Photo by: Jamie Dick

Jamie Dick likes to go fast. But not just fast- NASCAR fast.

Dick’s racing career began as a nine year old when his father bought him a go-kart. In the years since, Dick has made a name for himself on the NASCAR circuit, competing professionally since he was 18.

Even though this is his third season as a racer, most people who know him, professors and students alike, don’t realize that he spends his free time on the race track.

“Most professors don’t know that I race. I don’t talk about it to many people at school,” said Dick. 

In addition to racing, Dick is a junior at DU and plans to major in real estate and construction management.

DU’s unique scheduling system with limited classes on Fridays allows him time to travel for races without missing much class or having to worry about getting homework done on time.

When worst comes to worst, I do homework on the airplane, he said.

This racing season is a little more than halfway over, but Dick says that he has high expectations and hopes to win a race this season. He recently returned from the Iowa Speedway, which is a large track in Newton, Iowa.

The Iowa Speedway is a valuable learning experience for getting used to driving on bigger tracks that allow racers to go faster, he says.

There was a lot of pressure from his father, Dick said, but “[…] once I started beating him, he quit and shut up about it.”

Dick’s father, a former NASCAR racer, often drove with and raced against his son to help prepare him to be a serious NASCAR driver.

DU has prepared him for his NASCAR career, with the most profound effect being how he deals with the media, he said.

“Being in class and talking to professors at DU has prepared me for interviews and being in front of the camera,” he said.

When he graduates, he doesn’t plan on balancing a career as well as driving for NASCAR. Dick’s plan thus far is to continue racing as long as he is able and then go from there.