The Houston Texans had to make a detour during a recent trip to Charlotte. The team headed north to Concord for a NASCAR experience.
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The Texans team landed in Charlotte ahead of Friday night's preseason game against the Carolina Panthers. Instead of immediately getting into football mode, the team headed to RFK Racing headquarters. More than 130 players and coaches then took part in a guided tour of the campus.
These players and coaches learned about the NASCAR Cup Series and RFK Racing's history in the sport. They saw how the athletic skills translate to a different sport, and they even had an opportunity to test themselves with pit stop practice.
Yep, sounds just like the car 😂🏎️ pic.twitter.com/4WWkzRr0av
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) August 28, 2026
"Great little team-bonding (event), said two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Nico Collins. "...Just seeing how the pit crews, you know, change their tires and everything, man.
"It shows you how much detail and work really go into it, and how much effort and then small details really go into the cars, man."
Why did the Texans get the experience? One reason is that a lot of athletes just aren't as aware of NASCAR and its intricacies. Many didn't grow up being exposed to stock car racing, so they don't know about the level of engineering involved or the teamwork required to achieve success.
RFK Racing had the opportunity to change opinions heading into the weekend, and the team pursued this goal while welcoming in such players as quarterback CJ Stroud, defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, newly-acquired receiver Kayshon Boutte, and running back David Montgomery.
"Those kind of crossover opportunities, you know, are kind of the high tides I think can lift all ships," Keselowski said. "...Then, you know, somewhat selfishly, we're always hopeful that there's somebody on that team that sends a message to the next elite athlete.
"And as we look to the future of where our sport's going on pit road, that's critical to our health is continuing to recruit those personnel."
Now that the experience is complete, the two organizations will move forward with vastly different objectives.
The Texans will close out the preseason with a Friday night game against the Panthers. The team will then cut down to a 53-player active roster.
Once this process is complete, the Texans will then kick off the regular season. The team will play the Bills on Sunday, Sept. 13.
RFK Racing, for comparison, will close out the NASCAR Cup Series regular season. Chris Buescher has a secure spot in the Chase, but Ryan Preece (-31) and Brad Keselowski (-66) are still below the cutline.
These two drivers will have one more chance to fight for a spot in NASCAR's version of the playoffs. This will happen at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. ET.
