It's no secret that NASCAR is the #2 sport on television in the United States, following only the National Football League, and that its drivers are, on average, the best compensated athletes in all of pro sports. What's less known is that the sport has evolved away from being a meritocracy, now favoring drivers with money over drivers with talent. While a student at Duke University, Paulie Harraka founded his own company to solve this issue.

After graduating from high school, Paulie Harraka chose not to take the standard path of making NASCAR racing his full time commitment, and he attended Duke University instead. In the five years since he made that decision, he has graduated from the university, started two companies, raised over $3 million, and has moved closer to his goal of Sprint Cup Champion.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx