DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – When Noah Gammichia isn't launching a javelin across the infield for Embry-Riddle's track and field team, there's a good chance he's working just as intently in the pits of a racetrack.
"I find very few things cooler than race cars," Gammichia said. "This job has been an amazing opportunity for me to learn more about the world of motorsports and get deeper and deeper down the motorsport rabbit hole."
That rabbit hole has taken the senior thrower to one of the highest stages of sports car racing. This weekend, he'll head to Indianapolis Motor Speedway as a member of Triarsi Competizione for the IMSA Battle of the Bricks.
His journey into racing didn't start with a resume or an application, but with a chance encounter. While working at Ferrari of Central Florida in early 2023, Gammichia struck up conversations with a few of Triarsi's mechanics. Those conversations turned into connections, and when the team needed extra help, his name came up. By the 2023 Rolex 24 at Daytona, Gammichia was on the crew.
He started in one of the most grueling, yet overlooked, jobs in racing: running tires back and forth between the pit and the Michelin trailer. The role demanded speed, organization and endurance—skills Gammichia had sharpened through track and field. His work ethic didn't go unnoticed. Within a year, he was trusted with one of the team's most critical assignments: going over the wall during pit stops to change tires.
"Track and field has definitely been helpful," he said. "Not only am I physically able to do a pit stop at a quick pace, but I also know how to work with a team and have a competitive drive for success, both individually and as a team."
Race day is only part of the equation. As a full-time assistant mechanic, Gammichia spends hours preparing cars to be race ready for competitions across the United States. His background in mechanical engineering at Embry-Riddle has also given him an edge.
Looking ahead, he hopes to merge his passions for engineering and racing by one day helping design the cars themselves. If not, he said he'd be just as happy working in race engineering.
For now, his focus is split between two arenas—one with a runway and javelin, the other with high-speed pit stops and Ferraris. Both, however, bring out the competitor in him.
This weekend, that competitive drive will be on full display at one of racing's most iconic venues as Gammichia and Triarsi Competizione take on the IMSA Battle of the Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
