The Ride of His Life: How Ever Upward Finalist Sparks Joy
Drawing on a UCF foundation, a lifelong love of cars and a family connection to Sebring, W. Paul Jones ’94 turns an unexpected ending into a thriving driving club.
Before Paul Jones begins an interview for UCF’s Ever Upward event, he carefully sets a white racing helmet on the table.
For the next hour, he talks about entrepreneurship, family legacy and one of the world’s most iconic racetracks.
But what matters most has nothing to do with race cars.
Every time a member of the Sebring Driving Club climbs out of a car wearing the unmistakable grin that follows a few uninterrupted laps around Sebring International Raceway, Jones knows he’s done his job.
“The company as a whole brings me great joy because what I do is let other people have fun,” he says. “I am their fun keeper.”
It’s an unusual way to describe running a business. Then again, Jones has never had an ordinary career.
A Career Built on Fun
Long before founding Sebring Driving Club, he built a career creating memorable experiences for others. He worked in hospitality sales at Walt Disney World, promoted vacations with Southwest Airlines and introduced everyday drivers to high-performance cars through exotic driving experiences.
Looking back, he laughs that he’s always had a knack for finding “pretty fun jobs.”
That journey eventually led him to Palm Beach International Raceway, where he managed a successful private driving club. When the track unexpectedly closed in 2022, many assumed the concept would disappear with it.
Jones had other ideas.
Betting on Himself
For nearly a year, he worked with leaders at Sebring International Raceway to recreate the club at one of the world’s most iconic racing venues. Before the first member could drive a lap, he needed to secure hundreds of thousands of dollars in commitments and persuade longtime members to follow him to a new home.
“I’ll bet on myself,” he remembers thinking.
The gamble worked.
Today, Sebring Driving Club is the raceway’s largest track renter, drawing members from across the United States and around the world. For Jones, however, the club represents something more personal than a successful business.
Coming Full Circle
His family’s roots at Sebring stretch back more than 70 years.
His grandfather served as general race chairman of the inaugural 12 Hours of Sebring in 1952, helping establish what would become one of the world’s premier endurance races. As a boy, Jones attended the famed race every year with his family. Years later, building a business at the same historic track feels less like coincidence than coming full circle.
“It’s kind of a dream come true,” he says.
The Business of Creating Joy
Despite spending his career around some of the world’s most coveted automobiles, Jones says the cars aren’t what make the club special.
“When you’re driving on a racetrack, it clears your mind,” he says. “You can’t think about anything else but that next corner.”
For a few precious minutes, work deadlines, family obligations and everyday distractions disappear. Members leave smiling, relaxed and already planning their next visit. Creating those moments is how Jones defines success.
“I just really want to be happy,” he says. “I’ve lived a very comfortable life. I don’t need more money.”
His goal is simpler: continually improve the experience, introduce members to legendary drivers and make every visit worth remembering.
Jones says his UCF education in interdisciplinary studies through the Office of Undergraduate Studies gave him the foundation to move among hospitality, sales, marketing and entrepreneurship and the confidence to adapt whenever life took an unexpected turn.
“UCF was the foundation for how my career and the trajectory of my career has been,” he says.
That adaptability has served him through layoffs, career changes and launching his own business. It also shapes the advice he shares with aspiring entrepreneurs.
“Do not be afraid to fail,” he says. “If you fail the first time, it’ll pass. Start your next company.”
Before the interview, Jones carefully placed a racing helmet on the table. By the end of the conversation, it’s clear the helmet isn’t what defines him.
It’s what happens after someone takes one off: a smile.
Because Jones doesn’t believe he’s in the racing business. He’s in the business of creating joy.
“I’ve had a great life,” Jones says. “It’s been a great ride, and I’ve had a whole lot of fun in every job I’ve done.”
As UCF embarks on its next mission, alumni like Paul Jones demonstrate how Knights use their talents, experiences and connections to create impact far beyond campus. Join UCF’s next mission and help build a future the world has only begun to imagine at advance.ucf.edu/go-for-launch.
