Mike Harper is considered to be one of America's leading opinion makers on NASCAR

NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...

 and ARCA RE/MAX Series

ARCA RE/MAX Series

-History:The series started as a local touring group. Led by John Marcum, the Midwest Association for Race Cars was formed with drivers like Iggy Katona and Nelson Stacy being early drivers.The series became a part of the Daytona Speedweeks in 1964...

 racing topics. His Spin Out Zone column was established in 2001 and has grown into one of the industry's most popular racing web sites. In 2007, he joined forces with digital media artist Lori Munro and NASCAR writer Dennis Michelsen in the purchase of RaceTalkRadio.com.

The network has grown since 2007 from a web site hosting one Internet radio show to the nations largest independent Internet radio network dedicated to racing. Racing programs include shows hosted by SPEED TV's Bob Dillner, XM Radio's Joe Castello and NASCAR Driver Greg Biffle. Shows include the SpeedFreaks and BAM Spirit (with Warner Music Nashville and Larry the Cable Guy). In addition to his work in racing media, Mike is a travel management industry veteran having worked with Fortune 500 corporations, small to mid-size companies and Universities on managing their travel programs.

Host

In 2007, Mike began hosting the only dedicated ARCA RE/MAX Series racing radio show in the nation called Inside the ARCA RE/MAX Series presented by Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure on RaceTalkRadio.com. Show talent included Lori Munro, Dennis Michelsen and Chris Knight. Today, the show has grown into one of the most successful racing programs in the industry. Supported by companies like Office Depot, GLOCK, CASITE, SPEED TV, AAA and Rockingham Speedway, the Thunder Crew (renamed in 2008) airs on RaceTalkRadio.com every Tuesday night (8pm to 11pm EST) with some of the biggest names in NASCAR, ARCA

Automobile Racing Club of America

Automobile Racing Club of America is an auto racing sanctioning body in the United States, founded in 1953 by John Marcum. The current president of ARCA is Ron Drager. The ARCA RE/MAX Series races stock cars similar to those seen in past years in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and indeed most cars...

 and the racing media.

Radio

Mike's racing updates have been heard on national networks like Fox Sports Radio and ESPN Radio. Local stations have picked up his updates including WHEELZ 104.5 FM in Mid-Michigan and 105.7 in Ohio.

Print - Magazine

In print media, Mike's Spin Out Zone column has been featureed in SpeedWorld Magazine. SpeedWorld is a worldwide publication owned by Synergy Publishing International, a diversified multi-media communications corporation headquartered in Clearwater

Clearwater, Florida

Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, US, nearly due west of Tampa and northwest of St. Petersburg. In the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and in the east lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 108,787. It is the county seat of...

, Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

, U.S.A.

Print - Newspaper/Online

As a contributor, Mike's work has been published on SPEEDTV.com, ARCARacing.com, NASCAR industry's second largest media web site ThatsRacin.com which is produced by The Charlotte Observer, which is owned by The McClatchy Company

The McClatchy Company

The McClatchy Company is a publicly traded American publishing company based in Sacramento, California. It operates 30 daily newspapers in 15 states and has an average weekday circulation of 2.2 million and Sunday circulation of 2.8 million...

, the second-largest newspaper company in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Other newspaper contributions include The Hearst Corporation, one of the nation's largest diversified media companies. Its major interests include magazine, newspaper and business publishing, cable networks, television and radio broadcasting, internet businesses, TV production and distribution, newspaper features distribution and real estate.

Interviews

Mike has interviewed many ARCA and NASCAR stars, television executives/personalities from ESPN

ESPN

Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....

, Fox Sports

Fox Sports (USA)

Fox Sports is a division of the Fox Broadcasting Company . It was formed in 1994 with Fox's acquisition of broadcast rights to National Football League games...

 and Speed Channel

SPEED Channel

Speed , is a cable and satellite television network broadcast to various parts of North America, but primarily the United States...

, and national personalities like wrestler/movie star Bill Goldberg

Bill Goldberg

Goldberg earned a scholarship to play for the University of Georgia Bulldogs football team where he served as a defensive tackle. He was taken in the 11th round, with the 302nd overall selection, in the 1990 NFL Draft....

 and Commander in Chief of the United States Central Command

United States Central Command

The United States Central Command is a theater-level Unified Combatant Command unit of the U.S. armed forces, established in 1983 under the operational control of the U.S. Secretary of Defense...

 from July 2000 through July 2003, General Tommy Franks.

Travel Management

For most companies “travel & entertainment” (T&E) costs represent the second highest controllable annual expense, exceeded only by salary & benefits. Corporate travel management (CTM) is the function of managing a company’s approach to travel by developing a travel policy, the negotiations with all vendors, day-today operation of the corporate travel program, traveller safety & security, credit-card management and T&E data management. As a business to business professional, Mike has managed all aspects of the travel program including business development, account management and operations management.

Personal life

Mike was born and raised in Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

 and currently has residences in Michigan

Michigan

Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....

 and Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

with his wife, Charlene and son, Tyler.