Mike Zizzo, Motorsports Advisor
With two decades of motorsports experience, Mike Zizzo brings integrity, wisdom and racing knowledge to Social Media Sports Management (SM2). SM2 protects and maximizes valuable sports brands through digital, social media and real-time communications strategies, coaching, education, tactics, empowerment and teams.
In Mr. Zizzo’s role as a SM2 motorsports strategic business advisor, the vice president of media relations for Texas Motor Speedway counsels the SM2 senior teams on the relevant topics surrounding motorsports including its tracks, teams, and drivers for NASCAR, INDYCAR, and other motorsports-affiliated entities.
In his 10th year with Texas Motor Speedway, Mr. Zizzo has overseen the creation of the Broadcast Media Center, Pit Stop Park, Tony Stewart “Smoke Show,” 10 Years Strong commemorative book, Wall of Champions, Speeding To Help community outreach program, and Speeding To Read education initiative, among other projects. For 2014, Speeding To Read was awarded the “Best Youth Marketing Initiative” by the NASCAR industry.
Mr. Zizzo is first and only two-time recipient of the Public Relations Representative of the Year for NASCAR National Series Tracks, the most recent honor coming for the 2013 season. He previously won the award for the 2006 season, his second year at Texas Motor Speedway.
Mr. Zizzo arrived at Texas Motor Speedway in 2005 with a wealth of knowledge and experience in NASCAR and INDYCAR racing and other motorsports-affiliated entities. He spent the previous nine years working for sanctioning bodies in both of those series, with his last tenure being with NASCAR. Zizzo joined NASCAR’s Media Relations department at the outset of 2002 and served as the senior manager of communications.
He arrived at NASCAR from Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART), where he spent six years with the open-wheel sanctioning body. Zizzo joined CART in 1996 as communications manager and a year later was named director of public relations. His accolades included the Jim Chapman Award for the most outstanding public relations representative in the series. In 2000, he was promoted to CART vice president of competition public relations. He moved to NASCAR in 2002 as a communications manager and a year later was promoted to senior manager.
Mr. Zizzo also spent 12 years as a sportswriter for The Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel, covering major beats including motorsports, the NFL and NHL. He is a graduate of Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Fla. He resides in Lantana, Texas, with his wife Leesa and stepchildren, Stella and Ben.