Most scoffed when Jacob Mink said he was forming a college race team at the University of Tennessee. Just a few months later, Rocky Top Racing will compete in the new Collegiate Racing Series and make history.

CRS began only a year ago in early 2025 and has already amassed a large following and eager participants. With the 2026 season on the horizon, Rocky Top Racing is ready to triumph both on the track and as a team.

“Our mission is to train students on all the aspects you need to have of running a motorsports team,” Mink said. “That comes down to learning about engineering, finance, marketing, PR, vehicle dynamics and the mechanics of it.”

Mink and his teammates are taking the challenge head-on, currently focused on fundraising and building the team’s visibility.

Rocky Top Racing’s current drivers include Mink, his roommate Trenton Sparks and Dylan Hodge. Sparks is a former dirt oval racer who raced in the United States Auto Club Series, while Hodge is a former driver in the NASCAR Whelen Series Late Model Division.

Mink is excited to be behind the wheel again after racing go-karts for six years, from ages 12 to 18. During college, Mink had the opportunity to work behind the scenes with NASCAR through Leeann Egolf. Egolf, the Marketing and PR Director for Ricky Stenhouse Jr., helped fuel Mink’s passion for the sport even after he stepped away from karting.

The CRS is a spec series, meaning teams will not be allowed to modify their cars beyond basic setup adjustments. This emphasizes driver skill during racing and helps keep costs low for the teams.

Each team has the opportunity to lease a Spec ND MX-5 through CRS, sponsored by Mazda. While the car cannot be modified, teams can design the livery, or visual design, on its exterior.

Rocky Top Racing is going with Tennessee’s classic orange-and-white checkerboard, determined to make a name for themselves and grow support on and off campus.

“This is another thing where Tennessee can show its brute force and show that we’re the best in college athletics,” Mink said. “And, even if we don’t win, if we can go out there and put that car on track and be competitive, that’s my biggest goal for this season.”

Motorsport interest has seen a huge spike since 2024, particularly due to F1. Yet Mink said his biggest challenge has been convincing people that CRS is the real deal, and it’s happening right now.

“It’s just the idea of college racing, it’s so foreign and new that it took a lot of convincing to be like, OK, here’s how we’re gonna do it,” Mink said.

His everyday task is getting new people on board and convincing them that it is achievable. Mink is extending an invitation to alumni interested in getting in on the action through partnership or hands-on involvement with the team.

“If any alumni live within the radius of Tennessee, we invite them to come work on the car with us, come meet us,” Mink said. “If they’ve got partners that might be interested in us, it’s very cool.”

Races will begin on the last weekend in July and run until the end of December. There will be nine total races in the 2026 season, starting at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on July 31.

“The racing is going to be very intense. … And the competition is going to be fierce. It’s real racing, and it’s real fun,” Mink said.

Until then, Rocky Top Racing will focus on getting its drivers licensed and getting to know the car as a team.

There is a place for everyone in Rocky Top Racing, and they are always looking for new members to join the excitement. Whether you are interested in marketing, engineering, communications or simply love motorsports, you will have a chance to engage in as much of the club as you want.

“The involvement that you can have with some really cool people will go a long way for your development in college,” Mink said. “I started this club with my best friends, and we’re about to start traveling the country together. We’re about to start building a race car together. I mean, you will find your best friends in this club.”