College football may be getting more uptempo as the years go by, but it’s never been this fast. The folks at Rick Ware Racing have partnered with two college programs to give a gridiron flavor to their races.
NASCAR team unveils 2 college football themed cars, deepening the link between the sports
Rick Ware Racing will have cars representing both ECU and Clemson in upcoming races.
They’ve also have partnered with Clemson to roll this car out for the first time at Pocono Raceway, also driven by Cody Ware:
Most NASCAR teams are based in Charlotte, and the main circuit has headquarters there as well, so it makes sense that two teams in the Carolinas would get paint jobs.
This’ll be Clemson’s second automotive paint job.
Back in February, an ARCA series car commemorated the team’s national championship triumph with a car that raced at Talladega Superspeedway (located in Alabama).
But the coolest thing about the newest Clemson car is it’ll roll out in a home environment. In addition to a run at Pocono Raceway in mid-June, the car will race in Darlington, South Carolina in September.
The marriage of NASCAR and college football is nothing new.
Both sports have roots that are deeply sewn in the South. Just last season, Tennessee and Virginia Tech squared off at Bristol Motor Speedway. Daytona International Speedway also wants to get in on the act with renovations hopefully enticing Florida and Florida State.
Louisville’s players got to take a fun ride during its Belk Bowl run-up a few years ago as well.
Ohio State also got in on the racing act a few years ago with this Buckeyes themed Indy Car helmet.
And college football acts as something of a feeder system for racing teams. The skills needed on the football field are actually quite similar to those desired by pit crews.
Hendrick’s pit crew training facility would put a few BCS schools to shame. Tucked at the back of its sprawling Concord campus is a purpose-built athletic complex. Among the raft of amenities is a 3,000-square-foot weight room, a yoga studio, a regulation-sized field turf plot and a sand pit. For treating the inevitable aches and pains, the team regularly calls on Gene Monahan, the legendary athletic trainer for the New York Yankees.
Last fall, a Georgia Tech offensive lineman announced he would skip his senior season to pursue a career with a NASCAR pit crew.
Despite the fact that there are cars rolling into the pit stalls at around 70 miles per hour, it can still be safer long-term than a career in the NFL risking multiple serious head injuries.
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