Pilot and NASCAR: Highlighting the Power of Teamwork
At first glance, NASCAR may look like an individual sport—one driver, one car. But spend a few minutes behind the scenes, and you find that it takes a team. Success on the track is the result of dozens of people working well together, each bringing their own skills and strengths to the table.
That story is very familiar at Pilot. Great outcomes, whether on a racetrack or throughout our North American network of travel centers, never happen alone.
Bringing Pilot to Race Day
Our partnership with NASCAR’s JR Motorsports and race car driver Sammy Smith puts Pilot front and center in NASCAR’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race season. There are 33 races in the O’Reilly Series, all broadcast on The CW Network, with an average of 1.1 million viewers per race, not to mention the thousands of fans who attend races in person.
At each race, Pilot’s brand appears on Smith’s car, creating national visibility to connect with fans coast-to-coast.
We even bring the NASCAR experience straight to our travel center guests. A recent meet-and-greet event was hosted at our Pilot in Lincoln, Alabama, where Smith connected with fans in person.
Sammy Smith, Rising NASCAR Star
Sammy Smith’s journey into racing started early. He first got behind the wheel of a go-kart at just eight years old. What began as a weekend activity alongside other sports quickly turned a pastime into a passion. Smith transitioned to an online school in sixth grade to allow flexibility to develop his racing career.
By his early teens, he progressed through racing Legend Cars and late models, eventually earning championships in the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) Menards Series East.
Today, Smith competes full-time in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, driving the #8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. At just 22 years old, he’s already had standout achievements, including being the youngest winner in a Pilot-branded car and multiple series wins.
The People Behind the Performance
Ask Smith what it takes to win, and he won’t just talk about driving. He’ll champion the team of 25 men and women who make his performance possible. Behind every lap on the racetrack is a coordinated effort.
During each race, Smith is in communication with a spotter, who guides him from above the racetrack, and his pit crew chief, who helps him make split-second strategy calls. His pit crew executes critical adjustments in seconds, engineers fine-tune every detail of the car and his hauler driver works morning to night to make sure Smith’s car arrives at every race safely.
“Racing is more of a team sport than people realize,” Smith says. “Communication, leadership and how you treat people really matter to build a strong team.”
That idea reflects Pilot’s purpose of showing people they matter at every turn.
Teamwork at Every Mile
At Pilot, serving approximately 1.2 million guests each day requires a coordinated effort across North America. 30,000 team members work together to deliver on our mission to create exceptional experiences.
Team members at our travel centers create welcoming, reliable stops for drivers. Fuel and energy teams ensure that supply, logistics and innovation advance. Operations, technology and support teams work behind-the-scenes to keep everything running seamlessly.
Like a great NASCAR team, success depends on clear communication, strong leadership and trust across every role. Every individual contribution matters.
The Road Ahead
Whether it’s chasing a checkered flag or delivering a consistent, high-quality experience at over 900 Pilot locations, the formula for success is the same. It takes a clear goal, continuous improvement and, above all, a strong, unified team. At Pilot, just like in racing, lasting success is a team effort.
If you’re a journey maker—someone who is driven, reliable, authentic, welcoming and shows people they matter at every turn—come join our team! Pilot’s careers webpage has all the information you need to get started.
Fans can catch a special moment this season at Chicagoland Speedway on July 4, where Sammy Smith’s car will feature a patriotic stars-and-stripes wrap. Tune in to see it on the track!