In honor of NASCAR coming to San Diego this weekend for its inaugural event at Naval Base Coronado, WISE San Diego (Women in Sports and Events) and Sports San Diego, teamed up with NASCAR San Diego's Amy Lupo to moderate a panel of four women whose careers span the garage, the boardroom, and the base. The conversation was candid, funny, and frequently moving.
The event, Women in NASCAR: Women Behind the Wheel, was packed. The crowd wasn't there for qualifying laps or pit-stop times. They were there to hear from the women who make NASCAR run. Previously we shared about the women in motorsports, and in this post we are focusing on the panel.
The Women on the Panel
Darwin Patterson, NASCAR Competition, the woman in charge of Victory Lane and a whole lot more, opened eyes to what the job actually demands. Her team of three covers 24 to 25 events a season, with days that routinely run 12 to 16 hours. A viral moment at Talladega, where TV cameras caught her in what appeared to be a tense exchange mid-celebration, briefly made her a social media target. She addressed it directly: "Everyone knows I'm the fun one of the group. I am here for the fun." What viewers didn't see was that she was already mentally processing the next steps of a first-ever Cup Series win in one of NASCAR's most logistically complex Victory Lanes. The cameras-off version looked very different.
LaTasha Causey, President of Phoenix Raceway and the first Black woman to run a track in NASCAR history, reflected on what it meant to step into that role. "I knew I was somebody who had worked in business for over 20 years," she said, "but the headline would always be, 'she's the first.'" She took the risk anyway and said the fans' initial hesitation had nothing to do with who she was. "They were mad because I didn't know about the (NASCAR) point system. Once I figured it out, I became the best thing ever." Causey also addressed what the job actually looks like: managing 50,000 fans, campers who arrive the Monday before race week, community relationships, government compliance, hosting other events between NASCAR events and a team she fiercely protects when things go sideways.
Amy Stock has worked alongside NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson in communications for more than two decades. Johnson, the San Diego–area native who grew up in El Cajon, is scheduled to race in the inaugural event at Naval Base Coronado, one of his final scheduled Cup starts before his announced retirement from NASCAR Cup Series competition following the 2027 Daytona 500. Stock talked about the value of knowing when to pivot. After years of 24/7 PR work, she stumbled into licensing when Legacy Motor Club arrived at Daytona with almost no merchandise. "I learned that I actually really loved licensing," she said, adding that the detour felt like a leap of faith, but one backed by good coaching and a willingness to keep learning.” See more at NASCARLegacymotorclub
Moderator Amy Lupo (left) and panelist Amy Stock.
Panelist Lieutenant Esther Popo and her daughter Alaina.
Lieutenant Esther Popo, security officer at Naval Base Coronado, described the scope of force protection for a 50,000-person race event on a working military installation, a "massive" operation requiring buy-in from a team accustomed to very different daily missions. She credited her commanding officer with a lesson she didn't initially welcome: "He'd say, 'Esther, be a duck in the water.' I thought [he meant that] I was just walking fast. What he meant was, project calm, even when everything underneath is moving." She also acknowledged that her cousin Eve, who relocated with her to San Diego and handles school pickup when she's working late, made all of it possible. As an indication of the leadership approach of Lieutenant Popo, her entire team showed up to surprise her alongside family members, supporters, and her daughter Alaina, filling the room with the same collective spirit she described from the stage.
Advice for Women Breaking In
When the panel turned to the next generation, the advice was consistent and direct: don't put yourself in a box, build your network, and let your work ethic create advocates who speak for you when you're not in the room. "What are people saying about you when you're not actually there?" Causey asked. "Do everything you can to make sure you show up, even when you're not."
Stock, who mentors through Penn State's sports business club, kept it simple: "Network and be yourself, and follow your dreams, because you can accomplish that."
One Word for Race Week
The moderator closed by asking each panelist for a word or two to describe race week. Lt. Popo used “insomnia” as one of her words. Patterson called it "controlled chaos." Causey added "electric,” while Stock landed on "special." For everyone in that room, all words made sense.
