Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales enjoyed his time with the team at an event hosted by Hendrick Motorsports last week. While speaking to reporters on Tuesday during Panthers’ minicamp, Canales was asked what he learned from his team while visiting one of the top teams in NASCAR.
“We had a pit stop competition. That was fantastic,” Canales said. “I was able to hop into one group. We didn’t fare so well, but just seeing the guys who would step up, the ones who would take the gun, the pressure is on you to get these wheels on.
“Seeing that and also just seeing a group that loves to have fun with each other. Kevin Winston, our player engagement director, did an amazing job. Mr. Hendrick just rolled out the red carpet for us. They fed us there. Jeff Gordon spoke to the team for about 10 minutes, talking about championship culture. The guys were just hungry for that. …It was just a really cool moment for us to be around that type of environment.”
After visiting Hendrick Motorsports and learning what it takes to be a successful NASCAR team, the Panthers headed over to Charlotte Motor Speedway and took in a few laps at the NACAR Racing Experience. Canales got into the car and couldn’t get over how fast they were going.
Dave Canales has the full NASCAR experience
“All I know is he had his foot all the way down on the straightaway, we hit the turns, and I felt both my lungs swung to the right of my chest cavity,” Canales said, per the Panthers’ official website. “It was shaking. It was awesome. I could feel the Gs coming around, and then we got pretty close to the wall, too. I think we were probably about 6 inches from the wall before we came back down.”
The visit was good for the Panthers as they look to bounce back after a 2023 season that saw the team go 2-14. Canales is entering his first season as the Panthers’ head coach and joins the team after having a successful 2023 season as the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Canales was also the wide receivers coach for the Seattle Seahawks when they won the Super Bowl during the 2013 season.
Hendrick Motorsports has won 308 NASCAR Cup Series races and 14 NASCAR Cup Series Championships. The team includes 2020 Cup Series Champion Chase Elliott, 2021 Cup Series Champion Kyle Larson and this year’s Daytona 500 winner William Byron.
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