Episode 96: Always be Evolving, with Mark Simendinger

Kentucky Speedway Executive Vice President and General Manager  Mark has served as General Manager of Kentucky Speedway since it was acquired by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., in 2009. As President under the original track ownership, he played a primary role in the planning, development and operation of the facility dating back to the track's inception and first race in 2000. He is the former president of Turfway Park Race Course, a Thoroughbred track in Florence, KY. Mark also served as President of Carroll Properties, a commercial real estate development company and was a long-time associate of speedway founder Jerry Carroll. Mark has owned and bred several Thoroughbreds in partnership with Hall of Fame jockey Steve Cauthen. Mark graduated with a degree in accountancy from the University of Notre Dame. He and his wife, Lori, reside in Edgewood, KY and are the parents of five children and six grandchildren. What you'll learn about in this episode: Why it is so critical right now to figure out how do we do things better than we did before How he came to find the perfect location for Kentucky Motor Speedway How the ability to constantly being able to evolve and change has been such a significant factor in Mark's amazing career How your professional career can sometimes be like a punt return and you have to make the most of catching a good break What are the three non-negotiables that the team at Kentucky Speedway have which enables them to be such a successful team What were some of the forced changes at Kentucky Speedway and how did Mark and his team do the best they could with those situations Additional resources: Your Facebook Profile: Msimendinger Your Twitter Name: @msimendinger