Rod Fuller
Exotics Racing
Las Vegas, NV USA
"The biggest thing is ambition—it’s more important than skillset. If you’re ambitious and hungry, you can learn anything."
Career Roadmap
Rod's work combines: Action Sports, Engineering, and Helping People
See more careers and stories that connect to your interests.
Take Roadmap Quiz
Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
The reality is that there are not many professional drivers that make money doing this sport in the long term. When I was young, my mentor helped me realize that I could go for my dream, but I needed a backup plan in case it failed. That's why I decided to prioritize my education and pursue a higher degree.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Graduate Degree
Business Administration and Management, General
University of Arkansas
Graduate Degree
Marketing/Marketing Management, General
University of Arkansas
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
His father was a race car driver, so he spent most of his childhood working on cars with him.
2.
While he was in college, everything he did was focused around his racing career; he didn’t even attend his graduation because he had a race that day.
3.
From an early age, he was mentored by the founder of Walmart, Sam Walton.
4.
At one point, Sam questioned him about why he wanted to be a race car driver and what would separate him from all the others—this motivated him to go back to school.
5.
He later went on to become one of the first race car drivers to receive a Master’s degree.
6.
Was also the first in his family to go to college, and because of this, he counts his education as his greatest accomplishment.
7.
Says that winning races is an amazing feeling, but it doesn’t compare to what he is doing now helping others mold their careers—”That’s something that’s going to last for forever”.
8.
Believes that “the world would stop without mechanics”; encourages young people to gain technical skills and learn how to work on things because that field is always going to be there.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Friends:
There are so many race car drivers that can do what you do. What makes you so special?
How I responded:
The reality is that there are not many professional drivers that make money doing this sport in the long term. When I was young, my mentor helped me realize that I could go for my dream, but I needed a backup plan in case it failed. That's why I decided to prioritize my education and pursue a higher degree.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I was the first in my family to go to college. I remember my teachers saying that I would be lucky if I could manage to get an education. Proving them wrong was a big accomplishment.