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Kaitlyn Vincie ‘10 needs no introduction to NASCAR fans. Whether she’s under the lights in the studio at Fox Sports, broadcasting from the pit, or behind the podcast mic, this Captain for Life is a talented host who has become one of NASCAR’s leading voices. With a reputation for being prepared, poised, and passionate, Vincie’s work ethic and knowledge of the sport has earned her the respect of the biggest names in racing.
But before Vincie found her lane in the competitive world of NASCAR broadcasting, she was a communication studies major and intern for Christopher Newport Athletics. Back then she had big broadcasting dreams, but no industry connections. And she admittedly knew almost nothing about motorsports until she started tagging along with friends on their weekend excursions to Richmond Raceway. Vincie quickly became hooked on the adrenaline and excitement of the track and began working toward a career in broadcasting while she was still a student. She sought out every opportunity she could, and ended up landing her first reporting job at Larry King Law’s Langley Speedway, which is located just a few miles away from campus. She graduated with honors, and credits Christopher Newport with giving her a strong foundation to pursue her dreams with confidence.
Vincie recently reflected on her time as a Captain, and shared words of encouragement for students hoping to follow in her footsteps.
- Since graduating from Christopher Newport, you’ve built an incredibly impressive career in sports broadcasting that began at Langley and eventually took you to the pit, the studio, podcasting, and beyond. What originally drew you to motorsports and NASCAR specifically?
I always knew I wanted to be a journalist, even in high school. I focused on motorsports and NASCAR specifically after I attended races at Richmond Raceway in college. It was a social event for students, and a lot of us would drive down to the raceway, tailgate, and watch the races. I knew that I had zero background in NASCAR, and that I would have to learn the sport from the ground up — so I saw that as a huge challenge for myself. From that point forward, I dedicated myself to pursuing a journalism career in NASCAR, while still in school. I wrote a NASCAR column for our school paper, the Captain’s Log. I did an internship with WTKR in the news department. I worked for CNU Athletics as an intern and spent a summer in Charlotte interning for the CARS Tour in the public relations department. All of these things I knew would help position me for a job outside school beyond simply having a degree. The Langley Speedway job was originally listed on Craigslist, believe it or not. Fortunately, I auditioned for it and got the gig, and that was the official start of everything.
- You’ve had a tremendous amount of success in a highly competitive, often male-dominated industry. Besides a lot of hard work and focused determination, were there any key moments or turning points that helped you break through or that shaped the trajectory of your career?
I always was a big advocate for myself. If there was a role I wanted to attempt, I always put my name in the hat. When I first wanted to transition to being a studio host, I wrote up mock scripts and scene sets for a race to showcase my writing skills to executives, since writing is a big part of being a host. Fortunately, they gave me a shot to do it after seven years on pit road. I think transitioning into the studio was a big moment, and I ended up doing NASCAR Race Huband NASCAR RaceDay for the NASCAR Cup Series and Truck Series. It was an incredible experience working alongside so many different analysts, guests and prominent names in the industry too. Everyone from Jeff Gordon and Chad Knaus to Mario Andretti and Kevin Harvick. The studio work produced some of my proudest television moments.
- Live broadcasting and pit reporting can be intense. Can you share a memorable, funny or challenging moment on the job?
One of the most memorable moments I think I will carry with me forever happened just a few months ago: pit reporting my first Cup race at Circuit of the Americas. It was the first road course race of the year, it was on FOX, there was a lot of excitement and anticipation surrounding it. I took time before we were on-air to just walk the length of pit road and take in the moment and think back to CNU … think back on Langley …. to everything that had led me to this point. For 17 years, I had been chasing that goal, it was an incredibly special weekend for me from start to finish.
- What drew you to Christopher Newport out of high school and made it the right fit for you?
I was originally recruited to run track and field and cross country for CNU, and that first drew me to the University. After touring the campus, and seeing the area and meeting coaches, and personnel at the school, I knew CNU was where I wanted to be. The campus and facilities were beautiful, it felt like the University had a lot to offer on both the athletics and academics side.
- Looking back at your time at Christopher Newport, were there specific experiences, lessons or mentors that helped shape your path and stuck with you throughout your professional life?
The entire communications staff within the CNU Athletics department was a huge help to me. I inquired on a whim if they had internships for students and immediately got a response on what they had to offer. That experience was so valuable to me, working alongside those men and women, and being able to be a part of all our campus athletics, doing game write-ups, helping score the events, among other tasks. That team and Francis Tommasino were the ones who originally connected me with Al Pearce, who was a motorsports writer in the area who had covered NASCAR for years with Autoweek magazine. They knew I had an interest in pursuing a career in NASCAR, so they made the introduction. I would go get pizza with them and bring my Captain’s Log NASCAR columns for Al to read and critique. Al was a special mentor to me, and we lost him recently unexpectedly. He helped so many people along the way — there is no chance I would be where I am today in my career without him and without the team in the CNU Athletics Communications Department.
- The media landscape is constantly evolving. What advice would you give to students hoping to break into sports journalism or broadcasting today?
I always tell students to make the most of your college experience and find internships and opportunities while still in school that can help you upon graduation. Having a degree is great, but having additional experience you acquired while in school is hugely beneficial to securing jobs once you’re out of school. Also, start local and try to pitch yourself to smaller markets or sporting venues, which are great starting spots to hone your skills and get repetitions on-camera without the pressure of a major market or network gig. Many venues hire in-arena hosts, or social media reporters…positions that didn’t really exist when I first graduated. But those opportunities are a great beginning job in journalism to build your resume and demo reel.