![\"May](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1e930cfadb07d4397442e7abcacac148.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\nClemson football got a high-octane surprise on Tuesday when members of Team Penske rolled into campus, giving players a first-hand look at the precision, speed, and teamwork behind NASCAR pit stops.<\/p>\n
Among the visitors were NASCAR driver Joey Logano, Penske President of NASCAR Operations and Clemson alum Michael Nelson, and former Clemson cornerback Sheridan Jones, who now serves as a pit crew member.<\/p>\n
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The visit stems from a connection made earlier this year during P.A.W. Journey Business Week in Las Vegas. Clemson frequently hosts guest speakers during camp, but this group brought the full NASCAR experience.<\/p>\n
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May 2, 2014; Talladega, AL, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Joey Lagano (22) during practice at Talladega Superspeedway. \u00a9 Mike DiNovo-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
Players and coaches got involved in pit stop demonstrations on Logano\u2019s No. 22 car, even taking turns changing tires and operating the jack under the guidance of Penske\u2019s crew. Clemson\u2019s social media highlighted the event, capturing Logano pulling into a makeshift pit lane with a dramatic burnout, sending players running and cheering along the sidelines.<\/p>\n
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Former Tiger, Sheridan Jones Talks Football-to-NASCAR Transition<\/p>\n
Beyond the spectacle, the visit highlighted the professional development opportunities NASCAR provides for former football players. Sheridan Jones spoke to how the transition works, noting that the skills athletes develop on the field\u2014teamwork, focus, and explosiveness\u2014translate directly to pit crew roles.<\/p>\n
Clemson has a strong presence in motorsports: alumni Landon Walker, Jonathan \u201cTig\u201d Willard, and Sheridan Jones have all successfully made the jump from the gridiron to pit lanes, showcasing a viable career path for those who might not pursue the NFL.<\/p>\n
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At Clemson\u2019s Pro Day earlier this year, NASCAR scouts joined representatives from all 32 NFL teams to evaluate athletes not just for football but also for potential pit crew positions.<\/p>\n
Positions like jackmen and fuelers demand speed, precision, and coordination, qualities many college football players already possess. Programs like NASCAR\u2019s Drive for Diversity further expand opportunities, recruiting minority and female athletes into the sport and opening professional pathways beyond football.<\/p>\n
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With visits like this, NASCAR isn\u2019t just racing cars\u2014it\u2019s helping develop careers, bringing athletes from the football field to the pit lane, and reinforcing the link between elite athleticism and professional success in motorsports.<\/p>\n
Related: Son of Two-Time National Champ Chooses Other School After Huskers Snub<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Related: Dabo Swinney Issues Statement After Clemson Player Arrest<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Related: Paul Finebaum Rips Michigan After NCAA Ruling on Sign-Stealing Scandal<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports<\/a> on Aug 19, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football<\/a> section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Clemson football got a high-octane surprise on Tuesday when members of Team Penske rolled into campus, giving players…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":167108,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[45038,45036,59332,95992,9650,1406,95989,95993,95990,95991,62,9653,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-167107","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nascar","8":"tag-clemson","9":"tag-clemson-football","10":"tag-football-players","11":"tag-joey-lagano","12":"tag-joey-logano","13":"tag-nascar","14":"tag-nascar-sprint-cup-series","15":"tag-pit-stops","16":"tag-sheridan-jones","17":"tag-sheridan-jones-talks","18":"tag-sports","19":"tag-team-penske","20":"tag-united-states","21":"tag-unitedstates","22":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115073786115877354","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/167107","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=167107"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/167107\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/167108"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=167107"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=167107"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=167107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}