Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg wanted to learn more about NASCAR so he took an over 175-mph ride around Charlotte Motor Speedway with Dale Earnhardt Jr.

And, for at least a little while, it was a case of be careful what you wish for.

“Holy shit,” Zuckerberg, who broadcasted the whole experience on Facebook Live, shouted as the car sped around the track at breakneck speeds. “All right, we’re getting a little too close to the wall.”

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“I wanted him to get a sense of the speed and the grip and the G-Forces,” Earnhardt said. “I’m sure it was exhilarating. I couldn’t imagine getting into a car with a race car driver having never driven before myself.”

Zuckerberg visited Earnhardt and a few members of the North Carolina NASCAR commuity Tuesday as part of his jaunt around the country, in which he’s been traveling around to different states in the hopes of getting to know the diverse groups of people that make up the country. He said the NASCAR community was one that intrigued him.

“NASCAR and driving and sports in general form the basis of a lot of communities,” Zuckerberg said. “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.”

Published by rsarlat

Rick is a freelance writer based in Reading, Pa, one hour west of Philadelphia. He's covered hard news and sports for a variety of websites and print publications over the years, first cutting his teeth as a newshound for the Temple University student newspaper.

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