On a campus where star athletes are the norm, NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Kevin Harvick turned some heads Tuesday.
Harvick, who won the NASCAR Sprint Cup regular-season finale at Richmond International Raceway Saturday night, spent several hours at Virginia Tech Tuesday as part of a media event with Martinsville Speedway. He toured the football facility and visited with the 13th-ranked Hokies’ coaching staff and team members.
And everywhere he went, people were interested. When he dropped in on the weekly coaches’ meeting, head coach Frank Beamer literally welcomed him with open arms. The Tech coaching staff listened intently as Beamer and Harvick talked racing.
“We got back in time Saturday night (after a17-10 road win over East Carolina University) to watch the end of your race,” Beamer said to Harvick as they were shaking hands. “That was exciting stuff. I know NASCAR and I know when Kevin Harvick gets out front, it’s hard to get by him.”
A little later Harvick was introduced to Josh Oglesby, the Tech tailback who scored both of the Hokies’ touchdowns Saturday. Oglesby immediately said: “great win Saturday night, sir.”
Harvick sat with Oglesby, cornerback Chris Hill, linebacker Bruce Taylor, and defensive tackle Derrick Hopkins during lunch. The players peppered him with questions about racing and what it took to be a championship caliber driver.
While players and coaches were taken with Harvick, who has four wins this season, he was equally impressed with what he saw during his first trip to Virginia Tech.
“For me, I’ve learned a lot about Virginia Tech football today and about Virginia Tech,” said Harvick. “For me, not going to college, being able to see these facilities and everything that goes into it … this is a first-class facility and there are a lot of people to make it go round.
“I’ve seen today there are a lot of similarities to making a race team go around and a football team go around. It takes good people. It takes dedication and it takes determination to do what you have to do.”
Before the day was done, Harvick, Beamer and Martinsville Speedway president Clay Campbell swapped memorabilia. Harvick presented Beamer with an autographed Budweiser racing helmet. Beamer gave Harvick a Virginia Tech football jersey, personalized with Harvick’s name and car number. And Campbell gave Beamer, a regular at Martinsville Speedway races, a pair of lifetime suite passes.
Martinsville Speedway PR
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