Ameet Shetty is new to his role at RaceTrac, but he’s excited to bring new technology into the chain that meets customers’ needs in a one-stop shop.
The Atlanta-based chain with more than 800 RaceTrac and RaceWay stores hired Shetty in October as its first chief information officer. Shetty has more than 29 years of finance and technology experience, previously working at Equifax, Pilot Flying J and McDonald’s.
In his new position, Shetty said the most important thing for him is to first make sure he has a clearly defined strategy for the technology team that aligns to RaceTrac’s business roadmap.
“The great thing about RaceTrac is that we are a growth company,” Shetty said. “We're focused on continuing to expand what we're able to provide consumers, and that perspective is exciting because it requires technology to create better engagement, more differentiation and a personalized experience—all the hallmarks that will continue to drive our growth.”
- RaceTrac is No. 17 on CSP’s 2025 Top 202 ranking of U.S. c-store chains by store count.
As far as the emerging technologies that will have the greatest impact on operations and the customer experience over the next few years, Shetty pointed to artificial intelligence (AI).
“The reality is that every organization, every company, is trying to think about how to take advantage of AI in a positive way. That includes RaceTrac. Can we use it to improve customer experience? Can we use it to operate more efficiently? Can we use it to mitigate risk? How will it help us grow overall?” Shetty asked. “To leverage AI in a positive way, we need to make sure that we're thinking about how to make it something that our employees can use to enable and enhance their job capabilities. We're looking to make sure that it is something that makes it easier for us to meet guest needs.”
John Lucas, RaceTrac’s previous IT leader who is retiring, made great strides in setting up the right infrastructure for the future, Shetty said.
“From a platform foundation, RaceTrac has set itself up in a great way to excel,” Shetty said. “The question now is: how do we take that foundation to drive the insights we need that will enhance where we want to go next?”
His goal is to continue that momentum, making the right investments and partnering with the right suppliers and vendors, to ensure he’s getting the best out of the organization. That’s what will define RaceTrac’s strategy and roadmap for IT to enable RaceTrac’s continued growth, he said.
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