Jill Gregory left her home state of California in 2003 to take a job working on Nextel’s new NASCAR sponsorship. She hasn’t turned back since. The woman who at the time knew little about racing has become one of the most important executives in the sport. She played a critical role in guiding Nextel as it converted the Winston Cup into the Nextel (now Sprint) Cup. She later joined the sanctioning body in a pioneering role overseeing its industry marketing department. At the request of NASCAR chief marketer Steve Phelps, Gregory has worked to transform the industry marketing division into one that works more closely with the sport’s various constituencies. She started by trying to gain the trust and support of teams, then expanded to tracks, and soon will add a group that will support drivers. The division’s primary purpose is to give each group research to assist its sales efforts, along with sponsorship leads and marketing resources. The result has been gains for the individual groups but also for NASCAR as a whole.