Despite the tornado warning, Matthew Judon didn't let inclement weather rain on his high-speed parade this weekend.
The New England Patriots linebacker traveled north to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the USA Today 301 on Sunday, and though he didn't end up piloting the pace car as initially intended, he was happy to ride shotgun for the race's warm-up lap.
But don't worry, Patriots fans. After seeing NASCAR up close, Judon doesn't plan to quit his day job.
"For sure no," Judon told media covering the race. "I don't even know how to drive a stick car."
Before his duties in the pace car, Judon was given a tour of the track, watched pit crews prepare the cars, and was impressed by how much access NASCAR fans had to their favorite drivers to say hello and snap selfies.
While teammates like David Andrews have visited New Hampshire Motor Speedway to drive the pace car in the past, Judon didn't ask them for any advice.
"I probably wouldn't ask none of my teammates about driving," Judon told media covering the race. "I might be the best driver on the team. I came into it fresh, no knowledge. Just happy, for real. It's just a new experience."
It's common for New England athletes to support the other local Boston teams, so after plenty of Celtics games, Judon looked forward to expanding his horizons and checking out a new sport.
"I's cool when you go to a basketball game, and we're shown on the screen," Judon said. "Right now, it's a NASCAR (race), and I get to ride in the pace car. It's just supporting each other and that's pretty awesome."
