“Had a blast last weekend” – Panthers’ Carter Verhaeghe makes appearance at NASCAR, Daytona International Speedway
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Carter Verhaeghe
Florida Panthers center Carter Verhaeghe, also known as the speedster on the ice, made an appearance on the racetrack on Sunday. He was bestowed the highest honors in NASCAR as he served as the Grand Marshal of the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway.
Carter stated, “I’ve never been to a speedway or anything like this before”. “It’s my first time, so it’s definitely a new experience. It was pretty cool to see the track and everything so close.” He began his eventful day by starting to talk shop with some of the drivers, including 2018 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Joey Logano.
Carter Verhaeghe takes a spin around the track after shouting the four iconic words of NASCAR
Carter said that Logano was also a hockey fan as his parents own and manage an ice rink in North Carolina for more than a decade. “He’s definitely a hockey fan. I was talking to him a little bit.” His iconic moments came when he took the stage and shouted the four most famous words of NASCAR, “Drivers, start your engines!”
His next move was being driven around the track as the entire field of the 40 racers followed behind in tow. After a few warmup laps, his pace car veered off into the pitlane and the official 160-lap race was off and running. He also enjoyed taking photos with fans and engaging with them. The way they drove made Carter have a newfound appreciation for the drivers in NASCAR.
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He said, “It was definitely really cool to be on the track and see what the drivers see and seeing the fans in the stands. It definitely was a cool experience.” He was particularly excited and impressed by the incredibly sharp 31-degree turn the drivers took.
He further noted, “They’re going so fast down there and it’s so loud”. “I don’t know how they fit all those cars on that tiny track. Just being out there [in the pace car], you see how small it is. For guys to make moves and stuff, it’s really crazy. They’re definitely really, really skilled drivers.”
After his exciting weekend, Carter will begin preparing for his 2022-23 season. As of now, he has recorded a career-high of 24 goals, 31 assists, and 55 points during the last campaign. He noted, “I felt like the season didn’t end the right way last year, so I’m just excited to get going again. I had my break and I’m just counting down the days right now.”
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Kaushani Chatterjee
(2140 Articles Published)