the Yokohama Drivers Cup Series and Porsche Owner’s Club races. He said his team is considering placing the Northeastern logo on its Porsche as well.

“Our intent is to continue to elevate the prominence of Northeastern,” Darryl said.

Speed Wong Racing grew out of Darryl’s desire to encourage Brian’s passion for the sport. Though he’s only been involved in organized racing for five years, Brian’s been riding all-terrain vehicles and dirt bikes for most of his life. Whereas most drivers race 10 to 15 times per year, Brian usually races stock cars, as well as Porsche’s, up to 40 weekends each year.

“For being in racing a very short time,” Darryl said, “Brian has more experience than other drivers of older ages. He’s matured a lot and understands the business side of racing as well.”

Though Brian has not decided if he will try to become a professional racecar driver after he graduates, he said he would like to remain part of the sport, perhaps in an ownership capacity.

“I’ve always been a car kid,” Brian said. “I got the racing bug and I fell in love with it…you don’t have to be a driver to be involved in the heart of racing.”

Regardless of his decision, however, Brian has the support of his father.

“It’s up to him,” Darryl said. “We give all of our drivers, not just Brian, the platform to do well…If [Brian] runs with it, great, and if he changes his mind…he still has a background in motor sports and business.”

Brian said fans often get his autograph as well as an up-close view of his car before he races, but his father no longer watches him drive, partly out of superstition, partly out of nervousness.

“When I was younger,” Brian said, “he watched me race.  I had some bad luck, some crashes and bad accidents and he watched those.  But the good runs I had, he didn’t watch, so I said, ‘if you watch, I will crash and if you don’t, I will win.’”