Gillian Zucker
Gillian Zucker became the fourth president of Auto Club Speedway (formerly California Speedway) on June 23, 2005. She is the first female president of a track that hosts auto racing’s most popular event, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. As president, Zucker oversees all of the Speedway’s business units including marketing, public relations, ticketing, accounting and operations.
Auto Club Speedway, is a two-mile oval located halfway between Los Angeles and Palm Springs. Its two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races are the largest sporting events in the state. The track also hosts two NASCAR national touring series as well as the NHRA, AMA Superbike, the Southern California Historic Sports Car Festival and a competitive drag racing program on the Auto Club Dragway. In addition to auto racing, the Speedway is home to numerous movie, television and commercial productions, photo shoots, new car testing, club racing and a variety of racing schools. The track is active for more than 320 days every year.
In her three years as president, Zucker has spearheaded the development of an aggressive new business plan. Her innovations have included a comprehensive re-branding strategy, a wide-ranging capital improvements plan, improved traffic and parking management plans and an increased focus on community involvement. She has initiated a number of improvements to the facility focused on enhancing the overall fan experience while incorporating the Southern California culture into the Speedway. These improvements were fueled in large part by feedback from thousands of fans and include enhanced pre-race entertainment, improved track sightlines and menu offerings and the admission of children for free on Friday and Saturday of the track’s NASCAR weekends.
An active community leader, Zucker was recently named Chairman of the California Chamber of Commerce Public Affairs Committee, serves on the board of the California Chamber of Commerce, and was appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to the California Travel and Tourism Commission. She also serves on the boards of the Los Angeles Sports Council, the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission Advisory Board, Los Angeles Women in Sports Entertainment (WISE) and the Los Angeles Business Council. Zucker is a member of the Los Angeles Chapter of Young Presidents Organization. She has been recognized with numerous honors including the National Association of Women Business Owners Pioneer Award and the Women’s Automotive Association’s International Spirit of Leadership Award. The efforts of the Speedway’s charitable endeavors have resulted in several million dollars raised for charity during her tenure at the track.
Prior to her appointment at Auto Club Speedway, Zucker served as Daytona International Speedway's vice president of business operations and development. In that role, Zucker managed the track’s multi-million dollar budget and directed operations for the Daytona 500 Experience, working closely with sanctioning bodies, broadcast partners, sponsors and vendors.
Zucker joined International Speedway Corporation in 1998 as director of business development for the new Kansas Speedway, and shortly thereafter was promoted to vice president of operational development. Prior to joining ISC, Zucker worked in professional baseball, where she served as assistant general manager for the Durham (NC) Bulls Baseball Club; general manager for both the Sultans of Springfield (IL) Baseball Club and the Lansing (MI) Lugnuts Baseball Club; and assistant general manager for the High Desert (CA) Mavericks Baseball Club. She began her career as an advertising sales assistant at Sports Illustrated magazine.
Zucker graduated from Hamilton College, where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in creative writing. Zucker recently completed two immersion courses in Spanish and is now highly proficient. In addition to practicing Spanish, she enjoys cooking and all sports especially running, horseback riding and skiing. She is an avid fan of sudoko puzzles, reading, and travel and takes every opportunity to spend time with her adorable nieces, Zebo and Blue. She is single and resides in Los Angeles.
