CHARLOTTE, N.C. — When Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck and his driver went into Turn Two of the Charlotte Motor Speedway on Tuesday, the black Monster Energy-sponsored stock car spun out and whipped around twice.
“I truly thought it was all part of it,” Fleck said after his ride-along reached upwards of 150 mph. “(The driver) was like, ‘Yeah, that was not supposed to happen.’ Then we went into the pits, got some new tires and went back out.”
The Minnesota football team received a fuller NASCAR experience leading up to the Duke’s Mayo Bowl against Virginia Tech on Friday. It included a mundane delay to remove water from the track, which holds the Coca-Cola 600 in May, and a more startling stoppage when one car holding Gophers quarterback Max Brosmer in the passenger seat had its engine explode near the finish line.
A bowl official said the ride-alongs have been a perk before the Charlotte bowl game for each of its 23 years and that this was believed to be the first to include either a spin out or an engine fire. And it somehow happened to Minnesota’s head coach and starting QB on the same day.
Fleck wasn’t deterred. “One of the most exhilarating things I’ve done in my life,” he said. “Truly a pleasure.”
Athletics director Mark Coyle was in a car along the 1.5-mile track at the same time as Fleck and said he was already “praying” during the ride. Afterward, he said wouldn’t have done it had he known about Fleck’s spin-out in advance.
On top of being a pace car for a race at the Michigan International Speedway, Fleck noted he has flown with the F-16 Thunderbirds. “That one you are just trying to stay awake and not pass out from all the G(-Force).”
Not all Gophers players were excited to partake on Tuesday. Defensive tackle Deven Eastern lingered at the back of the line of players, clearly nervous about putting on a helmet and participating.
The bus ride into the enormous, 95,000-spectator speedway had Gopher players gasping at the 24-degree banking in its corners.
“You heard a lot of “Aw, hell no” when they saw the banking of the turns,” Fleck relayed. “It was a lot of, ‘I’m not doing that’ — like a roller coaster. But they are embracing it. They are out there doing it and they looked good doing it.”
Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck and players pose a photo in the winner’s circle at the Charlotte Motor Speedway on Tuesday. (Brad Rempel / Gophers Athletics)
Mayo bath
Brosmer said last week he is looking forward to the chances of Fleck receiving a mayonnaise bath on Friday — the quirky tradition given to the head coach of the winning team.
“I’m not sure how fond of mayonnaise Coach Fleck is, so we will see what that looks likes if we come out with a win,” Brosmer said. “I’m excited to see that. I kind of wish he had hair because I think it would be stuck in his hair a little bit more. It might be easier to clean off if he is clean shaven.”
When Fleck received a Gatorade bath after the Guaranteed Rate Bowl in 2022, he commented postgame about how sticky he was. But on the mayo tradition, Fleck has been a good sport when asked about it, going as as far as saying he would take a double dose of the condiment if the U beats the Hokies.
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