Parella Motorsports Holdings hires Michael Printup as President of SVRA
Parella Motorsports Holdings has announced that Michael Printup will join the company as the President of Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA). In his new role, he will oversee the day to day operations of one of the oldest and largest national vintage racing organizations in America. Printup brings nearly three decades of motorsports experience to the role and is best known for his work as President of Watkins Glen International (WGI), where he has spent the last 15 years.
“When I heard that Michael was retiring from Watkins Glen, I couldn’t call him fast enough,” said Tony Parella, CEO of PMH. “Knowing all that he has accomplished throughout his tenure at Watkins Glen makes me very excited for everything he can offer SVRA and PMH. The last few years have been a pivotal time for our company with a lot of growth—we’ve added race series, live streaming, and now we’re focusing on our spectator experience. Michael brings a lot of expertise to the table, and I’m excited for him to get started.”
Printup spent nearly three decades working for NASCAR, most notably in the role of President of WGI. In addition, he was the President of Americrown, and more recently, he oversaw the Levy food service contract for 12 NASCAR-owned racetracks, and directed the Mobil 1 show car program for Tony Stewart.
“I’m excited to join SVRA and the Parella Motorsports Holdings organization,” said Printup. “Since Tony [Parella] purchased SVRA 10 years ago, I’ve been able to watch as he’s moved all the chess pieces around to grow the organization to what it is today. I’ve witnessed the mergers and acquisitions he’s done to establish strategic partnerships, whether with race series or venues; and the initiatives he’s taken on in marketing his events, first, adding spectators, and now taking events digital with live streaming. When I announced my retirement from Watkins Glen, I talked a lot about the growth we experienced there and the success that we accomplished as a team—we continuously upped the game. I hope to do the same thing here.”
Like Printup, a Hamburg, N.Y., native, SVRA and PMH also have deep ties to Upstate New York. When Parella purchased SVRA 10 years ago, the Vintage Grand Prix at WGI was one of just three events on the organization’s schedule. An SVRA racer himself, Parella recognized the opportunity in hosting vintage race events at premier tracks like WGI, and used that as a founding principle for the company moving forward.
Today, PMH hosts more than 20 events every year at some of the most iconic race circuits in North America. A typical event includes several hundred race cars that represent over 100 years of automotive history on the track. With over 28,000 participants in their database, SVRA is the largest national vintage racing organization in America. Many participants are high-net-worth, prominent professionals, including C-level executives from all industries. The organization is constantly adding new events and participants, while continuing to grow its digital presence and attracting more spectators.
Printup will begin transitioning into his new role later this month.
Following stops at Portland International Raceway (July 21-23), New Jersey Motorsports Park (July 28-30) and Summit Point Motorsports Park (August 17-20), SVRA will return to Watkins Glen International for the Hilliard U.S. Vintage Grand Prix, a SpeedTour event, September 6-10. The event will feature racing from SVRA, as well as the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli and International GT.
For more information: www.racer.com
