Brian Nilsen
Owner and Founding Member
Brian Nilsen has been deeply involved in the motorsports industry for more than 40 years. A native of Washington and Kitsap County, Brian’s first motorcycle was a Honda Z50. He dreamed of following in his dad’s footsteps by learning to ride as well as him on a Bultaco, an iconic Spanish motorcycle, and pursuing a career in the motorsports industry. Circuit of the Northwest has been a labor of love and he’s proud to partner with best-in-class designers, engineers and experienced operators and marketing professionals for the facility.

brian@circuitofthenorthwest.com

Todd Melfi
Executive Vice President
todd@circuitofthenorthwest.com
(724) 674-4348
Todd is an experienced marketing and sales professional in the world of motorsports. During his career he has opened and secured sponsorships for racing venues in Pennsylvania and Iowa, among other destinations. Todd serves the Circuit of the Northwest in Corporate Team Memberships, as well as facilitating brands to secure sponsorship rights within the venue.

Joel Cohen
Owner, COO & Director of Motorsports
joel@callcohen.com
Joel and The Joel Cohen Group LLC., are long-standing contributors to the world of motorsports.

Joel Cohen is a legacy-minded entrepreneur, equity owner, and executive leader with over 40 years of experience building high-impact ventures across motorsports, telecommunications, entertainment, and venue development. As COO and Equity Owner of Circuit of the Northwest and CEO of The Joel Cohen Group LLC, he leads large-scale projects from concept to completion—aligning public-private partnerships, investor strategy, and operational execution to deliver enduring platforms.

Cohen’s entrepreneurial career began in telecommunications, where he co-founded Century Cellular and played a pivotal role in launching Brightpoint’s IPO (CELL: NASDAQ), helping shape one of the industry's earliest wholesale cellular distribution platforms. That foundation in fast-growth, investor-backed ventures informs his leadership across sectors.

In motorsports, Cohen has developed more than 30 racetrack and venue projects across NASCAR, IndyCar, US Legend Cars, USAC, and ARCA. He earned lasting recognition from the late NASCAR Hall of Fame promoter H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler, who called him “the best short track promoter I ever saw.” Wheeler’s passing in 2025 marked the end of an era, but his legacy lives on in the promoters and visionaries he inspired. Cohen’s expertise spans facility development, capital stack modeling, naming rights monetization, hospitality segmentation, and high-performance venue operations.

At Circuit of the Northwest, Cohen leads investor-facing strategy—aligning capital stack logic, naming rights monetization, and operational assumptions to deliver a defensible, high-growth platform. He directs strategic planning, investor relations, and partner alignment for a 232-acre master-planned destination anchored by a 2.34-mile road course designed by Hermann Tilke, with the intent to meet FIA and FIM standards. With construction targeted for 2026 and opening projected for 2028, CNW is positioned as a generational asset—built to endure, designed to inspire, and engineered for economic impact.

Cohen’s ventures reflect a singular focus: build what lasts, lead with precision, and protect the legacy at every turn. His portfolio includes pioneering ticketing and travel platforms, multi-unit franchise operations, and strategic consulting for venue owners and investors. His leadership is defined by collaboration, clarity, and a relentless commitment to ventures that stand the test of time.

Andy Vertrees
Executive Vice President & Chief Motorsports Officer
Andy has been involved in Motorsports most of his life. From 1979, he has been involved in ownership and consulting for many historic tracks, adding his flair and eye to the success of every project he is involved with. Through decades of management experience, a winning formula has been developed. It is now the core methodology: helping clients and friends in business achieve successful, sustainable and measurable results.

Tim Duncan
Chief Information Officer
Technology Director
Tim has worked over 30 years with the Joel Cohen Group focusing on technology. He is a Bachelor of Science Graduate from Purdue University. He has utilized his technology skills in many jobs over the years from a Systems Engineer at Apple to Technology Director for Disney's Town of Celebration. Having been born into a KFC family franchise, he views every new project with an eye to his hospitality and customer service heritage.

Andy Gerdom
Chief Engineering Officer & Director of Motorsports Design
Andy has more than 30 years of experience in the Motorsports industry. Holding two Bachelors of Science from Purdue University in Land Survey and Structural Engineering, and a Masters of Science in Business Administration. He has led the development of design, motorsport and entertainment projects like Iowa, Jukasa, Mansfield, Lawrenceburg, Monroe, Pacific Northwest Motorsport Park, Bluegrass Motorsport Park, Prairie Hills Motorsport Park, and Canadian Motor Speedway.

Daniella Lewis
Director of Sales, Member Services, Business Development
Daniella is an experienced sales professional with a passion for Motorsports. Prior to joining the team, she spent decades working in the luxury sales and business development fields. Native to the PNW, Daniella is now responsible for facilitating partnerships and building the membership body at the Circuit of the Northwest.

daniella@circuitofthenorthwest.com