Dale Earnhardt Jr. takes Panthers LB Thomas Davis on 180 mph joy ride

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. is an unapologetic Redskins fan, but on Tuesday he took Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis for a few laps around Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The reigning NFL Man of the Year went around the 1.5-mile oval five times and managed to have his cell phone out for videos the entire trip, something Earnhardt was oddly impressed by.

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“I figured he was going to be hard to scare,” Earnhardt told the Charlotte Observer. “He was filming the whole thing with his phone like we were going down the interstate.”

 

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Despite his nonchalant attitude while cruising around the track at 180 mph, Davis said the experience, as well as trading helmets with Earnhardt, was something to cross off his bucket list.

“I was looking for the speedometer. I couldn’t find it,” Davis said. “It was an amazing feeling, just to be out there in that car and going around the track at the speed that we were. I was trying to look over at some of the signs and it was like a blur.”

Nationwide, which sponsors Earnhardt’s No. 88 Chevy and the NFL’s Man of the Year Award, provided Davis with a a custom fire suit identical to Earnhardt’s, except his suit had "Davis" on the back and a couple patches for his Defending Dreams Foundation. Oh, and it was a bit bigger considering his 6-1, 235-pound frame would be tough to squeeze into Earnhardt’s suit (6-0, 170 pounds).

This wasn’t Earnhardt’s first time getting an NFL star on the track. For last season’s race at Richmond, Earnhardt arranged for Redskins QB Robert Griffin III to drive the pace car. And unlike Davis’ full-throttle journey around the track, Griffin was reportedly told not to take the Toyota Camry hybrid over 41 mph when he was behind the wheel.

“See, that’s the difference between linebackers and quarterbacks,” Davis said.

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