Chase Young rides in pace car, visits drivers at Richmond Raceway originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Chase Young is becoming a regular at Richmond Raceway.
For the second time in 2022, the Washington Commanders’ star pass-rusher attended a NASCAR race at the track, which is located about 100 miles from FedEx Field.
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But Young’s second trip to the track came with increased responsibility. At the first Richmond race in April, Young was merely there for the experience. This time around, he served as the honorary pace car driver prior to the start of the event.
“Growing up, I didn’t really watch NASCAR,” Young told the Richmond Times-Dispatch. “But getting that first time coming (in April), I just had to come again.”
Former Washington head coach Joe Gibbs – a three-time Super Bowl champion in D.C. – owns four cars, but Young found himself aligned with some of Gibbs’ biggest rivals.
Young and his namesake Chase Elliott, who connected through a mutual endorsement deal, have stayed in touch since they first met. Elliott is NASCAR’s most popular driver and current points leader with four wins in 2022, and he finished fifth with Young watching at Richmond.
Another driver that Young met was Bubba Wallace, NASCAR’s only Black driver. Wallace’s team owner, Michael Jordan, was also in attendance on Sunday, as the 23XI Racing driver finished 13th.
Kevin Harvick won the Federated Auto Parts 400, while Gibbs’ four drivers finished in second (Christopher Bell), fourth (Denny Hamlin), seventh (Martin Truex Jr.) and ninth (Kyle Busch).
As Young continues to recover from the torn ACL that he suffered last November, it’s great to see him active in the DMV community. He is currently on the PUP list as the Commanders continue the preseason this Saturday against the Kansas City Chiefs.
