Sitting in his office in Concord, North Carolina, Speedway Motorsports Chief Operating Officer Michael Burch smiled through much of our chat. Working at Speedway Motorsports for over 20 years, Burch brings a smile and a positive attitude into the workplace day in and day out.
“It’s really fun when you can come and spend a significant part of your day, eight hours of your day, with the people that you work with,” Burch said. “Without people, it’s a big asphalt circle or a big asphalt road course, and it’s a grandstand. And it’s really the experience that people make work. Their creativity, their energy, their hospitality, their friendliness, all those things I think is really what you remember when you go to the races.”
Burch got into the sport differently than most people of his experience, and in a way that would make current Cup Series Driver William Byron proud: He fell in love with NASCAR video games.
“I grew up in Reading, Pennsylvania, where Roger Penske has his trucking empire based. I was more of an IndyCar fan, watching the Indy 500 on Memorial Day,” Burch said. “I was aware of NASCAR, but it was actually the NASCAR video games that got me involved. I was a big gamer growing up and that’s what really taught me who drove what cars and the sponsors, and manufacturers and drivers, but also gave me an understanding of how the cars actually work. There was so much interesting feedback, that dynamic, you know, you could see that right front tire going from black, to green, to yellow, to red as it wore out, and you had to decide when to pit. You could feel the car start to move around and lose its optimal line.”
Burch’s love for the gaming side of NASCAR extends to the future of the sport as well.
“It’s been a real passion of mine, and I really think it’s important in bringing new fans to the sport. You look at William Byron who literally went from iRacing to driving the No. 24 for Hendrick Motorsports. It’s one of the rare video game experiences where the inputs are exactly the same as what you’d do in the real world. You can get as good as you want pressing that X button and moving that controller in Madden, or NBA 2K, or ESPN FC, but that really isn’t going to help you on the soccer pitch, or the basketball court, or the football field.”
“I’m really excited that iRacing has gotten that (NASCAR) license, they’ve done some great work, and I’m really looking forward to them bringing their expertise to consoles, and making sure we do have some good console games.”
When I asked Burch about his favorite moment in his over 2 decade-long career at SMI, his face lit up.
“The experience at North Wilkesboro has been something that I think everyone involved will always remember. The smile on (the fans) faces, the energy, the excitement, they just couldn’t believe they were back at North Wilkesboro watching racing,” Burch says, recounting the return of the famed track in May of this year.
Burch ended by saying words that all race fans should do their best to live by.
“I just encourage everybody to get to a race in 2024. Make that a New Year’s Resolution,” he joked. “It doesn’t have to be a Speedway Motorsports facility. Make sure you’re supporting your local short track. If you can get to a Cup race, fantastic. If you get to one of our facilities, fantastic. Racing only survives if fans continue to support it, and there’s an awful lot of race tracks out there that are really being challenged.”
In a sports world where loyalty and sincerity are becoming a lost art, Mike Burch’s passion and love for racing shines a light on all the good still left in those who choose to share it with the masses.
