Joey Andrews fell in love with motorsports watching “Top Gear” as an 11-year-old growing up in Los Angeles. Now an honors student studying sports journalism at Arizona State University, he is racing in the Teen Mazda Challenge driving a Mazda Miata.
While he aims to travel the world competing professionally in endurance races, Andrews also wants to pursue sports journalism and become a Formula One commentator when he isn’t on the track.
When Andrews originally toured the Cronkite School, a professor complimented his Formula One jacket in the elevator. The two spent the next hour chatting about motorsports. Now in his first year, the school Cronkite has proven the perfect place for him to balance his education with his racing.
“I liked how the schedule was going to work out, and the fact that I could race and go to school full time and still have a somewhat normal life,” Andrews said. “When it comes to sports broadcasting, sports media and media and television in general, Cronkite’s program is absolutely incredible because it’s so hands-on.”
This year alone, he’s earned four wins, nine podium placements, and 12 top-five finishes. And now, he’s balancing it all with hands-on Cronkite coursework. Andrews said that since motorsports became his entire life at the age of 14, he has learned to understand that everything that happens, good or bad, is part of a process—a mindset he’s brought to his studies.
“There’s a lot of times on a race weekend where stuff happens with a car on the mechanical side, and there is nothing you can do,” Andrews said. “You can get sad about it, but your best move is to just learn, move on, and that’s it. Going into school, that’s been my approach: Keep it relaxed.”
While pursuing his academic goals, Andrews is also working toward his ultimate dream of winning France’s 24 Hours of Le Mans race. He’s currently racing Spec Miata in the National Auto Sport Association Teen Mazda Challenge, a way for young drivers to get experience and compete against other up-and-comers. After that, he’ll advance to Spec MX-5, which is more competitive and eventually leads him to the “pinnacle series,” MX-5 Cup.
Andrews compared MX-5 Cup to DI football, as those competing in MX-5 Cup are highly regarded and rising stars. After that, he wants to race in a series like the FIA World Endurance Championship, which he likens to the NFL.
“It’s kind of amazing: I look back four years ago when I was in karting, I never thought I’d be racing cars; I look four years before that, I never thought I’d be in karting,” Andrews said. “Four years from now, I don’t know where we’ll be, but I’m working flat out every day to keep chasing my dream.”
Follow Joey Andrews’ racing adventures on his website, thestiglette.com.