My Story
Hey, I’m Nick, a chaplain with Motor Racing Outreach. I spend most of my time shepherding the NASCAR community alongside the team at MRO. I’ve been in ministry as a vocation for thirteen years. I have a B.A. in Religion and a M.Div. from Liberty University, with ordinations from MRO and Rich Fork Church. My wife Amy and I celebrated twenty years of marriage last July, and we have three children, one of whom we adopted from Uganda in 2014.
I didn't grow up in church, but the Lord got my heart while I worked in racing as a jackman for Richard Childress Racing. I worked at RCR for ten years, and I am passionate about my calling to minister to the racing community. After the 2011 race season, I stepped away from the sport as a competitor and into the role of chaplain with MRO. It was a step of faith, and I'm so thankful for the Lord’s faithfulness and calling.
The Daytona 500
Coming to the white flag of the 2007 Daytona 500, signaling one lap to go, our driver, Kevin Harvick, was in seventh place. As he went down the backstretch, I heard our spotter on the radio saying, “C’mon, do what you’ve got to do; it’s the Daytona 500.” We all looked intently towards turn four to see a massive crash and our driver side by side with Mark Martin for the win. We won the race by .020 seconds, and my life would change, but on the day after.
On Monday, we pushed the car into the museum after the champions’ breakfast and flew home from Daytona mid-day. With my headphones in, I worshiped God and thanked Him for the blessing He allowed us to experience. I prayed, “Lord, this must be what Heaven will feel like!” I still had goosebumps on my arms, but I heard the voice of God whisper in my ear like never before, “It’s not even close to what I’ve prepared for you.” I then began to ask myself, if Heaven is that good, why am I not spending my time pursuing people rather than pursuing trophies?
Don’t get me wrong, many people who work in our sport love Jesus, but it was becoming clear that God had a different calling on my life. I enrolled in school at Liberty University to pursue my first degree and began to prepare my life for ministry. The chaplains at MRO helped me through this journey, and what I didn’t see coming was that I would work for MRO as a chaplain in the sport that I loved. I still love the sport, but my racing life now is about people and helping them walk with Christ. Each year, I fall more in love with MRO and ministry to the racing community.
The Monday after the 2007 Daytona 500, my life changed.
"God has been at work in the racing community for a long time, and He captured my heart there. While I pursued my career, God pursued my heart, and He is still at work in our community today."
NASCAR & MRO
Motor Racing Outreach
I have loved MRO for a long time and sat in many of their pre-race chapel services as a pit crew member. They provided spiritual direction and care for me when I worked in racing, and I'm so thankful to be a part of the MRO team. We provide chaplaincy to the racing community and help lead people to faith in Christ. I have served with MRO for thirteen years, and every year, I fall more in love with the ministry.
NASCAR
After graduating high school, I wasn’t sure yet what I wanted to do when I grew up, but the problem was I was growing up. I always loved stick and ball sports, and after going to a race with a friend, I fell in love with racing. I knew right then that’s what I wanted to do. I had a great career with many wins, but looking back, I can see the Lord’s purpose in NASCAR was preparing me for ministry.
