For Ticket Office Account Executive Hayden Cliche, a typical day in the ticket office consists of constant preparation for the annual NASCAR race, contacting fans in order to renew their tickets, inform them of special deals, cultivating relationships with fans and building general excitement around the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 scheduled for March 15, 2020 and other events throughout the year.
A Nashville native, Hayden attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga as a sports administration major. He knew he wanted to work in a role related to his major and soon found himself interning at Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS) in 2017. Hayden returned to the Hampton, Georgia event facility in January 2018 for a 12-week job program offered by the speedway before taking on a full-time role in summer of the same year.
An Early Interest in Stock Car Racing
Though his career at Atlanta Motor Speedway began in January 2018, Hayden’s interest in the sport dates back to his childhood. Time spent watching races with his grandfather—a huge fan of Tony Stewart—led to Hayden’s appreciation for racing. As a teenager, he attended his first race with his uncle who had a condo at the speedway. Hayden says during this weekend, he had the opportunity to get an up-close look at drivers and other aspects of a race day. With a new sense of appreciation for the sport so greatly loved by his grandfather before him, Hayden began following the sport of stock car racing.
Hayden looks forward to the week leading up to the NASCAR race weekend where he and his team witness campers and fans descend upon the grounds. Fan interactions, newly formed friendships, camping set-ups and more unfold all around him, and he has a front row seat to the festivities.
Looking Forward to the 2020 Race
The 2020 race will be Hayden’s third race working in the ticket office. Within that time, he has connected with a great deal of fans and has experienced memorable moments such as a story he told of a fan, her mother and a special set of seats that became a symbol of the bond the two women shared. He even recalled a time when fans he had come to know after interacting with them each year, stopped by the office with gifts in the form of NASCAR memorabilia and were kind enough to choose Hayden as a worthy recipient of their collectibles.
Fans are at the forefront of the work Hayden does. He says fans who attend the 2020 NASCAR race weekend should keep an eye out for new additions put in place as a part of Atlanta Motor Speedway’s 2020 initiative including an open-air bar, Wi-Fi access, outdoor games, lounge chairs, televisions and more.
With a goal of creating lasting relationships and lasting memories, Hayden and the ticketing team that consist of full-time and part-time sellers work not only the NASCAR race, but during their second-largest event at the venue, Summit Racing Equipment Atlanta Motorama. They also work during Thursday Thunder Legends racing among other events hosted at the location.
If you call the ticket office or visit the ticket office at Atlanta Motor Speedway, there’s a good chance you’ll speak with or see Hayden or another member of the ticket office crew who play roles in making memories for race fans year-round. Find ticket information and more here.