From Iowa to F1: Joe Sulentic’s Wild Ride Through Racing, Risk, and Reinvention

How does a kid from Waterloo, Iowa end up in the heart of Formula One, and eventually shaping the next generation of business leaders? In our premiere episode, Ava welcomes Joe Sulentic—a man whose journey goes from quiet Midwest classrooms to the world’s fastest racetracks, and now, to the front of the lecture hall.

Joe shares the remarkable story of how a single study hall set off a lifelong obsession with motorsport. You’ll hear about his wild ride through the world of Italian Formula 3, the crash in Monza that changed everything, and the bold entrepreneurial moves that funded his dreams. Along the way, Joe dishes on Ferrari team drama, selling T-shirts to David Letterman, and why real purpose comes from pushing limits—on and off the track.

Whether you’re a racing fanatic, a budding entrepreneur, or just love stories about grit and reinvention, this conversation is for you.

🏁 Topics Covered

• The Midwestern Origin Story: How Study Hall Led to the Starting Line
• Going Full Send: Racing in Italian Formula 3
• High-Speed Crashes & High-Stakes Choices
• From Grid to Grit: Navigating Setbacks with Purpose
• Behind the Scenes of 1980s F1—Senna, Prost, and Pit Lane Madness
• Funding a Racing Dream Through Entrepreneurship (and Back Again)
• From Fast Laps to Fast Learners: Bringing Real-World Lessons to the Classroom
• The One Corner That Proved He Belonged
• Teaching Students to Race Toward Risk, Not Away from It

💡 Episode Highlights

• “You’re always pushing to the limit—then backing off just enough.”
• “If all those other guys made it to F1, I think I would have too.”
• “Entrepreneurship isn’t the goal. It’s the fuel for whatever drives you.”
• “No one can take that corner from you once you’ve nailed it.”
• “Get comfortable being uncomfortable. That’s how you get ahead—on a track or in life.”

🎙 Behind every athlete, there is a story. Welcome to Ava’s Arena.

Ava's Arena is sponsored by Running Ahrens
Ava's Arena is an A6 Ventures production

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