Completing his goal for the year, Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg got one hell of a scare when he let famed NASCAR driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr. take him for a spin around the track at Charlotte Motor Speedway!
Taking a tour of Dale Jr.’s racing team and its headquarters, Zuckerberg welcomed the opportunity to meet and engage with some of NASCAR’s best and brightest. The tech CEO’s goal for the year is to both meet and talk to people in every state within the nation in a quest to become more connected to the diverse cultures and varying groups that make up our incredible country!
Speaking with NASCAR.com, Zuckerberg opened up about why he chose to visit a NASCAR team and undergo the full-throttle experience.
“NASCAR and driving and sports in general form the basis of a lot of communities,” Zuckerberg told the site. “You think about not only the community of drivers and the families around them, but NASCAR’s probably, I think, the biggest sport in the country that people go to and attend live.”
The king of tech companies also expressed that his big belief with Facebook is to try and build community – to be a part of something bigger than ourselves, adding, “You have three million fans on Facebook who follow Dale Jr. For them, NASCAR’s a huge part of their identity and a lot of people pin their hopes on you going out and winning.”
Dale Jr. and Zuckerberg then took to the track in the Nationwide No. 88 for a run around the track that shook Zuckerberg up enough to drop an s-bomb!
Following the zip around the 1.5 mile track, Zuckerberg admitted that the experience was something truly incredible.
“Yeah, that was amazing!” He responded to Dale Jr. asking him about the run. “I think there probably would be millions of people who would die to do what I just did.”
Not long after that, the social media leader got behind the wheel of a race car alone and took a few laps around the track by himself, getting coached by Dale Jr. through the headset all along the way.
Zuckerberg hit the rev limiter on his second lap around, bringing Dale Jr. some well-deserved delight, “You actually ran to the limit of the car – as fast as it can go!”
All-in-all, it sounds (and looks) like it was a fantastic experience for everyone! Watch the video of Dale Jr. giving Zuckerberg a bit of a fright below!