The new general manager of Radford Racing School has been a drag racer, mechanic, track director, and event producer. He got his start in motorsports watching his parents race.

Being born into a drag racing family has its advantages. That background is sure to help Chuck Sundstrom, the new general manager of the Radford Racing School in Chandler, Arizona, as he manages the school staff and operations on the seven-track campus.
Raised on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Sundstrom caught the racing bug early by watching his parents drag race. He began racing at age 16 and, over the last two decades, lived his racing passion as a driver, mechanic, and as race director of Spokane County Raceway in Washington and Firebird International Raceway in Arizona. (Firebird is on the Gila River Indian Community’s Wild Horse Pass property adjacent to the Radford Racing School.)
Radford Racing School, founded in 1968, is the largest driver training center of its kind in the world, according to its owners. It is also the Official High Performance Driving School of Dodge SRT. Current programs include drag, road, and open wheel racing, a Formula 4 program, high-precision driving, teen driving safety, and karting. The school maintains a fleet of about 100 race-prepped cars, SUVs, and open wheel formula racers, as well as gas-powered karts.
Before accepting his new role at Radford, Sundstrom had helped the school develop its drag racing program, which uses a fleet of Dodge SRT Challengers and Chargers, as does the road race program. He has worked behind the scenes with the NHRA and other sanctioning bodies. Most recently, he led an events business and security company that produced events at automotive venues around the country.
Sundstrom recently shared his plans for Radford Racing School with PRI.

PRI: Is there a memory from being in a drag racing family you would want to share?
Sundstrom: I grew up in Michigan in an area where drag racing was not that popular. So it was unique to see both my mom and dad drag racing. We raced in Wisconsin, going to the drag strip every weekend. It was just an amazing way to grow up, a great thing to be involved in with family and friends.
PRI: When hired by Radford, you said, “This is an exciting time to be a performance enthusiast.” What does that mean to you?
Sundstrom: I’ve seen growth in motorsports just in the last couple of years from the younger generation with their interest in muscle cars and racing. We know within the next five to 10 years motorsports is going to be changing with the introduction of electric vehicles and all the different paths that it could lead into. Every manufacturer is coming out with an EV, and some want to have the fastest one. There are challenges, but I think it’s exciting to see where it’s going to go.
PRI: As a driving school, what is Radford doing to transform its students into competitors?
Sundstrom: The school has some of the world’s best instructors, with solid backgrounds in all types of racing. We increased all our programs and our variety, and we continue with our high-precision driving courses, open wheel, and Formula 4. We’re looking at adding some more purpose-built road race cars. It’ll again be a connection with Dodge and Direct Connection. We’re looking at adding a new karting program where we can start with a younger generation. [The current program starts at age 12, per the school’s website.]
PRI: In addition to Dodge SRT, Radford lists numerous corporate sponsors, including Goodyear, Mecum Auctions, Hagerty Insurance, Petersen Automotive Museum, and more. Are you working through them to promote the track?
Sundstrom: We are working a lot of new avenues, getting more involved with our sponsor-partners and how those companies tie into motorsports. We’re doing some displays and promotions with NASCAR, as well as displays and interactive activities with the NHRA, including some at international events. We’re going to have some cars and displays at lower-level road race events. Also, we have a great scholarship program with Goodyear for our Formula 4 cars and open wheel program.
PRI: With your racing, track management, and entrepreneurial background, what would you say is the greatest strength you bring to this role?
Sundstrom: I think it’s just the unique experience and the knowledge that I’ve gained that help me look at things from the viewpoint of both the racers and track managers.
PRI: Is there a mistake that you’ve made in your professional life that you learned from and are applying those lessons today?
Sundstrom: I’ve had many learning experiences, and I still learn every day, at every event. There have been things that I probably did wrong, or I could have done differently, but I learned from them, and they helped me to do a better job moving forward.
PRI: Is there a piece of advice you have received, whether personally or professionally, that has greatly impacted your work?
Sundstrom: Working for Charlie Allen, who owned Firebird Raceway, taught me a lot. I think the most important was to always be open-minded and look at both sides. Learn from your experiences every day, good and bad.

CHUCK SUNDSTROM

TITLE: General Manager
ORGANIZATION: Radford Racing School
HOMETOWN: Queen Creek, Arizona
FAST FACT: When he is not working at the track, Chuck Sundstrom enjoys getting outside for kayaking and hiking—“the total opposite of my racing life,” he explained. “But my favorite thing is traveling and learning about different people and places around the world. I am very passionate about that.”