Most students are still asleep as Carey Kronhart wakes up at 4:30 a.m. to catch a flight from Denver to yet another motorsports event. When he arrives, he’ll go straight to the racetrack and begin the work of a production assistant and runner for Fox Sports, where he supports live racing broadcasts.

Kronhart, a senior majoring in media production with a minor in sports media, said the nonstop pace of covering NASCAR and IndyCar is exactly what he wants. 

Carey Kronhart on the track at the Grand Prix of Arlington, in Texas, as part of his work with Fox Sports. ‘I’m in a different place every week,’ he says. ‘It’s awesome.’ Photo courtesy Carey Kronhart.

“Being a student is slightly limiting, but I’m in a different place every week. It’s awesome,” he said. “In St. Petersburg (Florida), I don’t think there was a single day when I worked less than 15 hours, but it’s rewarding work.”

His path to racing has been nontraditional, even as it was auto-adjacent: Before transferring to CU Boulder, he worked as a car salesman, where he developed communication skills that prepared him to make the connections needed to break into the fast-paced sports media industry.

CMDI encouraged those connections through his classes, including those for the sports media minor, and events like the Sports Media Summit. There, he bonded with Michael Davies (Jour’94), a Fox Sports executive vice president, 
over a love of motorsports. 

“What made Carey stand out to me was that he knew exactly what he was interested in,” Davies said. “It made it very easy for me to find an opportunity for him in the operations side of TV and motorsports.”

Davies was impressed not only by Kronhart’s work ethic but also by the professionalism and curiosity he brought to work every day.

“He’s extremely polite and outgoing,” Davies said. “He listens and always has his radar up for different pieces of knowledge that he can use on his journey.” 

As a production assistant and runner, Kronhart spent his first races learning the ins and outs of live television production. He describes himself as a jack-of-all-trades, helping out on set wherever he’s needed. His responsibilities range from moving equipment to distributing schedules and tearing down gear once the broadcast wraps.

The work came with a lot of pressure, but after impressing his supervisor during his first race, he was invited back for additional events.

As Kronhart’s professional opportunities and responsibilities grew, he faced the challenge of balancing them with a full course load back in Boulder. Cory Lopez, a lecturer who had Kronhart in a sports broadcasting class last spring, said he saw Kronhart use his experiences from the job to be a better student. 

“Carey is just one of those guys who is going to do this for a very long time. He’s already in the middle of the grind and just loves it,” said Lopez, who also works in sports broadcasting and public relations. “He’s got real talent.”